The Role of the Media in the Relationship Between Amnesty International and Nigerian Government

The media plays significant role in shaping the perceptions and views of the people in any political system. The media has been the major means of dissemination information and shaping of behavior of people by the government and many organizations even up till international level like UN, EU, Amnesty International among others. Amnesty international is an international organization that advocates against Human Rights Violation and one of the aspect through which advocacy is advanced is through the press releases from the media. The article tends to examine the role and contribution of the media in the determination of the cat and mouse relationship between the Amnesty International (AI) and the Nigerian government. Keywords: Mass Media, International Non Governmental Organization. DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/98-01 Publication date: January 31st 202

Correlates of infant and child stunting in Nigeria: a multilevel analysis

A RESEARCH REPORT SUBMITTED TO, THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTERS IN DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION STUDIESStunting, linear growth retardation is the outcome of not meeting nutritional requirement for growth over a long timeframe starting from conception (Bloem, et al., 2013). It is considered as the most reliable indicator of child’s nutritional status, best predictor of human capital and best measure of child health inequalities especially long term malnourishment (Arif, et al., 2012; UNICEF, et al., 2012; Adekanmbi, et al., 2013; Agee, 2010; Victora, et al., 2008; Fotso, 2007). This malnutrition indicator has bi-directional cause of frequent infections and malnutrition (Victora, et al., 2008). This makes children who are stunted to be at increased risk of severe chronic illnesses and ultimately death (de Onis, et al., 2012). Despite its numerous negative effects, it remains a public health menace in Nigeria with alarming rate of 41% (NPC & ICF Macro, 2013). Although, contributing factors to stunting among under-five children have been greatly flogged by different researchers (Arif, et al., 2012; Akorede & Abiola, 2013; Bolajoko & Ogundahunsi, 2012;Agee, 2010), less attention has been focused on the investigation of childhood stunting during the two distinct periods of infancy (0-11months) and early childhood (12-59 months). In addition, few studies have examined under-five stunting taking into consideration moderate; children with height-for-age Z-score below minus two standard deviations (-2SD) from the mean and severe stunting; children with height-for-age Z-score below minus three standard deviations (-3SD) from the mean. To this end, this study examines the factors associated with infant (age 0-11 months) and early childhood (12-59 months) stunting in Nigeria. Theoretical focus The study has its theoretical underpinning in Mosley & Chen theoretical model, (Mosley & Chen, 1984), Sastry’s framework on childhood stunting (Sastry 1997) and WHO Conceptual Framework (Stewart et al., 2013). Data and Methodology To address the study objective, multinomial logistic regression analysis were performed on a nationally representative sample of 20,192 women of childbearing age who had a total of 28,596 children during the five years preceding the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The outcome variables for this study are infant stunting and child stunting. Stunting was categorized into three, not stunted (coded as 0), severely stunted (coded as 1) and moderately stunted (coded as 2). Severe stunting is defined as height for age z-score less than -3 standard deviations from the mean (HAZ < -3 SD) and moderate stunting is defined as height for age z-score less than -2 standard deviations from the mean (HAZ < -2 SD). Key Findings Results from the study indicate that 20 % of Infants in Nigeria were stunted and 41% of children in early childhood phase were stunted. It is observed that child stunting was higher than infant stunting. Stunting increased significantly across age group to peak at age 24-36 months before a gradual decline. Being a male child, born small at birth and with incomplete immunization predisposes children to be stunted both at infancy and during early childhood. For instance, children with low birth weight were more than twice more likely to be stunted during infancy (aOR: 2.31; P-Value<0.05). Results from 2013 NDHS data also showed significant variation across all regions. However, vast variations were observed South West and North West (aOR: 4.07; P-Value0.05) but was associated with stunting during childhood phase (aOR: 1.42; P-Value <0.05). Conclusion Findings of this study emphasize amongst others the need for interventions aimed at improving maternal health if efforts to reduce chronic forms of malnutrition among children will yield the desired results in Nigeria. Policies and programs should also be directed towards mitigating vast regional variations observed with regards infant and child stunting

Relationship Between Economy, Education, Population, Healthcare and Prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria

HIV/AIDS has been described as one of the deadliest epidemics of our lifetime. With the global efforts to scale down the effect of this disease through innovative programs, scientific researches and medical advancement, little success has been recorded in least developed nations. Nigeria is still one of the nations that is yet to achieve huge success in the fight against HIV/AIDS and meet Millennium Development Goal on HIV. Arguably, government needs to intensify more efforts in searching for factors that increase the prevalence of the disease. To further understand the epidemic, this thesis is designed to study and answer research questions that are related to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. The research paper evaluated the relationship between prevalence of HIV/AIDS, economy, education, population and healthcare; carefully articulated the government strategies on HIV/AIDS and economic impact of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. The data from the research are from secondary sources, which were obtained from various Nigerian government websites, journals, international and local organization websites. Regression analysis statistic tool was used to determine the relationship between the dependent variables and independent variables. The outcome of the research work stated otherwise on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. It is fascinating that none of the suggested anticipated variables shows a significant relationship with prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Although, this cannot be fully understood without further researches, this is the most interesting finding of the results. In conclusion, the research recommended a combination of holistic and comprehensive measures

RE-AUDIT OF THE CONTENTS OF GP REFERRAL LETTERS TO GENERAL ADULT COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRISTS

