The importance of health clubs in asthma management.

Objectives: To describe the importance of Health clubs in Asthma management in Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.

Design: a cross-sectional qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGD) and Key informant interviews (KII).

Setting: the study was conducted from June to July 2019 at the Pulmonology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, a tertiary health facility in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

Tuberculin skin tests following Bacille Calmette Guerin vaccination in Africa: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Tuberculin reactivity following tuberculin skin test which is the most common measure of the effect of the Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccination has remained complex. This protocol is aimed to assess the effect of BCG vaccine on tuberculin skin test in Africa as a guide to better understanding or resolving this complexity. A search strategy is developed using MeSH, key words, text words, and entry terms.

C-Reactive Protein and Covid-19 Severity: A Systematic Review.

Background: COVID-19 clinical course has been quite unpredictable and efforts have been made to identify reliable markers that will help in early disease progression, prognosis and severity detection. Objective: This study thus aimed to provide evidence that will guide clinical management by reviewing studies that assessed CRP concentration and COVID-19 severity/outcome.

Methods: Three electronic databases, PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, and JSTOR were searched to identify studies available online as at 1st September 2020 which assessed COVID-19 clinical outcome and CRP concentration.

Coping strategies of caregivers of persons with a disability attending a special education Center in Abakaliki, Southeast Nigeria: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: coping strategies are specific efforts that individuals use to tolerate or minimize stressful events. Most caregivers´ of children with disabilities must adjust to their social life to cope with the responsibility of caring for a child with disabilities. This study was carried out to assess caregivers´ coping strategies in raising a child with a disability in a resource-poor country.

Promoting Researchers and Policy-Makers Collaboration in Evidence-Informed Policy-Making in Nigeria: Outcome of a Two-Way Secondment Model between University and Health Ministry.

Background: There is need to strengthen institutions and mechanisms that can more systematically promote interactions between researchers, policy-makers and other stakeholders who can influence the uptake of research findings. In this article, we report the outcome of a two-way secondment model between Ebonyi State University (EBSU) and Ebonyi State Ministry of Health (ESMoH) in Nigeria as an innovative collaborative strategy to promote capacity enhancement for evidence-to-policy-to-action.

Methods: This study was an exploratory design with a quantitative cross-sectional survey technique.

Cryptosporidium species and subtypes in diarrheal children and HIV-infected persons in Ebonyi and Nsukka, Nigeria.

Introduction: Cryptosporidiosis is a common disease of children and immune-compromised persons. This study evaluated the diversity and distribution of Cryptosporidium species in diarrheal children and HIV-infected persons on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and those not on HAART.

Methodology: A total of 394 fecal specimens were collected from patients attending clinics in Nsukka and Ebonyi, Nigeria.

Nigerian Honey Ameliorates Hyperglycemia and Dyslipidemia in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats.

Diabetic dyslipidemia contributes to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Hence, its treatment is necessary to reduce cardiovascular events. Honey reduces hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia.

Improving Nigerian health policymakers' capacity to access and utilize policy relevant evidence: outcome of information and communication technology training workshop.

Information and communication technology (ICT) tools are known to facilitate communication and processing of information and sharing of knowledge by electronic means. In Nigeria, the lack of adequate capacity on the use of ICT by health sector policymakers constitutes a major impediment to the uptake of research evidence into the policymaking process. The objective of this study was to improve the knowledge and capacity of policymakers to access and utilize policy relevant evidence.

Enhancing the Capacity of Policy-Makers to Develop Evidence-Informed Policy Brief on Infectious Diseases of Poverty in Nigeria.

Background: The lack of effective use of research evidence in policy-making is a major challenge in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). There is need to package research data into effective policy tools that will help policy-makers to make evidence-informed policy regarding infectious diseases of poverty (IDP). The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of training workshops and mentoring to enhance the capacity of Nigerian health policy-makers to develop evidence-informed policy brief on the control of IDP.

Promoting Evidence to Policy Link on the Control of Infectious Diseases of Poverty in Nigeria: Outcome of A Multi-Stakeholders Policy Dialogue.

Background: In Nigeria, malaria, schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis are among infectious diseases of poverty (IDP) with severe health burden and require effective policy strategies for their control. In this study, we investigated the value of policy brief and policy dialogue as excellent policymaking mechanisms that enable policymakers to adapt effective evidence informed policy for IDP control.

