Antiseptics: An expeditious third force in the prevention and management of coronavirus diseases.

Notably, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have all had significant negative impact on global health and economy. COVID-19 alone, has resulted to millions of deaths with new cases and mortality still being reported in its various waves. The development and use of vaccines have not stopped the transmission of SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, even among vaccinated individuals.

Climate Change, Kidney Health, and Environmentally Sustainable Kidney Care: A Multinational Survey of Health Care Professionals.

Key Points: A multinational survey of health care professionals on the kidney health impacts of climate change and the environmental burden of kidney care was conducted. Most participants reported knowledge gaps and high level of concern on these interconnected issues. Only a minority report personal or organizational initiatives in environmentally sustainable kidney care; this did not vary by country income level.

Wound bed preparation using nonsurgical methods: A prospective comparative study of honey versus unripe papaya ().

Background: The rapidity of wound bed preparation is determined in part by the type of dressing agent employed. The extension phase in which the wound is characterized by the presence of sloughs and eschar and microbial invasion could be managed nonsurgically.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the rapidity of wound bed preparation using unripe papaya versus honey.

Utilization of cancer immunotherapy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Introduction: The Lancet Oncology Commission for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) predicts that cancer deaths will double from 520,158 per year to more than 1 million per year by the year 2040. These striking figures indicate a need to urgently evaluate cancer treatment infrastructure and resources in the region. Studies have found immunotherapy to be effective for the treatment of advanced-stage cancer, which almost 70% of patients in SSA present with.

International Delphi Consensus Study on disposable single-use endoscopy: A path to clinical adoption.

Background/objective: Increasing infectious rate estimates and low microbiological surveillance affect safety of gastrointestinal endoscopy globally. Single use endoscopes and accessories have been claimed to improve safety, but there is lack of data on their indication and sustainability. We aimed to identify a series of best practice recommendations for the use of single use endoscopes and accessories using a modified Delphi.

Physical Activity among Healthcare Workers in a Major Tertiary Hospital, Southeast Nigeria.

Background: Physical inactivity (PIA) is the fourth leading risk factor in an estimated global death of 3.2 million annually. To reverse this negative impact of PIA, there is a need to increase physical activity (PA).

Audit of Stroke Admissions in a Tertiary Hospital in South East Nigeria.

Introduction: Stroke is one of the commonest causes of medical admissions and mortality in Nigeria. Documenting the pattern of stroke and risk factors for stroke is important not only for public health policy makers but also for physicians in implementing both primary and secondary preventive programs.

Objectives: The aim of this study was therefore to document the pattern of stroke and risk factors for stroke in stroke patients admitted in a tertiary hospital in Enugu.

Carbapenemase producing : Environmental reservoirs as primary targets for control and prevention strategies.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) have become one of the greatest public health challenges globally. In the past decade, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was viewed as a clinical problem in many parts of the world; hence, the role and magnitude of the contribution of the environment were not well appreciated. This review article was done with online published articles extracted from different databases using search terms related to the work.

Cord Blood Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Values in Healthy Term Babies delivered at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi, Northeastern Nigeria.

Background: Congenital hypothyroidism is one of the most common preventable causes of mental retardation and clinical manifestations are often subtle or absent at birth and hence the need for screening. Implementation of newborn screening requires local normative values.

Objectives: To determine the normative values of cord Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) among term babies in Bauchi, Northeast Nigeria and compare it with that from other centers in Nigeria.

Reported Incidence of Cluster Seizures in Persons with Epilepsy Experience from Two Tertiary Hospitals in Enugu Southeast Nigeria.

Background: Repetitive seizures are neurological emergencies which may occur in people with epilepsy. Ascertaining the incidence of these episodes of such seizures in the community is wrought with many challenges and few reports exist in sub-Saharan Africa, a region with a high burden of epilepsy. The aim of this study was to describe the caregiver reported frequency of acute recurrent seizures in people with epilepsy attending neurology outpatient clinic in Enugu.

Registry for Acute Coronary Events in Nigeria (RACE-Nigeria): Clinical Characterization, Management, and Outcome.

Background Coronary artery disease was hitherto a rarity in Africa. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) accounts for coronary artery disease-related morbidity and mortality. Reports on ACS in Africa are few.

Report of the Premier African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer Virtual Genomics Conference held from 18-20 February 2021.

The rapidly rising cancer burden and mortality rate in Africa are in contrast to the increase in cancer survivorship in Europe and North America. Genomic medicine has contributed to the rise in survival and has facilitated precision cancer control. However, there is a shortage of African representation in genomic databases, even for cancers that disproportionately affect Africans.

Human immunodeficiency virus status disclosure among people living with human immunodeficiency virus receiving care in Enugu, Nigeria: A mixed method study.

Background: Disclosure of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status has potential benefits for both the individual and society.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the disclosure rate and its associated factors in people living with HIV receiving care in Enugu, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using mixed methods was carried out in 5 comprehensive treatment facilities in Enugu, Nigeria during March to August 2019.

