Integrating Community Engagement in Zero Leprosy Efforts: A Pathway to Sustainable Early Detection, Control and Elimination.

Community engagement has emerged as a critical component in the effective control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), particularly in regions with persistent stigma and limited healthcare access. Drawing on case studies from Brazil, India, and Nigeria, this opinion piece explores how community-driven initiatives have successfully improved leprosy awareness, reduced stigma, and fostered early case detection and treatment adherence. The importance of culturally sensitive, inclusive approaches in health education and stigma reduction campaigns is highlighted, emphasizing the potential for community engagement to enhance national leprosy programs and contribute to the World Health Organization's Zero Leprosy Strategy.

Reassessing the Significance of Mycobacterium in Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Study Protocol in Nigeria.

Background: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) significantly impact the physical and mental well-being of affected individuals, particularly in Nigeria. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating mental health services with self-care practices for individuals suffering from leprosy, Buruli ulcer (BU), and lymphatic filariasis (LF). The role of trained Healthcare Workers (HCWs) and NTD champions (NTD-Cs) will be explored to enhance health outcomes in this population.

Improving TB Case Detection Through Active Case-Finding: Results of Multiple Intervention Strategies in Hard-to-Reach Riverine Areas of Southern Nigeria.

Background: A major challenge to TB control globally is low case detection, largely due to routine health facility-based passive case-finding employed by national TB control programs. Active case-finding is a risk-population-based screening approach that has been established to be effective in TB control. This intervention aimed to increase TB case detection in hard-to-reach areas in southern Nigeria.

Effectiveness of self-care interventions for integrated morbidity management of skin neglected tropical diseases in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Background: Lymphatic filariasis (LF), Buruli ulcer (BU) and leprosy are neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) of the skin co-endemic in some communities in Nigeria. Not enough is known about the effectiveness of integrated morbidity management and disability prevention in people with these conditions. An integrated self-care intervention was carried out for people with these skin NTDs in two endemic communities of Anambra state, Nigeria.

Investigating barriers and challenges to the integrated management of neglected tropical skin diseases in an endemic setting in Nigeria.

Background: There is a dearth of experience in and evidence for cost-effective integrated community-based management of skin neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and care-seeking practices including self-care with a view to introducing appropriate community-based interventions for skin NTDs in an endemic setting in Southern Nigeria.

Methods/principal Findings: This exploratory study adopted a mixed-methods design consisting of cross-sectional surveys of community members and health workers using interviewer-administered questionnaires; and focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members, health care workers and patients with NTDs in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Assessment of community knowledge, attitude, and stigma of Buruli ulcer disease in Southern Nigeria.

Background: Poor knowledge can influence timely care-seeking among persons with Buruli ulcer disease (BUD).

Objectives: To assess community knowledge, attitude and stigma towards persons with BUD in endemic settings of Southern Nigeria.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted among adult community members in four States of Southern Nigeria.

Worsening of the disability grade during leprosy treatment: prevalence and its determinants in Southern Nigeria.

Background: In Nigeria, little is known about the development of new or additional physical disability during leprosy treatment. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and evaluate factors associated with worsening of physical disability during leprosy treatment in Nigeria.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted among leprosy patients treated in six referral facilities in six States in Nigeria between January 2011 and December 2015.

Assessment of health care workers' knowledge, attitude and risk perception of Buruli ulcer disease in Southern Nigeria.

Background: Poor knowledge of health care workers may be responsible for the under-diagnosis and low notification of Buruli ulcer (BU) in high-burden settings. This study assessed health care workers' knowledge, attitude and risk perception of BU in Southern Nigeria.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 186 health care workers recruited from 58 health facilities in four states of Southern Nigeria.

Screening for diabetes mellitus among tuberculosis patients in Southern Nigeria: a multi-centre implementation study under programme settings.

Implementation studies are recommended to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of programmes. In Nigeria, little is known about the burden of diabetes mellitus (DM) among tuberculosis (TB) patients. The objective of this study was to determine screening efficacy, prevalence of DM and determinants of DM among TB patients.

Secondary bacterial isolates from previously untreated Buruli ulcer lesions and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in Southern Nigeria.

Introduction:: Mycolactones, secreted by Mycobacterium ulcerans, were previously believed to prevent super infection in Buruli ulcer lesions. However, little is known about secondary bacterial infections in these lesions. This study evaluated contaminating bacterial flora and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns in cases of previously untreated Buruli ulcer disease from three states in Southern Nigeria.

Financial burden of health care for Buruli ulcer patients in Nigeria: the patients' perspective.

Background: The economic burden of Buruli ulcer for patients has not been well-documented. This study assessed the costs of Buruli ulcer care to patients from the onset of illness to diagnosis and to the end of treatment.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional cost of illness study conducted among patients with Buruli ulcer in four States in Nigeria between July and September 2015.

Diagnosis delay and duration of hospitalisation of patients with Buruli ulcer in Nigeria.

