Practice of food hygiene among nursing mothers attending under-five clinics in a rural community in Edo State, Nigeria

Children under the age of five are prone to foodborne diseases, resulting from poor food hygiene because of their less effective immune systems. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of food hygiene among nursing mothers attending under-five clinics.Method: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study, involving 330 nursing mothers attending the under-five clinic in health care facilities. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.A p-value < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was considered statistically significant.Result: Eighty-two percent of the respondents had good knowledge of food hygiene; 95.2% had a good attitude and 82.7% demonstrated good practice. Knowledge on food hygiene was significantly associated with the age of the respondents (P=0.008) and their educational status (P=0.001), those with tertiary education doing better. Similarly, respondents with tertiary education had significantly better attitude (P=0.001 and practice (P=0.001). The predictors of knowledge on food hygiene were education status (odds ratio [OR] =0.249, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.126, 0.492) and occupation of the respondents (OR = 2.158, 95% CI: 1.156, 4.026). Educational status was also the predictor for positive attitude (OR =0.143, 95% CI: 0.031, 0.667) and practice of food hygiene (OR =0.394, 95% CI: 0.210, 0.738).Conclusion: The knowledge, attitude and practice of food hygiene among the respondents was good. Predictors of knowledge included level of education and occupation. Government at the State and Local Government levels should organize regular health promotion on food hygiene.

Interventions to improve health literacy in Nigeria: systematic review of effectiveness and policy recommendations

Background: Health literacy plays a crucial role in enabling individuals to navigate and make informed decisions within the healthcare system. It encompasses the ability to understand, interpret, and act upon medical information and instructions, as well as the capacity to source and analyse relevant health information for preventive measures and self-care. This paper explores the interventions aimed at improving health literacy in Nigeria and synthesizes policy recommendations for the Nigerian government. Method: A systematic literature review based on the PRISMA methods was carried out to identify published interventions and reported effectiveness in the Nigerian population. A search strategy using key words health literacy and health interventions was executed in PubMed, Embase and African Index Medicus. A total of 268 records were screened for relevance and 18 were identified. Results: Of the 18 reports identified, 13 interventions were effective, 3 interventions had mixed results reporting effectiveness in some domains and ineffectiveness in other important domains, while 2 interventions were not effective. The nature of effectiveness in the interventions was based on the outcomes as reported in the identified studies. Conclusion: The health literacy situation in Nigeria provides a background into some of the challenges faced in achieving universal health coverage and promoting health in Nigeria. Low literacy rates, particularly in its many rural areas, the lack of functional, communicative, and critical health literacy competencies among many adults, as conceptualised in literature pose a significant obstacle to health literacy development in Nigeria. Many of the health literacy interventions have been effective to address various aspects of health literacy on a rather small scale. To comprehensively address the problem, collaborative efforts involving the government, healthcare professionals, non-governmental organisations, media, and the community are necessary.

Child health promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic: A health and welfare sector collaboration

Background: Fragmented service provision and a lack of efficient cooperation between health and welfare sectors serving children and families remain ongoing challenges in South Africa. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic escalated this fragmentation. A community of practice (CoP) was established by the Centre for Social Development in Africa to promote collaboration between the sectors and to assist communities in their environments. Aim: To explore and describe collaboration on child health promotion between professional nurses and social workers, who formed part of the CoP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting: The study was conducted in five public schools from four of the seven district regions of the City of Johannesburg, Gauteng province. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design was employed to conduct psychosocial and health screenings of children and their families. Focus group interviews were conducted, and field notes were used to collect and confirm data from the team. Results: Four themes emerged. Participants shared their positive and negative experiences faced during the fieldwork, their realisation of the value of collaboration between various sectors and their desire and capacity to do more. Conclusion: Participants indicated that collaboration between the health and welfare sectors is vital to support and promote the health of children and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for collaboration between these sectors in the children and their families' ongoing struggles.

