Decision making autonomy and maternal healthcare utilization among Nigerian women

Background and Objectives: Low assess to ante-natal care (ANC) services continue to pose a major public health challenge leading to high maternal mortality rates in developing countries. Non-utilization of ANC services among about a quarter of Nigerian women of reproductive age remains a major concern in the actualization of Sustainable Development Goals. Considering the complexity of healthcare utilization in Nigeria, the relationship between a particular health care utilization pattern and women autonomy has not been fully examined. This study examines the patterns of women autonomy and their relationships with ANC utilization in Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of the 2013 nationally representative data from the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Factor analysis/score were used to construct women autonomy index, while chi-square and logistic regression were used to establish the relationships between the response and exposure variables. Results: There is a strong relationship between women decision making autonomy status and ANC services among Nigeria women. The odds of utilizing ANC services among women with more decision making autonomy were significantly 3.79 higher than among women with low decision-making autonomy. The use of ANC increases as age, education and wealth status of respondents increase. Conclusions and Global Health Implications: These results indicate that women autonomy is undoubtedly a major determinant of ANC utilization in Nigeria

Bimetallic nanoparticles as suitable nanocarriers in cancer therapy

Cancer is a widespread disease which has been prevalent for decades and for which a cure is yet to be discovered. Current treatments are fraught with severe side effects to patients and with no certainty of remission. This problem has been met with research innovations in the design of nanomaterials with potential to be used as nanocarriers of cancer therapeutics. In this regard, the current review focuses on the progress that has been achieved through the synthesis and functionalisation of bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs). Metal nanoparticles have been used extensively in the design of potential cancer treatments, with BNPs showing increasing potential. The combination of two metals each with their own advantageous properties can produce a nanoparticle with favourable properties and enhanced activity. This review outlines the current advances and avenues being explored with BNPs and their applications in cancer treatment, spanning research conducted in the last ten years. These include the efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorubicin, paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil, use of BNPs in phototherapy and theranostics, where BNPs serve as contrast agents for imaging. In each of these instances, BNPs show strong potential for further development and optimization for cancer therapy. However, most of the research to date does not extend beyond the in vitro level. There is still a vast array of functionalisations to be explored and applications to be discovered. As such, it is clear that further research into this promising platform is imperative

Evaluating the reasons for partial and non-immunization of children in Wushishi local government area, Niger state, Nigeria : methodological comparison

Immunization of children against childhood preventable diseases has remained one of the most important cost effective and public health strategies to reduce childhood preventable morbidity and mortalities arising from infectious diseases. A recent report released by World Health Organization (WHO) stated that 1 in 10 infants did not receive vaccination in 2016. Also, a survey conducted in Bida Emirate Area of Niger State Nigeria in 2015 found that full routine immunization coverage in this area was less than 30%. The aim of this study was to establish the full routine immunization status and the reasons for its partial and non-immunization of children in Wushishi Local Government Area using WHO recommended cluster survey method and contrast with Factor Analysis (FA) method to see if the same results were achieved. The findings showed that the full immunization status for this area was very low (36%) and the results of analysis of reasons for failure from both methods seem contradictory. However, it reflected that lack of proper information was strongest for both methods. The disparity obtained in the two methods might be a result of methodological issues. The health implication is that much is expected to be done in the area of enlightenment campaign of the need for immunization and the need to complete the required basic dose especially in the rural areas

Evaluating the Reasons for Partial and Non-immunization of Children in Wushishi Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria: Methodological Comparison

Immunization of children against childhood preventable diseases has remained one of the most important cost effective and public health strategies to reduce childhood preventable morbidity and mortalities arising from infectious diseases. A recent report released by World Health Organization (WHO) stated that 1 in 10 infants did not receive vaccination in 2016. Also, a survey conducted in Bida Emirate Area of Niger State Nigeria in 2015 found that full routine immunization coverage in this areawas less than 30%. The aim of this study was to establish the full routine immunization status and the reasons for its partial and non-immunization of children in Wushishi Local Government Area using WHO recommended cluster survey method and contrast with Factor Analysis (FA) method to see if the same results were achieved. The findings showed that the full immunization status for this area was very low (36%) and the results of analysis of reasons for failure from both methods seem contradictory. However, it reflected that lack of proper information was strongest for both methods. The disparity obtained in the two methods might be a result of methodological issues. The health implication is that much is expected to be done in the area of enlightenment campaign of the need for  immunization and the need to complete the required basic dose especially in the rural areas. (Afr J Reprod Health 2018; 22[4]: 113-122).Keywords: Vaccination, Factor Analysis, Principal Component Analysis, In-complete immunizatio