Development of oral health policy in Nigeria: an analysis of the role of context, actors and policy process

Abstract Background: In Nigeria, there is a high burden of oral health diseases, poor coordination of health services and human resources for delivery of oral health services. Previous attempts to develop an Oral Health Policy (OHP) to decrease the oral disease burden failed. However, a policy was eventually developed in November 2012. This paper explores the role of contextual factors, actors and the policy process in the development of the OHP and possible reasons why the current approved OHP succeeded. Methods: The study was undertaken across Nigeria; information gathered through document reviews and in-depth interviews with five groups of purposively selected respondents. Analysis of the policy development process was guided by the policy triangle framework, examining context, policy process and actors involved in the policy development. Results: The foremost enabling factor was the yearning among policy actors for a policy, having had four failed attempts. Other factors were the presence of a democratically elected government, a framework for health sector reform instituted by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH). The approved OHP went through all stages required for policy development unlike the previous attempts. Three groups of actors played crucial roles in the process, namely academics/researchers, development partners and policy makers. They either had decision making powers or influenced policy through funding or technical ability to generate credible research evidence, all sharing a common interest in developing the OHP. Although evidence was used to inform the development of the policy, the complex interactions between the context and actors facilitated its approval. Conclusions: The OHP development succeeded through a complex inter-relationship of context, process and actors, clearly illustrating that none of these factors could have, in isolation, catalyzed the policy development. Availability of evidence is necessary but not sufficient for developing policies in this area. Wider socio-political contexts in which actors develop policy can facilitate and/or constrain actors’ roles and interests as well as policy process. These must be taken into consideration at stages of policy development in order to produce policies that will strengthen the health system, especially in low and middle-income countries, where policy processes and influences can be often less than transparent

Masking Release for Igbo and English

In this research, we explored the effect of noise interruption rate on speech intelligibility. Specifically, we used the Hearing In Noise Test (HINT) procedure with the original HINT stimuli (English) and Igbo stimuli to assess speech reception ability in interrupted noise. For a given noise level, the HINT test provides an estimate of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) required for 50%-correct speech intelligibility. The SNR for 50%-correct intelligibility changes depending upon the interruption rate of the noise. This phenomenon (called Masking Release) has been studied extensively in English but not for Igbo – which is an African tonal language spoken predominantly in South Eastern Nigeria. This experiment explored and compared the phenomenon of Masking Release for (i) native English speakers listening to English, (ii) native Igbo speakers listening to English, and (iii) native Igbo speakers listening to Igbo. Since Igbo is a tonal language and English is a non-tonal language, this allowed us to compare Masking Release patterns on native speakers of tonal and non-tonal languages. Our results for native English speakers listening to English HINT show that the SNR and the masking release are orderly and consistent with other English HINT data for English speakers. Our result for Igbo speakers listening to English HINT sentences show that there is greater variability in results across the different Igbo listeners than across the English listeners. This result likely reflects different levels of ability in the English language across the Igbo listeners. The masking release values in dB are less than for English listeners. Our results for Igbo speakers listening to Igbo show that in general, the SNRs for Igbo sentences are lower than for English/English and Igbo/English. This means that the Igbo listeners could understand 50% of the Igbo sentences at SNRs less than those required for English sentences by either native or non-native listeners. This result can be explained by the fact that the perception of Igbo utterances by Igbo subjects may have been aided by the prediction of tonal and vowel harmony features existent in the Igbo language. In agreement with other studies, our results also show that in a noisy environment listeners are able to perceive their native language better than a second language. The ability of native language speakers to perceive their language better than a second language in a noisy environment may be attributed to the fact that: a) Native speakers are more familiar with the sounds of their language than second language speakers. b) One of the features of language is that it is predictable hence even in noise a native speaker may be able to predict a succeeding word that is scarcely audible. These contextual effects are facilitated by familiarity.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01 DC00117

Influence of Human Urine on Rice Grain Yield (Orzya sativa L.) and Selected Soil Properties in Abakaliki Southeastern Nigeria

An experiment was carried out at Abakaliki Southeastern Nigeria to study the influence of human urine on rice grain yield, selected soil physical and chemical properties in Abakaliki southeastern Nigeria in 2014 and 2015. The experiment was arranged in randomized complete block designed (RCBD) with human urine applied in the following rates: A = Control (no application of treatment); B = 2 kilolitres/ha; C = 4 kilolitres/ha and D = 6 kilolitres/ha. Treatments were not applied in 2015 to test the residual effect. In general, human urine improved rice grain yield, bulk density, total porosity, hydraulic conductivity, moisture content, organic carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, pH, available phosphorus and exchangeable bases in 2014 it was applied and the following year as residual effect. An increase in the rate of urine application also resulted to an increase in rice grain yield and higher improvement in soil properties studied

Changes in Selected Soil Physical Properties and Maize Yields as Affected by Animal Wastes Application in Abakaliki Southeastern Nigeria