Child health promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic: A health and welfare sector collaboration

Background: Fragmented service provision and a lack of efficient cooperation between health and welfare sectors serving children and families remain ongoing challenges in South Africa. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic escalated this fragmentation. A community of practice (CoP) was established by the Centre for Social Development in Africa to promote collaboration between the sectors and to assist communities in their environments. Aim: To explore and describe collaboration on child health promotion between professional nurses and social workers, who formed part of the CoP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting: The study was conducted in five public schools from four of the seven district regions of the City of Johannesburg, Gauteng province. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design was employed to conduct psychosocial and health screenings of children and their families. Focus group interviews were conducted, and field notes were used to collect and confirm data from the team. Results: Four themes emerged. Participants shared their positive and negative experiences faced during the fieldwork, their realisation of the value of collaboration between various sectors and their desire and capacity to do more. Conclusion: Participants indicated that collaboration between the health and welfare sectors is vital to support and promote the health of children and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for collaboration between these sectors in the children and their families' ongoing struggles. Contribution: The importance of these sectors being engaged as a team highlighted the multisectoral influence shaping child development outcomes, supporting children's human rights and advancing social and economic justice.

Fighting COVID-19 and HIV through community mobilisation: lessons from an integrated approach to the Africa CDC Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT) initiative in seven countries

Recent literature has shown how the HIV architecture, including community systems, has been critical for fighting COVID-19 in many countries, while sustaining the HIV response. Innovative initiatives suggest that fostering the integration of health services would help address the colliding pandemics. However, there are few documented real-life examples of community mobilisation strategies responding to COVID-19 and HIV. The African Union and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) launched the Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT) in june 2020 with the goal of training and deploying one million community health workers across the continent. UNAIDS partnered with Africa CDC to implement the PACT initiative in seven countries, i.e. Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi and Namibia. The initiative engaged networks of people living with HIV and community-led organisations to support two of its pillars, test and trace, and the sensitisation to protective measures against COVID-19 for the most vulnerable populations. It later expanded to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines. Based on the assessment of country projects, this article explains how PACT activities implemented by communities contributed to mitigating COVID-19 and HIV among vulnerable and marginalised groups. This article contributes to a better understanding of the impact of a community-based approach in responding effectively to emerging health threats and provides lessons from integrated COVID-19 and HIV community-led responses.

Application of kingdon and hall models to review environmental sanitation and health promotion policy in Ethiopia: a professional perspective as a review

BACKGROUND: In the world, many countries, including Ethiopia, are framing policies to roll back the problem of the sanitation. For this, the Kingdon and Hall models are the two distinct models formed to articulate the policy agenda to the health problem. The Kingdon model includes problem, policy and politics streams whereas the Hall model includes legitimacy, feasibility and support of the health policies. Therefore, this review aims to integrate the two models with diseases prevention and health promotion policies of Ethiopia. METHODS: We used the existing frameworks of the models as a guiding principle. Then, we applied the frameworks of the two models as an important consideration to interlink policy agenda to a given health problem. We also described the existing scientific literature about the sanitation and health promotion. After thoroughly reviewing, possible policy inputs and country setups were included with a brief discussion by comparing different kinds of literatures. RESULTS: The two models are recognized as an opportunity to get an essential sanitation policy. The government settled and has closed links to the new innovation as an emerged discourse. Therefore, the two model streams came together for setting sanitation problem on the policy agenda. The technical feasibility, public acceptability and congruence with existing values were all judged to be favorable. CONCLUSION: The integration of policies within the policy frameworks has very important outputs in various countries. Therefore, the field specialists should figure out the problem of policy integration through policy evaluation researches

The status of health promotion in Botswana

Health education and promotion remains an integral part of public health. This paper details health promotion activities in Botswana since the establishment of the profession in 1988. It further describes health promotion infrastructure, investment in health promotion, human resource training and collaborations within the country. Infrastructure and services for health promotion in the country are mainly provided by government through educational institutions, faith based organizations, non-governmental organizations, general medical practitioners and mining companies complementing the Ministry's efforts. More than 1000 health promotion cadres have been trained at certificate, diploma and degree levels by Boitekanelo College and the Ministry of Health through Serowe Institute of Health Sciences

African federation for emergency medicine's francophone working group ­ may 2018 report

Even though the African Federation for Emergency Medicine (AFEM) has been successfully developing emergency care in Africa for the past nine years, a considerable amount of potential AFEM members from the African-Francophone countries are not able to access AFEM resources. In response, an AFEM Francophone Working Group has been created to coordinate all existing and new initiatives to promote emergency care in African-Francophone countries

