Search

Background: Urinary Schistosomiasis (US) caused by Schistosoma haematobium constitutes a major public health problem in Nigeria. Efforts in this study were devoted to evaluate the current prevalence and associated risk factors on the intensity of disease burden. Methods: A survey was conducted with the use of semi-structured questionnaires to collect sociodemographic and anthropometric data of the pupils. Urine samples were collected from One hundred and two (102) pupils for microscopic analysis for the detection of S.haematobium eggs. Results: Of the 102 children (age ranges between 5-15 years) examined, prevalence of infection was (80/102) 78 % of which (44/102) 43 % were heavy and (36/102) 35 % mild while (22/102) 22 % were negative (p washing of clothes in streams > playing / bathing in rivers> unknown > mosquito bites > fresh water snail. No significant difference exists between the risk factors (p>0.05). The mean age, weight, height, waist circumference and hip circumference of the negative individuals (both males and females) were significantly higher than that of their positive counterpart (p 0.05). Similarly, there was no significant difference in the mean hip circumference of the heavy and mild infected male and female (p>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that there is significant correlation between infection status and age (r= 0.385, p>0.01), weight (r = 0.404, p>0.01), height (r=0.401, p>0.01), waist (r=0.396, p>0.01), hip circumference (r=0.415, p>0.01) and risk factor (r=-0.231, p>0.05). Risk factor is not significant to age, weight, height, waist, hip circumference and infection status (p>0.05). Conclusion: Prevalence rate obtained in the study was high, an indication that the region is endemic by WHO classification. This calls for an urgent effective urinary schistosomiasis control programme in the zone.

Africa being part of the global village is challenged by unprecedented and persistent emerging infectious diseases threats and outbreaks. Recent memories of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreaks in Saudi Arabia (2012) and South Korea (2015), West Africa Ebola viral disease outbreak and public health humanitarian crisis (2014) and China’s SARS outbreaks. Various differences and similarities between these diseases have triggered serious concerns and magnified that similar outbreaks could occur anywhere in the world with lingering health complications, socio-political and economic crises. Yet, there is dearth of knowledge on MERS-CoV reservoirs, risk factors of emergence, infectivity and transmissibility in Africa and globally. This paper highlights forward approaches and key activities to the African Union, governments and institutions and all stakeholders including public-private partnership. These play paramount roles in providing information and support to address MERS-CoV and other emerging infectious diseases research gaps, (2) promoting community alertness and resilience in preparedness, (3) fostering effective and coordinated logistics in risk communication, planning and response in MERS-CoV public mobilization literacy and awareness, advocacy and mitigation. There is an urgent need to establish an integrated and strategic evidence-based local and nationwide surveillance and response capacity, (5) better understand the MERS-CoV animal reservoir(s) and human-human infectivity and transmissibility, and (6) implement informed community-based or national threat and epidemics actionable emergency insurance facility and compensation schemes. Conclusively, improved early warning, active and integrated epidemiological and genomic surveillance indicators data gathering to inform and guide effective and community resilience capability in consolidating and upholding knowledge gains from “One Health Surveillance Network” and best practices in achieving “One Health” and global health security.