Efficacy and safety of a novel low-dose triple single-pill combination of telmisartan, amlodipine and indapamide, compared with dual combinations for treatment of hypertension: a randomised, double-blind, active-controlled, international clinical trial.

Background: Single-pill combinations (SPCs) of three low-dose antihypertensive drugs can improve hypertension control but are not widely available. A key issue for any combination product is the contribution of each component to efficacy and tolerability. This trial compared a new triple SPC called GMRx2, containing telmisartan, amlodipine, and indapamide, with dual combinations of components for efficacy and safety.

Access to diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy technologies for patients with cancer in the Baltic countries, eastern Europe, central Asia, and the Caucasus: a comprehensive analysis.

Background: Only 10-40% of patients with cancer in low-income and middle-income countries were able to access curative or palliative radiotherapy in 2015. We aimed to assess the current status of diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy services in the Baltic countries, eastern Europe, central Asia, and the Caucasus by collecting and analysing local data.

Methods: This Access to Radiotherapy (ART) comprehensive analysis used data from 12 countries: the three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), two countries in eastern Europe (Moldova and Ukraine), four countries in central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan), and three countries in the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), referred to here as the ART countries.

Income and education disparities in childhood malnutrition: a multi-country decomposition analysis.

Introduction: Childhood malnutrition is a complex issue with a range of contributing factors. The consequences of malnutrition are severe, particularly for children. This study aims to identify the factors contributing to inequality gaps in childhood malnutrition.

A Review and Bibliometric Analysis of Studies on Advances in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration.

Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) pose significant clinical challenges due to their complex healing processes and the often incomplete functional recovery. This review and bibliometric analysis aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of advancements in peripheral nerve regeneration research, focusing on trends, influential studies, and emerging areas. By analyzing 2921 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection, key themes such as nerve regeneration, repair, and the critical role of Schwann cells were identified.

Key mental health differences in conflict-related sexual violence and how sex, severity, and early intervention impact on improvement: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is a significant health and human rights issue in humanitarian contexts, but there is a need of further research on differences between sexes in terms of severity of symptoms and improvement. Consequently, we explored the differences in severity and outcomes among male and female survivors of CRSV who received mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in an armed conflict setting.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed medical records from 3442 CRSV survivors in a MHPSS programme in Borno State, Nigeria, between 2018 and 2019.

Modification of Lateritic Soil Using Waste Plastics for Sustainable Road Construction.

Lateritic soil, a prevalent geological material in tropical regions, often exhibits poor engineering properties, leading to road pavement failures. Meanwhile, the alarming rise in plastic waste poses environmental concerns. This innovative study explores the potential of utilizing waste plastics as a lateritic soil addictive for sustainable road construction.

The 2024 Public Health Emergency of International Concern: A Global Failure to Control Mpox.

On August 14, 2024, following a regional declaration by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, marking the second such declaration in two years. A series of outbreaks involving the more virulent clade I virus (compared to clade II, which caused a global outbreak in 2022), has now spread in 13 African countries, exposing the inadequacies of the public health infrastructure in these settings. There was significant investment during the 2022 global outbreak, but these efforts failed to address vaccine access and treatment in the Global South.

Post COVID-19: Advancing Medical Laboratory Service Integration in Nigeria and Progress Towards Establishing Integration Guideline.

Background: The Nigerian healthcare system, including medical laboratories, operates in a three-tiered structure across public and private sectors. Lessons from COVID-19 show the urgent need for a guideline to drive medical laboratory service integration.

Problem: Lack of operational guideline to drive the integration of laboratory services has resulted in siloed operations across different medical laboratories causing duplication of resources, coordination issues, and inefficiencies.

Predictors of HIV Testing Among Pregnant Women aged 15-49 Years in Nigeria.

Background: The utilization of HIV testing services in Nigeria has not been optimal due to socioeconomic and demographic factors such as educational level, place of residence, and religion. For Nigeria to achieve epidemic control, pregnant women need to know their HIV status through HIV testing, which is the gateway to HIV prevention, care, support, and treatment services. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of HIV testing among Nigerian pregnant women aged 15-49 years HIV testing during antenatal visits or childbirth.

Optimizing split-fertilizer applications for enhanced maize yield and nutrient use efficiency in Nigeria's Middle-belt.

Inadequate and imbalanced fertilizer application is a significant barrier to achieving higher maize yields in Nigeria's Middle Belt. This study hypothesized that optimizing fertilizer types and application rates, particularly through split applications of straight fertilizers, can significantly enhance maize yield and nutrient use efficiency compared to conventional NPK blends and farmer's practices. This experiment evaluated the effects of optimizing types and amounts of fertilizer on maize growth and yield, soil characteristics, and nutrient use efficiencies in the mid-belt region of Nigeria.

Altered Surrogate Markers of Inflammation in Perinatal HIV-Exposed Children with Caries.

Objective: Dental caries is associated with immunologic response, yet its association with hematologic parameters and inflammatory markers is unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between some surrogate markers of inflammation and dental caries in the context of perinatal exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 2 groups of children aged 4 to 11 y who were (1) HIV exposed but uninfected (HEU) and (2) HIV unexposed/uninfected (HUU) and recruited from HIV pediatric and child outpatient clinics, respectively, at a tertiary health facility in Nigeria.

Clinical trial knowledge among cancer survivors in the United States: the role of health information technology.

Purpose: Clinical trials are essential to the advancement of cancer care. However, clinical trial knowledge and participation remain critically low among adult patients with cancer. Health information technology (HIT) could play an important role in improving clinical trial knowledge and engagement among cancer survivors.

HIV epidemic among key populations in Nigeria: results of the integrated biological and behavioural surveillance survey (IBBSS), 2020-2021.

Introduction: Nigeria has the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in West and Central Africa and key populations (KPs) bear a higher burden of HIV. This integrated biological and behavioural surveillance survey was conducted among female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID) and transgender (TG) populations to understand the changing dynamics of HIV to improve HIV prevention efforts in Nigeria.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected between October and November 2020 in 12 states, from randomly selected KP members using multistage probability sampling.

Radiographically confirmed pneumonia in Malawian children and associated pneumococcal carriage after introduction of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

Background: The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-13) was introduced in Malawi in 2011 with an expected impact of reducing pneumococcal pneumonia in children. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics and nasopharyngeal (NP) carriage of pneumococcus by serotype in children hospitalized with primary end-point pneumonia (PEP) between 2013 and 19 after the introduction of PCV-13.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of children aged under-5-years hospitalized with acute respiratory illness (ARI) in Malawi.