Background: Delayed diagnosis of Buruli ulcer can worsen clinical presentation of the disease, prolong duration of management, and impose avoidable additional costs on patients and health providers. We investigated the profile, delays in diagnosis, duration of hospitalisation, and associated factors among patients with Buruli ulcer in Nigeria.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of patients with Buruli ulcer who were identified from a community-based survey.

Efficacy and Safety of 'Fixed Dose' versus 'Loose' Drug Regimens for Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Two High TB-Burden African Countries: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: There are limited data on the performance of the use of fixed-dose combination (FDC) TB drugs when used under programmatic settings in high TB-endemic countries. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of FDC versus loose formulation (LF) TB treatment regimens for treatment of pulmonary TB (PTB) in the context of actual medical practice in prevailing conditions within programmatic settings in five sites in two high TB-burden African countries.

Methods: A two-arm, single-blind, randomized clinical trial comparing FDCs with separate LFs involving 1000 adults newly diagnosed with culture positive PTB was conducted at five sites in two African countries between 2007 and 2011.

Assessment of current practices in management of childhood TB among frontline clinicians in Southern Nigeria.

Background: Poor competence of clinicians may be a critical factor responsible for the under-diagnosis of childhood TB in high-burden settings. Our objective was to assess the current practices of management of childhood TB among clinicians in Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinicians recruited through a three-stage sampling technique from 76 health facilities in Southern Nigeria.

Buruli ulcer in Nigeria: results of a pilot case study in three rural districts.

Background: Buruli ulcer (BU), also known as Mycobacterium ulcerans disease, is the third most common mycobacterial disease worldwide. Although BU disease has been diagnosed among Nigerians in neighbouring West African countries, data on the burden of the disease in Nigeria itself are scanty. This study aimed to assess the magnitude and epidemiology of BU in the South South region of Nigeria.

Does intensified case finding increase tuberculosis case notification among children in resource-poor settings? A report from Nigeria.

Objective/background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Passive case detection in national TB programmes is associated with low case notification, especially in children. This study was undertaken to improve detection of childhood TB in resource-poor settings through intensified case-finding strategies.

Establishing the reliability and construct validity of the Igbo version of Screening Activity Limitation and Safety Awareness scale in persons with Hansen disease.

Objective: Leprosy or Hansen's disease is an infectious disease affecting skin and peripheral nerves. The World Health Organization (WHO) Recent Report reveals Africa as having 20,599 new cases, America 36, 178, Eastern Asia 166,445, Western pacific 5,400; totally up to 232,875 new cases. Nigeria as at 2012 had 3,805 new cases.

Reaching the underserved: Active tuberculosis case finding in urban slums in southeastern Nigeria.

Background: Nigeria ranks 10th among 22 high TB burden countries with low TB case detection that relies on passive case finding. Although there is increasing body of evidence that active case finding (ACF) has improved TB case finding in urban slums in some parts of the world, this strategy had not been implemented in Nigeria despite the pervasiveness of urban slums in the country.

Objective: To assess the yield and profile of TB in urban slums in Nigeria through ACF.

Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction with Tuberculosis Services in Southern Nigeria.

Objective: Knowing tuberculosis (TB) patients' satisfaction enables TB program managers to identify gaps in service delivery and institute measures to address them. This study is aimed at evaluating patients' satisfaction with TB services in southern Nigeria.

Materials And Methods: A total of 378 patients accessing TB care were studied using a validated Patient Satisfaction (PS-38) questionnaire on various aspects of TB services.

Sputum conversion at the end of 8weeks among category 1 tuberculosis patients: How reliable are the peripheral laboratory results?

Objective: To assess the quality of week 8 sputum smear AFB microscopy performed by peripheral TB laboratories in Nigeria.

Method: A cross-sectional review was performed of all week 8 tuberculosis sputum smear slides reported for the first quarter of 2009 by peripheral laboratories in five States of Nigeria. Each slide was reviewed by two independent external slide readers as external quality check and also crosschecked with fluorescent microscopy.

Diagnosis of smear-negative tuberculosis in Nigeria: Do health care workers adhere to the national guidelines?

Objective: The study sought to assess the extent to which healthcare workers (HCWs) adhere to the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) guidelines for the diagnosis of smear negative tuberculosis in Nigeria.

Method: This was a cross-sectional retrospective desk analysis of case files of 280 smear negative pulmonary TB in six States in southern Nigeria.

Results: About 93% of the 280 patients had their first set of sputum smear microscopy tests done, but only 3.

Is there a role for patent medicine vendors in tuberculosis control in southern Nigeria?

Patent medicine vendors (PMVs) are a ubiquitous feature of the informal health sector in Nigeria. A previous study on healthcare-seeking behaviour of persons with chronic cough in southern Nigeria found that over 60% of respondents chose the PMV as a healthcare provider of first instance. This study sought to determine the willingness and capability of PMVs to play a role in the national tuberculosis (TB)-control effort.

Traditional healers and tuberculosis control in southern Nigeria.

Traditional healers (THs) co-exist with orthodox medicine and offer options for the sick, especially cases with perceived supernatural causes. This study examined the role and capability of THs in the national tuberculosis control effort. Seventeen community leaders (CLs) and 20 THs were interviewed.