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In developing nations, anaemia is one of the most prevalent medical conditions. It has long been known that parasite infection during pregnancy is one of the main causes of anaemia and an elevated risk of maternal mortality. To ascertain the prevalence and risk factors related to parasite infections and anaemia among pregnant women receiving prenatal care in some selected public health facilities in Kaduna State, Nigeria, an eleven-month cross-sectional study of 180 consenting pregnant women was conducted from February to December 2017. A standardized questionnaire was used to interview the sampled pregnant women. Stool and blood samples of each consented pregnant woman were collected. Formal-ether sedimentation technique, thin and thick blood smears and haematocrit packed cell volume capillary methods were used to screen intestinal helminth parasites, plasmodium species and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) respectively. The result obtained showed parasitic infections prevalence of 102(56.7%) among the study population. Prevalence of Plasmodium species, hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides and those with co-infection all occurred at 47.2%, 16.7%, 17.8% and 25.0% respectively. Age, educational level, trimester and parity were all significant predictors of Plasmodium species prevalence (p<0.005). Similarly, parity and educational level were significantly (p<0.005) associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasites and co-infection. Anaemia was present in 40.0% of the examined pregnant women. Trimester and educational level were highly significant (p<0.001) predictors of anaemia among the sampled pregnant women. Plasmodium species were the most common parasitic species associated with anaemia as 43.1% of Plasmodium species-infected pregnant women had anaemia compared to those with intestinal helminth infection (30.6%) and co-infection (13.3%). However, statistical analysis revealed a significant association (p<0.05) between the prevalence of anaemia and intestinal helminth infection. Therefore, measures such as improved sanitation and health education are needed to lessen the prevalence of parasitic infections and parasite-related anaemia in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous consumption of sachet and tap water in Nigeria is of public health significance as the potential bacterial water contaminants could develop resistance to commonly used antimicrobials. This study was carried out to assess the bacteriological quality and TLC-Bio autographic profile of water samples using M. oleifera leaf extract. One hundred samples comprising 50 sachets and 50 tap water were collected from five different locations in Katsina metropolis. Most probable number (MPN) was used to identify indicator bacteria and characterized using biochemical tests followed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing identification. The results showed that the pH and temperature level of all the samples were significantly different. Turbidity (0.2-0.47NTU), dissolved oxygen (1.34-2.03mg/L and 0.85-2.45mg/L) and biological oxygen demand (0.49-1.09mg/L and 0.19-0.59mg/L) were below the minimum permissible limits set by WHO and NAFDAC (=5). Total coliform counts exceeded limits of 2 MPN/100ml and Escherichia coli was detected from tap water of Kofar Marusa, Kofar Durbi and Kofar Kaura as well as the sachet water of Kofar Marusa and Kofar Keke. However, there was no statistically significant difference (P=0.05) between the total coliform counts of both sachet and tap water. The 16S rRNA gene identification showed the presence of Escherichia marmotae and Enterobacter kobei in both sachet and tap water. The GC-MS demonstrated that M. oleifera leaf extract contained 9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic acid, ethyl ester, Octadec-9-enoic acid and Hexadecanoic acid, The TLC-bioautography result indicate antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones ranging from 15±0.00 to 19.5±4.95mm (E. coli) to 23.5±6.36mm (E. faecalis) and 20±0.00 to 22±1.41mm (E. faecium). Waterborne faecal bacterial contaminants were found associated with the sachet and tap water analyzed. M. oleifera leaf has bioactive principles with nobility to be used as candidate for drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Typical ageing changes and the associated health concerns frequently manifest themselves as reduction in their efficiency and functional capacity., Objective: To identify the socioeconomic and lifestyle determinants of the functional capacity of elderly patients., Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 329 patients aged ≥ 60 years who presented to the General Outpatient Clinic. Data on socioeconomic, lifestyle, and functional capacity were collected. The functional capacity was assessed by the self-reported questionnaires: the Lawton and Katz indexes for the activity of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) respectively. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to determine associations between the variables. The level of significance was set at a p-value ≤ 0.05., Results: A total of 312 respondents completed the study, with 59.6% females and a mean age of 67.67 ± 7.69 years. The majority of the respondents (76.3%) belong to the low socioeconomic status (classes V and VI). The prevalence of functional dependence was 21.5% and 44.2% for ADL and IADL respectively. The disability in continence and food preparation had the highest prevalence among the components of ADL and IADL respectively. Advancing age, Hausa/Fulani tribe, polygamy, poor social support, and chronic pain were the determinants of functional dependence in ADL while age, female gender, marital status, and Fulani tribe were the determinants of functional dependence in IADL among the respondents., CONCLUSION: The identified determinants of functional capacity among the older persons should be considered when assessing their functional capacity in the primary care or similar settings., Competing Interests: The Authors declare that no competing interest exists., (Copyright © 2023 by West African Journal of Medicine.)

