Influence of occupational status on patronage and choice of eye care services

Background: Occupational status can be regarded as a proxy variable indicating the socioeconomic status and therefore level of enlightenment and awareness of an individual. This can be reflected in attitude towards and patronage as well as ultimate choice of eye care services. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of occupational status on patronage and choice of eye care services in patients attending a rural outreach eye clinic in Giwa Local government of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Methods: Information was collected using a validated questionnaire, from a total of 357 patients seen over a six month period from January 2002 to June 2002 at a rural outreach eye clinic in Giwa Local Government Area, Kaduna State. Results: Significant P-values obtained on comparing the proportions of patients belonging to each occupational group and their patronage and choice of eye care services led to rejection of the null hypothesis that there was no difference in use of services between patients of different occupations. This suggests that type of occupation influences patients patronage of eye care services for western remedies to eye care problems. Conclusion: It is necessary to identify strategies to overcome lack of awareness as a result of socioeconomic background of the population in the rural areas where eye care services are to be provided in order to provide services to all. These strategies need to be gender sensitive. Further studies in form of randomised controlled educational interventions are necessary to properly assess the success of these strategies. Keywords: Occupation, rural eye care, choices, gender, interventions Nigerian Journal of Surgical Research Vol. 7(3&4) 2005: 281-28

Means of transportation and its effect on eye care seeking behaviour of patients in a rural setting

Background: The observation of the frequency with which patients presented at the outreach clinic at Giwa General hospital with complications resulting from intervention by traditional healers led to an investigation regarding their preference for western or traditional solutions to eye ailments alongside the distance necessary to travel from home to the General hospital (outreach center) and the means of transport necessary to get there. Methods: A total of 348 patients were seen over a6month period from January 2002- June 2002. These patients were interviewed using a simple questionnaire, the setting being the outreach eye clinic, Giwa general hospital, Giwa local Government Area of Kaduna State In Northern Nigeria. Results: A total of 348 patients interviewed were found to use various means of transportation when seeking western medical or traditional medical assistance. Some had to use several modes of transport in order to arrive at the outreach eye clinic. Patients were seen from six districts in Giwa Local government Area. 27 patients (7.8%) lived less than 5km from the outreach center, while 56 (16.1%) lived 5-10 Km from the outreach center. 86 (24.7%) patients lived 11-15km away while 96 (27.6%) live 16-20km from the outreach center. A total of83 (23.9%) had their homes greater than 20km away. Out of 348 patients, 233 preferred o seek western medication and they had to use several modes of transportation including trekking, motor vehicles, canoe, bicycle, and motorcycle to access medical eye care. The others preferred to seek traditional solutions to their problems. Conclusion: It is clear majority of patients are aware of the benefits of western medicine and seek to access it. Nevertheless, the inconvenience of certain/necessity to take multiple modes of transport to do so may result in lack of uptake of western medical facilities leading patients to seek alternative medical attention close to home. Key Words: Transportation, eye seeking behaviour, rural setting Annals of African Medicine Vol.3(2) 2004: 83-8

School eye health screening in Kaduna-Northern Nigeria

Background: Five public primary schools referred to as Local Education Authority (L.E.A.) primary schools, were identified for this study. The aim was to find out the pattern of eye disorders affecting primary school children in Kaduna North metropolis and to offer treatment to those with treatable disorders. Method: A total of 2,397 pupils whose classes ranged from primary one to six and aged between five to eighteen years were examined. Results: Of this number, 1,232 (51.57%) were males and 1,161 (48.43%). The commonest causes of eye disorders were allergic conjunctivitis (14.5%), refractive error (1.7%), and infective conjunctivitis (1.4%). Conclusion: School eye screening visits should be at least once a year and should involve screening of all nursery one and primary one pupils. School teachers can be trained to measure visual acuity. Primary eye care workers may be trained and utilised to carrying out school screening in schools, while basic eye health classes can be taught in ante-natal classes to enlighten mothers who are the primary care givers. Early detection of eye conditions in children is an advantage for management. Nigerian Journal of Surgical Research Vol. 7(1&2) 2005: 191–19

Means of Transportation and its Effect on Eye Care Seeking Behaviour of Patients in a Rural Setting

