Beyond drug treatment: a cross-sectional assessment of palliative care services for people living with HIV/AIDS at public health facilities, Abuja, Nigeria.

Introduction: palliative care offers a care and support system to people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In Nigeria, the palliative care (PC) practice generally is new and still developing. While most studies on HIV/AIDS assess drug treatment and adherence for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), there is paucity of data on PC services available for them.

Palliative care for people living with HIV/AIDS: Factors influencing healthcare workers' knowledge, attitude and practice in public health facilities, Abuja, Nigeria.

Background: Physicians and nurses play vital roles in addressing palliative care (PC) needs of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The healthcare workers' (HCWs) experiences determine the success of palliative care delivery. There is paucity of data on PC for PLWHA.

Health workers' perception of malaria rapid diagnostic test and factors influencing compliance with test results in Ebonyi state, Nigeria.

Background: The standard practice in treating uncomplicated malaria is to prescribe artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for only patients with positive test results. However, health workers (HWs) sometimes prescribe ACTs for patients with negative malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) results. Available evidence on HWs perception of mRDT and their level of compliance with test results in Nigeria lacks adequate stratification by state and context.

Epidemiological profile of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Nigeria, July-September 2014.

Introduction: In July 2014, Nigeria experienced an outbreak of Ebola virus disease following the introduction of the disease by an ill Liberian Traveler. The Government of Nigeria with the support of Technical and Development Partners responded quickly and effectively to contain the outbreak. The epidemiological profile of the outbreak that majorly affected two States in the country in terms of person, place and time characteristics of the cases identified is hereby described.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of cervical cancer screening among market women in Zaria, Nigeria.

Background: Cervical cancer is the most common genital cancer and one of the leading causes of death among female population. Fortunately, this cancer is preventable by screening for premalignant lesions but this is rarely provided and hardly utilised. We assessed the knowledge, attitude and utilisation of cervical cancer screening among market women in Sabon Gari, Zaria.

Impact of a customized peer-facilitators training program related to sexual health intervention.

This study aimed to develop and implement a customized training program related to the delivery of an integrated human immunodeficiency virus - sexually transmitted infections (HIV-STI) risk reduction intervention for peer-facilitators and to evaluate its immediate outcome including changes in trainee knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported competence and confidence. We developed and delivered a structured training program and materials about HIV and STI prevention in a university setting. The training was offered to candidate facilitators who were planned to be involved in a larger project, known as Integrated HIV-STI Risk Reduction Program.

Using community volunteers to promote exclusive breastfeeding in Sokoto State, Nigeria.

Background: Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) refers to the practice of feeding breast milk only, (including expressed breast milk) to infants; and excluding water, other liquids, breast milk substitutes, and solid foods. Inadequately breastfed infants are likely to be undernourished and have childhood infections. EBF knowledge and infant feeding practices have not been studied sufficiently in Sokoto State, Nigeria.