Opinion review of drug resistant tuberculosis in West Africa: tackling the challenges for effective control.

Drug-resistant (DR) tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health concern globally, complicating TB control and management efforts. West Africa has historically faced difficulty in combating DR-TB due to limited diagnostic skills, insufficient access to excellent healthcare, and ineffective healthcare systems. This has aided in the emergence and dissemination of DR complex (MTBC) strains in the region.

Disparities in dolutegravir utilisation in children, adolescents and young adults (0-24 years) living with HIV: An analysis of the IeDEA Paediatric West African cohort.

Introduction: We describe the 24-month incidence of Dolutegravir (DTG)-containing antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation since its introduction in 2019 in West Africa.

Methods: We included all patients aged 0-24 years on ART from nine clinics in Côte d'Ivoire (n=4), Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Benin, and Burkina Faso. Baseline varied by clinic and was defined as date of first DTG prescription; patients were followed up until database closure/death/loss to follow-up (LTFU, no visit ≥ 7 months), whichever came first.

A scoping review on the use of traditional medicine and oral health in Africa.

Background: This review aimed to chart the landscape of literature concerning the precise applications of traditional medicine in managing specific oral diseases and, in doing so, to pinpoint knowledge gaps surrounding the use of traditional medicine for oral disease management in the African context.

Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL. The search was conducted from the inception of the database till September 2023.

Acceptability of an Orange-Flavoured Zinc Sulphate Dispersible Tablet in the Management of Acute Diarrhoea in Under-five Children in Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: Acute diarrhoea is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children under five, especially in subSaharan Africa. The WHO recommends using oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc therapy for its management, but the metallic taste of zinc often hinders adherence.

Method: This prospective open-label intervention study took place at three health facilities in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, involving children aged 3 to 59 months with acute diarrhoea.

Nasal carriage of virulent and multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a possible comorbidity of COVID-19.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) associated with COVID-19 has not been well documented. This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between nasal S.

Sub-microscopic Plasmodium falciparum infections and multiple drug resistant single nucleotide polymorphic alleles in pregnant women from southwestern Nigeria.

Objectives: The study evaluated sub-microscopic malaria infections in pregnancy using two malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (mRDTs), microscopy and RT-PCR and characterized Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (Pfdhfr) and Plasmodium falciparum dihydropteroate synthase (Pfdhps) drug resistant markers in positive samples.

Methods: This was a cross sectional survey of 121 pregnant women. Participants were finger pricked, blood drops were collected for rapid diagnosis with P.

Seromolecular survey and risk factor analysis of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever orthonairovirus in occupationally exposed herdsmen and unexposed febrile patients in Kwara State, Nigeria.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a globally significant tick-borne zoonotic pathogen that causes fatal haemorrhagic disease in humans. Despite constituting an ongoing public health threat, limited research exists on the presence of CCHFV among herdsmen, an occupationally exposed population that has prolonged contact with ruminants and ticks. This cross-sectional study, conducted between October 2018 and February 2020 in Kwara State, Nigeria, was aimed at assessing CCHFV seroprevalence among herdsmen and non-herdsmen febrile patients, and identifying the associated risk factors.

Health workers' perspectives on school-based mass drug administration control programs for soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Background: Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and schistosomiasis (SCH) are among the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), affecting 1.5 billion globally, with a significant burden in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Nigeria. These diseases impair health and contribute to socio-economic challenges, especially in children, undermining educational and future economic prospects.

Detection of novel coronin gene mutations in a recrudescent ACT-treated patient in South-Western Nigeria.

Background: Routine surveillance for antimalarial drug resistance is critical to sustaining the efficacy of artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs). and non- artemisinin ART) resistance-associated mutations are uncommon in Africa. We investigated polymorphisms in actin-binding protein (Pfcoronin associated with reduced sensitivity to ART in Nigeria.

Egg consumption and bone mass density among the elderly: A scoping review.

Eggs offer a range of essential nutrients that could support skeletal health as individuals age. Maintaining bone density is crucial for reducing the risk of fractures and improving overall mobility and quality of life in later years. Understanding the potential benefits of habitual egg consumption on bone mass density among older people is essential, given that the natural decline in bone mass density occurs with age.

Expanding Youth-Friendly HIV Self-Testing Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Qualitative Analysis of a Crowdsourcing Open Call in Nigeria.

Background: HIV self-testing (HIVST) among young people is an effective approach to enhance the uptake of HIV testing recommended by the World Health Organization. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted conventional facility-based HIV testing services, necessitating the exploration of innovative strategies for the effective delivery of HIVST.

