International Journal of Medicine and Health Development, 2009
Background : In Nigeria today measles is the greatest NPI target disease with the greatest impact... more Background : In Nigeria today measles is the greatest NPI target disease with the greatest impact on child health and ranks as one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. Mothers have been known to make most decisions on home treatment of their children. This paper contributes to the knowledge on the perception of the incidence of measles among mothers in a Nigerian rural community Materials and Methods : A community based descriptive survey involving 400 women was conducted with questionnaire administered to the women aged 15-49 years in households. Households were selected by simple random sampling from a frame of Primary Health Care house numbering system. Results :More of the children suffered from measles before than after the launching of the National Programme on Immunization. In 1996 as perceived by the mothers, Conclusions : A reduction in the incidence in the incidence of measles after NPI launch as perceived by the mothers is highly commendable. However efforts need to be sustained to ensure a steady decline in measles incidence
BACKGROUND: Most policies in Nigeria are deliberate choices based on political mechanism, oversig... more BACKGROUND: Most policies in Nigeria are deliberate choices based on political mechanism, oversight, and lack of appropriate information. However in recent times there has been a global shift towards evidence based policy making. Thus Actors' views on evidence and their role in policy development appear critical to the use of evidence.OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine how actors' perception, roles and levels of power influenced Human Resources for Health policy development in Nigeria.METHOD: The research was conducted using a case study approach. Systematic reviews of relevant policy documents and reports, in-depth interviews of twelve respondents comprising government policymakers, academia, civil society organizations, health-workers and development partners were done. Interviews were analysed using NVivo 10 software for qualitative analysis.FINDINGS: Most respondents perceived evidence to be factual and concrete to support a given decision. The government policymakers wielded a high level of power and spearheaded the policy process. Development partners were major decision makers because they had financial and technical power. Civil society groups had the power of advocacy and generated evidence. The academia had medium power level of power and also generated evidence.CONCLUSION: The actors' with the highest level of power greatly influenced policy use and type of evidence used in formulating the Human Resources for Health policy. Stakeholders with coercive, financial or group power influenced the type of evidence finally used in formulating the Human Resources for Health policy.KEY WORDS: Human Resource for Health; Health policy making; Role of actors in policy making
Background: Self-medication (SM) is a global practice that is prevalent in all age groups and in ... more Background: Self-medication (SM) is a global practice that is prevalent in all age groups and in all races. Although it has been successfully integrated into many healthcare systems throughout the world, it still presents with the problems of wrong diagnosis, inappropriate choice of treatment, drug abuse, delayed health seeking behaviour, double medication and harmful interactions, inappropriate storage and administration of expired medicines, medication wastage and in extreme cases death. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted at ESUTH Parklane, Enugu Nigeria. A structured pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the consenting nurses. Data was analysed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented in frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation with the aid of tables. Bivariate analysis was done using chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p value ≤ 0.05. Results: Most of the nurses were within the 30...
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a pandemic with high prevalence rates worldwide with Sub-Sa... more Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a pandemic with high prevalence rates worldwide with Sub-Saharan Africa's worst hit. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women attending Ante-Natal Clinic (ANC) at a tertiary health facility in Enugu State Nigeria. This was a prospective hospital-based study that involved all the women that attended ANC of a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. All the data were retrieved from the patient’s ante-natal cards and entered into a pro forma. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Chi-square test was used to determine factors that affected the prevalence of HIV, and this was performed with the level of significance set at p ≤ 0.05. All the women that attended ANC in the hospital were tested for HIV and the prevalence was 1.8%. Women between ages 21 – 30 years, married, had secondary education and with 3-4 children had the highest prevalence of HIV. The occupation was the only factor that significantly affected the prevalence of HIV with unskilled workers having the highest prevalence of 12.5%. HIV prevalence among pregnant women was relatively low.