Methods: A policy brief was developed on the control of malaria, schistosomiasis and lymphatic filariasis and subjected to deliberations in a one-day multi-stakeholder policy dialogue held in Ebonyi State Nigeria.

Enhancing health policymakers' information literacy knowledge and skill for policymaking on control of infectious diseases of poverty in Nigeria.

Background: In Nigeria, one of the major challenges associated with evidence-to-policy link in the control of infectious diseases of poverty (IDP), is deficient information literacy knowledge and skill among policymakers. There is need for policymakers to acquire the skill to discover relevant information, accurately evaluate retrieved information and to apply it correctly.

Objectives: To use information literacy tool of International Network for Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to enhance policymakers' knowledge and skill for policymaking on control of IDP in Nigeria.

Implementation of a health policy advisory committee as a knowledge translation platform: the Nigeria experience.

Background: In recent times, there has been a growing demand internationally for health policies to be based on reliable research evidence. Consequently, there is a need to strengthen institutions and mechanisms that can promote interactions among researchers, policy-makers and other stakeholders who can influence the uptake of research findings. The Health Policy Advisory Committee (HPAC) is one of such mechanisms that can serve as an excellent forum for the interaction of policy-makers and researchers.

The pattern of pediatric respiratory illnesses admitted in ebonyi state university teaching hospital South-East Nigeria.

Background: Reports from the developed nations reveal respiratory tract infections as the leading cause of childhood hospital admissions. Children may be admitted for a variety of respiratory illnesses. Data on the spectrum of pediatric respiratory illnesses admitted in the hospital is scarce.

Improving maternal and child healthcare programme using community-participatory interventions in Ebonyi State Nigeria.

In Nigeria, the government is implementing the Free Maternal and Child Health Care Programme (FMCHCP). The policy is premised on the notion that financial barriers are one of the most important constraints to equitable access and use of skilled maternal and child healthcare. In Ebonyi State, Southeastern Nigeria the FMCHCP is experiencing implementation challenges including: inadequate human resource for health, inadequate funding, out of stock syndrome, inadequate infrastructure, and poor staff remuneration.

Perception of assent in biomedical research among medical specialists and trainees in Abakaliki, Nigeria.

Background: Assent is the child's affirmative agreement to participate in research. Consent from parents and assent from children are required in research involving children.

Objective: To determine the knowledge, perception, and level of practice of assent in children among medical specialists and trainees in research work as well as the level of ethical norms observed during research.

Risk Factors for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Under-five Children in Enugu Southeast Nigeria.

Background: Acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs) constitute the major causes of mortality and morbidity among under-five children of the developing world. The prevalence of ARIs is determined individually or collectively by a number of factors which may be prevalent in our environment.

Aim: The present study is aimed to determine the risk factors that affect the prevalence of ARIs in under-five children in Enugu.

Culture and biomedical care in Africa: the influence of culture on biomedical care in a traditional African society, Nigeria, West Africa.

Background: Biomedical Care in Africa and the influence of culture on the health-seeking behaviour of Africans can not be underestimated; many African cultures have different understanding of the causes of disease which more often affect our public health system, policy, planning and implementations. The traditional African healer unlike a doctor trained in western biomedicine, looks for the cause of the patient's ailments as misfortune in relationship between the patient and the social, natural and spiritual environments. The complexity of African society with different cultural and religious practices also reflects on the people's attitude and understanding of their health matters.

Cerebral palsy among children seen in the neurology clinic of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive disorder of motor function caused by irreversible damage to the immature brain. The disorder may be associated with seizure, mental retardation, visual and hearing defects. This study was designed to determine the types of CP, the risk factors and the co-morbidities associated with the disorder.

Environmental health assessment of primary schools in southeastern Nigeria: implication for a healthy school environment in developing countries.

In this cross-sectional descriptive study, we used a validated school health program evaluation scale (SHPE) to assess the environmental health status of primary schools in Ebonyi State, southeastern Nigeria. Parameters assessed included water supply, sewage and refuse disposal, school building ventilation, lighting and seating, as well as the availability of toilet tissue, basins for washing hands, regular cleaning of toilets, and so forth. Of all the schools assessed, only two schools, both private, attained the minimum acceptable SHPE score of 57.