A cross-sectional assessment of expanding basic healthcare services to rural and underserved communities through proprietary patent medicine vendors in Northern Nigeria.

The poor health indices in Nigeria are widely reported to be fueled by an acute shortage of skilled medical personnel. Opinions are converging that Proprietary and Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) can bridge this human resource for health gaps. This study therefore aimed to assess the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of providing expanded basic health services among the skilled health workers operating PPMVs in underserved communities in Northern Nigeria states.

Interventions to reduce and prevent childhood obesity in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: 70% of children with obesity and overweight live in low-income and middle-income countries. Several interventions have been done to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity and prevent incident cases. Hence, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of these interventions in reducing and preventing childhood obesity.

The reemergence of the human monkeypox: strengthening Africa's epidemic preparedness and response system.

The reemergence of the monkeypox (MPX) virus poses a serious threat to global health security. While the first human case was reported in Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, a recent outbreak of this disease in May 2022 has gone 'viral,' spreading to most continents and occurring in nonendemic countries. Outside Africa, there have been reports of cases of MPX in countries such as Singapore in May 2019, Israel in September 2018, UK in September 2018, among others which have been traced back to importation of infected wild rodents from Africa.

Evaluation of accuracy and performance of self-reported HIV and antiretroviral therapy status in the Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (2018).

Background: Data on awareness of HIV status among people living with HIV (PLHIV) are critical to estimating progress toward epidemic control. To ascertain the accuracy of self-reported HIV status and antiretroviral drug (ARV) use in the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS), we compared self-reported HIV status with HIV rapid diagnostic test (RDT) results and self-reported ARV use with detectable blood ARV levels.

Methods: On the basis of responses and test results, participants were categorized by HIV status and ARV use.

Optimizing community linkage to care and antiretroviral therapy Initiation: Lessons from the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) and their adaptation in Nigeria ART Surge.

Background: Ineffective linkage to care (LTC) is a known challenge for community HIV testing. To overcome this challenge, a robust linkage to care strategy was adopted by the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS). The NAIIS linkage to care strategy was further adapted to improve Nigeria's programmatic efforts to achieve the 1st 90 as part of the Nigeria Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Surge initiative, which also included targeted community testing.

Expanding access to HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic-Nigeria, 2020.

Background: To accelerate progress toward the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Nigeria country office (CDC Nigeria) initiated an Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) Surge in 2019 to identify and link 340,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) to ART. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threatened to interrupt ART Surge progress following the detection of the first case in Nigeria in February 2020. To overcome this disruption, CDC Nigeria designed and implemented adapted ART Surge strategies during February-September 2020.

Mobile authentication service in Nigeria: An assessment of community pharmacists' acceptance and providers' views of successes and challenges of deployment.

Background: Mobile Authentication Service (MAS) is a mobile health technology deployed to hinder the retailing of falsified medicines to consumers in Nigeria. But, some community pharmacists reported that points of failures of MAS have negatively impacted their practices.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were (1) to assess the acceptance of MAS by community pharmacists; (2) to explore the views of MAS providers on the challenges and successes of MAS deployment in Nigeria.

Biological and synthetic mesh use in breast reconstructive surgery: a literature review.

Mesh use in surgical breast reconstruction is becoming increasingly common; however, there is still no consensus on whether synthetic matrices or biological matrices produce the best outcomes. This review analyses these outcomes, namely the differences in aesthetic outcomes, cost, and the rates of the most commonly reported complications.The results indicate that breast reconstruction with a synthetic matrix produces comparable aesthetic outcomes to a biological matrix, with lower costs and complication rates.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Diabetes in Semi-Urban Communities in South West, Nigeria.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a growing public health problem both in developing and developed countries. The prevalence of diabetes has doubled in the last 20 years. This study aimed to assess the burden of type 2 diabetes in semi-urban communities in Ekiti, South-West Nigeria.

Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy and uterine morcellation: A case report from Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria.

Advanced gynecological laparoscopic surgery is an evolving subspecialty that requires specialized skills, expertise and equipment. This is more challenging and daunting, especially in sub Saharan Africa. Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSCH) is an advanced gynecological procedure that has hitherto been seen as difficult because of the big size uteri seen in Nigerian women.

Retinoblastoma: the challenges of management in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Background: Retinoblastoma is a common highly malignant tumor of the eye. Late presentation leads to poor survival rate in many developing countries.

Objective: To identify problems associated with management of retinoblastoma.