The African court on human and peoples’ rights: a test of African notions of human rights and justice

Doctor Legum - LLDThe African Court on Human and Peoples’ Right (the Court) is the most recent of the three regional Human Rights Bodies. Envisioned by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right, its structures was not planned until the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) promulgated a protocol for its creation in 1998. The Court complements the protective mandate of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (‘The Commission’) and the Court has the competence to take final and binding decisions on human rights violations. Unlike its European and inter-American versions where their courts are integral parts of the cardinal instrument of the system ab initio, the establishment of the African Court was merely an afterthought. At the initial, protection of rights rested solely with the Commission upon African justice system which emphasises reconciliation as it is non-confrontational method of settlements of. The Commission is a quasi-judicial body modelled after the United Nations Human Right Committee without binding powers and with only limited functions covering examination of State reports, communications alleging violations and interpreting the Charter at the request of a State, the OAU or any organisation recognised by the OAU. The thesis answers the question whether the adoption of the African Court means that the African model of enforcing human rights has failed or whether having the Court constitute a concession to the triumph of the western model of law enforcement. The imperative of the 30th Ordinary Session of the OAU in 1994 where the creation of an African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights was viewed as the best way of protecting human rights across the region would be treated. The relevance of such an examination is highlighted by the fact that the African Charter did not make any provision for the establishment of a Court to enforce the rights guaranteed thereunder. If we are to assume that justice by reconciliation has failed and should be replaced by or complimented with justice by adjudication as the primary means of conflict resolution, what guarantees are there that the latter form of justice will not also fail? This thesis therefore will critically evaluate the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and assessed its potential impact on the African human rights system. It will also probe the power of the Court and see whether a clear and mutually reinforcing division of labour between it and the African Commission can be developed to promote and protect human rights on the continent. This research brings to focus an area that requires attention if the African human rights regime is to be effective. It put to test the criticism against the African Charter and the Protocol to the African Charter on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and also identified the present existing flaws in the African regional system. Furthermore, it ascertained whether or not, given the availability of other options, a regional Court is, in fact, the ideal mechanism for the protection of human rights in Africa

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Right: A test of African notions of human rights and justice

Doctor Legum - LLDThe African Court on Human and Peoples’ Right (the Court) is the most recent of the three regional Human Rights Bodies. Envisioned by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Right, its structures was not planned until the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) promulgated a protocol for its creation in 1998. The Court complements the protective mandate of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (‘The Commission’) and the Court has the competence to take final and binding decisions on human rights violations. Unlike its European and inter-American versions where their courts are integral parts of the cardinal instrument of the system ab initio, the establishment of the African Court was merely an afterthought. At the initial, protection of rights rested solely with the Commission upon African justice system which emphasises reconciliation as it is non-confrontational method of settlements of. The Commission is a quasi-judicial body modelled after the United Nations Human Right Committee without binding powers and with only limited functions covering examination of State reports, communications alleging violations and interpreting the Charter at the request of a State, the OAU or any organisation recognised by the OAU. The thesis answers the question whether the adoption of the African Court means that the African model of enforcing human rights has failed or whether having the Court constitute a concession to the triumph of the western model of law enforcement. The imperative of the 30th Ordinary Session of the OAU in 1994 where the creation of an African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights was viewed as the best way of protecting human rights across the region would be treated. The relevance of such an examination is highlighted by the fact that the African Charter did not make any provision for the establishment of a Court to enforce the rights guaranteed thereunder. If we are to assume that justice by reconciliation has failed and should be replaced by or complimented with justice by adjudication as the primary means of conflict resolution, what guarantees are there that the latter form of justice will not also fail? This thesis therefore will critically evaluate the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and assessed its potential impact on the African human rights system. It will also probe the power of the Court and see whether a clear and mutually reinforcing division of labour between it and the African Commission can be developed to promote and protect human rights on the continent. This research brings to focus an area that requires attention if the African human rights regime is to be effective. It put to test the criticism against the African Charter and the Protocol to the African Charter on the Establishment of an African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and also identified the present existing flaws in the African regional system. Furthermore, it ascertained whether or not, given the availability of other options, a regional Court is, in fact, the ideal mechanism for the protection of human rights in Africa