Background: The quality of information provided by referring general practitioners to secondary care mental health services are crucial elements in the effective management of patients. In order to establish effective communication, both primary and secondary care health professionals should contribute to planning and organising this process taking into account their different opinions and views. Methods: Anonymous questionnaire was designed to collect information on items that GPs and psychiatrist rated as most important items in GP referral letters to psychiatrists. The questionnaires were sent out electronically. Each item was scored using a rating scale where 0 was least important and 10 was most important. Items that scored 8 and above were agreed by all as the most important items. 76 GP letters were audited using a devised checklist of the identified most important items. Data was collected and analysed using a devised data collection tool. A re-audit was done 6months later. Results: A response rate of 70% was obtained for both psychiatrists and GPs. Reasons for referral were described in almost all GP referral letters (95%). Only 24% referral letters had details about current physical health which improved to 59%. Concerns about risk were described in only 47% of letters and treatment provided by GP in 50% of letters. These improved in 79% and 71% of letters respectively in the re-audit. Discussion: The involvement of professionals in devising a standardised approach for referral letters has improved communication in this re-audit between GPs and Psychiatrists. This is evident in the improvement in key aspects of the referral letters: past medical history, past psychiatric history, current physical health, treatment provided by GP. Conclusion: Efficient communication between GPs and psychiatrists improves the quality of health care for patients

Breastfeeding Practices among Mothers in Southwest Nigeria

BACKGROUND፡ This study was conducted to determine the breastfeeding practices among parous antenatal attendees in two teaching hospitals in Southwest Nigeria.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 340 parous antenatal clinic attendees in two teaching hospitals in Ogun State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on breastfeeding practices. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) windows version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).RESULTS: Out of a total of 340 women, 319 (93.8%) breastfed their last babies. The median duration of breastfeeding was 15 months. One hundred and thirty two women (38.8%) initiated breastfeeding within 30 minutes of delivery, and 200 women (58.8%) exclusively breastfed their babies for six months. The majority of the women, 299(87.9%k) did not report any problem associated with breastfeeding. Logistic regression analysis showed that women who had no breastfeeding problems were more likely to exclusively breastfeed their infants for six months compared to those with breastfeeding problems (AOR 3.4; CI 1.6-7.1; P=0.001). Similarly, women who got breastfeeding information from mass media were more likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding for six months compared to those that got breastfeeding information from other sources (AOR42.2; CI 3.1-568.5; P=0.005).CONCLUSION: Exclusive breastfeeding is suboptimal in Ogun State, Nigeria. Provision of breastfeeding information via mass media will assist in improving breastfeeding practice. Educating mothers on the techniques that help to prevent breastfeeding complications will also be beneficial

Contraceptive Use in Two Semi-Urban Primary Health Care Centres in Ogun State Southwest Nigeria: Determinants and barriers

Background: Contraceptive uptake is low in Nigerian women and this is associated with a high incidence of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions with their attendant complications. This study was designed to elucidate the pattern, determinants, and barriers of contraceptive use in two primary health care centres in Ogun State south-west Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 250 women who presented for contraceptive services in two primary health care centres. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain contraceptive information. Data were analysed using IBM-SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The level of significance was set at a p-value less than 0.05. Results: Out of 250 study participants, 234(93.6%) were aware of contraceptives but only 142 (56.8%) had used any method. The male condom was the most commonly used contraceptive method (61; 24.4%). Fear of side effects (128; 51.2%) was the most frequently reported barrier to contraceptive use. Women who attained secondary and tertiary levels of education had a higher likelihood of using contraceptives than those who attained primary level (aOR 7.4, CI 2.0-27.1, P=0.003) and (aOR 10.8, CI 2.7-42.3, P=0.001) respectively. Conclusion: The male condom was the most commonly used contraceptive method while fear of side effects was the most commonly reported barrier to contraceptive use. Despite the high level of awareness, contraceptive uptake is still low in Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria. Recommendation: Awareness campaigns should be instituted in the media to provide credible information about the benefits of contraceptives and dispel misconceptions regarding their use

Hepatitis B virus infection: Knowledge of antenatal attendees in a tertiary hospital

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection constitutes a significant global health problem, and perinatal transmission continues to be one of the major routes of transmission in Nigeria. Having adequate knowledge about the virus and the available prevention strategies may lead to behavioural changes that will reduce the rate of acquisition and transmission of the virus. Objectives: To assess the knowledge about Hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women attending antenatal booking clinic Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 354 pregnant women who presented for antenatal booking at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria from 1stMay to 31st July 2018. A pretested questionnaire was administered to assess awareness, knowledge and attitude of pregnant women to hepatitis B virus infection. Statistical analysis was done using IBM-SPSS version 21 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Two hundred and twenty-eight women (64.4%) were aware of Hepatitis B virus infection. One hundred and eightyseven women (52.8%) correctly identified hepatitis as a viral infection, while 173 (48.9%) knew that hepatitis B mainly affects the liver. The major source of information was health workers. More than half of the women could not correctly identify the mode of transmission and methods of prevention of hepatitis B virus infection. There was a significant association between age and educational status of the women, and knowledge of Hepatitis B virus infection (p=0.001, p=0.002 respectively). Conclusion: This study demonstrates a knowledge deficit on Hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women. We recommend that there should be a community-based health education strategy targeted at increasing the awareness and knowledge of hepatitis B virus infectio

A review of nutritional factors in hypertension management.

Hypertension is a major health problem worldwide. Its attendant morbidity and mortality complications have a great impact on patient\u27s quality of life and survival. Optimizing blood pressure control has been shown to improve overall health outcomes. In addition to pharmacological therapies, nonpharmacological approach such as dietary modification plays an important role in controlling blood pressure. Many dietary components such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium have been studied substantially in the past decades. While some of these nutrients have clear evidence for their recommendation, some remain controversial and are still of ongoing study. Dietary modification is often discussed with patients and can provide a great benefit in blood pressure regulation. As such, reviewing the current evidence will be very useful in guiding patients and their physician and/or dietician in decision making. In this review article of nutritional factors in hypertension management, we aim to examine the role of nutritional factors individually and as components of whole dietary patterns