Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood donations and transfusions in Nigeria ­ A multi-facility study of 34 tertiary hospitals

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected blood supplies globally. Mobile blood drive campaigns halted, and voluntary blood donations reduced, challenging available blood supplies. Furthermore, fears of virus transmission led to deferrals of elective surgeries and non-urgent clinical procedures with noticeable declines in blood donations and transfusions. Aims: We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of blood donations and transfusions across the country by blood product type across various hospital departments. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood services in 34 tertiary hospitals in Nigeria, comparing January to July 2019 (pre-COVID-19) to January to July 2020 (peri-COVID-19). Data were collected from the country's web-based software District Health Information System, Version 2 (DHIS2). Results: A 17.1% decline in numbers of blood donations was observed over the study period, especially in April 2020 (44.3%), a 21.7% decline in numbers of blood transfusions, especially in April 2020 (44.3%). The largest declines in transfusion were noted in surgery department for fresh frozen plasma (80.1%) [p = 0.012] and accident and emergency department transfusion of platelets (78.3%) [p = 0.005]. The least decline of statistical significance was observed in internal medicine transfusions of whole blood (19.6%) [p = 0.011]. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the numbers of blood donations and transfusions in Nigeria. Strengthening blood services to provide various blood components and secure safe blood supplies during public health emergencies is therefore critical.

Inter-professional rivalry in Nigerian health sector: a search for a potential beginning

Background: Inter-professional rivalry (IPR) in Nigerian health sector has become a common practice for over a decade due to abuse of the existing laws and ethics governing the operations of the professional cadres manning the health institutions in the country. This has led to incessant strikes by the different cadres in the hospitals across the country, thereby affecting the quality of services delivered by all the categories of healthcare staff. This study was aimed at identifying the initial source of the problem by interviewing the students of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences of Bayero University Kano (BUK) and that of Yusuf Maitama Sule University (YUMSUK) and those that have passed their examinations and joined the clinical and allied science departments in Bayero University Kano. The Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences is the initial confluent point where all medical and students of allied sciences receive their training together especially in the first and second year of their training. Method: A random sampling method was used to select the subjects. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed but 139 (69.5%) students at various levels of training filled and returned the questionnaire. Results: Females constituted 62 (44.6%), while the male were 77 (55.4%). Those in level 4 and 6 dominated the study with 55 (39.6%) and 41 (29.5%) respectively. Medical students and students of Physiology program constituted 42(30.2%) and 23(16.5%) respectively. Majority of the students 126 (90.6%) chose their respective courses without external influence and 85 (61.2%) believed that their course of study has a supportive role in the health care system. Up to 63 (45.3%) believed there is no superiority among the various courses of study. Of the factors fueling superiority feelings among students, 70 (50.4%) did not provide any reason, while those that believe professional bodies encourage it constituted 40 (28.8%), followed by teachers 11 (7.9%) and students themselves 10 (7.2%). Superiority feelings lead to rivalry among the various programs as opined by 78 (56.1%), chaos in the health sector 26 (18.7%) and poor patients management 12 (8.6%). Majority, 61 (43.9%) believed that rivalry in health sector can be prevented by giving uniform opportunity to all professional group. Conclusion: It is clear that half of the students interviewed were not aware of superiority feeling among the different programs of study. However, professional bodies rank first among the factors fueling superiority feeling during undergraduate training. Superiority feeling has negative effects on the healthcare system, one of which is rivalry among the healthcare staff and it can be avoided by giving uniform opportunity to different professional groups

Oxidant status of children infected with plasmodium falciparum malaria in Katsina metropolis, Northwestern Nigeria

Background: Malaria is a global menace caused by the transfer of a plasmodium parasite to a host by an infected anopheles mosquito. Upon infection; the overwhelmed host releases free radicals which have the capacity to induce oxidative damage by lipid peroxidation. This study was undertaken to assess the effect of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum on some antioxidant markers and lipid peroxidation levels in children attending hospitals in Katsina State; Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from untreated subjects upon confirmation of Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia using the Giemsa stain technique. One hundred and sixty (160) consenting individuals (80 infected patients and 80 uninfected subjects) comprising of both sexes were randomly selected. The levels of antioxidant markers and malondialdehyde (MDA) - a lipid peroxidation marker were determined. Descriptive analysis was employed using SPSS version 16.0 and significance between groups was ascertained using students' T-test. Results: P. falciparum malarial infection significantly (p 0.05) reduced the antioxidant markers [vitamins A; C; et E; and reduced glutathione (GSH)] by 65.4%; 29.7%; 48.1%; 40.4% respectively in males and by 54.2%; 36.6%; 55.7% ; 36.6% in females when compared with values obtained from uninfected; healthy children. Conversely; lipid peroxidation levels were significantly (p 0.05) higher in children with parasitaemia than in nonparasitaemic controls. Males showed greater than 200% increase; while it increased by 138% in females. Conclusion: Our findings indicate a reciprocal relationship; where high levels of lipid peroxidation correspond to low levels of antioxidants; which may be due to over utilization of the antioxidants in order to counteract the effect of free radicals. This may be responsible for oxidative stress and consequently; tissue damage associated with pathology of malaria in Nigerian children