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Introduction: Globally, hypertension is considered a public health problem affecting over 1.3 billion individuals of which 60% need reminders to take medication to achieve adherence, optimal blood pressure and avert complications. Literature shows electronic short message reminders (eSMS) improved medication adherence., Objective: To determine the effect of e-SMS reminders on medication adherence among hypertensive patients in Katsina State., Methods: A quasi-experimental study was employed to determine the effect of e-SMS reminders on medication adherence among 252 control and 252 intervention groups selected using a multistage sampling technique. e-SMS reminders were sent to the intervention group only. Data was collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire, and analysed using IBM-SPSS-25, while medication adherence was assessed using the 8-item Modified Morisky Adherence Scale., Results: The commonest respondents' age group was 40-49 years (23.8%) and Male-Female ratio was 0.8:1 Majority were Hausas (97.6%) by tribe and Muslims (98%). Adherence in the study group was 59.5% and 75.9% (P<0.001) that of the control group was 63.1% and 66% at pre and post-intervention stages respectively. Factors associated with adherence in the intervention group were sex, occupation, insurance coverage, and being in the 4th wealth quintile. e-SMS reminder increased adherence in the intervention groups by >16% (P<0.001) In the control group, males were 3.4 times more likely to adhere to medication than females (aOR 3.4; 95% CI 1.4-8.3) while in the intervention group, business tycoons were 3 times more likely to adhere to medication than other occupations (aOR 3.7; 95% CI 1.006-13.75;)., Conclusion: e-SMS reminders significantly increased adherence to the intervention. Determinants of adherence were occupation, male sex, insurance coverage, and being in the 4th wealth quintile. It is recommended that the State Hospital Management Board integrate e-SMS reminders as part of hypertension treatment protocols due to their potential to improve medication adherence., Competing Interests: The Authors declare that no competing interest exists, (Copyright © 2024 by West African Journal of Medicine.)

Objectives: Healthcare workers were prioritised to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria. Administration of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria was challenging because of a lack of trust in vaccine safety and vaccine effectiveness among healthcare workers, who are expected to provide reliable information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases in the communities. Hence, their acceptance and attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive practices could influence the acceptance of the vaccine by the local population. This cross-sectional study assessed the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Katsina State. We predicted the variables that increased the vaccine acceptance using logistic regression analysis., Setting: This hospital-based study was conducted at primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Nigeria., Participants: A total of 793 healthcare workers were included in this study. Of these, 65.4% (n=519) were male., Outcome Measures: To assess acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine measures, and factors increasing acceptance among healthcare workers., Results: Of the healthcare workers, 80% (638) were tested for the SARS-CoV-2, of whom 10.8% (n=65) tested positive. Approximately 97% (n=765) of them believed that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe, and 90% (n=714) received the first dose of the vaccine. Healthcare workers between 30 and 39 years were more likely to accept the vaccine (aOR: 7.06; 95% CI 2.36 to 21.07; p<0.001). Those who had been tested for COVID-19 were more likely (aOR:7.64; 95% CI 3.62 to 16.16; p<0.001) to accept the vaccine., Conclusions: Our findings showed that the age and prior COVID-19 testing were the main factors influencing the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. There was high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Katsina State, Nigeria. Future studies should focus on the completion of doses and serological testing for immunity., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Lassa fever is an acute hemorrhagic viral disease caused by the Lassa virus. The Lassa virus belongs to the Arenaviridae family of RNA viruses. On 05/04/2016; two cases of Lassa fever were reported from Katsina State with the date of presentation of the first case on 23/03/2016 and 27/03/ 2016 for the second case. We investigated the outbreak to identify the agent and the source and propose recommendations as well as to assess the practice of infection, prevention and control (IPC)., Methods: We used descriptive study to describe contact tracing and facility assessment. We described the outbreak by time, place, and person. We defined a case using established guidelines and line-listed the contacts. We conducted IPC facility check in the state. Blood specimens were collected for Lassa fever detection. Microsoft Excel and Epi-info version 7.1.6 were used for data analysis., Results: The index case of Lassa fever in Katsina State was seen on 23/03/2016 with a travel history from Kaduna State. The second case had contact with a positive Lassa fever case from Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory (FCT). A total of 82 contacts were line listed (9 developed Lassa fever). The case fatality rate was 27.3%. IPC checklist revealed 37.5% of the health facilities lacked personal protective equipment and safety boxes, 25% lacked isolation wards, and none had chlorine solution. Overall, 61% of personnel had poor knowledge of Lassa fever, 31% had fair knowledge and 8% had good knowledge., Conclusion: A multiple-source epidemic with sources of primary infection from outside Katsina state was noted. Most of the health facilities assessed lack basic IPC materials and knowledge on Lassa fever which should be addressed., Competing Interests: The Authors declare that no competing interest exists., (Copyright © 2023 by West African Journal of Medicine.)