Impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on renewable coastal resources and biodiversity in Nigeria

Climates related disaster is greatly human induced warming, leading to substantial fluctuations in earth temperature which is currently a global issue of environmental concern. Human proximity and pressure in and around the coastal region has threatened flora, fauna and micro-organic resources of economic importance in most developing nations. Two-third of the word populations lives in or around the coast and 16 of the 23 world mega cities are currently in the world coastal belt. Transitively, the coastal environment, which harbors the highest percentage of biodiversity, is significantly important for economic activities and leisure. Nigeria's climate may witness increases in temperature, rainfall, storms, and sea levels throughout the twenty-first century and improper management of these desiccations can result into degradation in some parts of the country. Apart from climate change, coastal environment is subject to various anthropogenic impacts, often associated with high population, industrial and agricultural activities. Both disasters have led to heat stress, sea level rise, and erosion, salinization of the soil, evapo- transpiration, desertification and others. The overall resultant effects are feasible on environmental indicators including renewable coastal resources. It is therefore recommended among others that thinking globally and acting locally on environmental issues could save our coastal nation

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax in a term neonate

Pneumothorax is a rare but recognized cause of respiratory distress in the newborn. It can occur spontaneously or post-traumatic.We report our experience in a term male neonate who had primary spontaneous pneumothorax. He had no surgical intervention but completely recovered with conservative management and supplemental oxygen

Human Factors and Cultism Control in Social Media for Higher Education

The social media network is one of the trending platforms engaged for communication by students. Regrettably, this system has been used by persons to plan and commit cyber fraud and public vices. Some of the tertiary institutions including secondary and university in Nigeria have been turned to cultist environments resulting in killings and disorder amongst students in the school and environs. This is a situation that has continued to struggle with solutions in most higher institutions in the country, particularly in the government owned institutions. This obviously is a human factor issue that needs to be addressed. The objective of this study is to provide social media‐based system that is integrated with anti‐cultism component services towards combating cultism on campus. The platform will support interaction and learning on and off campus while at the same time helping to curtail cultism among students through filtering of keywords communicated on social media that are crime‐based or cultismrelated. In carrying out this study, appropriate research methods and implementation techniques such as modeling, design, server‐side programming, database were deployed. The platform provides a dual platform that will enable active students to participate in learning, and also cultism control in the school system

The COVID-19 pandemic and health workforce brain drain in Nigeria

Over the years, the Nigerian healthcare workforce, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists have always been known to emigrate to developed countries to practice. However, the recent dramatic increase in this trend is worrisome. There has been a mass emigration of Nigerian healthcare workers to developed countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the push factors have been found to include the inadequate provision of personal protective equipment, low monthly hazard allowance, and inconsistent payment of COVID-19 inducement allowance on top of worsening insecurity, the pull factors are higher salaries as well as a safe and healthy working environment. We also discuss how healthcare workers can be retained in Nigeria through increment in remunerations and prompt payment of allowances, and how the brain drain can be turned into a brain gain via the use of electronic data collection tools for Nigerian health workers abroad, implementation of the Bhagwati’s tax system, and establishment of a global skill partnership with developed countries

Factors Associated With Small Size at Birth in Nepal: Further Analysis of Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2011

Background: The global Low Birth Weight (LBW) rate is reported to be 15.5% with more than 95% of these LBW infants being from developing countries. LBW is a major factor associated with neonatal deaths in developing countries. The determinants of low birth weight in Nepal have rarely been studied. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with small size at birth among under-five children. Methods: Data from the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) were used. The association between small size at birth and explanatory variables were analysed using Chi-square tests (χ2) followed by logistic regression. Complex Sample Analysis was used to adjust for study design and sampling.Results: A total of 5240 mother- singleton under five child pairs were included in the analysis, of which 936 (16.0%) children were reported as small size at birth. Of 1922 infants whose birth weight was recorded, 235 (11.5%) infants had low birth weight (<2500 grams). The mean birth weight was 3030 grams (standard deviation: 648.249 grams). The mothers who had no antenatal visits were more likely (odds ratio (OR) 1.315; 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.042-1.661)) to have small size infants than those who had attended four or more antenatal visits. Mothers who lived in the Far-western development region were more likely to have (OR 1.698; 95% CI (1.228-2.349)) small size infants as compared to mothers from the Eastern development region. Female infants were more likely (OR 1.530; 95% CI (1.245-1.880)) to be at risk of being small than males. Conclusion: One in every six infants was reported to be small at birth. Attendance of antenatal care programs appeared to have a significant impact on birth size. Adequate antenatal care visits combined with counselling and nutritional supplementation should be a focus to reduce adverse birth outcomes such as small size at birth, especially in the geographically and economically disadvantaged areas such as Far-western region of Nepal

