Socio-Demographic Characteristics Of Adults Screened For Hiv/Aids In A Rural Community In Benue State, Nigeria

Background: Benue state has been considered among the ‘hot zones’ for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria with a prevalence rate of 9.3 among adults aged 15 to 45 years. Yet, there is paucity of information on the socio-demographic factors associated with this level of prevalence. We hereby report the prevalence and socio-demographic factors associated with HIV among adults in Abwa-Mbagene, Benue state, Nigeria.Methods: Adults in Abwa-Mbagene community who accepted to participate between 9th and 24th of August 2007 were recruited. After counselling, screening was done using ‘Determine HIV’ kit.Results: 153 subjects (74 males and 79 females) were recruited. Their age ranges from 15 to 60 years (Mean: 26.2years). Fourty-two (27.5%) consisting of 12 (16.2%) males and 30 (38%) females were positive for HIV (male to female ratio, 2:5). The prevalence of HIV was higher among the divorcees (50%); those whose level of education was primary school (41.3%) and below and; farmers (60%). Majority (96%) knows AIDS exists, 85% are informed on mode and prevention of HIV transmission. Cases of AIDS deaths, unprotected casual sex, blood transfusion with unscreened blood and polygamy are common in the community. The single most important cultural factors in HIV transmission identified is indulgence in night parties, which increased the rate of unprotected casual sex.Conclusion: This community represents a high HIV/AIDS prevalence spot in Benue State, Nigeria. There is therefore the need for the establishment of HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT), Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT), save blood and antiretroviral treatment services in the community. Vocational centers to engage single women and improve their financial state will boost preventive strategies. Finally, partnership with community leaders towards discouraging night parties will reduce the prevalence of HIV in the community

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen among patients attending Aminu Kano

Background: Hepatitis B virus infection has become a global public health problem. In Nigeria, several studies from different parts of the country have confirmed the endemicity of the infection. This study seeks examine the seroprevalence of Hepatitis B viral infection among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano metropolis. Method: This is a retrospective study in which patients tested for hepatitis B virus using hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) as a marker were reviewed over 3 years. A total of 6,395 patients comprising of 4,040 males and 2,355 females including adults and children were tested for HBsAg from January 2004 to December 2006. Over this period, 1,509 sera were tested in 2004, 2,322 in 2005 and 2,564 in 2006. Results: Among the 6,395 patients, 703(11.4%) comprising of 240 (10.2%) females and 490 (12.1%) males were positive for HBsAg. The highest prevalence was seen at the extremes of life in which 19.4% and 16.9% were seen among patients below 10years and above 50 years respectively. The yearly trend of HBV surface antigenemia was 220 (14.6%) in 2004, 235 (10.1%) in 2005 and 275 (10.7%) in 2006. Conclusion: We conclude that the prevalence of HBsAg among patients attending Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano is high and highest prevalence is seen at the extremes of life.Key Words: Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Kano

No one knows what will happen after these five years': narratives of ART, access and agency in Nigeria

