An evaluation of the impact of anti-rabies programs in Nigeria.

Rabies remains a significant public health problem in Africa with outbreaks reported in most countries. In Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, rabies causes a significant public health burden partly due to uncoordinated efforts and the ineffectiveness of available anti-rabies programs. We aim to address the current efforts, and challenges associated with the available anti-rabies programs in Nigeria and provide recommendations to tackle these challenges. RESULTS: The anti-rabies programs available in Nigeria are highlighted. They are sponsored by different bodies such as government parastatals, veterinary teaching hospitals, professional associations, nongovernmental associations, and students. These programs provide support to eradicate rabies but are not devoid of challenges. Recommendations are provided to the Nigerian government, bodies anchoring the anti-rabies programs, and health professionals to tackle the challenges hindering the effective impact of the programs. CONCLUSION: Anti-rabies programs in Nigeria are supported by individual and collaborative bodies. It is pertinent to hold on to these programs and create a comprehensive national program to achieve effective rabies eradication in Nigeria

Towards effective and efficient COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria

Vaccines are prospective subverts in battling the COVID-19 virus ravaging the globe and the Nigerian cold-chain system needs a thorough overhaul in order to optimize vaccine distribution. This paper presents a situational analysis of the Nigerian cold chain system, the challenges and opportunities that exist. The problems plaguing the aforementioned system are diverse, ranging from lack of infrastructure, inadequate capacity and limited integration of recent technology to poor training of workers in the cold chain system and these problems are accentuated by the storage peculiarities of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. It also compares the capabilities of cold chain workers in the various geopolitical zones in Nigeria and gives a succinct insight into the situation of the cold chain system in neighbouring African countries. Additionally, measures to mitigate the devastating effects of the defective cold-chain system and facilitate effective and efficient distribution of the vaccines are also proffered and these measures include reorganization of the supply chain, training of vaccinators and technicians, accurate estimation of future needs and procurement of infrastructure to increase storage capacity and preserve the cold chain. Finally, it offers recommendations on COVID-19 vaccine procurement in consistence with our economic realities and distribution

Incidence, risk factors, and temporal trends of penile cancer:a global population-based study

Objectives: To examine the global disease burden and country-specific trends of penile cancer incidence by age group and investigate its associations with several factors. Materials and Methods: The Global Cancer Observatory database was interrogated for penile cancer incidence. The 10-year cancer incidence rates were collected from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus. The country-specific data were extracted from the World Health Organization Global Health Observatory and Global Burden of Disease databases for conducting risk factors analysis. The penile cancer incidence was presented using age-standardised rates. Its associations with various factors were examined by linear regression, while the incidence trend was estimated using joinpoint regression and presented as average annual percentage change with 95% confidence intervals in different age groups. Results: There were an estimated 36 068 new cases of penile cancer in 2020. There was a considerable geographical disparity in the disease burden of penile cancer, with South America reporting the highest incidence. Overall, alcohol drinking, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and unsafe sex were positively associated with a higher penile cancer incidence, while circumcision was found to be a protective factor. There has been a mixed trend in penile cancer incidence overall, but an increasing trend was found among younger males. Conclusions: There was a global variation in the penile cancer burden associated with prevalence of alcohol drinking, HIV infection, unsafe sex, and circumcision. The increasing penile cancer incidence in the younger population is worrying and calls for early detection and preventive interventions.</p

Incidence, risk factors, and temporal trends of penile cancer:a global population-based study

Objectives: To examine the global disease burden and country-specific trends of penile cancer incidence by age group and investigate its associations with several factors. Materials and Methods: The Global Cancer Observatory database was interrogated for penile cancer incidence. The 10-year cancer incidence rates were collected from the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus. The country-specific data were extracted from the World Health Organization Global Health Observatory and Global Burden of Disease databases for conducting risk factors analysis. The penile cancer incidence was presented using age-standardised rates. Its associations with various factors were examined by linear regression, while the incidence trend was estimated using joinpoint regression and presented as average annual percentage change with 95% confidence intervals in different age groups. Results: There were an estimated 36 068 new cases of penile cancer in 2020. There was a considerable geographical disparity in the disease burden of penile cancer, with South America reporting the highest incidence. Overall, alcohol drinking, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and unsafe sex were positively associated with a higher penile cancer incidence, while circumcision was found to be a protective factor. There has been a mixed trend in penile cancer incidence overall, but an increasing trend was found among younger males. Conclusions: There was a global variation in the penile cancer burden associated with prevalence of alcohol drinking, HIV infection, unsafe sex, and circumcision. The increasing penile cancer incidence in the younger population is worrying and calls for early detection and preventive interventions.</p

Predictors and prevalence of alcohol and cannabis co-use among Filipino adolescents: evidence from a school-based student health survey

