Assessment of the structural validity of the domestic violence healthcare providers' survey questionnaire using a Nigerian sample.

Background: There has been increased advocacy to involve healthcare providers in the prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) through screening for it in healthcare. Yet, only one in ten providers screen for IPV, suggesting barriers. Understanding the readiness of healthcare providers to screen for IPV is therefore paramount.

A multinational injury surveillance system pilot project in Africa.

This paper describes the development of a pilot project to test the implementation of an epidemiological surveillance system for intentional (violent) and non-intentional injuries, at emergency departments in selected hospitals in five African countries applying the World Health Organization's guidelines. We outline obstacles and opportunities encountered during the process. By definition, a surveillance system systematically collects, reviews, and evaluates information to understand the context in which specific injuries occur.

Gun violence in Nigeria: a focus on ethno-religious conflict in Kano.

We investigated small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Africa by reviewing the situation in Nigeria and conducting a small study in one hospital in the country's north. Published reports about SALW in Nigeria suggest that several social, economic, and political factors have caused a marked increase in gun-related violence, including ethno-religious tensions, the response of security forces to criminal activity, and growing economic disparity. In Kano, a northern city that has been the focal point of communal riots between Christians and Muslims, we found that firearm injuries were linked to these riots.

The impact of small arms on health in Nigeria.

Nigeria, the most populous Black country in the world, though it has contributed to the welfare of other African countries, is plagued by internal conflicts with small arms. Over a million illegal small arms circulate in Nigeria in the hands of militant groups. Over 10,000 may have died in conflicts between these groups and the government.