Rural Nigerians pursue a range of strategies to maximize current and future access to HIV treatment in the context of securing livelihoods and minimizing the social and economic risks of stigma. This study reports on qualitative interviews with service providers and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) patients accessing care in Benue State, Nigeria, or travelling several hours to Abuja for treatment (n = 34). Nigerians living with HIV are keenly aware of the fragility and complex global and local politics of funding. Their narratives of pervasive stigma, economic and health system barriers to access, growing fears that free ART will cease, and strategies to secure access to care reveal a sophisticated synthesis of social determinants of health and clinical care, and challenge practitioners, planners, and scholars to take a similarly robust and nuanced approach to vulnerability, access, and agency.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Burden of disease and circulating serotypes of rotavirus infection in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Two new rotavirus vaccines have recently been licensed in many countries. However, their efficacy has only been shown against certain serotypes commonly circulating in Europe, North America, and Latin America, but thought to be globally important. To assess the potential impact of these vaccines in sub-Saharan Africa, where rotavirus mortality is high, knowledge of prevalent types is essential because an effective rotavirus vaccine is needed to protect against prevailing serotypes in the community. We did two systematic reviews and two meta-analyses of the most recent published data on the burden of rotavirus disease in children aged under 5 years and rotavirus serotypes circulating in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Eligible studies were selected from PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, EmBase, LILACS, Academic Search Premier, Biological Abstracts, ISI Web of Science, and the African Index Medicus. Depending on the heterogeneity, DerSimonian-Laird random-effects or fixed-effects models were used for meta-analyses. Geographical variability in rotavirus burden within countries in sub-Saharan Africa is substantial, and most countries lack information on rotavirus epidemiology. We estimated that annual mortality for this region was 243.3 (95% CI 187.6-301.7) deaths per 100,000 under 5 years (ie, a total of 300,000 children die of rotavirus infection in this region each year). The most common G type detected was G1 (34.9%), followed by G2 (9.1%), and G3 (8.6%). The most common P types detected were P[8] (35.5%) and P[6] (27.5%). Accurate information should be collected from surveillance based on standardised methods in these countries to obtain comparable data on the burden of disease and the circulating strains to assess the potential impact of vaccine introduction

Covid-19 pandemic: chronicle of responses and experiences of the infection prevention and control committee at a tertiary hospital in southwest Nigeria

Since the advent of 2019-Corona virus Disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria in February 2020, the number of confirmed cases has risen astronomically to over 61,307 cases within 8 months with more than 812 healthcare workers infected and some recorded deaths within their ranks. Infection prevention and control is a key component in ensuring safety of healthcare workers in the hospital as healthcare-associated infection is one of the most common complications of healthcare management. Unbridled transmission of infection can lead to shortage of healthcare personnel, reduced system efficiency, increased morbidity and mortality among patients and in some instances, total collapse of healthcare delivery services. The Infection Prevention and Control Committee is a recognised group by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention with their core programmes including drawing up activities, procedures and policies designed to achieve above-stated objectives before, during and after any disease outbreak, especially emerging and re-emerging ones such as the 2019 Coronavirus Disease. In this report, we highlight the roles played by the Infection Prevention and Control Committee of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within and outside the hospital community and the lessons learned to date

Prevalence and factors associated with rotavirus infection among children admitted with acute diarrhea in Uganda

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Rotavirus remains the commonest cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea among children worldwide. Children in developing countries die more because of several factors including poorer access to hydration therapy and greater prevalence of malnutrition. Hitherto, the magnitude of rotavirus disease in Uganda has remained unknown. This study was therefore done to determine the prevalence and factors associated with rotavirus infection among children aged 3-59 months admitted with acute diarrhea to paediatric emergency ward of Mulago Hospital, Uganda</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three hundred and ninety children, aged between 3-59 months with acute diarrhoea were recruited. The clinical history, socio-demographic characteristics, physical examination findings and laboratory investigations were recorded. Stool samples were tested for rotavirus antigens using the DAKO IDEIA rotavirus EIA detection kit.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of rotavirus infection was 45.4%. On multivariate analysis rotavirus was significantly associated with a higher education (above secondary) level of the mother [OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1-2.7]; dehydration [OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1-3.0] and breastfeeding [OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.4-4.0]. Although age was significantly associated with rotavirus on bivariate analysis; this association disappeared on multivariate analysis. No significant association was found between rotavirus infection and nutritional status, HIV status and attendance of day care or school.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Rotavirus infection is highly prevalent among children with acute diarrhoea admitted to Mulago Hospital in Uganda.</p

After the Call Drops: Regulatory Quality in the African Telecommunications Sector

