Labour and Delivery Practices in Selected Primary Health Centres in Jos Metropolis, Plateau State

Every labour and child delivery activity comes with a collateral vicissitude hence the need to be accurate in its handling toward producing positive outcome. This concern has immensely drawn the attention of the global stakeholders which found its expression in Sustainable Goal Development three (Target 1) aimed at reducing the maternal mortality globally. This study was necessitated by the fact that the level of maternal mortality in Nigeria is unacceptable which invariably makes a lot of practitioners and researchers uncomfortable hence the need to further make an inquiry into how delivery and labour activities are conducted. Evidence abounds that the maternal mortality rate in Jos follows the pattern of that of the nation as a whole. The study was carried out in the selected primary health centres within the two main local government areas that constitute Jos metropolis. The setting of the study was picked as it functions as the operational level of primary health care. The level of care sophistication is relatively low in this setting. The study adopted a descriptive, cross sectional and non-experimental research design. The study population comprised nurses and community health workers working in those primary health centres. Multisampling technique was used in selecting the health centres used in the study. The sample size was one hundred and thirty-five. Convenience sampling technique was adopted in accessing the respondents. A total of one hundred and thirty-three inclined thereby creating a response rate of 98.5%. The ethical injunctions guiding research were observed as the respondents’ informed consent was sought. Assurance was given in the aspects of confidentiality and anonymity. The right to withdraw clause was also emphasized. Data was analyzed using percentages and frequency counts. Results reveal the techniques embedded in labour and delivery as these include assessment of patient’s psychological readiness and foetal readiness for continuous maternal support; and use of partograph. Further, results indicate lack of adequately trained health workers, lack of cordial relationships between mothers and health personnel, inadequate facilities, and financial strain as the factors that affect labour and delivery practices in primary health centres in Jos Metropolis. The import of the findings is that efforts should be strengthened toward upgrading the skills of the health workers, and making adequate provision for needed resources. Keywords: Labour, Delivery, Practices, Primary Health Centres DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/102-04 Publication date:September 30th 202

Prevalence of sickle cell disease among children attending plateau specialist hospital, Jos, Nigeria

Background: An estimate of 250,000 children are born annually with sickle cell disease (SCD) worldwide and 75%–85% of the affected children are born in Africa; where mortality rates for those under age 5 years range from 50% to 80%. Objective: The present study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of SCD among children in Plateau State Specialist Hospital (PSSH), Jos, Nigeria. Methodology: Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital. Secondary data on age, gender, and region from the case notes of infants, children and/or adolescents; who received medical care in PSSH from 2012 to 2014 were used. Data were analyzed using frequency tables and Chi-square statistics. Results: The findings revealed that the prevalence of SCD in PSSH, Jos from 2012 to 2014 was 26.9/1000 population of pediatric patients. There was a gradual increase in the prevalence rate from 25.8/1000 in 2012 to 26.8/1000 in 2013 and 28.1/1000 in 2014. However, the case fatality rate of SCD gradually decreased from 15.4% in 2012 to 11.1% in 2013 and 10.3% in 2014. Chi-square test shows that the prevalence of the disease in relation to sex, age, and residence was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Even though the case fatality rate of the disease decreased, its prevalence increased during the study. Conclusion: Therefore, preventive measure for SCD such as premarital genetic screening and counseling should be emphasized, especially in the southern and central geopolitical zones of Plateau state, where the prevalence was found to be higher