Co-creation of a gender responsive TB intervention in Nigeria: a researcher-led collaborative study.

Background: In Nigeria, men constitute over half of the people notified with tuberculosis (TB), experience longer delays before reaching care, and are estimated to account for two thirds of people who miss out on care. The higher TB risk and burden in men has implications for the whole population and reaching them earlier with TB services will reduce onward transmission in households, communities, and workplaces. The absence of a comprehensive guidance and the lack of substantial empirical evidence on TB care approaches that are responsive to the needs of men in Nigeria exacerbates this problem.

Exploring the perspectives of healthcare workers and Program managers on the use of Truenat as a new tool for TB and DR-TB diagnosis in Nigeria: A qualitative study.

Background: World Health Organization in the year 2020 recommended the use of Truenat as a replacement for smear microscopy in Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and detection of rifampicin resistance. This study was designed to assess enablers and barriers to effective implementation of Truenat assays for TB diagnosis in Nigeria and determine the acceptability of use of Truenat among healthcare workers and TB Program managers in Nigeria.

Methods: A descriptive exploratory study design was used.

Acceptance and Completion Rates of 3-Month Isoniazid-Rifampicin (3HR) Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment (TPT) Among Contacts of Bacteriologically Confirmed TB Patients-Patients' and Healthcare Workers' Perspectives.

Providing tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) to close contacts of persons with TB is a core strategy recommended by WHO for the prevention and control of TB. Nigeria rolled out the 3-month Isoniazid-Rifampicin (3HR) shorter regimen TPT as a pilot for use among eligible adult and child contacts. This study assesses acceptance and completion rates of 3HR TPT among contacts and determines the perspectives of healthcare workers (HCWs) and contacts on acceptance and completion of 3HR TPT in Nigeria.

Improving onchocerciasis elimination surveillance: trials of odour baited Esperanza Window Traps to collect black fly vectors and real-time qPCR detection of Onchocerca volvulus in black fly pools.

Background: Entomological data for onchocerciasis surveillance relies on sampling black flies through human landing collectors in the field and laboratory testing of the flies for infection using pooled screening O-150 PCR-ELISA assay. Both techniques require improvements. This study aimed to optimize the Esperanza Window Trap (EWT) for black fly collection.

Private sector tuberculosis care quality during the COVID-19 pandemic: a repeated cross-sectional standardised patients study of adherence to national TB guidelines in urban Nigeria.

Only a third of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Nigeria in 2020 were diagnosed and notified, in part due to low detection and under-reporting from the private health sector. Using a standardised patient (SP) survey approach, we assessed how management of presumptive TB in the private sector aligns with national guidelines and whether this differed from a study conducted before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 13 SPs presented a presumptive TB case to 511 private providers in urban areas of Lagos and Kano states in May and June 2021.

Perceived ease of use of Truenat among laboratory staff as a new diagnostic tool for TB in Nigeria: Result of a pilot roll-out.

In January 2020, WHO released a rapid communication on use of molecular assays as initial tests for diagnosis of tuberculosis, recommending Truenat as a replacement for smear microscopy in TB diagnosis. This study was designed to assess perceived ease of use of Truenat among Laboratory staff as a new diagnostic tool for TB in Nigeria. This study used a cross-sectional design.

Participatory Development and Assessment of Audio-Delivered Interventions and Written Material and Their Impact on the Perception, Knowledge, and Attitudes Toward Leprosy in Nigeria: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In Nigeria, similar to many leprosy-endemic countries, leprosy is highly stigmatized. High levels of stigma among community members as well as internalized stigma among persons affected by leprosy often result in negative psychosocial consequences for those affected. To break this vicious cycle, it is important to conduct context-specific behavioral change activities.

Individual journeys to tuberculosis care in Nigeria's private sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Pre-COVID-19, individuals with tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria were often underdiagnosed and untreated. TB services were mostly in the public sector with only 15% of new cases in 2019 reported from the private sector. Reports highlighted challenges in accessing care in the private sector, which accounted for 67% of all initial care-seeking.

Influence of the new dispersible fixed-dose combination anti-Tuberculosis drug on treatment adherence among children with Tuberculosis in Osun State, Nigeria.

Background: The dispersible fixed-dose combination drug has been recommended as the mainstay of treatment for TB in children. However, more needs to be known about its effect on treatment. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the formulation on treatment adherence among children with TB.

Challenges in engaging the private sector for tuberculosis prevention and care in Nigeria: a mixed methods study.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the practices of private practitioners regarding tuberculosis (TB), and to ascertain factors related to the low contribution of private healthcare providers to TB prevention and care in Nigeria.

Design: This is a mixed methods study comprising a quantitative retrospective review and qualitative study.

Setting: Private health facilities (HF) in Oyo State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria.

Dengue and zika seropositivity, burden, endemicity, and cocirculation antibodies in Nigeria.