Genetic Diversity of West African Honey Bee (Apis ‎mellifera adansonii Latreille, 1804) from Rural and Urban ‎Areas of ‎Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria

Over one third of the world’s crops– including fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices, and oilseed–‎require insect pollination, and human reliance on ‎pollination services by honey bees (Apis ‎mellifera) to promote these crops continues to rise due to increasing demands from growing ‎human ‎populations. Identifying the effects of urbanization on genetic diversity on this ‎pollinating insect is important in the field of bioscience. This study aimed to investigate genetic diversity of A. mellifera in Kwara State, Nigeria, using the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker. ‎Thirty honey bees ‎were simultaneously collected from both rural and urban regions in ‎Kwara state, Nigeria. Samples were morphologically identified using ‎standard methods, ‎genomic DNA isolated and amplified using five RAPD primers. Data collected were ‎analysed using PyElph, ‎ARLEQUIN, and GeneAlEx version 6.501 software. The results ‎showed that the DNA fragment sizes produced per primer varied from 200 to ‎‎3000 bp. Percentages of polymorphic loci amplified by each primer varied from 17.33 to 33.33%. ‎Analysis of unbiased Nei genetic ‎distance values showed that Agbede (rural) and Adewole ‎‎(urban) showed the highest value of unbiased genetic distance (0.073), while ‎Amoyo ‎‎(rural) to Idofian (urban) exhibited the lowest value (0.027). Dendrogram analysis revealed ‎genetically close relationships among the sampled ‎A. mellifera‎ populations. The low level of genetic ‎polymorphisms observed among the honey bee populations in the two ‎regions ‎indicated that there is genetic relatedness among them. This study concluded that RAPD ‎marker is a useful method for ‎understanding population genetic structure of the African honey ‎bees. These results can be used as baseline information for future genetic ‎diversity ‎assessment of honey bees in Nigeria with larger samples. It is therefore recommended that ‎there is a need to safeguard the genetic ‎diversity of A. mellifera‎ to prevent extinction or ‎gradual loss of diversity‎‎‎.    

Distributing insecticide-treated bednets during measles vaccination: a low-cost means of achieving high and equitable coverage.

OBJECTIVE: To achieve high and equitable coverage of insecticide-treated bednets by integrating their distribution into a measles vaccination campaign. METHODS: In December 2002 in the Lawra district in Ghana, a measles vaccination campaign lasting 1 week targeted all children aged 9 months-15 years. Families with one or more children less than five years old were targeted to receive a free insecticide-treated bednet. The Ghana Health Service, with support from the Ghana Red Cross and UNICEF, provided logistical support, volunteer workers and social mobilization during the campaign. Volunteers visited homes to inform caregivers about the campaign and encourage them to participate. We assessed pre-campaign coverage of bednets by interviewing caregivers leaving vaccination and distribution sites. Five months after distribution, a two-stage cluster survey using population-proportional sampling assessed bednet coverage, retention and use. Both the pre-campaign and post-campaign survey assessed household wealth using an asset inventory. FINDINGS: At the campaign exit interview 636/776 (82.0%) caregivers reported that they had received a home visit by a Red Cross volunteer before the campaign and that 32/776 (4.1%) of the youngest children in each household who were less than 5 years of age slept under an insecticide-treated bednet. Five months after distribution caregivers reported that 204/219 (93.2%) of children aged 9 months to 5 years had been vaccinated during the campaign; 234/248 (94.4%) of households were observed to have an insecticide-treated bednet; and 170/249 (68.3%) were observed to have a net hung over a bed. Altogether 222/248 (89.5%) caregivers reported receiving at least one insecticide-treated bednet during the campaign, and 153/254 (60.2%) said that on the previous night their youngest child had slept under a bednet received during the campaign. For households in the poorest quintile, post-campaign coverage of insecticide-treated bednets was 10 times higher than pre-campaign coverage of households in the wealthiest quintile (46/51 (90.2%) versus 14/156 (9.0%)). The marginal operational cost was 0.32 US dollars per insecticide-treated bednet delivered. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that linking bednet distribution to measles vaccination campaigns may provide an important opportunity for achieving high and equitable coverage of bednets