International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2021
Background: Stillbirth is one of the common adverse outcomes of pregnancy that occur worldwide. T... more Background: Stillbirth is one of the common adverse outcomes of pregnancy that occur worldwide. The prevalence differs in different continents of the world and even within different localities in the same country. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and social determinants of health that affect still birth in Enugu state, Nigeria.Methods: The study was a prospective hospital-based study conducted at the obstetrics and gynecology department of a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. All the data were retrieved from the ante natal and delivery card of all the women that delivered at the unit within the time of data collection. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Bivariate analysis was done using chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p value≤0.05.Results: The mean age of the mothers was 29.76±4.69 while most of them were aged 21-30 years 431(56.0%). Majori...
International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 2021
Background: There is accumulating evidence that the type of work and environmental exposures in t... more Background: There is accumulating evidence that the type of work and environmental exposures in the work environment during pregnancy may have adverse effects on fetal development and pregnancy outcome. The objective was to determine the influence of maternal occupation on adverse pregnancy outcomes.Methods: The study was a prospective hospital based study conducted at the obstetrics and gynecology department of a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. All the data were retrieved from the ante natal and delivery card of all the women that delivered at the unit within the time of data collection. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Bivariate analysis was done using chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p value ≤ 0.05.Results: Maternal occupation did not significantly affect the gestational age at delivery (X2=10.143, p=0.428) and birth weight (X2=16.807, p=0.079) however, it sig...
International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2021
Background: Caesarean section (C/S) is one of the commonly performed surgical procedures in obste... more Background: Caesarean section (C/S) is one of the commonly performed surgical procedures in obstetrics. This procedure has been on the increase in the past decade, creating a public health concern. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of C/S delivery in a tertiary health facility in Nigeria.Methods: A prospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. Data was retrieved from the delivery cards of the mothers. Data was analysed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Chi-square test was performed with the level of significance set at p≤0.05. Binary logistic regression was used to determine factors that predicted C/S delivery.Results: The prevalence of C/S was 48.3%. Commonest indication for C/S was 2 or more previous C/S. Mothers aged >30 years, employed, higher educational level, higher parity and delivered preterm predicted C/S delivery on logist...
International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 2021
Background: Standard precautions (SP) is a broad concept involving measures that should be applie... more Background: Standard precautions (SP) is a broad concept involving measures that should be applied in hospital setting to reduce infection transmission. Most hospital acquired infections occur due to breach in SP practices. The objective was to determine the knowledge and practice of SP among HCWs in primary and tertiary health facilities in Enugu State Nigeria.Methods: The study used a qualitative design with case study in primary and tertiary health care workers (HCWs) in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu State Nigeria. A total of 74 HCWs; 24 from the primary and 50 from the tertiary health facilities were observed while 37; 12 from primary and 25 from the tertiary health facility were interviewed. The qualitative study used in-depth interview and triangulation with observational checklist.Results: The HCWs had good knowledge but poor practice of SP. Higher proportion of the tertiary HCWs had better practice of hand hygiene than those in the primary health facilities (OR=17.637, p<0.001)...
International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 2020
Background: The doctor-patient relationship has been linked to patient satisfaction, treatment ad... more Background: The doctor-patient relationship has been linked to patient satisfaction, treatment adherence and outcome. It remains the cornerstone of medical practice though may be affected in this era of COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the doctor-patient relationship.Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary health facility in Enugu State South-East Nigeria. It involved all the doctors working in the hospital as at the time of data collection. Patients that attended the general out-patient clinic of the hospital were selected using convenience sampling. One hundred and eighty six (186) doctors and 155 patients participated in the study. A similarly structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from both the doctors and the patients.Results: There was disparity in some of the studied aspect of the doctor-patient relationship as reported by the doctors and the patients. ...
