Pan African Medical Journal

INTRODUCTION: digital health has been demonstrated to improve the efficiency and scale of health service delivery in resource-limited settings. Understanding factors influencing its use could accelerate the process of its implementation in routine practice. METHODS: we conducted a cross-sectional analytic study in Buea and Tiko health districts from January to May 2021. We included healthcare workers selected using multistage stratified sampling. Use of digital health was defined as using at least two digital tools and one digital health intervention (DHI) or at least two DHIs by a healthcare worker...

INTRODUCTION: blood transfusion remains an essential therapeutic intervention, but the occurrence of transfusion reactions makes its administration even more complex. Vigilant reporting of such reactions by recipients of blood products is essential for effective haemovigilance. This study aimed to determine the frequency and nature of transfusion reactions. METHODS: conducted over five years (2017-2021) at the Haemovigilance Department of the Rabat Regional Blood Transfusion Centre, this retrospective study exploited incident forms notified by health establishments and data from the regional blood transfusion centre's computer system...

Granulosa cell tumor (GCT) is a rare ovarian malignancy that represents only 2-3% of all cases. There are two subtypes of GCT: juvenile/JGCT (5% of cases) and adult/AGCT (95% of cases). This study aimed to describe a series of 6 GCT cases. The 6 study patients were managed from June 2011 to November 2022 in a private oncology clinic located in Teresina (PI), Brazil. At diagnosis, the mean patient age was 47 years, and symptoms in 5 patients (83%) were pelvic pain and/or increased abdominal volume. The majority of the patients (N=4/67%) had no comorbidities or findings related to GCT on physical examination...

Our study aimed to assess the benefit of intrapleural fibrinolysis before resorting to surgery to treat complicated parapneumonic effusion and empyema. We conducted a retrospective and descriptive study, including all patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Abderhaman Mami hospital, Tunisia for empyema treated with instillation of intrapleural fibrinolytic therapy between the 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2016. In all patients, empyema was diagnosed on clinical features, imaging findings (chest X-ray, thoracic echography and/or computed tomography (CT), and microbiological data...

INTRODUCTION: cervical cancer is a health concern worldwide. The South Kivu Province in the Eastern DR Congo is facing many cases of this disease but poorly screened and reported. The objective of this was to determine the prevalence of cell abnormalities at cervical cytology in a tertiary teaching hospital in Bukavu and their association with common risk factors of cervical cancer. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was conducted on 142 women attending the Provincial Referral Hospital of Bukavu (HPGRB) from February to December 2021...

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INTRODUCTION: cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health issue with a high global death rate and a significant death contribution from low-and middle-income countries. Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors assessment and screening are important in their effective prevention and control. This study was designed to screen and assess cardiovascular risk factors in an agrarian community in Nigeria and to predict their 10-year CVD risk. METHODS: this was a cross-sectional study carried out in the Umueri community in Anambra State, Nigeria...

INTRODUCTION: pelvic organ prolapse is a dynamic pathology that can worsen or regress especially postpartum and is the basis of several disorders that bother the patient and alter her quality of life. This study aims to determine the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic profile of pelvic organ prolapse in the town of Kananga. METHODS: this is a cross-sectional study of cases of pelvic organ prolapse recorded during the mass campaign organized in the Bon-Berger Hospital of Tshikaji and Saint Georges Hospital of Katoka in the town of Kananga, from January 1 to July 31, 2023...

INTRODUCTION: the laboratory diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis relies on conventional techniques. This study aims to evaluate the correlation between the reduced sensitivity to penicillin G of Neisseria meningitidis (N.m) strains and the expression of the altered PBP 2 gene. METHODS: out of 190 strains of N.m isolated between 2010 and 2021 at the bacteriology laboratories of Ibn Rochd University Hospital Centre (IR-UHC) in Casablanca and the UHC Mohammed VI in Marrakech, 23 isolates were part of our study...

COVID-19 had a psychological impact on the population, particularly those affected. Our objective was to investigate stress and resilience factors in the Senegalese soldiers affected during the first wave of COVID-19. Our retrospective and qualitative study included military personnel listed as contacts, suspects, or positive cases and supported by the Armed Forces Psychological Support Program during the period of isolation. The stress factors were health-related, sociological, and occupational. The conditions and the experience of isolation, stigmatization, and suspension of their professional projects were concerns for the soldiers...