A report on the development of COVID-19 guidelines for rehabilitation professionals in African settings.

COVID-19 is the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, one of a large family of coronaviruses. Severe forms of the disease can lead to respiratory failure with multiple organ failure necessitating rehabilitation in both acute and long-term care. With the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 and rehabilitation needs, the African Rehabilitation Network (AFRENET) produced a guidance document to assist in reducing variation in clinical practice among rehabilitation professionals in the Africa Region.

Exploring mechanisms that explain how coalition groups are formed and how they work to sustain political priority for maternal and child health in Nigeria using the advocacy coalition framework.

Background: The unacceptably high rate of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria prompted the government to introduce a free maternal and child health (MCH) programme, which was stopped abruptly following a change in government. This triggered increased advocacy for sustaining MCH as a political priority in the country and led to the formation of advocacy coalitions. This study set out to explain the process involved in the formation of advocacy coalition groups and how they work to bring about sustained political prioritization for MCH in Nigeria.

Effects of exercise training on bone mineral density and some health-related outcomes in HIV conditions: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection remains prevalent co-morbidity, and among fracture patients. Few studies have investigated the role of exercise interventions in preventing bone demineralization in people who have fractures and HIV. If exercise exposed, HIV-infected individuals may experience improved bone health outcomes (BMD), function, quality of life (QoL).

What makes advocacy work? Stakeholders' voices and insights from prioritisation of maternal and child health programme in Nigeria.

Background: The Nigerian government introduced and implemented a health programme to improve maternal and child health (MCH) called Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment programme for MCH (SURE-P/MCH). It ran from 2012 and ended abruptly in 2015 and was followed by increased advocacy for sustaining the MCH (antenatal, delivery, postnatal and immunization) services as a policy priority. Advocacy is important in allowing social voice, facilitating prioritization, and bringing different forces/actors together.

Clinical measurement of angular profile of the knee and correlation with intermalleolar distance in children in Enugu metropolis.

Background: Angular deformities of the lower limbs are commonly encountered deformities in pediatric orthopedic clinics. The values of the tibiofemoral angle undergoes changes as the child grows and these changes are self-limiting. The aim of the study is to establish the normal variation of knee angles of children between 2 and 12 years of age in Enugu metropolis and to establish any correlation between the knee angles and the intermalleolar distances (IMDs).

Emerging risk factors associated with prevalence of hepatitis c virus infection among Nigerians: Findings from blood donors in an academic hospital, Enugu South-Eastern Nigeria.

Aim: In Nigeria, reports on the prevalence of Hepatitis C risk factors have not been clearly elucidated, we investigate the risk factors that influence the prevalence and how the difference in awareness level of risk factors screening across age groups contributes to the disease.

Methods: A total of 8790 aged 18-55 years old, who attended the Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion Services, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu were screened. Among them, 135 were diagnosed with hepatitis C infection from 1 January 2017 to 1 January 2019.

Cancers Attributable to Overweight and Obesity From 2012 to 2014 in Nigeria: A Population-Based Cancer Registry Study.

Overweight and obesity are known risk factors for chronic diseases including cancers. In this study, we evaluated the age standardized incidence rates (ASR) and proportion of cancers attributable to overweight and obesity in Nigeria. We obtained incidence data from the databases of two population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) in Nigeria (Abuja and Enugu cancer registries), on cancer site for which there is established evidence of an association with overweight or obesity based on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) classification.

Patients' and healthcare providers' perceptions and practices regarding hypertension, pharmacy-based care, and mHealth in Lagos, Nigeria: a mixed methods study.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, cardiovascular disease is becoming a leading cause of death, with high blood pressure as number one risk factor. In Nigeria, access and adherence to hypertension care are poor. A pharmacy-based hypertension care model with remote monitoring by cardiologists through mHealth was piloted in Lagos to increase accessibility to quality care for hypertensive patients.

Predictors of malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests' utilisation among healthcare workers in Zamfara State.

Introduction: Early diagnosis and prompt and effective treatment is one of the pillars of malaria control. Malaria case management guidelines recommend diagnostic testing before treatment using malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (mRDT) or microscopy and this was adopted in Nigeria in 2010. However, despite the deployment of mRDT, the use of mRDTs by health workers varies by settings.

Pharmacy-based hypertension care employing mHealth in Lagos, Nigeria - a mixed methods feasibility study.

Background: Access to quality hypertension care is often poor in sub-Saharan Africa. Some community pharmacies offer hypertension monitoring services, with and without involvement of medical doctors. To directly connect pharmacy staff and cardiologists a care model including a mobile application (mHealth) for remote patient monitoring was implemented and pilot tested in Lagos, Nigeria.

Low uptake of hypertension care after community hypertension screening events in Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: In Lagos, Nigeria, approximately 33% of the population suffers from hypertension, yet antihypertensive treatment coverage is low. To improve access to care, a decentralized pharmacy-based hypertension care model was piloted. This study reports on the recruitment strategies used and is part of a larger study to evaluate the feasibility of the care model.