The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) SARS-CoV-2, is an evolving respiratory disease which was... more The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) SARS-CoV-2, is an evolving respiratory disease which was first detected in December, 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has eventually spread to larger parts of the world. COVID-19 may result in mild to severe respiratory distress, depending on the individuals´ age and immune system as well as the presence of any underlying conditions. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of medical students towards COVID-19. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study that involved all the medical students in Enugu State University College of Medicine, Enugu State, Nigeria. Data was collected with an online questionnaire formulated in Google form. It was shared through their different class online platforms (WhatsApp). All the data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Categorical variables were presented in the form of frequencies and percentages. Majority of the students were within the 15-24 years age group (79.3%), fe...
International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 2020
Background: The risk of acquiring blood borne infections by healthcare workers (HCWs) in developi... more Background: The risk of acquiring blood borne infections by healthcare workers (HCWs) in developing countries is accentuated by the high prevalence of blood borne infections, poor provision of personal protective equipment (PPEs), negative socio-cultural factors and poorly maintained healthcare systems. The objective was to determine the prevalence of occupational accidents among HCWs in a tertiary health facility in Enugu state, South-East Nigeria.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study that used mixed method technique. The quantitative data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire while an in-depth interview (IDI) guide was used for the qualitative data. Manual content analysis was done for the qualitative data while the quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 22. The significance level placed at p<0.05.Results: The prevalence of mucous membranes exposure to blood/body fluids were the same in the past 6 and 12 months (22.0%) while the mean number of ...
BACKGROUND: Onchocerciasis or river blindness constitutes a major burden to households especially... more BACKGROUND: Onchocerciasis or river blindness constitutes a major burden to households especially in resource-poor settings, causing debilitation and reduction in household productivity. It is an endemic disease in Nigeria. The study aimed to determine the effect of health education on knowledge, attitudes and practices towards onchocerciasis.METHODS: This study was an intervention study carried out among 282 respondents. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study sample. RESULTS: Both study and control groups had poor knowledge, 40.4% and 41.2% respectively pre-intervention. However, most of the respondents had good practices, but attitudes towards the disease is poor as most respondents do not see onchocerciasis as a serious problem. Knowledge of respondents improved significantly among the study group (X2=37.814, P=0.046) compared to control group (X2=1.756, P=0.416) post-intervention. Also, practices (X2=21.378, P=0.039) towards onchocerciasis improved signific...
Onchocerciasis is a public health problem in Nigeria, especially among the poor living in endemic... more Onchocerciasis is a public health problem in Nigeria, especially among the poor living in endemic communities. There is a dearth of evidence on the burden of onchocerciasis and studies suggest poor knowledge of the cause of onchocerciasis. This information could facilitate evidence-informed decisions on resource allocation towards the control of this neglected tropical disease. A cross-sectional survey was used to assess the knowledge of disease causation among patients, costs incurred for seeking treatment and productivity losses. About 43% had no knowledge of what caused their symptoms. The average monthly treatment cost per respondent was US$ 14.0. Drug cost (US$10) made up 72% of total treatment cost. The per capita productivity loss among patients was $16 and it was higher among the least poor (Q1) (US$20) and the poor SES (Q3) (US$21). The average cost of lost productivity among caregivers was US $3.5. These findings suggest that onchocerciasis still constitutes considerable economic burden on patients due to the high cost of treatment and lost productivity. This survey provided a measure of patient treatment cost in a setting with paucity of information. It also shows that targeted health education campaigns remain a fundamental policy option.
Introduction Studies have shown that community mobilization and consent seeking are effective too... more Introduction Studies have shown that community mobilization and consent seeking are effective tools in ensuring ownership of community health programs. Most studies which have employed these approaches effectively have often led to sustained behaviour change while others have not. This paper seeks to provide information on the importance of effective community mobilization and consent seeking approaches by sharing our experiences from the field. Methods Two approaches were used to generate data: a review of relevant literature and the authors experiences in the consent seeking and mobilization process. Search engines used were PubMed, google as well as the review of policy documents. Results Findings showed that different authors employed different methods for community mobilization which include group mobilization approaches, group discussion meetings, training workshops, community member peer data collection, phone calls, financial incentives etc. Most authors combined these methods. Consent seeking methods were mainly oral, written or proxy and most of the studies had an ethical approval from a Research and Ethical review Board. Conclusion There is still need to harmonize these approaches especially for ethical purposes. Single or independent approaches to mobilization and consent seeking may not only be efficient if expected results are to be achieved but are crucial. However, whichever approach adopted should consider the context, content and actors involved in any given project. Note that experiences with these approaches may vary in the field.