INTRODUCTION: type 2 Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease with devastating effects on patients and results in numerous healthcare challenges in terms of its management and the cost burden among the affected. Successful management involves maintaining optimal glycemic control to prevent complications, with adherence to antidiabetic medications playing a crucial role in achieving this objective. Additionally, maintaining a healthy electrolyte balance is key for overall well-being and physiological function...

INTRODUCTION: the Africa region was certified indigenous wild poliovirus-free in August 2020. Countries in East and Southern Africa have, during acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and environmental surveillance (ES), detected equally concerning vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs) that have not been systematically documented to guide programming in the sub-region. The study documents trends and salient observations of the VDPVs by country of detection, for 11 years from 2010 to 2021. METHODS: we conducted secondary data analysis, a descriptive study design, by deploying field and laboratory of AFP and environmental surveillance databases of the 20 East and Southern African countries from 2010 to 2021...

Simulation in healthcare has already demonstrated extraordinary potential in high-income countries. However, to date, few authors have explored the possibility of applying simulation-based training in African settings, highlighting the necessity of need-based training protocols capable of addressing economic, social, and cultural aspects. In this framework, this research investigates the main features of a simulation training course on umbilical cord care and placenta management should be considered effective and sustainable in an African healthcare environment...

Malrotation of the gut is a congenital anomaly of foetal intestinal rotation and it's principally discovered in early childhood as acute intestinal obstruction. This condition is veritably rare and constantly silent in adults. Intestinal malrotation in adults is frequently asymptomatic and is diagnosed as a casual finding during a radiological examination performed for other reasons. Infrequently, it can be diagnosed in adults, associated with an acute abdomen. Adult patients rarely present with acute midgut volvulus or internal hernias caused by Ladd's bands...

INTRODUCTION: musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders account for approximately 20% of all years lived with disability worldwide however studies of MSK disorders in Africa are scarce. This pilot study aimed to estimate the community-based prevalence of MSK disorders, identify predictors, and assess the associated disability in a Tanzanian population. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was conducted in one village in the Kilimanjaro region from March to June 2019. The Gait, Arms, Legs, Spine (GALS) or paediatric GALS (pGALS) examinations were used during household and school visits...

INTRODUCTION: most ultrasound criteria are defined in developed countries and commonly used in practice to assess the malignancy risk of thyroid nodules. This practice does not take into consideration some aspects of our context as delay of consultation and insufficient iodine intake. The objective of this study was to determine the predictive values of ultrasound characters associated with malignant thyroid nodules in our environment. METHODS: we conducted a cross-sectional, prospective, and analytical study in three hospitals in Yaoundé over a six-month period in 2022...

INTRODUCTION: quality data is a prerequisite for timely decision-making and measuring health outcomes in public health settings. Comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among people living with HIV (PLHIV), require a robust system that ensures credible data at all data-producing levels. The study at determining the level of availability and completeness of CVDs risk factors data of PLHIV. METHODS: a quantitative study was conducted to extract CVDs risk factors data retrospectively from 529 patient care booklets (PCBs) between 2004 and 2017...

INTRODUCTION: childhood deaths from preventable causes remain high in Nigeria. Although vaccines are available to combat many of these diseases, vaccine coverage remains low in many at-risk communities. With this study, we aimed to determine factors that might have impacted the use of immunization services in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State in southwest Nigeria. METHODS: we conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in a peri-urban local government area in Ibadan using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique to identify respondents for this study...

The early prevention of non-communicable diseases in Cameroon schools program was initiated in 2018 to address the alarming trend of obesity among adolescents through a nutrition education intervention aimed at increasing knowledge on nutrition and the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity. The program included: school surveys to document eating habits and health-risky behaviors in students, the development of a training curriculum, training and sensitization sessions for school staff, school vendors and students, and advocacy meetings with parliamentarians and mayors...

INTRODUCTION: the present study aimed to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQL) and identify the factors associated with poor quality of life, among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. METHODS: we conducted a cross-sectional study at Jamot Hospital and Polymere Medical Center, Yaoundé, from February 1 to June 30, 2020. All consent adult COPD patients who were followed in both centers during the recruitment period were included. The Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was used to assess HRQL...