Hospital based study of malaria parasites in Awka Metropolis, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria

A hospital based study of malaria parasite was carried out in three hospitals namely: Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Eldorado Multi-Specialist Hospital and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Medical Center in Awka Metropolis in Anambra State, Nigeria between the months of June and July 2021. 144 patients were examined to detect the presence of malaria parasite using field stain and RDT methods. The result from the study showed a total of 60.42 % prevalence of malaria parasite from the studied locations. The female had the highest prevalence of 67.47 % and 21 – 30 years aged patients recorded the highest prevalence of 72.41 %. Malaria intensity among patients showed that 60.92 % had mild infection while 36.78 % had moderate and 1.15 % had heavy infection although it was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Prevalence in relation to hospitals showed that Nnamdi Azikiwe University Medical Centre had the highest infection rate of 68.75 % while Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital had the least prevalence of 53.66 %. Malaria prevalence at 60.42 % among patients attending hospitals in Awka Metropolis was alarming especially when compared with World Health Organization pre-elimination phase prevalence of 5.00 %. Following the high prevalence of malaria infection, more effort is needed in the control of malaria through public enlightenment, prompt diagnosis, and use of insecticides treated bed nets and repellants towards achieving malaria elimination in Awka Metropolis, Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria

The determinants of unemployment rate in developing economies: Does banking system credit matter?

In developing countries, banks play a major role by acting as a conduit for the effective mobilization of funds from the surplus sectors of an economy for onward lending to the deficit sectors for productive investments that will in turn increase the level of employment and economic growth. There has being a rising trend in unemployment rate in Nigeria and South Africa and hence, the need for the study to assess the effectiveness of banking system credit in curbing unemployment rate by making a comparative analysis of Nigeria and South Africa covering period of 1991 to 2018. The study employed the unit root test, Johansen cointegration test, vector error correction model and VAR impulse response function in determining the relationship between the variables. The major findings revealed that banking system credit matters in curbing unemployment rate in South Africa than in Nigeria. Also, other macroeconomic factors such as lending rate, inflation rate, Government expenditure and population growth were significant enough in influencing unemployment rate in South Africa than in Nigeria. While foreign direct investment was a significant factor in reducing unemployment rate in Nigeria than in South Africa. The cointegration test showed a long-run relationship between the variables in both countries while the speed of adjustment coefficient of the vector error correction model is faster in South Africa than in Nigeria. Previous empirical studies on the relationship between banking system credit and unemployment rate have focused much on other regions such as Asia and Europe. Thus, the study is unique as it focused on the African region and also made a comparative analysis by testing the Keynesian theory of employment, interest and money on two emerging African economies which are Nigeria and South Africa