Objective: This study analyzed the outcomes of a digital World AIDS Day crowdsourcing open call, designed to elicit youth responses on innovative approaches to promote HIVST among young people (14-24 years) in Nigeria during COVID-19 restrictions.

Detection of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Genotypes Among HIV-Infected Women in Four States in Nigeria.

Introduction The World Health Organization states that almost all cervical cancer cases are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses transmitted through sexual contact. Implementing effective surveillance and preventive measures would enable the prevention of most cervical cancer cases, especially in HIV-infected women. Every year, about 12,000 women in Nigeria are diagnosed, with almost 8,000 deaths.

Fidelity of implementation of national guidelines on malaria diagnosis for children under-five years in Rivers State, Nigeria.

Background: Malaria is still a disease of global public health importance and children under-five years of age are the most vulnerable to the disease. Nigeria adopted the "test and treat" strategy in the national malaria guidelines as one of the ways to control malaria transmission. The level of adherence to the guidelines is an important indicator for the success or failure of the country's roadmap to malaria elimination by 2030.

Co-infection of Helicobacter pylori and intestinal parasites in children of selected low-income communities in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Helicobacter pylori and intestinal parasites cause gastrointestinal diseases with a high prevalence in children in resource limited developing countries. There is paucity of information in Nigeria on co-infection of H. pylori and intestinal parasites.

Sexual dysfunction among Nigerian women living with HIV infection.

Introduction: Sexual dysfunction in women with HIV is a necessary but understudied aspect of HIV complications in women living with HIV. This study reports the prevalence, pattern, and risk factors for sexual dysfunction in women living with HIV in southwest Nigeria.

Methods: A validated Female Sexual Function Index was used to determine sexual dysfunction in a cross-sectional study design involving 2926 adult women living with HIV in a large, publicly funded tertiary HIV treatment centre in Lagos, Nigeria.

Healers that hurt: a scoping review of media reports of cases of rape in healthcare settings.

Background: Sexual assault occurring within healthcare settings represents a significant breach of public trust. This scoping review aimed to highlight the profile of people raped, those who committed the rape within the health facilities, and the legal actions taken to resolved cases.

Methods: Media-reported data on incidents of rape in healthcare settings were collected.

Ethics guidelines for environmental epidemiologists: 2023 revision.

Recognition of the importance to environmental epidemiology of ethical and philosophical deliberation led, in 1996, to the establishment of Ethics Guidelines for the profession. In 1999, these guidelines were adopted by the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology. The guidelines were revised in 2012 and again in 2023 to ensure continued relevance to the major issues facing the field.

Computational identification of potential modulators of heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI) for pharmacological intervention against sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) poses a significant health challenge and therapeutic approaches often target fetal hemoglobin (HbF) to ameliorate symptoms. Hydroxyurea, a current therapeutic option for SCD, has shown efficacy in increasing HbF levels. However, concerns about myelosuppression and thrombocytopenia necessitate the exploration of alternative compounds.

Computer-aided drug discovery of c-Abl kinase inhibitors from plant compounds against chronic myeloid leukemia.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a hematological malignancy characterized by the neoplastic transformation of hematopoietic stem cells, driven by the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome resulting from a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22. This Ph chromosome harbors the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) and the Abelson (ABL) oncogene (BCR-ABL1) which have a constitutive tyrosine kinase activity. However, the tyrosine kinase activity of BCR-ABL1 have been identified as a key player in CML initiation and maintenance through c-Abl kinase.

Antimicrobial resistance genetic determinants and susceptibility profile of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from clinical samples in a tertiary hospital in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Background: Genetic determinants are known to promote antibiotic resistance through horizontal gene transfer.

Methods: We molecularly characterized integrons, plasmid replicon types and metallo-β-lactamase-encoding genes of 38 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from clinical samples.

Results: The P.

Determinants and Patterns of Contraceptive Use among Sexually Active Women Living with HIV in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Background: Contraception is a strategy to meet the family planning goals of women living with human immunodeficiency virus (WLHIV) as well as to reduce the transmission of HIV. There is limited data from Nigeria, where HIV prevalent is the second-largest in the world. This study aimed to examine contraceptive use and identify factors influencing its use among sexually active WLHIV in Ibadan, Nigeria.

A pilot study on the global practice of informed consent in paediatric dentistry.

Background: Conducting oral treatment early in the disease course, is encouraged for better health outcomes. Obtaining informed consent is an essential part of medical practice, protecting the legal rights of patients and guiding the ethical practice of medicine. In practice, consent means different things in different contexts.