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Mite composition of samples of house dusts of atopic Nigerian patients were analysed. Out of a total of 263 mites isolated, 10 different species, all of which are being documented for the first time in Nigeria have emerged. The result of this analysis was correlated with provocative allergic skin tests performed on these patients using allergenic reagents. The role of Dermatophagoides species and Blomia tropicalis in the atopic Nigerian patient is defined while the immunological, clinical and therapeutic implications are discussed.

Medical statistics is essential in the training of all categories of health workers and early involvement with the subject is advocated during the training of these health personnel. Four important areas of the application of statistical methods have been defined, namely, (1) the study of specific rates, (2) evaluation of clinical trial of drugs, (3) the assessment of factors affecting health or disease, and (4) the establishment of new avenues of medical research. Using examples from the training of the undergraduate medical student, the midwife and the family planning field health worker, different aspects of medical statistics should be emphasized at different levels of learning depending on the professional or academic needs of the trainee health worker.

Training in information systems and computer science was introduced as part of the course in the post graduate degree programme in public health (M.P.H.) of the University of Lagos. The academic staff of the department of Community Health with the cooperation of specialists in the allied fields reviewed the module of the information systems and computer science in conjunction with the module of medical statistics for the M.P.H. course. The need for the knowledge, the syllabus of the module and the examination aspects are discussed. The University of Lagos Faculty concludes that it is reasonable to continue to allocate 10% of the academic teaching time to these topics.

This paper describes mortality patterns among young adults aged 15 to 44 years seen at the Ahmadu Bello University Hospital, Kaduna, during the 3 year-period from January 1971 to December 1973. The findings among those under working-age (infants and children) and those above the age of 44 years have not been included. The prevention of mortality in this age group is an urgent priority because mortality at this period may be sufficient to cause the nation a serious economic and social loss. Mortality patterns are described in terms of age, sex and ethnic variations; figures on preventable deaths in different age groups are given. The infective and parasitic diseases (ICD 000-136) account for a high proportion of the deaths, being commoner in younger than in older adults. Meningitis and tuberculosis are responsible for over 50% of the deaths from infections. Many deaths are associated with adverse social and environmental conditions and should be preventable; chief of these is road traffic accident. Some complications of pregnancy and childbirth, too, are preventable. Obstructed labor, hemorrhage and eclampsia are high on the list of causes of maternal deaths. For the different categories of causes of mortality there are suggestions for epidemiological research to identify high risk groups and thus make possible surveillance, early diagnosis and the applications of preventive measures. Education in accident prevention is important and there should be more campaigns for safety on the road; it may also be necessary to back up health education with properly enforced legislation. The prevention of mortality among young adults could be measured in terms of the economic contributions that avoidance of these untimely deaths could have contributed as an asset to the national income. It is suggestsed that a mortality register should be established in each hospital in the country, and such registers may subsequently form the basis for a State or National Atlas of Disease Mortality.