Determinants of receiving immediate breast reconstruction: An analysis of patient characteristics at a tertiary care center in the US

Background: Breast reconstruction is an option for women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer. Previous studies have reported underutilization of reconstructive surgery. This study aims to examine the role demographic, clinical and socio-economic factors may have on patients’ decisions to undergo breast reconstruction. Methods: We analyzed data from our institutional database. Using multivariable and multinomial logistic regression, we compared breast cancer patients who had undergone mastectomy-only to those who had immediate breast reconstruction (overall and by type of reconstruction). Results: We analyzed data on 1459 women who underwent mastectomy during the period 2003–2015. Of these, 475 (32.6%) underwent mastectomy-only and 984 (67.4%) also underwent immediate breast reconstruction. After adjusting for potential confounders, older age (OR = 0.18, 95%CI:0.08–0.40), Asian race (OR = 0.29, 95%CI:0.19–0.45), bilateral mastectomy (OR = 0.71, 95%CI:0.56–0.90), and higher stage of disease (OR = 0.44, 95%CI:0.26–0.74) were independent risk factors for not receiving immediate breast reconstruction. Furthermore, patients with Medicare or Medicaid insurance were less likely than patients with private insurance to receive an autologous reconstruction. There was no evidence for changes over time in the way socio-demographic and clinical factors were related to receiving immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy. Conclusions: Clinical characteristics, sociodemographic factors like age, race and insurance coverage affect the decision for reconstructive surgery following mastectomy. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd We compared breast cancer patients who had undergone mastectomy only to those who had immediate post-mastectomy breast reconstruction (overall and by type of reconstruction). Older age, Asian race, bilateral mastectomy and higher stage of disease were independent risk factors for not receiving immediate breast reconstruction. Clinical characteristics, sociodemographic factors like age, race and insurance coverage affect the decision for reconstructive surgery following mastectomy for breast cancer. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

Burden and outcome of respiratory morbidities among children and adolescents with sickle cell disease-A retrospective review of emergency presentations in some Nigerian tertiary institutions.

BackgroundDespite the huge burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) among Nigerian children, the burden and outcome of respiratory illnesses remain undocumented. Thus, we aimed to describe the spectrum and outcome of respiratory illnesses among SCD childrenand adolescentadmissions in ten Nigerian tertiary hospitals.MethodA retrospective review of the SCD admission records of children and adolescents with a confirmed diagnosis of respiratory illnesses from 2012 to 2021 in ten tertiary health facilities across five geopolitical zones in Nigeria was conducted. The data, collectedbetween March and June 2023, included the age, sex, diagnosis, complications, duration and outcome of hospitalization.ResultsOf the 72,333 paediatric admissions, 7,256 (10.0%) had SCD; the proportion of SCD from the total admission ranged from 2.1 to 16.3% in the facilities. Of the 7,256 children and adolescents with SCD, 1,213 (16.7%) had respiratory morbidities. Lower respiratory disease was the most common (70.0%) respiratory entity and the majority were pneumonia (40.1.0%), followed by acute chest syndrome (26.7%). Seventeen (1.4%) patients died; all had lower respiratory diseases [(acute chest syndrome ACS (11, 64.7%), pneumonia; 5, 29.4%, and asthma (1, 5.9%). Based on the proportion of deaths among overall SCD, the 17 death cases contributed 9.4% (95% CI 5.9 to 14.5). Factors associated with deaths included duration of hospitalization less than 72 hours and lower respiratory tract diseases.ConclusionSickle cell disease is a major contributor to hospitalization among Nigerian children and adolescents, with high respiratory morbidity and mortality. Pneumonia and acute chest syndrome were associated with mortality, andthe highest risk of death within the first 72 hours