Introduction: Mosquito-borne infections are of global health concern because of their rapid spread and upsurge, which creates a risk for coinfections. DENV and ZIKV are transmitted by and and are prevalent in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. However, their seroprevalence, burden, hidden endemicity and possible cocirculation are poorly understood in Nigeria.

Zika, Flavivirus and Malaria Antibody Cocirculation in Nigeria.

. Arboviruses and malaria pose a growing threat to public health, affecting not only the general population but also immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women. Individuals in vulnerable groups are at a higher risk of severe complications from the co-circulation and transmission of ZIKV, malaria, and FLAVI fever.

Antibody seropositivity and endemicity of chikungunya and Zika viruses in Nigeria.

Unlabelled: Mosquito-borne infections are of global health concern because of their rapid spread and upsurge, which creates a risk for coinfections. chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus disease transmitted by or , and malaria, a parasitic disease transmitted by , are prevalent in Nigeria and neighbouring countries, but their burden and possible coinfections are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the antibody seropositivity and endemicity of chikungunya and Zika viruses (ZIKV) in three regions of Nigeria.

Identifying Hot Spots of Tuberculosis in Nigeria Using an Early Warning Outbreak Recognition System: Retrospective Analysis of Implications for Active Case Finding Interventions.

Background: Undiagnosed tuberculosis (TB) cases are the major challenge to TB control in Nigeria. An early warning outbreak recognition system (EWORS) is a system that is primarily used to detect infectious disease outbreaks; this system can be used as a case-based geospatial tool for the real-time identification of hot spot areas with clusters of TB patients. TB screening targeted at such hot spots should yield more TB cases than screening targeted at non-hot spots.

The interruption of transmission of onchocerciasis in Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara states, Nigeria: another milestone achievement.

Background: More than 40 million people live in onchocerciasis-endemic areas in Nigeria. For at least 19 y, mass drug administration (MDA) with ivermectin was implemented with at least 65% total population coverage in Kaduna, Kebbi and Zamfara states. Impact surveys done using skin biopsies yielded no infections.

Impact of Three to Five Rounds of Mass Drug Administration on Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminths in School-Aged Children in North-Central Nigeria.

Nasarawa and Plateau states of north-central Nigeria have implemented programs to control schistosomiasis (SCH) and soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in children since the 1990s. Statewide mapping surveys were conducted in 2013, when 11,332 school-aged children were sampled from 226 schools. The local government areas (LGAs) then received varying combinations of mass drug administration (MDA) for the next 5 years.

Navigating the way to onchocerciasis elimination: the feasibility and affordability of Onchocerciasis Elimination Mapping.

Background: Onchocerciasis is targeted for elimination of transmission by 2030 in at least 21 countries. To achieve this, recent and accurate data on the extent and intensity of onchocerciasis transmission are required. This will include mapping areas previously unassessed, or remapping of areas that were last visited as part surveys aiming to prevent blindness, not assess transmission in totality.

Addressing gaps in adolescent tuberculosis programming and policy in Nigeria from a public health perspective.

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading infectious cause of death globally. Of the estimated 10 million people who developed active TB in 2019, 1.8 million (18%) were adolescents and young adults aged 15-24 years.

Assessing Hypoendemic Onchocerciasis in Endemic Areas of Southeast Nigeria.

Nigeria changed its goal for onchocerciasis from control to transmission elimination. Under the control program, ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA) focused only on hyper/meso-endemic local government areas (LGAs) identified by Rapid Epidemiological Mapping of Onchocerciasis as having ≥ 20% nodule rates. Because transmission is likely in some LGAs where nodule rates are < 20%, the new elimination paradigm requires MDA expansion.

The Interruption of Transmission of Human Onchocerciasis by an Annual Mass Drug Administration Program in Plateau and Nasarawa States, Nigeria.

Plateau and Nasarawa states in central Nigeria were endemic for onchocerciasis. The rural populations of these two states received annual ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA) for a period of 8-26 years (1992-2017). Ivermectin combined with albendazole was given for 8-13 of these years for lymphatic filariasis (LF); the LF MDA program successfully concluded in 2012, but ivermectin MDA continued in areas known to have a baseline meso-/hyperendemic onchocerciasis.

Gender and neglected tropical disease front-line workers: Data from 16 countries.

Background: Delivery of preventive chemotherapy (PC) through mass drug administration (MDA) is used to control or eliminate five of the most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The success of an MDA campaign relies on the ability of drug distributors and their supervisors-the NTD front-line workers-to reach populations at risk of NTDs. In the past, our understanding of the demographics of these workers has been limited, but with increased access to sex-disaggregated data, we begin to explore the implications of gender and sex for the success of NTD front-line workers.

Adherence to combined Antiretroviral therapy (cART) among people living with HIV/AIDS in a Tertiary Hospital in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Introduction: This study aims to assess the treatment adherence rate among People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) receiving treatment in a Nigerian tertiary Hospital.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that assessed self-reported treatment adherence among adults aged 18 years and above who were accessing drugs for the treatment of HIV. Systematic random sampling method was used to select 550 participants and data were collected by structured interviewer administered questionnaire.