Gender differences in antibiotic use behaviour and access to antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the persistent lack of access and high inappropriate use of antibiotics, which are fuelled by gender-related factors, continue to facilitate antimicrobial resistance. This in turn reduces the capacity to treat infectious diseases. However, there is a lack of clarity on the nature and extent of the available evidence on gender influence on access to antibiotics and antibiotic use behaviour.

A 5-year review of research ethics applications in a tertiary health and educational institution in Nigeria.

Background: African contribution to global research output is said to be low. Poor funding and poor skills in grant writing have been suggested as important factors for this situation.

Objectives: Applications for research ethics clearance in a hospital were reviewed to have an overview of the planned studies and the proportion of them that attracted national and international funding.

Clinical and bacteriological profiles of neonatal sepsis in a tertiary hospital, south-western Nigeria.

Introduction: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria complicate treatment options in neonatal sepsis, especially in developing countries. This study determined the epidemiology and bacteriological characteristics of neonatal sepsis at a tertiary hospital, in southwest Nigeria.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study from December 2017 to April 2019 among admitted babies with clinical neonatal sepsis.

National health insurance scheme improves access and optimization of antimicrobial use in the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Background: Nigeria instituted the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for universal health coverage. This study compared the NHIS and out-of-pocket (OOP) antibiotic prescribing with the World Health Organization (WHO) optimal values.

Methods: A total of 2190 prescription forms from the NHIS and OOP were included in this study conducted at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Nigeria from January 2021 to December 2022 and analysed using WHO drug prescribing guidelines.

Education and Awareness on Antimicrobial Resistance in the WHO African Region: A Systematic Review.

This review documents the status of AMR education and awareness in the WHO African region, as well as specific initiatives by its member states in implementing education and awareness interventions, as a strategic objective of the Global Action Plan on AMR, i.e., improve knowledge and understanding on AMR through effective communication, education, and training.

National action plan on antimicrobial resistance: An evaluation of implementation in the World Health Organization Africa region.

In line with global instruments, within the last five years, two-thirds of all countries in the WHO Africa Region (WHO AFR) have developed a National Action Plan (NAP) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). We sought to evaluate progress made across the countries implementing NAP for effective response to AMR. A semi-structured survey tool was administered to obtain information from national focal persons on the implementation of strategic elements of NAP on AMR.

Genomic characterization of invasive typhoidal and non-typhoidal Salmonella in southwestern Nigeria.

Background: Salmonellosis causes significant morbidity and mortality in Africa. Information on lineages of invasive Salmonella circulating in Nigeria is sparse.

Methods: Salmonella enterica isolated from blood (n = 60) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, n = 3) between 2016 and 2020 from five tertiary hospitals in southwest Nigeria were antimicrobial susceptibility-tested and Illumina-sequenced.

Establishing a national reference laboratory for antimicrobial resistance using a whole-genome sequencing framework: Nigeria's experience.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is finding important applications in the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), providing the most granular data and broadening the scope of niches and locations that can be surveilled. A common but often overlooked application of WGS is to replace or augment reference laboratory services for AMR surveillance. WGS has supplanted traditional strain subtyping in many comprehensive reference laboratories and is now the gold standard for rapidly ruling isolates into or out of suspected outbreak clusters.

Implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship programme in three regional hospitals in the south-east of Liberia: lessons learned.

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes can improve the use of antimicrobial agents. However, there is limited experience in the implementation of such programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Objectives: To assess the effect of AMS measures in south-east Liberia on the quality of antimicrobial use in three regional hospitals.

Antimicrobial use among hospitalized patients: A multi-center, point prevalence survey across public healthcare facilities, Osun State, Nigeria.

Introduction: In order to inform sub-national action plan for control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and benchmark interventions to improve antibiotic use, it is essential to define situations on antibiotic use using standardized tools. We sought to assess quality of antimicrobial prescription across all government healthcare facilities with capacities for in-patient care in the first of the 36 states in Nigeria as part of ongoing state-wide situation analysis on AMR.

Methods: A survey was conducted between 10-27 June 2019 using the Data was collected from hospital administrators and records of hospitalized patients.