Community health workers in Lesotho: experiences of health promotion activities

Background: Lesotho adopted primary health care in 1979, and community health workers (CHWs) were included in the programme to focus on health promotion, particularly to reach people in underserved rural areas. Although the CHW programme has been successful, the heavy burden of disease because of HIV and/or AIDS and tuberculosis shifted resources from health promotion to home-based care. Aim: The study explored the lived experience of CHWs in conducting health promotion activities in Lesotho.Setting: The study was conducted in four health centres in Berea district, Lesotho. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using an interviewer guide translated from English into Sesotho for four CHW focus group discussions, four individual interviews of key informants and four semi-structured interviews with the health centre nurses.Results: The roles of CHWs in health promotion ranged from offering basic first aid and home-based care to increasing access to health care services by taking patients to the facilities and promoting behaviour change through health education. Their perceived successes included increased access to health care services and reduced mortality rates. CHW challenges involved their demotivation to carry out their work because of lack of or inconsistent financial incentives and supplies, work overload which compromises quality of their work and limited community involvement.Conclusion: This study concludes that CHWs are beneficial to health promotion and its various activities. They had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, although they did not fully comprehend that what they were describing was, in fact, health promotion. When it came to advocacy, CHWs did not fully understand it, nor did they consider it as part of their roles, although they acknowledged its importance. Their role of increasing access to health care services by accompanying patients to the facilities has increased considerably because of changes in disease burden. This is affecting their ability to practise other health promotion activities which focus on disease prevention

Integrated morbidity management for lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis, Ethiopia

Problem Lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis are the major causes of tropical lymphoedema in Ethiopia. The diseases require a similar provision of care, but until recently the Ethiopian health system did not integrate the morbidity management. Approach To establish health-care services for integrated lymphoedema morbidity management, the health ministry and partners used existing governmental structures. Integrated disease mapping was done in 659 out of the 817 districts, to identify endemic districts. To inform resource allocation, trained health extension workers carried out integrated disease burden assessments in 56 districts with a high clinical burden. To ensure standard provision of care, the health ministry developed an integrated lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis morbidity management guideline, containing a treatment algorithm and a defined package of care. Experienced professionals on lymphoedema management trained government-employed health workers on integrated morbidity management. To monitor the integration, an indicator on the number of lymphoedema-treated patients was included in the national health management information system.Local setting In 2014, only 24% (87) of the 363 health facilities surveyed provided lymphatic filariasis services, while 12% (44) provided podoconiosis services.Relevant changes To date, 542 health workers from 53 health centres in 24 districts have been trained on integrated morbidity management. Between July 2013 and June 2016, the national health management information system has recorded 46 487 treated patients from 189 districts.Lessons learnt In Ethiopia, an integrated approach for lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis morbidity management was feasible. The processes used could be applicable in other settings where these diseases are co-endemic

The promotion of oral health within Health Promoting Schools in KwaZulu-Natal

Background. Oral health promotion is a cost-effective strategy that can be implemented at schools for the prevention of oral diseases. The importance and value of school-based interventions in children has been identified in South Africa (SA). Although oral health strategies include integrated school-based interventions, there is a lack of published evidence on whether these strategies have been translated into practice and whether these programmes have been evaluated.Objective. To assess the efficiency and sustainability of the toothbrushing programme implemented at health-promoting schools in KwaZulu-Natal Province, SA.Methods. A mixed-methods approach was used for this study, conducted at 23 health-promoting schools in KwaZulu-Natal using focus group discussions. Triangulation was used for evaluation.Results. The intervention implemented had created awareness of oral health for learners, educators and parents. Findings in this study indicate that although there were benefits obtained from this school-based intervention, many challenges, such as time constraints, large classes and a lack of adequate resources and funding, affected the sustainability of the programme.Conclusion.The school setting has the potential to deliver integrated preventive and promotive programmes provided they are supportedby adequate funding and resources

Implementation of the Road-to-Health-Booklet health promotion messages at primary health care facilities, Western Cape Province, South Africa

Background: Age-specific health promotion messages appear in the Road-to-Health-Booklet, an assessment and monitoring tool for child health in South Africa. Healthcare workers should communicate health promotion messages to caregivers at each clinic visit.Objective: This investigation, part of a larger Road-to-Health-Booklet survey, assessed the implementation of health promotion messages and identified barriers to its successful implementation.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study with analytical components was conducted in the Western Cape Province. Knowledge and practices of caregivers and healthcare workers were assessed at 143 randomly selected primary health care facilities. Information was obtained through questionnaires; direct observation of consultations and recording of health promotion material in facilities.Results: In total, 2442 children (0-36 months; mean age 6.26 ± 6.24 months.); 2481 caregivers and 270 healthcare workers were included. Caregivers' educational level varied, with only 24.3% completing Grade 12. Healthcare workers had a median of five years (0.5 - 37.0 years) work experience in primary health care. All healthcare workers indicated that health promotion messages are important, however, messages were only conveyed in 51% of consultations observed. If communicated, health promotion messages were age-appropriate in 97% of cases. Barriers to the implementation of health promotion messages hinged on time and staff constraints, workload and language barriers.Various forms of health promotion material were available in facilities.Conclusions: Sub-optimal implementation of the health promotion messages in the Road-to-Health-Booklet are apparent despite healthcare workers realising the importance of health promotion.Barriers to optimal implementation must be urgently addressed by the National Department of Health and healthcare workers in partnership with caregivers and supported by society to promote child health and care