Introduction: Developments in rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have opened new possibilities for imp... more Introduction: Developments in rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have opened new possibilities for improved remote malaria diagnosis that is independent of microscopic diagnosis. Studies in some settings have tried to assess the influence of RDTs on the prescribing behaviour of health workers, but such information is generally lacking in Nigeria and many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This study analysed health workers' perceptions of RDTs and their potential influence on their prescribing and treatment practices after their introduction. Methods: The study was conducted in four health centers in the Enugu East local government of Enugu State, Nigeria. All 32 health workers in the health centers where RDTs were deployed were interviewed by field workers. Information was sought on their perception of symptoms-based, RDT-based, and microscopy-based malaria diagnoses. In addition, prescription analysis was carried out on 400 prescriptions before and 12 months after RDT deployment. Results: The majority of the health workers perceived RDTs to be more effective for malaria diagnosis than microscopy and clinical diagnosis. They also felt that the benefits of RDTs included increased use of RDTs in the facilities and the tendency to prescribe more Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) and less chloroquine and SP. Some of the health workers experienced some difficulties in the process of using RDT kits. ACTs were prescribed in 74% of RDT-negative results. Conclusions/Significance: RDT-supported malaria diagnosis may have led to the overprescription of ACTs, with the drug being prescribed to people with RDT-negative results. However, the prescription of other antimalarial drugs that are not first-line drugs has been reduced. Efforts should be made to encourage health workers to trust RDT results and prescribe ACTs only to those with positive RDT results. In-depth studies are needed to determine why health workers continue to prescribe ACTs in RDT-negative results.
International Journal of Medicine and Health Development, 2009
Background : In Nigeria today measles is the greatest NPI target disease with the greatest impact... more Background : In Nigeria today measles is the greatest NPI target disease with the greatest impact on child health and ranks as one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. Mothers have been known to make most decisions on home treatment of their children. This paper contributes to the knowledge on the perception of the incidence of measles among mothers in a Nigerian rural community Materials and Methods : A community based descriptive survey involving 400 women was conducted with questionnaire administered to the women aged 15-49 years in households. Households were selected by simple random sampling from a frame of Primary Health Care house numbering system. Results :More of the children suffered from measles before than after the launching of the National Programme on Immunization. In 1996 as perceived by the mothers, Conclusions : A reduction in the incidence in the incidence of measles after NPI launch as perceived by the mothers is highly commendable. However efforts need to be sustained to ensure a steady decline in measles incidence
BACKGROUND: Most policies in Nigeria are deliberate choices based on political mechanism, oversig... more BACKGROUND: Most policies in Nigeria are deliberate choices based on political mechanism, oversight, and lack of appropriate information. However in recent times there has been a global shift towards evidence based policy making. Thus Actors' views on evidence and their role in policy development appear critical to the use of evidence.OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine how actors' perception, roles and levels of power influenced Human Resources for Health policy development in Nigeria.METHOD: The research was conducted using a case study approach. Systematic reviews of relevant policy documents and reports, in-depth interviews of twelve respondents comprising government policymakers, academia, civil society organizations, health-workers and development partners were done. Interviews were analysed using NVivo 10 software for qualitative analysis.FINDINGS: Most respondents perceived evidence to be factual and concrete to support a given decision. The government policymakers wielded a high level of power and spearheaded the policy process. Development partners were major decision makers because they had financial and technical power. Civil society groups had the power of advocacy and generated evidence. The academia had medium power level of power and also generated evidence.CONCLUSION: The actors' with the highest level of power greatly influenced policy use and type of evidence used in formulating the Human Resources for Health policy. Stakeholders with coercive, financial or group power influenced the type of evidence finally used in formulating the Human Resources for Health policy.KEY WORDS: Human Resource for Health; Health policy making; Role of actors in policy making
Background: Self-medication (SM) is a global practice that is prevalent in all age groups and in ... more Background: Self-medication (SM) is a global practice that is prevalent in all age groups and in all races. Although it has been successfully integrated into many healthcare systems throughout the world, it still presents with the problems of wrong diagnosis, inappropriate choice of treatment, drug abuse, delayed health seeking behaviour, double medication and harmful interactions, inappropriate storage and administration of expired medicines, medication wastage and in extreme cases death. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted at ESUTH Parklane, Enugu Nigeria. A structured pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the consenting nurses. Data was analysed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented in frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation with the aid of tables. Bivariate analysis was done using chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p value ≤ 0.05. Results: Most of the nurses were within the 30...
