The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on Tuberculosis (TB) case notification in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in disruptions in delivery of Tuberculosis services especially, in resource-limited settings. Provisional data by the WHO from 84 countries indicates that about 1.4 million fewer people received care for tuberculosis in 2020 than in 2019.

Healthcare workers' perceptions about the use of mobile health technologies in public health facilities in Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: Mobile health has enormous potential in healthcare due to the increasing use of mobile phones in low- and middle-income countries; its effective deployment, uptake, and utilization may result in improved health outcomes, including a reduction in neonatal deaths. However, there is a suboptimal uptake of mobile health technologies among healthcare workers in low-resource settings like Nigeria, which are often context-specific.

Objective: To investigate healthcare workers' perceptions of mobile health technologies in public health facilities in Lagos, Nigeria.

Improving access to pediatric hydrocephalus care for all: the role of maternal health literacy and socioeconomic status.

Objective: Limited research has addressed the barriers impeding access to surgical care for pediatric patients with hydrocephalus. To identify priorities for enhancing access to pediatric hydrocephalus surgical care and to address healthcare disparities, it is essential to understand the level of access to care and the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) and maternal health literacy. In this study, the authors aimed to assess the level of access to surgical care; determine the frequency of more than a 2-week delay in seeking, reaching, and receiving care; and investigate the influence of parental SES and maternal health literacy on these delays.

A Mixed Method Assessment of the Fertility Preferences of Clients Using Antiretroviral Therapy in Ilorin, Nigeria - A Descriptive Cross-sectional Survey.

Introduction: The burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in Nigeria remains one of the highest in the world, with the country having the highest number of people living with the infection in the West African subregion. Recent estimates put the HIV prevalence rate in Nigeria at 1.9%.

Brain Tumor Imaging without Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents: Feasible or Fantasy?

Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) form the cornerstone of current primary brain tumor MRI protocols at all stages of the patient journey. Though an imperfect measure of tumor grade, GBCAs are repeatedly used for diagnosis and monitoring. In practice, however, radiologists will encounter situations where GBCA injection is not needed or of doubtful benefit.

The Question of Adolescent and Postadolescent Acne: The Nigerian Experience.

Introduction: Differences between adolescent and postadolescent acne are increasingly being recognized. This study aimed to document the clinical profile of facial acne vulgaris and, additionally, to compare adolescent to postadolescent acne and any gender-based differences.

Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study of 261 facial acne vulgaris patients was conducted from February 2021 to March 2022 at three dermatology clinics.

Epidemiology of influenza in Nigeria: A secondary analysis of the sentinel surveillance data in Nigeria from 2010 - 2020.

Background: Influenza is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Little is known of the true burden and epidemiology of influenza in Africa. Nigeria has a sentinel surveillance system for influenza virus (IFV).

Sexual Maturation of Female Adolescent Patients with Sickle Cell Anaemia in Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) has been shown to have adverse effects on growth and sexual development. Recent Nigerian studies have reported a declining trend in the age of sexual maturation and menarche in haemoglobin AA (HbAA) individuals.

Objective: To evaluate the sexual maturation of female patients with SCA aged 10 to 19 years seen at Lagos University Teaching Hospital Idi-Araba, Lagos and Sickle Cell Foundation.

A Prospective Epidemiological Survey of Paediatric Trauma in Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. There is a need for development and provision of efficient paediatric trauma services based on adequate information and funding which are lacking in low- and middle-income countries.

Aims: This study was carried out to assess the scale of the problem, identify the most common causes of trauma in Pan African Paediatric Surgical Association (PAPSA) zone and to define the limiting factors for provision of the necessary services required to reduce the potential mortality and disability.

Development of antepartum risk prediction model for postpartum hemorrhage in Lagos, Nigeria: A prospective cohort study (Predict-PPH study).

Objectives: There is currently a limited ability to accurately identify women at risk of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH). We conducted the "Predict-PPH" study to develop and evaluate an antepartum prediction model and its derived risk-scoring system.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of healthy pregnant women who registered and gave birth in five hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria, from January to June 2023.

Effect of litter management systems on incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis among broilers at finisher stage.

Pododermatitis, or footpad dermatitis (FPD), is a welfare concern affecting broiler chickens globally. In the humid tropics, where high temperatures and humidity prevail, the impact of pododermatitis on broiler performance characteristics and behavior becomes even more significant hence this investigation. One hundred and eighty male broilers were used for this experiment out of 200 birds initially procured at day old.

Prevalence and pattern of functional gastrointestinal disorders among secondary school adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: Limited data exist on functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) among sub-Saharan African children. This study aimed to determine FGID prevalence and pattern among secondary school adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents aged 10-18 years in Isolo, Lagos, Nigeria from December 2020 to March 2021.

Whole-exome sequencing of Nigerian benign prostatic hyperplasia reveals increased alterations in apoptotic pathways.

