TRENDS OF RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION IN NIGERIA

Given the tremendous explosions of urban settlements and the decadence of rural areas during the past two or three decades, the myth, reality and hope of a sustainable human settlement pattern seem to have been unraveled by the two UN Habitat Conferences of 1976 and 1996. Even though the wide range, tempting and unresolved human settlement issues have for long been grappled with by the public policies, solutions to the problems have continued to remain a mystery in Nigeria.Migration is not a recent human phenomenon. Over time however, human beings have moved and established settlements in dual albeit with stratified socio-economic and geo-political compositions called either ‘rural’ or ‘urban’. This paper attempts to examine and analyze the general problems of development of urban and rural settlements in Nigeria as well as various shifts in policies and strategies contained therein. However, it shows how and why efforts are concentrated more explicitly on urban settlements. These top-down manifestations of the growth centre strategies with a ‘trickle-down’ pattern, either in a spontaneous or induced manner, have evoked a reminiscence of other development paradigms and the futility of the approaches adopted, which are urban and industrial in nature, externally oriented and characterized by a highly advanced and capital intensive technology. Thus, artificially created Nigerian urbanized settlements are therefore not free from the intricacies of international dependency position, masterminded by MNCs, sanctioned by the Nigerian State and collaborated by the political and economic elites

Prevalence and factors associated with traditional herbal medicine use among patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy in Uganda

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Africa, herbal medicines are often used as primary treatment for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) related problems. Concurrent use of traditional herbal medicines (THM) with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) is widespread among HIV infected patients. However, the extent of THM use is not known in most settings in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and factors associated with THM use among HIV infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) attending The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) in Uganda. TASO is a non-governmental organization devoted to offering HIV/AIDS care and treatment services in the population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a cross-sectional study carried out in two TASO treatment centres in Uganda among 401 randomly selected eligible participants. We included participants who were 18 years and above, were enrolled on HAART, and consented to participate in the study. Data was collected using an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire. THM use referred to someone who had ever used or was currently using herbal medicine while on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) by the time of the study. Data was captured in Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to STATA version 9.0 for analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of THM use was 33.7%. Patients on HAART for < 4 years were more likely to use THM (OR = 5.98, 95% CI 1.13 - 31.73) as well as those who experienced HAART side effects (OR = 3.66, 95% CI: 1.15 - 11.68). Older patients (≥39 years) were less likely to use THM (OR = 0.26 95% CI: 0.08 - 0.83). Participants with HAART adherence levels > 95% were less likely to use THM (OR = 0.09, 95% CI 0.01 - 0.65).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The prevalence of THM use among participants on HAART was high. This raises clinical and pharmacological concerns that need attention by the health care service providers.</p

Chronic Diseases in North-West Tanzania and Southern Uganda. Public Perceptions of Terminologies, Aetiologies, Symptoms and Preferred Management

Research outputs produced to support a quantitative population survey, quantitative health facility survey, focus groups and in-depth interviews performed by the projec