Assessing the utilization of a child health monitoring tool

Objective: The study assessed the implementation of growth monitoring and promotion, immunisation, vitamin A supplementation, and deworming sections of the Road-to-Health Booklet. Caregivers and health care workers knowledge, attitudes and practices were investigated as well as health care workers perceptions of barriers undermining implementation.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on a proportional sample of randomly selected Primary Health Care facilities across six health districts (35%; n=143) in the Western Cape Province. Health care workers involved in the implementation of the Road-to-Health Booklet, children (0-36 months) and CGs were included. Information was obtained through scrutiny of the Road-to-Health Booklet, observation of consultations and structured questionnaires.Results: A total of 2442 children, 2481 caregivers and 270 health care workers were recruited. Weight (94.7%) measurements were performed routinely. Less than half (40.2%) of caregivers reported that their child's growth was explained. Sixty-eight percent of health care workers correctly identified criteria for underweight, whereas only 55% and 39% could do so for stunting and wasting respectively. Road-to-Health Booklet sections were completed adequately for immunization (89.3%), vitamin A supplementation (94.6%) but not for deworming (48.8%). Most health care workers (94%) knew the correct regimes for vitamin A supplementation and deworming, but few caregivers knew when treatment was due for vitamin A supplementation (16.4%) and deworming (26.2%). Potential barriers identified related to inadequate training, staff shortages and limited time.Conclusion: Focussed effort and resources should be channelled towards health care workers training and monitoring regarding growth monitoring and promotion to optimize utilization of the Road-to-Health Booklet. Mobilisation of community health workers is needed to strengthen community awareness of preventative health interventions

A critique of proposed strategies for tackling female obesity in Egypt

Background: obesity is a huge health problem in Egypt. Its prevalence is the double among Egyptian females as compared to males. It is estimated that 75% of females over the age of thirty are overweight or obese. However, 95% of Egyptian females are not taking any measures to control their weight; additionally there is no national program to address the problem. Methods: following specific appraisal criteria, this research article provides a critical appraisal of strategies that could help in addressing the problem of obesity among females. This article includes an appraisal of interventions of promoting healthy lifestyle changes; healthy diet and physical activity. It also provides an appraisal of using social media, primary healthcare clinics, and pharmacies as delivery strategies of the proposed interventions. Findings: the research article reveals the feasibility of the proposed strategies based on the criteria of effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, organizational feasibility, and gender appropriateness

Health promotion through herb information: a special discussion of GEGEMU herb in yoruba setting of Nigeria

Gegemu herb (Datura Stramonium) is a plant that is common in the environment. It is a cosmopolitan weed of word wide distribution. It is found in many countries. The herb is widely available and dominates the surroundings of houses in Yoruba land. However, only few people know about its uses, toxicity and hazards. This paper is a review on Gegemu herb, the toxic effects of the plant and the various uses in Yoruba land. The paper recommendations that information about gegemu should be made known to the public through print and other mass media, Librarians should make efforts to communicate indigenous knowledge and herb information to the community and Researchers on health sciences and pharmacology are urged to further study this plant for the benefits of mankind. Keywords: Gegemu Herb, Datura Stramonium, Herb Information, Health Promotion.

Qualite de vie des eleves abidjanais : cas des eleves du lycee moderne Harris d'Adjame