The Jaded Heritage: Nigeria´s brazilian connection

By the end of the nineteenth century, the Brazilian elements in Lagos had become a major economic force as "comercial intermediaries between the European colonial firms and the native producers". They were an economic force wiht high hopes of playing an important role in politics in consonance with their position in the socio-economic reality of Lagos. This study seeks to examine how such a promising group as the Brazilians, freed slaves who were able to begin afresh so well, finished so poorly that today, their many achievements only feature in the nostalgic recollections of some families located in central Lagos. It is quite possible that things would have been different if, like the other Brazilians who settled on the west coast towns of Porto Novo and Ouidah among others , those in Lagos had chosen to be allies of the dominant colonial power. As it is, a lot happened which changed the pattern of events that where to relegate the once-flourishing Brazilians to their position in present-day Nigeria.When, in 1977, a delegation from Brazil arrived in the Nigerian capital for the Second World and African Festival of Arts and Cultures, it aroused in some people a feeling which distinguished it from other black groups of the Diaspora

Reproductive health knowledge, beliefs and determinants of contraceptives use among women attending family planning clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: In developing countries especially in Africa, reproductive ill health have been a great concern to many stakeholders as maternal mortality and morbidity are very high compared to developed world. Also reproductive health knowledge and access to quality of care maternal health services in Africa are poor with significant health consequences. Appropriate reproductive health knowledge, belief and will power of women to access quality family planning services (preventive and curative) are essential for improvement in reproductive health of women. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess reproductive health knowledge, beliefs and influential factors of contraceptives use among women attending family planning clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria. METHOD: The study was cross-sectional in nature involving 550 randomly selected respondents among women attending family planning clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study instrument was a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS package. RESULTS: Only 56.0% of the respondents knew when pregnancy can occur, 31.5% believed that having sex once with a man will not result in pregnancy. Almost in all items, over 90.0% of respondents had knowledge of benefits of family planning. Consideration about personal health (86.0%) and husband's approval (74.9%) were major determinants of respondents use of contraceptives. CONCLUSION: Though respondents were knowledgeable about benefits of family planning, there is the need for continuous education of women about reproductive health issues and integration of men's participation in family planning programme to increase utilization of family planning services in Ibadan, Nigeria

Reproductive health knowledge, beliefs and determinants of contraceptives use among women attending family planning clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: In developing countries especially in Africa, reproductive ill health have been a great concern to many stakeholders as maternal mortality and morbidity are very high compared to developed world. Also reproductive health knowledge and access to quality of care maternal health services in Africa are poor with significant health consequences. Appropriate reproductive health knowledge, belief and will power of women to access quality family planning services (preventive and curative) are essential for improvement in reproductive health of women. Objective: The study aimed to assess reproductive health knowledge, beliefs and influential factors of contraceptives use among women attending family planning clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria. Method: The study was cross-sectional in nature involving 550 randomly selected respondents among women attending family planning clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study instrument was a self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS package. Results: Only 56.0% of the respondents knew when pregnancy can occur, 31.5% believed that having sex once with a man will not result in pregnancy. Almost in all items, over 90.0% of respondents had knowledge of benefits of family planning. Consideration about personal health (86.0%) and husband's approval (74.9%) were major determinants of respondents use of contraceptives. Conclusion: Though respondents were knowledgeable about benefits of family planning, there is the need for continuous education of women about reproductive health issues and integration of men's participation in family planning programme to increase utilization of family planning services in Ibadan, Nigeria. African Health Sciences Vol. 6(3) 2006: 155-15

The Level of Compliance of Food Handlers with National Regulations on Food Hygiene and Safety Practices: A Case of Selected Fast Food Outlets in Thohoyandou, South Africa

Abstract Food safety is becoming a key public health priority because a large number of people consume their meals outside their homes. As a result, they are exposed to food borne illnesses that originate from food stalls, restaurants and other food outlets. Hence the study focused on level of compliance of food handlers with national regulations on food hygiene and safety practices. The method used to collect data was participant observational checklist where the researcher had to go round with the workers during their daily chores. Simple random sampling was used to select 122 food handlers as participants in the study. Fast food outlets were also evaluated according to codified regulations and sixty food premises were observed for compliance using a checklist and compared with standards and the requirements prescribed by in Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act of 1972, regulation Data analysis involved descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and analysis was made based on the standards and the requirements prescribed by Regulation R962 of November 2012. The findings showed that food handlers observed personal hygiene by wearing clean uniforms, covering their heads with hair nets, and washed their hands, indicating that food handlers maintained accepted standards in terms of personal hygiene regulations