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a pandemic with high prevalence rates worldwide with Sub-Sa... more Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a pandemic with high prevalence rates worldwide with Sub-Saharan Africa's worst hit. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HIV among pregnant women attending Ante-Natal Clinic (ANC) at a tertiary health facility in Enugu State Nigeria. This was a prospective hospital-based study that involved all the women that attended ANC of a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. All the data were retrieved from the patient’s ante-natal cards and entered into a pro forma. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Chi-square test was used to determine factors that affected the prevalence of HIV, and this was performed with the level of significance set at p ≤ 0.05. All the women that attended ANC in the hospital were tested for HIV and the prevalence was 1.8%. Women between ages 21 – 30 years, married, had secondary education and with 3-4 children had the highest prevalence of HIV. The occupation was the only factor that significantly affected the prevalence of HIV with unskilled workers having the highest prevalence of 12.5%. HIV prevalence among pregnant women was relatively low.
International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2021
Background: Stillbirth is one of the common adverse outcomes of pregnancy that occur worldwide. T... more Background: Stillbirth is one of the common adverse outcomes of pregnancy that occur worldwide. The prevalence differs in different continents of the world and even within different localities in the same country. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and social determinants of health that affect still birth in Enugu state, Nigeria.Methods: The study was a prospective hospital-based study conducted at the obstetrics and gynecology department of a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. All the data were retrieved from the ante natal and delivery card of all the women that delivered at the unit within the time of data collection. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Bivariate analysis was done using chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p value≤0.05.Results: The mean age of the mothers was 29.76±4.69 while most of them were aged 21-30 years 431(56.0%). Majori...
International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 2021
Background: There is accumulating evidence that the type of work and environmental exposures in t... more Background: There is accumulating evidence that the type of work and environmental exposures in the work environment during pregnancy may have adverse effects on fetal development and pregnancy outcome. The objective was to determine the influence of maternal occupation on adverse pregnancy outcomes.Methods: The study was a prospective hospital based study conducted at the obstetrics and gynecology department of a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. All the data were retrieved from the ante natal and delivery card of all the women that delivered at the unit within the time of data collection. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Bivariate analysis was done using chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p value ≤ 0.05.Results: Maternal occupation did not significantly affect the gestational age at delivery (X2=10.143, p=0.428) and birth weight (X2=16.807, p=0.079) however, it sig...
International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2021
Background: Caesarean section (C/S) is one of the commonly performed surgical procedures in obste... more Background: Caesarean section (C/S) is one of the commonly performed surgical procedures in obstetrics. This procedure has been on the increase in the past decade, creating a public health concern. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of C/S delivery in a tertiary health facility in Nigeria.Methods: A prospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. Data was retrieved from the delivery cards of the mothers. Data was analysed using SPSS version 25 and variables were presented as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviation. Chi-square test was performed with the level of significance set at p≤0.05. Binary logistic regression was used to determine factors that predicted C/S delivery.Results: The prevalence of C/S was 48.3%. Commonest indication for C/S was 2 or more previous C/S. Mothers aged >30 years, employed, higher educational level, higher parity and delivered preterm predicted C/S delivery on logist...