The study was conducted at Abakaliki to determine the changes in selected soil physical properties and maize yields as affected by animal wastes application in Abakaliki southeastern Nigeria in 2014 and 2015 cropping seasons. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with four treatment replicated five times. The treatments were poultry droppings at 5 tha-1 (PD), cow dung at 5 tha-1 (CD), mixture of PD + CD at 5 tha-1 and control (C) – non application of amendment. Bulk density, total porosity, moisture content, aggregate stability and mean weight diameter were determine in the laboratory using appropriate procedure while plant height, leaf area index and grain yield were also, measured in the field using recommended methods. The results showed positive changes in selected soil physical properties and maize yield in the two cropping seasons with the application of animal wastes. Also, improvement in soil physical properties and maize yields were higher in the second cropping season when compared to the first cropping season. Poultry dropping is recommended for farmers to use as fertilizer in maize production because plots treated with poultry droppings recorded the highest maize grain yield in the two cropping season than other treatments

Sphenostylis stenocarpa (ex. A. Rich.) Harms., a fading genetic resource in a changing climate: Prerequisite for conservation and sustainability

The southeastern part of Nigeria is one of the major hotspot of useful plant genetic resources. These endemic species are associated with a rich indigenous knowledge and cultural diversity in relation to their use and conservation. Sphenostylis stenocarpa (ex. A. Rich.) Harms., (African Yam Bean (AYB), is one such crop within the family of Fabaceae. Its nutritional and eco-friendly characteristics have value in ameliorating malnutrition, hidden hunger and environmental degradation inherent in resource-poor rural and semi-rural communities throughout Africa. However, lack of information from the custodians of this crop is limiting its sustainable development. Ethnobotanical survey on the diversity, uses, and constraints limiting the cultivation and use of the crop in South-eastern Nigeria are documented. Five-hundred respondents were randomly selected and data collected through oral interviews and focused group discussion (FGD). Semi-structured questionnaires (SSQ) were also used to elicit information from a spectrum of AYB users comprising community leaders, farmers, market women and consumers in these states. Results showed that the majority of the respondents lacked formal education and were of age group of 40 - 50 years while, female gender-dominated with limited access to land and extension officers. Seed coat colour largely determined utilization. Long cooking time, requirement for staking materials, aging of farmers and low market demand were among the major constraints limiting further cultivation and utilization of AYB. In-situ conservation is made by hanging dried fruits by the fireside, beside the house, storing in earthenware, calabash gourds, cans and bottles. It is concluded that there is urgent need to scale up conservation through robust linkages between contemporary scientific domains and indigenous peoples in order to harness and incorporate the rich indigenous knowledge in local communities for enhanced scientific knowledge, biodiversity conservation and its sustainable utilization for food security

ANNOUNCING Agro-Science SPECIAL ISSUE to Celebrate 20 Years of Uninterrupted Publication

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Synthetic RNA Silencing of Actinorhodin Biosynthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

We demonstrate the first application of synthetic RNA gene silencers in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). Peptide nucleic acid and expressed antisense RNA silencers successfully inhibited actinorhodin production. Synthetic RNA silencing was target-specific and is a new tool for gene regulation and metabolic engineering studies in Streptomyces.Peer reviewe

Professional Oral Prophylaxis: Assessment of Practice by Oral Health Professionals in Southeastern Nigeria

Background: Professional oral prophylaxis reduces plaque and calculus levels and improves oral health. This study identified the practice of routine scaling and polishing among oral health professionals. Methodology: This was a cross‑sectional study of 73 oral health professionals who attended the Southeast Oral Health Forum at Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria. Data on sociodemographic profile, the undertaking of scaling and polishing of the teeth, reasons for the scaling and polishing, recommendation of scaling and polishing to their patients, and duration of recall were recorded. Data analysis was done using SPSS Version 21. The association between demographic profile and practice of scaling and polishing at 6 months’ interval was tested using the Chi‑square test at a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: The study participants were 43 (58.9%) males and 30 (41.1%) females, and the age range was 23–56 years. All (100.0%) oral health professionals in the study had undertaken scaling and polishing previously. Many respondents (75.3%) scaled and polished routinely twice a year, while 90.6% recommended the procedure to their patients at six months’ interval to enable them monitor their patients’ oral hygiene (85.9%). Those aged 21–30 years (75.0%) (P < 0.001) and < 5 years in clinical practice (74.3%) (P = 0.01) undertook scaling and polishing at six months’ interval or less. Lack of time (34.5%) was the main reason that prevented oral health professionals from  undertaking scaling and polishing. Conclusion: Dental therapists have had scaling and polishing done more than dentists and dental technologists within the last six months. Age and duration of clinical practice were significantly associated with obtaining scaling and polishing at 6 monthly intervals, whereas lack of time was a major reason for not undergoing six monthly scaling and polishing. Keywords: Calculus, dental professionals, oral prophylaxis, plaque&nbsp