Genomic medicine: health care issues and the unresolved ethical and social dilemmas.

Our perception of the mechanism by which single genes can cause disease is evolving. This has led to the understanding of the pathophysiological basis of common diseases. Genomic Medicine continues to contribute to the understanding of the molecular basis of disease.

Lassa virus infection in Nigeria: clinical perspective overview.

Lassa fever is a severe, often fatal, hemorrhagic fever caused by Lassa virus, an Arenavirus that can be transmitted to humans from asymptomatically infected multimammate rats. The speculation is that Lassa viral infection may affect between 2 to 3 million people each year in certain portions of the West African region, causing a mortality of about 10000 during the same period. Lassa fever is one of the endemic zoonosis in Nigeria with a high probability for nosocomial transmission due to several health care sector challenges.

Diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa: health care perspectives, challenges, and the economic burden of disease.

The growing incidence of diabetes mellitus in the world is a widespread concern. While there has been improvement in the epidemiology and management of the disease in the developed world, the same cannot be said in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease is getting less attention as is the funding that it merits compared to communicable diseases.

HIV and tuberculosis coinfection: inextricably linked liaison.

In sub-Saharan Africa, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Sub-Saharan Africa has seen the woeful failure of World Health Organization (WHO) targets of detecting 70% of the infectious cases of tuberculosis and curing > or =85%. Current treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in most resource limited settings is comprised of a four-drug initial antituberculosis regimen for two months, followed by either a two-drug continuation phase of antituberculosis regimen for four months or six months depending on the medications.