International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 2021
Background: Standard precautions (SP) is a broad concept involving measures that should be applie... more Background: Standard precautions (SP) is a broad concept involving measures that should be applied in hospital setting to reduce infection transmission. Most hospital acquired infections occur due to breach in SP practices. The objective was to determine the knowledge and practice of SP among HCWs in primary and tertiary health facilities in Enugu State Nigeria.Methods: The study used a qualitative design with case study in primary and tertiary health care workers (HCWs) in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu State Nigeria. A total of 74 HCWs; 24 from the primary and 50 from the tertiary health facilities were observed while 37; 12 from primary and 25 from the tertiary health facility were interviewed. The qualitative study used in-depth interview and triangulation with observational checklist.Results: The HCWs had good knowledge but poor practice of SP. Higher proportion of the tertiary HCWs had better practice of hand hygiene than those in the primary health facilities (OR=17.637, p<0.001)...
International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 2020
Background: The doctor-patient relationship has been linked to patient satisfaction, treatment ad... more Background: The doctor-patient relationship has been linked to patient satisfaction, treatment adherence and outcome. It remains the cornerstone of medical practice though may be affected in this era of COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the doctor-patient relationship.Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary health facility in Enugu State South-East Nigeria. It involved all the doctors working in the hospital as at the time of data collection. Patients that attended the general out-patient clinic of the hospital were selected using convenience sampling. One hundred and eighty six (186) doctors and 155 patients participated in the study. A similarly structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from both the doctors and the patients.Results: There was disparity in some of the studied aspect of the doctor-patient relationship as reported by the doctors and the patients. ...
The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) SARS-CoV-2, is an evolving respiratory disease which was... more The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) SARS-CoV-2, is an evolving respiratory disease which was first detected in December, 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has eventually spread to larger parts of the world. COVID-19 may result in mild to severe respiratory distress, depending on the individuals´ age and immune system as well as the presence of any underlying conditions. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of medical students towards COVID-19. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study that involved all the medical students in Enugu State University College of Medicine, Enugu State, Nigeria. Data was collected with an online questionnaire formulated in Google form. It was shared through their different class online platforms (WhatsApp). All the data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Categorical variables were presented in the form of frequencies and percentages. Majority of the students were within the 15-24 years age group (79.3%), fe...
International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 2020
Background: The risk of acquiring blood borne infections by healthcare workers (HCWs) in developi... more Background: The risk of acquiring blood borne infections by healthcare workers (HCWs) in developing countries is accentuated by the high prevalence of blood borne infections, poor provision of personal protective equipment (PPEs), negative socio-cultural factors and poorly maintained healthcare systems. The objective was to determine the prevalence of occupational accidents among HCWs in a tertiary health facility in Enugu state, South-East Nigeria.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study that used mixed method technique. The quantitative data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire while an in-depth interview (IDI) guide was used for the qualitative data. Manual content analysis was done for the qualitative data while the quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 22. The significance level placed at p<0.05.Results: The prevalence of mucous membranes exposure to blood/body fluids were the same in the past 6 and 12 months (22.0%) while the mean number of ...
BACKGROUND: Onchocerciasis or river blindness constitutes a major burden to households especially... more BACKGROUND: Onchocerciasis or river blindness constitutes a major burden to households especially in resource-poor settings, causing debilitation and reduction in household productivity. It is an endemic disease in Nigeria. The study aimed to determine the effect of health education on knowledge, attitudes and practices towards onchocerciasis.METHODS: This study was an intervention study carried out among 282 respondents. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study sample. RESULTS: Both study and control groups had poor knowledge, 40.4% and 41.2% respectively pre-intervention. However, most of the respondents had good practices, but attitudes towards the disease is poor as most respondents do not see onchocerciasis as a serious problem. Knowledge of respondents improved significantly among the study group (X2=37.814, P=0.046) compared to control group (X2=1.756, P=0.416) post-intervention. Also, practices (X2=21.378, P=0.039) towards onchocerciasis improved signific...
