Public Expenditure and Poverty Reduction: Evidence from Nigeria

Theoretical and empirical literature suggest that public expenditure plays very important role in economic growth, especially in the developing countries. Available statistics show that Nigeria’s 5-year average annual real public expenditure/GDP ratio grew during the greater part of the study period 1981-2015, while the 5-year average annual real GDP growth and real GDP per capita growth rates are positive during the same study period, except for 1981-1985 and 1986-1990, respectively. The incidence of poverty, however, maintained upward movement, except for 2006-2010. The foregoing interactions have been seldom, the focus of empirical studies in Nigeria. This study examines the effects of public expenditure on economic growth and poverty reduction in Nigeria from 1981-2015, using variants of two models and simulation exercise: augmented Solow growth model and growth-poverty model. Real public expenditure/GDP ratio is used as the policy variable and the simulation duration is for 5-years, 2016-2020. We use the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing procedure by Pesaran et al. (2001) to estimate the two models, given that the annual data used for the models’ estimations were integrated of order I(1) and I(0) and small sample size. The results from the two models confirmed that public expenditure increases economic growth, though not significant, while economic growth does not reduce poverty. The same findings are confirmed through the simulation exercise. We, however, offer measures that would ensure growth and poverty reduction in Nigeria; public expenditure switch that encourages more investments in capital public expenditure, social sector public expenditure and private capital investment.Central Bank of Nigeri

NOMA: A Preventable “Scourge” of African Children

Noma is a serious orofacial gangrene originating intraorally in the gingival-oral mucosa complex before spreading extraorally to produce a visibly destructive ulcer. Although cases of noma are now rarely reported in the developed countries, it is still prevalent among children in third world countries, notably in sub-Sahara Africa, where poverty, ignorance, malnutrition, and preventable childhood infections are still common. This review summarizes historical, epidemiological, management, and research updates on noma with suggestions for its prevention and ultimate global eradication. The global annual incidence remains high at about 140,000 cases, with a mortality rate exceeding 90% for untreated diseases. Where the patients survive, noma defects result in unsightly facial disfigurement, intense scarring, trismus, oral incompetence, and social alienation. Although the etiology has long been held to be infectious, a definitive causal role between microorganisms cited, and noma has been difficult to establish. The management of noma with active disease requires antibiotics followed by reconstructive surgery. Current research efforts are focused towards a comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology, and further elucidation of the microbiology and pathogenesis of noma

The 2011 Survey on Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDP) in China:Prevalence, Risk Factors, Complications, Pregnancy and Perinatal Outcomes

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are a group of medical complications in pregnancy and also a risk factor for severe pregnancy outcomes, but it lacks a large-scale epidemiological investigation in recent years. This survey represents a multicenter cross-sectional retrospective study to estimate the prevalence and analyze the risk factors for HDP among the pregnant women who had referred for delivery between January 1st 2011 and December 31st 2011 in China Mainland. A total of 112,386 pregnant women were investigated from 38 secondary and tertiary specialized or general hospitals randomly selected across the country, of which 5,869 had HDP, accounting for 5.22% of all pregnancies. There were significant differences in the prevalence of HDP between geographical regions, in which the North China showed the highest (7.44%) and Central China showed the lowest (1.23%). Of six subtypes of HDP, severe preeclampsia accounted for 39.96%, gestational hypertension for 31.40%, mild preeclampsia for 15.13%, chronic hypertension in pregnancy for 6.00%, preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension for 3.68% and eclampsia for 0.89%. A number of risk factors for HDP were identified, including twin pregnancy, age of >35 years, overweight and obesity, primipara, history of hypertension as well as family history of hypertension and diabetes. The prevalence of pre-term birth, placental abruption and postpartum hemorrhage were significantly higher in women with HDP than those without HDP. The possible risk factors confirmed in this study may be useful for the development of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of HDP

Original article - APPRAISAL OF THE EFFICACY OF TACTILE SUBJECTIVE TEST FOR ANAESTHESIA OF THE INFERIOR DENTAL AND LINGUAL NERVES AFTER BLOCK INJECTION

Tactile, verbal subjective, and objective tests were done on 300 patients after inferior dental, lingual, and buccal nerve anaesthetic block injections were given. Of the 78 patients who indicated that there was a change in the middle-third of the lower lip during tactile subjective test, 12 (15.4%) had pain while 66 (84.6%) had no pain when objective test was performed. Forty-two (63.6%) out of the 66 patients (with change in the middle-third and satisfactory objective test) complained of pain when extraction was attempted. When re-injected, a change in labial sensation occurred in the mid line or beyond the midline during subsequent tactile subjective test. Adequate anaesthesia was achieved and extractions were carried out. These findings suggest that tactile subjective test is more efficient and sensitive than verbal subjective and objective tests

Fractures of the mandible in children

(East African Medical Journal 2001 78 (11): 616-618

Zygomatic complex fractures at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

Objective: To determine the pattern of zygomatic complex fractures in a Nigerian population. Design: A prospective study of cases managed. Setting: University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Subjects: Seventy six patients seen and managed between 1995 and 1999. Results: The most common aetiological factor was road traffic accidents (81.6%). The male/ female ratio was 5.3:1. Most of the fractures occurred in the age group 21-30 years (51.3%). The most common fracture type was type 3 (32.5%) while open reduction and transosseous wiring was the most commonly performed surgical procedure for the management of zygomatic complex fractures in this study (46.25%). Conclusion: There is a need to pay attention to the improvement in automobile safety devices, compliance by motor vehicle occupants and improvement in rules and regulations guiding sporting activities. (East African Medical Journal: 2002 79(3): 137-139