Search

Background: Despite the huge burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) among Nigerian children, the burden and outcome of respiratory illnesses remain undocumented. Thus, we aimed to describe the spectrum and outcome of respiratory illnesses among SCD childrenand adolescentadmissions in ten Nigerian tertiary hospitals. Method: A retrospective review of the SCD admission records of children and adolescents with a confirmed diagnosis of respiratory illnesses from 2012 to 2021 in ten tertiary health facilities across five geopolitical zones in Nigeria was conducted. The data, collectedbetween March and June 2023, included the age, sex, diagnosis, complications, duration and outcome of hospitalization. Results: Of the 72,333 paediatric admissions, 7,256 (10.0%) had SCD; the proportion of SCD from the total admission ranged from 2.1 to 16.3% in the facilities. Of the 7,256 children and adolescents with SCD, 1,213 (16.7%) had respiratory morbidities. Lower respiratory disease was the most common (70.0%) respiratory entity and the majority were pneumonia (40.1.0%), followed by acute chest syndrome (26.7%). Seventeen (1.4%) patients died; all had lower respiratory diseases [(acute chest syndrome ACS (11, 64.7%), pneumonia; 5, 29.4%, and asthma (1, 5.9%). Based on the proportion of deaths among overall SCD, the 17 death cases contributed 9.4% (95% CI 5.9 to 14.5). Factors associated with deaths included duration of hospitalization less than 72 hours and lower respiratory tract diseases. Conclusion: Sickle cell disease is a major contributor to hospitalization among Nigerian children and adolescents, with high respiratory morbidity and mortality. Pneumonia and acute chest syndrome were associated with mortality, andthe highest risk of death within the first 72 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Routine vaccination, a cost-effective means of preventing deadly childhood disease, has a low coverage in Nigeria. The study assessed the willingness of mothers to receive reminder messages for routine vaccination appointments in Northern Nigeria.Methods: A multi-centre cross-sectional study involving at least 363 mother-infant pairs per centre from five states in Northern Nigeria. Data collected include the socio-demographic details, responses on parental phone ownership, mothers' willingness to receive reminders for immunization appointments and the reminder type characteristics. Data analysis was done with SPSS.Results: Of the 1952 mother-infant pairs, ownership of at least one household phone was 97.7%. In total, 1613 (82.6%) mothers were willing to receive reminders. A majority (62.2%) of mothers preferred phone calls. A day before the vaccination appointment was the preferred timing (78.1%), and the predominant communication language was the local language for each region.The odds of being willing to receive reminders were 3.1 times, 2.6 times and 1.8 times higher in those with no formal education, primary education and secondary education, respectively, compared with mothers with tertiary education, each p < 0.05. Mothers who delivered at home were significantly less likely to want reminder messages (p = 0.03).Conclusion: Eight of 10 women in Northern Nigeria are willing to receive a reminder for their child. The predominant mode of reminder preferred is phone calls using the local language. Deployment of mobile phone reminders strategy in Northern Nigeria as a means to improve vaccination uptake is feasible. The institution of this strategy can be in collaboration with service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria remains a major cause of under-five morbidity and mortality in Nigeria, and prompt diagnosis occupies a strategic position in its management. Malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT), a nontechnical, easy to perform test promises to meet this need. It is important to locally document the usefulness of the use of RDT in making prompt malaria diagnosis in children. Objective: To determine the prevalence of malaria and evaluate the diagnostic performance of malaria RDT kit in febrile under-five children presenting to a Tertiary Health Facility in Gusau, North-Western Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of children aged 6-59 months, evaluated for malaria in a tertiary health facility from August 2012 to January 2013. Information was obtained from care providers of all subjects with fever and a presumptive diagnosis of malaria. All subjects were investigated using Giemsa stain microscopy and Carestart? malaria RDT. Results: The prevalence of malaria in 250 febrile under-five children was 54%. Three-quarter (79%) of the children received inappropriate nonrecommended antimalaria prior to their presentation, including 20% who received chloroquine. The overall sensitivity of RDT was 40.3%. The specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 89.6%, 81.8%, and 56.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Use of RDT should be encouraged for screening and diagnosis using a protocol such that febrile children with positive RDT results are confirmed as having malaria while those with negative results are further evaluated using microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the only preventable cardiovascular disease that still causes significant morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria where it is classified as a neglected disease. The inciting agent causes pharyngitis often not properly treated., Aim and Objectives: To study the knowledge and preventive practices of RHD amongst primary healthcare workers who are in contact with larger ratio of populace in order to recommend appropriate interventions., Methodology: A cross-sectional study conducted among health workers in primary health centres in Sokoto metropolis. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to recruit the study participants. A structured questionnaire and focus group discussion guide was used to collect the information. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS version 25., Results: Majority (109/182; 59.8%) had RHD inadequate knowledge of causes, risk factors and treatment of pharyngitis which predisposes to RHD. Only 49 (26.9%) of the respondents knew the name of the causative agent. The knowledge gap was related to length of training and attendance at a training (ꭓ2 = 8.38; P=0.015 & ꭓ2 = 7.92; P=0.004). Majority of the respondents with 168 out of 182 (92.3%) had positive attitude. Practice grading was adequate in only less than half of the respondents (88/182; 48.4%). Male gender and negative attitude were predictors of adequacy of preventive practices (aOR= 0.49; 95% C.I =0.267-0.929; P=0.03 & aOR= 3.87; 95% C.I =1.027-14.586; P=0.046)., Conclusion: The health workers had inadequate knowledge and poor practice on prevention of rheumatic heart disease. It is necessary to upscale information available to them by medical specialists and upgrade their curriculum., Competing Interests: None

Background: Lack of a timely receipt of vaccines can cause uncertain immune response and under-vaccination. Hence, timely vaccination is crucial to ensure an infant's early protection., Objectives: To identify the age of presentation for the birth dose vaccines, vaccine antigens received and factors associated with vaccination presentation by day one in Northern Nigeria., Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 1 952 mother-infant pairs enrolled from 5 different states in Northern Nigeria. Data was collected using a questionnaire including the socio-demographic, antenatal care (ANC), delivery details, birth dates, vaccination presentation and birth vaccine antigens received. Data analysis was done with the SPSS-21 software., Findings: The median age of the infants at presentation for birth vaccines was six (interquartile range 2-16) days. A total of 413 (21.2%) infants were brought by the day of birth (day 0) or the next day (Day one), while one-fifth (20.6%) presented after Day 28. The most frequently received antigen was the Bacille-Calmette-Guerin by 1 781 infants (91.2%), oral polio vaccine 1 703 (87.2%), and hepatitis B vaccine birth dose the lowest at 75.1% (1 565). The commonest reasons for delayed presentations were an ill baby (24.7%) and an ill mother (21.9%).Factors associated with presentation within Day one post-birth were hospital delivery (OR-1.67, 95% CI; 1.28-2.19), firstborn (OR-1.40; 95%CI; 1.02-1.93), Christianity (OR-2.14 95% CI; 1.63-2.81), and mother with tertiary education (OR-1.62, 95% CI; 1.05-2.48)., Conclusion: Timely administration of the birth dose vaccines is low in Northern Nigeria. Furthermore, some babies do not get the required vaccines despite presenting for vaccination due to stockout. Strategies for early neonatal vaccination such as vaccination in hospital suites post-delivery and utilizing relatives/fathers to take the baby for vaccination when a mother is indisposed are imperative., Competing Interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s).)