Cholera Epidemic Associated with Consumption of Unsafe Drinking Water and Street-Vended Water—Eastern Freetown,Sierra Leone, 2012

During 2012, Sierra Leone experienced a cholera epidemic with 22,815 reported cases and 296 deaths. We conducted a matched case-control study to assess risk factors, enrolling 49 cases and 98 controls. Stool specimens were analyzed by culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Conditional logistic regression found that consuming unsafe water (matched odds ratio [mOR]: 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1, 11.0), street-vended water (mOR: 9.4; 95% CI: 2.0, 43.7), and crab (mOR: 3.3; 95% CI: 1.03, 10.6) were significant risk factors for cholera infection. Of 30 stool specimens, 13 (43%) showed PCR evidence of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1. Six specimens yielded isolates of V. cholerae O1, El Tor; PFGE identified a pattern previously observed in seven countries. We recommended ensuring the quality of improved water sources, promoting household chlorination, and educating street vendors on water handling practices.     

Prevalence,awareness, treatment,and control of hypertension in Nigeria in 1995 and 2020: A systematic analysis of current evidence

Improved understanding of the current burden of hypertension, including awareness, treatment, and control, is needed to guide relevant preventative measures in Nigeria. A systematic search of studies on the epidemiology of hypertension in Nigeria, published on or after January 1990, was conducted. The authors employed random‐effects meta‐analysis on extracted crude hypertension prevalence, and awareness, treatment, and control rates. Using a meta‐regression model, overall hypertension cases in Nigeria in 1995 and 2020 were estimated. Fifty‐three studies (n = 78 949) met our selection criteria. Estimated crude prevalence of pre‐hypertension (120‐139/80‐89 mmHg) in Nigeria was 30.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 22.0%‐39.7%), and the crude prevalence of hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) was 30.6% (95% CI: 27.3%‐34.0%). When adjusted for age, study period, and sample, absolute cases of hypertension increased by 540% among individuals aged ≥20 years from approximately 4.3 million individuals in 1995 (age‐adjusted prevalence 8.6%, 95% CI: 6.5‐10.7) to 27.5 million individuals with hypertension in 2020 (age‐adjusted prevalence 32.5%, 95% CI: 29.8‐35.3). The age‐adjusted prevalence was only significantly higher among men in 1995, with the gap between both sexes considerably narrowed in 2020. Only 29.0% of cases (95% CI: 19.7‐38.3) were aware of their hypertension, 12.0% (95% CI: 2.7‐21.2) were on treatment, and 2.8% (95% CI: 0.1‐5.7) had at‐goal blood pressure in 2020. Our study suggests that hypertension prevalence has substantially increased in Nigeria over the last two decades. Although more persons are aware of their hypertension status, clinical treatment and control rates, however, remain low. These estimates are relevant for clinical care, population, and policy response in Nigeria and across Africa.     

Hookworm infection among the Melka Sedi banana plantation residents, middle Awash Valley, Ethiopia.

A study of intestinal parasites was done among the people who lived within the banana plantation zone of the Melka Sedi Agricultural Enterprise, Awash Valley, Ethiopia in April 1987. The methods of parasite detection were the Ritchie formal ether and the charcoal culture method for hookworm larvae species identification. From the total 633 population, 311 were examined at random of whom 60.8% were positive for one or more intestinal parasites. Eight parasites were encountered, Ascaris lumbricoides in 1.3%, Trichuris trichiura in 6.4%, Strongyloides stercoralis in 3.9%, hookworm in 53.1%, Taenia sp. in 3.5%, Schistosoma mansoni in 1.9%, Entamoeba histolytica in 0.6% and Hymenolepis sp. in 0.6%. Prevalence of hookworm infection was significantly higher than that of any of the other parasites (p less than 0.001). In the hookworm infected individuals there were more males than females, and the 25 to 34 year age group had significantly higher infection rates (p less than 0.05). The majority of those with hookworm were banana plantation workers. This communication emphasizes the basic guidelines for control and prevention of hookworm and other related faecal/soil-borne infections in this and similar agricultural settings.     

Estimating the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Nigeria in 2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundTargeted public health response to obesity in Nigeria is relatively low due to limited epidemiologic understanding. We aimed to estimate nationwide and sub-national prevalence of overweight and obesity in the adult Nigerian population.MethodsMEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, and Africa Journals Online were systematically searched for relevant epidemiologic studies in Nigeria published on or after 01 January 1990. We assessed quality of studies and conducted a random-effects meta-analysis on extracted crude prevalence rates. Using a meta-regression model, we estimated the number of overweight and obese persons in Nigeria in the year 2020.ResultsFrom 35 studies (n = 52,816), the pooled crude prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in Nigeria were 25.0% (95% confidence interval, CI: 20.4–29.6) and 14.3% (95% CI: 12.0–15.5), respectively. The prevalence in women was higher compared to men at 25.5% (95% CI: 17.1–34.0) versus 25.2% (95% CI: 18.0–32.4) for overweight, and 19.8% (95% CI: 3.9–25.6) versus 12.9% (95% CI: 9.1–16.7) for obesity, respectively. The pooled mean body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were 25.6 kg/m² and 86.5 cm, respectively. We estimated that there were 21 million and 12 million overweight and obese persons in the Nigerian population aged 15 years or more in 2020, accounting for an age-adjusted prevalence of 20.3% and 11.6%, respectively. The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were consistently higher among urban dwellers (27.2% and 14.4%) compared to rural dwellers (16.4% and 12.1%).ConclusionsOur findings suggest a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in Nigeria. This is marked in urban Nigeria and among women, which may in part be due to widespread sedentary lifestyles and a surge in processed food outlets, largely reflective of a trend across many African settings.