Background: Through whole-exome sequencing of 60 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded Nigerian (NGRn) benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) samples, we identified germline and somatic alterations in apoptotic pathways impacting BPH development and progression. Prostate enlargement is a common occurrence in male aging; however, this enlargement can lead to lower urinary tract symptoms that negatively impact quality of life. This impact is disproportionately present in men of African ancestry.

Rheumatoid arthritis knowledge gap and intervention in Nigeria study.

Introduction: Family physicians are often the first healthcare providers to encounter patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Nigeria, given the paucity of rheumatology services nationwide. This study aimed to assess and address the knowledge gap regarding RA among family physicians in Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey involving 609 family physicians from all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria was conducted in October 2022.

Impact of Anemia on The Quality of Life of Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Single Institution Experience.

Background: Anemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and has been shown to worsen as CKD advances. CKD negatively impacts patients' health-related quality of life. It is therefore necessary to determine the impact of anemia on the quality of life in patients with CKD.

Population-Level Access to Breast Cancer Early Detection and Diagnosis in Nigeria.

Purpose: Mammography, breast ultrasound (US), and US-guided breast biopsy are essential services for breast cancer early detection and diagnosis. This study undertook a comprehensive evaluation to determine population-level access to these services for breast cancer early detection and diagnosis in Nigeria using a previously validated geographic information system (GIS) model.

Methods: A comprehensive list of public and private facilities offering mammography, breast US, and US-guided breast biopsy was compiled using publicly available facility data and a survey administered nationally to Nigerian radiologists.

Gamified antimicrobial decision support app (GADSA) changes antibiotics prescription behaviour in surgeons in Nigeria: a hospital-based pilot study.

Aims: Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis (SAP) in Nigeria is often not evidence based. The aim of this study is to test if the GADSA application can change prescription behaviour of surgeons in Nigeria. In addition, the study aims to identify AMS strategies and policies for the future.

Covid-19 and Pre-Morbid Lifestyle-Related Risk Factors-A Review.

Since its outbreak in December 2019 in China, COVID-19 has spread like wild fire to affect many communities of the world. The high infectivity and case fatality rates of the disease among the general population and the severely ill patients respectively drew the attention of the global community. Our review showed that socio-demographic and lifestyle-related risk factors and underlying comorbid diseases were directly and indirectly associated with increased susceptibility and severity of COVID-19.

Antenatal jaundice instruction and acute bilirubin encephalopathy in Nigeria.

Background: Acute Bilirubin Encephalopathy (ABE) is common in Nigeria. Parents' inability to recognize jaundice and delays in seeking care are significant barriers to its prevention.

Methods: We compared associations of (1) interactive antenatal maternal jaundice instruction with postnatal reinforcement, (2) standard postnatal instruction, and (3) no maternal instruction with the incidence of ABE among 647 jaundice admissions stratified for risk factors identified in initial descriptive analysis.

A looming epidemic: combating the recurrent outbreaks of diphtheria in Nigeria.

Nigeria has endured several diphtheria outbreaks over the last few decades, mirroring a suboptimal population immunity across several demographics within the country. The country's northern region has been affected mainly by this infectious disease; it directly depicts the effect of poor DPT vaccine uptake amongst children in this region compared to other geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Whilst pharmaceutical intervention and surveillance activities have commenced as directed by the NCDC, to combat this public health menace, top leaders of the Nigerian healthcare system - public and private sectors, must understudy the predisposing factors gearing the recurrence of diphtheria in Nigeria and provide robust, research-based and scientific mechanisms to arrest the root causes of the incessant outbreaks.

Characterising sources of PM exposure for school children with asthma: a personal exposure study across six cities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Air pollution is the second largest risk to health in Africa, and children with asthma are particularly susceptible to its effects. Yet, there is a scarcity of air pollution exposure data from cities in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to identify potential exposure reduction strategies for school children with asthma living in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Role of International Collaborations in Sustainable Neurosurgical Development in Nigeria.

Objective: Despite 6 decades of existence, neurosurgery is still in the developing stages in Nigeria. In this era of collaborative health system capacity-building in low- and middle-income countries, this article reviews past efforts and future prospects for collaborative neurosurgical development in Nigeria.

Methods: A bibliometric review of the Nigerian neurosurgical literature and data from a structured survey of Nigerian neurosurgeons and residents provided details of current local and international collaborations for neurosurgical research, service delivery, training, and capacity building.

The Status of Specialist Neurosurgical Training in Nigeria: A Survey of Practitioners, Trainers, and Trainees.

Objective: Despite the well-known neurosurgical workforce deficit in Sub-Saharan Africa, there remains a low number of neurosurgical training programs in Nigeria. This study sought to reassess the current status of specialist neurosurgical training in the country.

Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to all consultant neurosurgeons and neurosurgery residents in Nigeria.