Background: With the global increase in chronic wounds and the paucity of studies on patient experiences at wound care facilities, we assessed the factors associated with satisfaction with wound care services among patients or their caregivers in a Northwest Nigerian outpatient setting., Methods: Participants were systematically selected from patients or their caregivers attending the General Outpatient Clinic of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, for wound dressing. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information regarding their sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and satisfaction with service domains. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods., Results: There were 170 participants. Their mean age was 31.9±11.4 years, and they were mainly female (55.3%). The overall satisfaction rate was 85.9% (146/170); however, 51.8% and 55.3% of participants were dissatisfied with the advice on home wound care and waiting time, respectively. Employment status, wound location, having sickle cell disease, needing a wheelchair to reach the wound dressing room and perceived availability of a wheelchair were associated with overall satisfaction (P<0.05). The predictors of overall satisfaction were chronic wounds, wound in areas other than the lower limbs/buttocks, and perceived availability of wheelchairs., Conclusion: The overall satisfaction rate was high despite service gaps. However, future improvement in patient satisfaction will require addressing challenges such as the waiting time before wound dressing, equipment (e.g., wheelchairs), and staffing., Competing Interests: The Authors declare that no competing interest exists., (Copyright © 2022 by West African Journal of Medicine.)

Background: Integrated transmission assessment surveys (iTAS) have been recommended for evaluation of the transmission of both lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis as the prevalence of both diseases moves toward their respective elimination targets in Nigeria. Therefore, we conducted an iTAS between May and December 2017 in five local government areas (LGAs), also known as implementation units (IUs), in states of Cross River, Taraba and Yobe in Nigeria., Methods: The TAS comprised two phases: the Pre-iTAS and the iTAS itself. Three states (Cross River, Taraba and Yobe), comprising five LGAs and 20 communities that have completed five rounds of combined treatment with ivermectin and albendazole for LF and 12 total rounds of ivermectin, were selected for inclusion in the study. All participants were tested with the Filariasis Test Strip (FTS; Alere Inc.) and the Biplex rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT; identifying filaria antigens Ov16/Wb123; Abbott diagnosctics Korea Inc.). Pre iTAS included 100 children ages 5-9 in each 4 communities and 300 individuals ages 10 and older in a subset of two communities.  For the iTAS, only LGAs where antigenemia prevalence in all sampled communities during the Pre-iTAS was < 2% for LF were selected., Results: Of the five LGAs included in the study, four met the cutoff of the Pre-iTAS and were included in the iTAS; the Ikom LGA was excluded from the iTAS due to antigenemia prevalence. A total of 11,531 school-aged children from 148 schools were tested for LF and onchocerciasis across these four LGAs, including 2873 children in Bade, 2622 children in Bekwara, 3026 children in Gashaka and 3010 children in Karim Lamido. Using the FTS, all samples from Bade and Karim Lamido were negative, whereas 0.2% of the samples from Bekwara and Gashaka were positive. Using the Biplex RDT, LF prevalence in Bade, Bekwara, Gashaka and Karim Lamido was < 0.1%, 0.5%, 0.4% and < 0.1%, respectively. Moreover, all samples from Bade and Karim Lamido were negative for onchocerciasis, whereas 3.1% and 1.8% of the samples from Bekwara and Gashaka were positive, respectively., Conclusion: This study has provided additional information on the current burden of onchocerciasis and LF in the four IUs sampled where mass drug administration (MDA) for both infections has been ongoing for years. The study identifies that LF-MDA can be safely stopped in all four of the IUs studied, but that MDA for onchocerciasis needs to continue, even though this may pose a challenge for LF surveillance. Based on the preliminary results from all four sites, this study has fulfilled the primary objective of determining the programmatic feasibility of an iTAS as a tool to simultaneously assess onchocerciasis and LF prevalence in areas co-endemic for the two infections that have completed the recommended treatment for one or both infections, and to make decisions on how to proceed., (© 2022. The Author(s).)