Background: The observation of the frequency with which patients presented at the outreach clinic at Giwa General hospital with complications resulting from intervention by traditional healers led to an investigation regarding their preference for western or traditional solutions to eye ailments alongside the distance necessary to travel from home to the General hospital (outreach center) and the means of transport necessary to get there. Methods: A total of 348 patients were seen over a6month period from January 2002- June 2002. These patients were interviewed using a simple questionnaire, the setting being the outreach eye clinic, Giwa general hospital, Giwa local Government Area of Kaduna State In Northern Nigeria. Results: A total of 348 patients interviewed were found to use various means of transportation when seeking western medical or traditional medical assistance. Some had to use several modes of transport in order to arrive at the outreach eye clinic. Patients were seen from six districts in Giwa Local government Area. 27 patients (7.8%) lived less than 5km from the outreach center, while 56 (16.1%) lived 5-10 Km from the outreach center. 86 (24.7%) patients lived 11-15km away while 96 (27.6%) live 16-20km from the outreach center. A total of83 (23.9%) had their homes greater than 20km away. Out of 348 patients, 233 preferred o seek western medication and they had to use several modes of transportation including trekking, motor vehicles, canoe, bicycle, and motorcycle to access medical eye care. The others preferred to seek traditional solutions to their problems. Conclusion: It is clear majority of patients are aware of the benefits of western medicine and seek to access it. Nevertheless, the inconvenience of certain/necessity to take multiple modes of transport to do so may result in lack of uptake of western medical facilities leading patients to seek alternative medical attention close to home

Pattern of blindness in institutions for the blind in Kaduna, Nigeria

Background/objective: An estimated 1.3% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa are blind. The aim of this study was to identify the causes of blindness in an institution for the blind in northern Nigeria. Method: A prospective evaluation of 74 inmates at the Kaduna State Special Education School (KASSES) and Kaduna State Rehabilitation Centre, Kaduna. Results: There were 53 males and 21 females between the ages of 6 - 65 years were examined. 39 inmates were seen at KASSES and 35 at the rehabilitation centre. Measles presented as the commonest cause of blindness in 26 (35.1%) inmates. Of these, 16 were males and 10, females. This was followed by glaucoma in 14 (18.9%) inmates, 11 of which were childhood glaucomas. The third commonest causes of blindness were due to hereditary retinopathies and optic atrophy with 9 (12.2%) inmates each. Conclusion: Measles remains a significant cause of blindness. Notable causes of blindness in the tropics such as trachoma and onchocerciasis appear to be disappearing in urban areas. The provision of potable water and improved sanitation will help to eliminate these diseases, in rural areas. There is also the need to establish low-vision aids services and eye banks to meet local needs

Pattern of Eye Diseases in Kaduna State – A rural community outreach experience

Senile cataract and anterior segment eye infection were the two eye diseases most frequently seen in Giwa community. The lack of trachoma seems to indicate that the rural water supplies were relatively clean and safe. The majority of eye problems were age-related, and preventable. Objective: The aim of the study was to establish the pattern of eye diseases presenting at the rural outreach eye clinic in Giwa, Kaduna State in northern Nigeria. Methods: A total of 1,181 new patients were examined over a 27-month period in the Giwa rural outreach eye clinic. This was done after taking the patient's history and checking the visual acuity using a Snellen chart, a simple pen torch examination, and dilated funduscopy. Schiötz tonometry was done in suspected glaucoma cases. Results: The results of this study showed that preventable and curable eye diseases were most common. Age-related ocular conditions, especially senile cataracts (22.9%), formed the main ocular morbidity in the outpatient eye clinic. Anterior segment eye infection (19.1%) was observed with some frequency. However, trachoma eye infection (1.8%) was unexpectedly less common. This observation may indicate an improvement in rural sanitation and water supply. Conclusion: Data analysis showed mostly preventable and curable eye diseases to be in the majority. These in most cases were age-related, i.e., occurring in older patients. It is therefore recommended, that an integrated eye care programme that would target cataract backlog, glaucoma screening and other conditions with sufficient training and education of primary eye-care workers, school teachers, community extension workers and the community at large would benefit the Giwa community. Key words: outreach, eye diseases, pattern, rural community Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology Vol.12 (1) 2004: 1-

