African Health Sciences

BACKGROUND: In Uganda, health care utilisation remains very low despite a number of government reforms that have been implemented in the health sector since the 1990's such as decentralization and removal of user fees in public health facilities among others. OBJECTIVE: To examine the factors influencing public and private health care utilisation in Uganda. METHODS: The study used cross sectional data from the Uganda National Household Survey collected between July 2016 and June 2017...

BACKGROUND: Gender variation is a feature of many physiological parameters including inflammatory cytokines. Inflammation is an obvious feature of Tuberculosis (TB) infection with changes in pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines. OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of inflammatory cytokines between male and female TB patients before treatment, after 2-months and after 6-months anti-tuberculosis treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 35 males and 25 females TB subjects were enlisted before initiation of therapy and followed up after 2-months and 6 months treatment and samples collected and analysed...

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus infection as it specifically relates to pregnancy has been a neglected condition, thus its recognition and treatment in pregnancy is relevant because of the risks of the long-term complications of the infection in the mother, potential effects of the infection on the pregnancy and risk of vertical transmission to the newborn. OBJECTIVES: To determine the proportion of pregnant women with serologic markers of hepatitis C infection, identify risk factors as well as factors that predict the occurrence of the infection in them...

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to determine the potential effects of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components on bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine and femoral neck in postmenopausal Turkish women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 193 postmenopausal women were included in this study. Anthropometric measurements, biochemical blood tests, and T-scores of BMD in the lumbar spine (L1-L4) and femoral neck were recorded. The participants were divided into two groups according to the bone mineral density (BMD) results as osteoporosis group (Group 1, n=109) who had a T-score>-2...

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the relation of body mass index (BMI) to fat mass among children by two techniques impedancemetry and deuterium oxide dilution (D2 O). METHODS: This study was carried out in 156 schoolchildren aged between 8 and 11 years. The children received interrogation specifying lifestyle and food habits. Body composition was determined using the impedancemetry and D2O technique. RESULTS: The results showed a difference between the percentage of obese and overweight children according to BMIZ classification (30...

BACKGROUND: The control of poliomyelitis in Uganda dates back as far as 1950 and acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance has since been used as a criterion for identifying wild polioviruses. Poliovirus isolation was initially pursued through collaborative research however, in 1993, the Expanded Program on Immunization Laboratory (EPI-LAB) was established as a member of the Global Poliovirus Laboratory Network (GPLN) and spearheaded this activity at Uganda Virus Research Institute. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this report is to document the progress and impact of the EPI-LAB on poliovirus eradication in Uganda...

BACKGROUND: Although the benefits of physical activity (PA) in diabetes management are well documented, there insufficient data on physical activity levels and barriers to physical activity among Type-2 diabetics in Ghana. This study assessed physical activity and barriers to physical activity among Type-2 diabetics at Manhyia Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. METHODS: The study recruited 97 participants (32% men, 68% women). Physical activity was assessed using the Global physical activity questionnaire and barriers to PA were assessed using the Barriers to being active Quiz...

OBJECTIVE: Although contraception methods are an important factor affecting sexual life, no literature has been recorded about the contraceptive methods used and the sexual life of thalassemia patients. The aim of this study is to document the effects of and preferences of contraception methods used in the sexual lives of patients with thalassemia. METHODS: The descriptive and cross-sectional study took place in Northern Cyprus at a Thalassemia Center in a State Hospital...

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a serious public health threat. Mammography is the most reliable screening method that detects breast cancer early, enabling early onset of treatment which improves the prognosis of the disease. OBJECTIVES: To determine women's knowledge of breast cancer, as well as barriers and willingness of women to participate in mammography screening. METHODS: Using the cross-sectional survey design, we sampled and studied two rural communities of Enugu State, Nigeria...

BACKGROUND: World Health Organization ranks substance abuse as one of the top twenty health risk factors. It poses a serious public health crisis with a significant burden for affected individuals, families and health systems. This study aimed to identify the spectrum and pattern of substance use among patients receiving rehabilitative services. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional design involving 190 patients receiving rehabilitative care for substance use in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital...

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. This study assessed the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis case notification rates in Ogun state, Nigeria. METHODS: A retrospective review of presumptive TB and diagnosed TB cases that were notified in 2019 and 2020...

OBJECTIVE: Serum creatinine (SCr) is not a sensitive and reliable index for the early diagnosis of acute kidney injury caused by contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). The aim of this study was to explore the values of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and cystatin C (Cys-C) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the early diagnosis of CIN. METHODS: Three hundred patients receiving PCI from January 2018 to December 2020 were assigned to a CIN group (n=25) and a non-CIN group (n=275), respectively...

BACKGROUND: The resolution of hypertension, proteinuria and AKI postpartum among women with preeclampsia is not well documented in Uganda. OBJECTIVE: To determine the time to resolution of hypertension, proteinuria and AKI postpartum until 6 weeks among women with preeclampsia in Mulago Hospital, Uganda. METHODS: Between August 2017 and April 2018, we measured blood pressure, urine protein and serum creatinine on days 1,7,21 and 42 postpartum among 86 women with preeclampsia...

BACKGROUND: Vaccination remains a potent way to curb the present covid-19 global pandemic. OBJECTIVES: To assess knowledge, perception and willingness to receive covid-19 vaccines among tertiary students in Nigeria. METHODS: In the descriptive cross-sectional study, a sample size of 750 respondents was randomly selected from a university, polytechnic and college of education (COE) in Osun State, Nigeria. Independent sample T and Pearson correlation tests were used to analyse the responses...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical value of central venous pressure (CVP) + inferior vena cava respiratory variability (VIVC) in fluid resuscitation in spontaneously breathing patients with septic shock. METHODS: In retrospective observational study, during October 2019 to December 2021, 145 patients with septic shock treated in our hospital were enrolled by the method of observational study. According to the change rate of cardiac output (ΔCO) ≥15% or ΔCO<15% after 30 minutes, they were assigned into volume-responsive and volume-unresponsive group depending early fluid resuscitation in sepsis...

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 is an extremely contagious and acute viral disease mainly affecting humans. OBJECTIVE: To estimate seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) for illegible armed force individuals living in Rabat, Morocco. METHOD: A convenience sample (N = 2662) was conducted from May 2020 to February 2021. We used the standard neutralization assay to quantify the NAbs titers. A serum was positive when the titer was 1:4...

BACKGROUND: Several schoolgirls attain reproductive age with undiagnosed gynaecological problems which pose challenges in their livelihood. These conditions include precocious puberty, congenital reproductive tract abnormalities, and delayed sexual development. Many children with these conditions face additional challenges including physical pain, psychological trauma and delayed diagnosis. METHODS: A 14-year-old girl presented with acute on chronic pelvic pain and haematocolpometra due to imperforate hymen during COVID-19 pandemic...

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from all gynaecological malignancies. Only few biomarkers of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) prognosis have been studied so far among Nigerian patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern of oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) expression in patients with EOC seen in Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective multicentre study of 102 cases of epithelial ovarian cancers...

BACKGROUND: This study was aimed at evaluating the microbial quality and proximate analysis of soymilk produced and sold within Calabar Metropolis. METHODOLOGY: Soymilk samples were purchased in pairs from five locations in Calabar Metropolis. The samples collected were subjected to microbiological and proximate analysis to ascertain the hygienic standards of the products and nutrient contents. RESULTS: The result showed that the highest heterotrophic bacterial count of 5...

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