Objectives: This study explored the prevalence and predictors of alcohol and cannabis co-use among 9263 Filipino adolescents, using data from the 2019 Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of the GSHS, targeting adolescents aged 13-17 years and excluding cases with incomplete data on alcohol and cannabis use. Our analysis employed the bivariate chi-square test of independence and multivariable logistic regression using Stata version 18 to identify significant predictors of co-use, with a p-value threshold set at 0.05. Results: The weighted prevalence of co-users was 4.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4 to 5.3). Significant predictors included male sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.50; 95% CI, 3.31 to 6.10; p&lt;0.001) and being in a lower academic year, specifically grade 7 (aOR, 4.08; 95% CI, 2.39 to 6.99; p&lt;0.001) and grade 8 (aOR, 2.20; 95% CI, 1.30 to 3.72; p=0.003). Poor sleep quality was also a significant predictor (aOR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.29 to 2.44; p&lt;0.001), as was a history of attempted suicide (aOR, 5.31; 95% CI, 4.00 to 7.06; p&lt;0.001). Physical inactivity was associated with lower odds of co-use (aOR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.33 to 0.62; p&lt;0.001). Additionally, non-attendance of physical education classes (aOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.06 to 2.05; p=0.021), infrequent unapproved parental checks (aOR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.80; p=0.024), and lower parental awareness of free-time activities (aOR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.87; p=0.005) were associated with higher odds of co-use. Factors not significantly linked to co-use included age group, being in grade 9, always feeling lonely, having no close friends, being bullied outside school, and whether a parent or guardian understood the adolescent’s worries. Conclusions: The findings highlight the critical need for comprehensive interventions in the Philippines, addressing not only physical inactivity and parental monitoring but also focusing on sex, academic grade, participation in physical education classes, sleep quality, and suicide attempt history, to effectively reduce alcohol and cannabis co-use among adolescents

The role of nurses and midwives in medical laboratory investigations in sub‐Saharan Africa

Abstract Introduction Across the globe, nurses and midwives play a crucial role in providing care to patients in healthcare facilities. They often contact the patient, providing direct care as directed by medical doctors or clinical officers. Traditionally, the role of nurses and midwives in the clinical diagnosis process is to coordinate the clinical diagnosis process—which includes laboratory diagnosis requests—from diagnosticians to the clinical laboratory. In these settings, these diagnosticians are general or specialist medical doctors. However, in some regions in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), nurses and midwives are primary diagnosticians in healthcare facilities. Methodology We present a perspective on the role of nurses and midwives in medical laboratory investigations in SSA. We highlight how, on top of nursing and midwifery roles, nurses take up the role of diagnosticians in facilities where doctors are few or are absent and what key issues are worth consideration. Furthermore, we present how efficient collaboration between nursing midwifery and medical laboratory diagnostic systems facilitates effective patient management. Conclusion Emphasizing training on laboratory test utilization for nurses and midwives in SSA is vital for enhancing healthcare outcomes

Impact of COVID-19 on blood donation and supply in Africa.

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread in Africa, unprecedented disruptions at all levels of human endeavours including healthcare delivery systems have been recorded. One of the major areas of healthcare systems affected is blood supply – a commodity needed for the survival of many patients. Blood and blood products such as cryoprecipitate, plasma, immune globulins, platelets, etc., are required for the management of medical conditions including but not limited to trauma, renal impairment, cancer, sickle cell anaemia, haemorrhagic shock, and other medical conditions related to acute or chronic loss of blood. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, health problems and accidents occur including maternal morbidities, malnutrition, blood-transmitted infectious diseases (HIV and AIDS, hepatitis C virus infection, hepatitis B virus infection, syphilis and anaemia-inducing infectious diseases such as malaria, which is particularly worse in rainy seasons in countries such as Malawi and Nigeria, kidney disease, liver disease, and cancer, etc.). Hence, blood donation shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are wrecking Africa’s already overwhelmed blood transfusion services and are a guaranteed threat to a positive patient outcome, particularly for children under the age of 5, who are the recipients of 54% of the 118.5 million blood collected in low-income countries. In countries that rely on voluntary blood donations, particularly from students, the trends of blood supply and donation are likely to decline in many other countries if the COVID-19 pandemic continues. This will consequently and adversely affect beneficiaries in various hospitals, particularly in countries whose sole blood donors are volunteers and students

Strengthening rural surgery in the Philippines: Essential in achieving universal health care

Abstract The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) launched Global Surgery 2030 to address the surgical services inequities with a bias toward low‐income and middle‐income countries like the Philippines. The same inequity is observed particularly when it comes to the urban‐rural divide. With more than half of the population living in rural areas, access to surgery becomes a major challenge that further impedes the much‐needed health of an economically productive workforce. The Universal Health Care [UHC] Act (RA 11332) of 2019 ensures that all Filipinos have access to quality, cost‐effective, promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative health services without causing a financial burden. Recognizing the provision of essential surgery, in the context of primary healthcare is important. It should be accessible, continuous, comprehensive, and coordinated at the time of need – parallel to the principle of primary health care. Driven by this concept and experiences, the authors conceptualized and presented the Philippine Rural Surgery model for future development and implementation. This is envisioned to provide essential surgery among local rural primary health care settings that is universal, accessible, cost‐effective and safe. As this is still new in the Philippines, we proposed tenets and recommendations based on WHO Health System Strengthening building blocks to guide stakeholders in creating formal plans towards institutionalization under the principles of UHC. Such access to surgical service in the context of a unique socio‐demography of the Philippines would be essential in attaining the parameters and provisions set by the UHC Act