Onchocerciasis is a public health problem in Nigeria, especially among the poor living in endemic... more Onchocerciasis is a public health problem in Nigeria, especially among the poor living in endemic communities. There is a dearth of evidence on the burden of onchocerciasis and studies suggest poor knowledge of the cause of onchocerciasis. This information could facilitate evidence-informed decisions on resource allocation towards the control of this neglected tropical disease. A cross-sectional survey was used to assess the knowledge of disease causation among patients, costs incurred for seeking treatment and productivity losses. About 43% had no knowledge of what caused their symptoms. The average monthly treatment cost per respondent was US$ 14.0. Drug cost (US$10) made up 72% of total treatment cost. The per capita productivity loss among patients was $16 and it was higher among the least poor (Q1) (US$20) and the poor SES (Q3) (US$21). The average cost of lost productivity among caregivers was US $3.5. These findings suggest that onchocerciasis still constitutes considerable economic burden on patients due to the high cost of treatment and lost productivity. This survey provided a measure of patient treatment cost in a setting with paucity of information. It also shows that targeted health education campaigns remain a fundamental policy option.
Introduction Studies have shown that community mobilization and consent seeking are effective too... more Introduction Studies have shown that community mobilization and consent seeking are effective tools in ensuring ownership of community health programs. Most studies which have employed these approaches effectively have often led to sustained behaviour change while others have not. This paper seeks to provide information on the importance of effective community mobilization and consent seeking approaches by sharing our experiences from the field. Methods Two approaches were used to generate data: a review of relevant literature and the authors experiences in the consent seeking and mobilization process. Search engines used were PubMed, google as well as the review of policy documents. Results Findings showed that different authors employed different methods for community mobilization which include group mobilization approaches, group discussion meetings, training workshops, community member peer data collection, phone calls, financial incentives etc. Most authors combined these methods. Consent seeking methods were mainly oral, written or proxy and most of the studies had an ethical approval from a Research and Ethical review Board. Conclusion There is still need to harmonize these approaches especially for ethical purposes. Single or independent approaches to mobilization and consent seeking may not only be efficient if expected results are to be achieved but are crucial. However, whichever approach adopted should consider the context, content and actors involved in any given project. Note that experiences with these approaches may vary in the field.
Introduction: Developments in rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have opened new possibilities for imp... more Introduction: Developments in rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have opened new possibilities for improved remote malaria diagnosis that is independent of microscopic diagnosis. Studies in some settings have tried to assess the influence of RDTs on the prescribing behaviour of health workers, but such information is generally lacking in Nigeria and many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This study analysed health workers' perceptions of RDTs and their potential influence on their prescribing and treatment practices after their introduction. Methods: The study was conducted in four health centers in the Enugu East local government of Enugu State, Nigeria. All 32 health workers in the health centers where RDTs were deployed were interviewed by field workers. Information was sought on their perception of symptoms-based, RDT-based, and microscopy-based malaria diagnoses. In addition, prescription analysis was carried out on 400 prescriptions before and 12 months after RDT deployment. Results: The majority of the health workers perceived RDTs to be more effective for malaria diagnosis than microscopy and clinical diagnosis. They also felt that the benefits of RDTs included increased use of RDTs in the facilities and the tendency to prescribe more Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) and less chloroquine and SP. Some of the health workers experienced some difficulties in the process of using RDT kits. ACTs were prescribed in 74% of RDT-negative results. Conclusions/Significance: RDT-supported malaria diagnosis may have led to the overprescription of ACTs, with the drug being prescribed to people with RDT-negative results. However, the prescription of other antimalarial drugs that are not first-line drugs has been reduced. Efforts should be made to encourage health workers to trust RDT results and prescribe ACTs only to those with positive RDT results. In-depth studies are needed to determine why health workers continue to prescribe ACTs in RDT-negative results.
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Papers by Miriam Ajuba