In the last twenty years, the forces of privatization, liberalization and regulation have transformed the African telecommunications sector. The tremendous growth of the sector has been dubbed the ¿Mobile Revolution¿ and access to telecommunications services has reached unprecedented levels. However, regulators have struggled to continue the reform process and further enhance competition. Reform initiatives often stagnate because regulators are unable to resolve conflicts with oppositional interest groups. Using the policy network theoretical framework, I develop and understanding of variations in regulatory quality based on the institutional context of the regulator. This theoretical framework presents conflict as inherent in regulatory issues but argues that governance institutions provide the resources and means for regulators to enforce decisions and prevent oppositional interests from disrupting the implementation process. My research questions are : (1) How does institutional context impact regulatory quality in the African telecommunications sector? (2) What is the impact of regulatory quality on sector performance in terms of access and affordability? . This research uses a panel dataset of 37 African countries in the period 1996- 2011 disaggregated into the three primary subsectors and construct a measure of regulatory reform quality. This analysis uses a Heckman two-step model to identify the determinants of a country¿s propensity to reform and the effect of six dimensions of governance on the quality of regulatory reforms. Then a fixed-effects regression model is used to demonstrate the effect of regulatory quality on sector performance in terms of access and affordability. The results indicate that governance institutions have a positive effect on regulatory quality but the results are inconclusive about which dimensions are most salient. The results also show that regulatory quality has a positive effect on access and affordability specifically in the mobile subsector. The significance of these findings are supported by a case study of the challenges the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa has faced in trying to introduce regulation to promote competition in the broadband subsector. The Authority is legally independent but operates in a weak institutional context rendering it effectively impotent as it lacks the capacity to enforce regulation. The main policy implication is that the quality of regulation is constrained by institutional context and I propose regional regulatory harmonization and capacitybuilding initiatives to address this challeng

A Theoretical Framework To Analyze The Matchmaking Process Of Early Stage Venture Capital Investment

The venture capital (VC) investment process has remained largely unchanged over the last several decades. Since the tech bubble burst in the early 2000s, we have seen a considerable increase in capital going into early-stage startup investment. We have also seen the number of exits (mergers, acquisitions, and IPOs) and funding rounds increase at a commensurate rate. However, a critical aspect of the venture capital funnel has seen a steady decline over the last few years. The cumulative number of early-stage startups receiving funding has decreased even though the amount of capital being put into these companies has risen steadily over the same period. This paper uses a theoretical framework grounded in behavioral economics and informed by anecdotal evidence from practicing venture capitalists to gain insight into the early stage investment process. We propose process interventions to the matchmaking process to alleviate inefficiencies uncovered during the research phase of the project. These interventions were designed with respect to key considerations put forth by practicing early stage venture capitalists. Finally, we highlight the real-world limitations of these process recommendations as well as possible avenues for future work

Hospital acquired infections in Ilorin, Nigeria

No Abstract. Tropical Journal of Health Sciences Vol. 15 (1) 2008: pp. 49-5

An overview of the aetiologic agents of diarrhoea diseases in children: How far have we gone in management and control?

Diarrhoea disease is the second leading cause of death amongst Nigerian children  (after malaria) with a prevalence rate in Nigeria of 18.8% which is one of the worst in sub-Sahara Africa. A major contributor to childhood morbidity and mortality, causes  4 million deaths each year in under-fives with each child experiencing about 5 episodes of diarrhoea yearly. We review diarrhoea diseases in children with focus on infectious diarrhoea with the aim of looking at the progress made so far in its management and control. Diarrhoea can be classified into acute and chronic;  secretory, osmotic, inflammatory or due to impaired motility;  infectious and non-infectious. In developing countries, infections are the most common causes of acute watery diarrhoea in  children, whereas chronic diarrhoea results from  non-infectious causes like inherited metabolic disorders, sensitivity to gluten orneoplasm. Diagnosis includes a careful history from the patient, examination of stool sample and examination of faecal swab  samples where stool is not available. Diarrhoea in this age group is mostly of infectious origin and can be viral, bacterial, parasitic or fungi. Treatment in this environment is primarily supportive with oral or intravenous fluid and preventive measures include  domestic hygiene promotion, breast-feeding promotion, improved weaning practices, probiotic use, oral  rehydration therapy with additional L-glutamine, zinc supplementation and  vaccination against childhood infectious diseases like rotavirus, measles and cholera. An aluminmagnesium silicate, Smectite® has been found to be of potential benefit in the management of diarrhoea. Use of Rotavirus vaccines, probiotics and Smectite® is being advocated