Blood protozoan parasites of rodents in Jos, Plateau State, Nigerai

One hundred and thirty rodents, comprising nine different species caught from seven different locations in Jos, Nigeria, were examined for blood protozoan parasites, and 82(63.08%) were positive, with Plasmodium 63(48.46%), Trypanosoma 4(3.08%), Toxoplasma 6(4.62%), Babesia 7(5.38%) and Anaplasma 2(1.54%). The distribution of the hemoparasites in the nine different species of rodents were 81.82% each in Steatomys pratensis (fat mouse) and Thryonomys swinderianus (cane rat), 80.77% in Thamnomys rutilans (thicket rat), 75.00% in Rattus rattus (black rat), 72.22% in Mus musculus (house mouse), 36.36% in Hystrix cristata (porcupine) and 50.00% in Cricetomys gambianus (Gambian giant rat). No blood parasite was encountered in Cavia aperea porcelus (guinea pig) and Xerus erythropus (ground squirrel). The differences between the prevalence rates were significant (p0.05). The public health significance of the parasites encountered is discussed. Keywords: Rodents, parasites, protozoa, blood, Nigeria > Animal Production Research Advances Vol. 2 (4) 2006: pp. 202-20

Helminthes parasites of rodents caught around human habitats in Jos, Plateau state, Nigeria

Out of 112 rodents caught from three different locations in the University of Jos premises, 66(58.93%) were positive for helminth parasites. The prevalence rates of helminth parasites in the four species of rodents caught were 82.53% in Xerus erythropus (ground squirrel) 38.30% in Thryonomys swinderianus (cane rat) 70.00% in Rattus rattus (Black rat) and 75.00% in Cricetomys gambianus (Gambian giant rat). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the prevalence rates of the helminthes in the different rodent species. Four groups of helminthes, a trematode species, two species of cestodes, four species of nematodes and one species of an acanthocephalan were encountered in the rodents. The prevalence rates for the respective groups of helminthes were 11.61%, 25.00%, 33.93%, and 8.93%. The worm burdens per infected host were 1.85, 9.57, 10.47 and 8.90 for the trematode, cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalan respectively. The prevalence rates of the different helminth parasites were 11.61, 15.18, 13.39, 18.75, 17.86, 16.96, 1.79 and 8.93% for Gastrodiscus, Hymenolepis nana, H. dimunita, Oesophagostomum, Cyathostomum, Trichuris, Ascaris and Macrocanthorhynchus respectively. Twenty (52.63%) of the 38 male rodents studied and 46(62.16%) of the 74 female rodents were infected by the helminth parasites whose prevalence rates in the male ranged from 0.00% to 15.97% and 2.70% to 22.97% in the female rodents. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the prevalence rates of the helminth parasites in both sexes of the rodents. The public health significance of the helminth parasites is discussed. Animal Production Research Avancees Vol. 3 (1) 2007: pp. 6-1

Comparative study of the efficacy of Duocoxin and Amprol in relation to their effects on the development of resistance against mixed Eimeria infections in young chicks

Comparative efficacy of Duocoxin ® and Amprol ® on mixed populations of Eimeria necatrix, E. tenella,E. maxima and E. brunetti in chicks and their effect on the development of resistance against the infections were studied. The two anticoccidial drugs fed to chicks in drinking water for 14 days consecutively, or once 4 days after inoculation, inhibited and reduced oocyst production in chicks that had double exposure. Duocoxin ® was more efficacious than Amprol ® . When the two anticoccidials were fed to chicks 3 days before inoculation, pre-patent period was delayed, but the chicks later discharged more oocysts than those medicated for 14 days or once. The 60 mg/litre or 240 mg/litre of water levels of the two drugs did not interfere with the development of resistance against coccidiosis in the infected and medicated chicks. Chicks infected and medicated with the two anticoccidial agents for 14 days gained more weight, had better feed conversion rates and superior fecal and lesion scores than those that were either infected or medicated once after infection or those medicated 3 days before infection or those that were infected but not medicated. The two anticoccidials were not toxic in the chicks. Mortality rate was 14.29%-19.05% in chicks that were medicated once after infection; and 23.81%-28.57% in those medicated before infection. There was no death among chicks that were infected and medicated for 14days and those not infected but medicated for the same period. Animal Production Research Avancees Vol. 3 (1) 2007: pp. 55-6