KEY MESSAGES

• About 12 million persons in Nigeria were estimated to be obese in 2020, with prevalence considerably higher among women. Nutritional and epidemiological transitions driven by demographic changes, rising income, urbanization, unhealthy lifestyles, and consumption of highly processed diets appear to be driving an obesity epidemic in the country.

     

The role of supportive supervision using mobile technology in monitoring and guiding program performance: a case study in Nigeria, 2015–2016

Background

Supportive supervision is one of the interventions that fosters program improvement by way of imparting knowledge and skills to health workers. The basic challenge in supportive supervision is the availability of data in real time for timely and effective feedback. Thus, the main objective of this study was to determine the contribution of real-time data collection during supportive supervision for timely feedback and generation of evidence for health intervention planning.

Methods

We analyzed supportive supervision records collected through handheld devices employing the open data kit (ODK) platform from July 2015 to June 2016. Supervision was conducted across the country by 592 World Health Organization (WHO) officers. The availability of real-time data and the distance of health facilities to the community were analyzed.

Results

During the study period, 90,396 health facilities were supervised. The average time spent during supervision varied from 1.53 to 3.78 h across the six geopolitical zones of the country. The average interval between completion of the supervisory checklist and synchronization with the server varied from 3.9 h to 7.5 h. The average distance between the health facility and a ward varied from 5 to 24 km.

Conclusion

The use of handheld devices for supportive supervision provided real-time data from health facilities to state and zonal levels for analysis and feedback. Program officers used the findings to rectify process indicators in time for a better outcome.

     

Institutionalizing documentation for WHO Nigeria country office visibility and improved donor relations, 2013–2016

Background

The mandate and unique experience of the World Health Organization (WHO) globally, enables over 190 countries, Nigeria inclusive, to depend on the technical support provided by the organization to define and mitigate the threats to public health. With other emerging health actors competing for scarce donors’ resources, the demand for visibility has invariably equaled expectations on WHO’s expertise and technical support. However, the inability to systematically document activities conducted by WHO personnel before 2013 overshadowed most of its invaluable contributions due to poor publicity. The inauguration of the Communications Group in December 2013 with a visibility plan necessitated a paradigm shift towards building a culture of documentation to engender visibility.

Methods

We used a pre-post design of activities to evaluate the effectiveness of specific interventions implemented to improve visibility from 2013 to 2016. The paper highlights how incorporating communication strategies into the accountability framework of staff contributed in changing the landscape as well as showcasing the activities of WHO in Nigeria for improved donor relations.

Results

With the specific interventions implemented to improve WHO’s visibility in Nigeria, we found that donor relations improved between 2013 and 2015. It is not a mere coincidence that the period corresponds with the era of incorporation of documentation into the accountability framework of technical staff for visibility as locally mobilized resources increased to record 112% in 2013 and 2014. The intervention assisted in the positive projection of WHO and its donors by the Nigeria media.

Conclusion

Despite several interventions, which worked, made WHO ubiquitous and added awareness and visibility for donors who funded various projects, other factors could have contributed towards achieving results. Notwithstanding, incorporating documentation component into the accountability framework of field staff and clusters has significantly improved communication of WHO’s work and promoted healthy competition for increased visibility.

     

Leiomyoma Arising from Mullerian Remnant,Mimicking Ovarian Tumor in a Woman with MRKH Syndrome and Unilateral Renal Agenesis

Background

Leiomyoma with secondary changes arising from Mullerian remnant may mimic ovarian tumor in women with Mayer-Rockitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome in patients with pelvic mass and urologic abnormalities.

Case Detail

The patient was a 40 years old known case of MRKH, presented with lower abdominal pain and swelling for over one year. On physical examination, large pelvic mass (about 15cm by 10cm) was found and a diagnosis of ovarian tumor was made by imaging which also showed absent right kidney. Finally, the mass was found to be a big leiomyoma with areas of hyaline, edematous and cystic degenerations.

Conclusion

Although leiomyoma arising from rudimentary Mullerian bulb is a rare condition, it should be considered in differential diagnosis of pelvic mass in patients with MRKH. Possibility of urologic abnormalities should also be considered in these patients and appropriate work up per local context should be made.     

Spice and Condiment Plants for the Traditional Beverages and,Food Stuff Preparation and Utilization,Southern Ethiopia

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - The study was carried out to investigate the traditional use of the spice and condiment plant species, and to...