"Introduction. En Cote d'Ivoire; la sante des eleves fait partie de la politique sanitaire; a travers le Programme National de Sante Scolaire et Universitaire (PNSSU). Cette etude avait pour objectif de decrire la qualite de vie des eleves d'un lycee de la ville d'Abidjan pour la promotion de la sante en milieu scolaire. Population et methode. Il s'agissait d'une enquete transversale a visee descriptive; realisee du 05 au 30 janvier 2008 au Lycee Moderne Nanguy Abrogoua (Abidjan). Un echantillonnage aleatoire systematique a permis de selectionner 770 eleves qui ont fait l'objet d'interview individuelle a l'aide d'un questionnaire standard. Resultats. Les eleves en majorite de sexe masculin (54;1%) avaient un age moyen de 16;5 ans avec un ecart type de 5;7 ans. Plus de la moitie des eleves (58;5%) residaient hors de la commune d'implantation du lycee. Plus du tiers des eleves (34%) affirmaient que les parents ne disposaient pas d'assez de moyens pour subvenir aux besoins de la famille. Par consequent; 22;7% faisaient de "" petits boulots "" pour financer leur etude et 25;6% affirmaient ne pas manger a leur faim. La majorite des eleves etait souvent angoissee (64;4%); deprimee (73;3%) et se sentait souvent mal dans la peau (68%). Ceux qui avaient des troubles du sommeil representaient 42;5% des enquetes. Pres de la moitie des eleves etait inquiete de leur sante (49;2%) et achetait les medicaments de rue pour se soigner (48;6%). En cas de probleme de sante; plus de la moitie (54;8%) ne frequentaient pas les services de sante scolaire par manque d'information (36;5%) ou par insatisfaction des soins recus dans ces services (24%). Parmi les eleves; 42;3% etaient sexuellement actifs et la sexualite constituait une source d'inquietude ou de preoccupation (48;9%) a cause du VIH-Sida (76;9%); des grossesses non desirees (54;4%). De plus; des comportements a risque tels que la consommation des medicaments vendu dans les rues (48;9%); la pratique du "" boro d'enjaillement (jeux perilleux consistant a s'adonner a des acrobaties et autres pas de danse sur le toit d'un bus en mouvement) "" (1;7%) et l'avortement (10;7%) etaient observes chez les eleves. Conclusion. La prise en compte de ces resultats pourrait contribuer a l'adoption de strategie visant a l'amelioration de la qualite de vie ou du bien etre des eleves; condition necessaire a un bon rendement scolaire. "

Expectations of youth victims of violence regarding health care professionals leading them to wellness in South Africa

Background: Many youth victims of violence report for treatment at the health care facilities in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It was unclear what the youth expected regarding how they could be led towards wellness by health care professionals following an incident of violence (R1.1). Objectives: This study sought to explore and describe the expectations of the youth victims of violence with regards to health care professionals (R1.2) leading them to wellness in a selected rural community. Method: A qualitative; exploratory; descriptive and contextual design was used. Nine focus group discussions were conducted with 58 (23 males; 35 females) purposefully selected youth victims of violence between the ages of 15 and 19. Data analysis was done through open coding. Ethics clearance was received from the University Ethics Committee prior to the study being conducted. Results: Findings indicated that the youth victims of violence expect the health care professionals (professional nurses; doctors and social workers) working in their community to act as role models; demonstrate a professional attitude; provide health education; provide confidential counselling services; and establish school and community outreach programmes. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that youth victims of violence have important expectations from health care professionals concerning their wellness. Hence; health care professionals should focus on designing and implementing interventions targeting these expectations

Stethoscope Disinfection Campaign in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital:Results of a Before-and-After Study

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the impact of a stethoscope disinfection sensitization campaign among doctors and nurses in a Nigerian teaching hospital. Methodology: The design was a before-and-after study. Pre-program measurements were used to provide a baseline against which the post-program results were compared. Interventions that promoted compliance with stethoscope disinfection practice that were implemented included training and education on stethoscope disinfection and introduction of 70 isopropyl alcohol disinfectant at points-of-care places. Microbiological assessment of stethoscopes used by health workers was conducted after the intervention and the outcome was compared with the pilot study results. Results: After the intervention; of the 89 stethoscopes screened; 18 (20.2) were contaminated with bacterial agents. A higher prevalence of stethoscope contamination was observed among stethoscopes from the intensive care unit (66.7); the VIP unit (50); and the antenatal unit (37.5). The main isolates were Staphylococcus aureus (44.4) and Escherichia coli (50). The antibiotic sensitivity assessment indicated that the bacterial isolates were resistant to nearly all the antibiotics tested. All the 89 health workers whose stethoscopes were screened after the intervention admitted to cleaning their stethoscopes after seeing each patient; representing a compliance rate of 100; unlike the 15 compliance at the pilot phase. The baseline stethoscope contamination rate was 78.5 versus 20.2 post-intervention.Conclusions: Training and education and introduction of alcohol-based disinfectants inexpensive but very effective methods to improve stethoscope disinfection compliance among health workers in low-income settings