Clones and Clusters of Antimicrobial-Resistant Klebsiella From Southwestern Nigeria.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a World Health Organization high-priority antibiotic-resistant pathogen. However, little is known about Klebsiella lineages circulating in Nigeria.

Methods: We performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 141 Klebsiella isolated between 2016 and 2018 from clinical specimens at 3 antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) sentinel surveillance tertiary hospitals in southwestern Nigeria.

Multicentre study of the burden of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the aetiology of infected diabetic foot ulcers.

Background: Infected diabetic foot ulcer (IDFU) is a public health issue and the leading cause of non-traumatic limb amputation. Very few published data on IDFU exist in most West African countries.

Objective: The study investigated the aetiology and antibacterial drug resistance burden of IDFU in tertiary hospitals in Osun state, Nigeria, between July 2016 and April 2017.

A large self-transmissible resistance plasmid from Nigeria contains genes that ameliorate a carrying cost.

Antimicrobial resistance is rapidly expanding, in a large part due to mobile genetic elements. We screened 94 fecal fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from Nigeria for six plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes. Sixteen isolates harbored at least one of the PMQR genes and four were positive for aac-6-Ib-cr.

Healthcare-associated infections and compliance of hand hygiene among healthcare workers in a tertiary health facility, southwest Nigeria.

Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are threats in healthcare settings contributing to increased morbidity, mortality and antimicrobial resistance worldwide. Hand hygiene (HH) is the simplest and most important single intervention to reduce HAIs.

Aims/objectives: This study sought to determine rates of HAIs as well as compliance of HH among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC).

Antimicrobial resistance of from sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review.

Background: The World Health Assembly adopted the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, which includes improving the knowledge base through surveillance and research. Noteworthily, the World Health Organization has advocated a Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System to address the plan's surveillance objective, with most African countries enrolling in or after 2017.

Aim: The aim of this article was to review prior data on antimicrobial resistance of from sub-Saharan Africa with a view for future control and intervention strategies.

INTESTINAL PARASITES, NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA.

Background: Intestinal parasites are a cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world particularly in developing countries and they are common health problems of children. This study determined the prevalence of intestinal parasites among primary school children, assessed risk factors predisposing to infection and the nutritional status with cognitive function of the pupils.

Materials And Methods: It was a cross sectional study and 384 pupils from six public primary schools in Ile-Ife were enrolled.

Correction: Classes 1 and 2 integrons in faecal Escherichia coli strains isolated from mother-child pairs in Nigeria.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

keratomycosis in Nigeria: the challenge of limited access to effective antimicrobials.

Introduction: We report a rare cause of keratitis, due to , in a farmer with keratomycosis. Despite the acknowledged virulence of this fungus, a suitable antifungal for its management was not accessible.

Case Presentation: A 67-year-old farmer presented with a two-week history of pain, mucopurulent discharge, redness and a corneal ulcer with a visual acuity of hand movement in the right eye.

Classes 1 and 2 integrons in faecal Escherichia coli strains isolated from mother-child pairs in Nigeria.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria in Africa is increasingly mediated by integrons on horizontally acquired genetic elements. There have been recent reports of such elements in invasive pathogens across Africa, but very little is known about the faecal reservoir of integron-borne genes.

Methods And Findings: We screened 1098 faecal Escherichia coli isolates from 134 mother-child pairs for integron cassettes by PCR using primers that anneal to the 5' and 3' conserved ends of the cassette regions and for plasmid replicons.

Occult Hepatitis B virus infection in previously screened, blood donors in Ile-Ife, Nigeria: implications for blood transfusion and stem cell transplantation.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission through blood transfusion is reduced by screening for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). However this method cannot detect the presence of occult hepatitis B virus infection. This study sought to determine the prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection among blood donors in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Enteric Bacteria in Sub-Saharan Africa: Clones, Implications and Research Needs.

Fluoroquinolones came into widespread use in African countries in the early 2000s, after patents for the first generation of these drugs expired. By that time, quinolone antibacterial agents had been used intensively worldwide and resistant lineages of many bacterial species had evolved. We sought to understand which Gram negative enteric pandemic lineages have been reported from Africa, as well as the nature and transmission of any indigenous resistant clones.