Commercial Drivers’ Participation in the Use of Family Planning Services in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria.

Aims: To determine the participation of male commercial drivers in the choice and use of family planning methods and possible implications for reproductive health policy formulation. Study Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of 402 adult drivers was done. Participants were selected by balloting from the drivers register and all consenting drivers were interviewed by trained research assistants. Results: Mean age of respondents was 44.5±9.9 years. Slightly more than half (53.0%) of participants were currently using a family planning method. The condom (58.2%) was the most popular family planning method followed by injection (32.9%) and withdrawal (22.1%). Only 43 (10.7%) and 36 (9.0%) of study’s participants have ever visited a family planning clinic for information or ever accompanied their spouses to a family planning clinic respectively. The commonest sources of information about family planning were the mass media (67.2%), health workers (21.1%) and friends (5.2%). Age (P<0.001) and knowledge (P=0.001) of family planning were found to be significantly associated with previous and current use of family planning. Respondents aged 40 years and above were about two times more likely to have good knowledge of family planning compared with younger respondents (OR=1.89; 95% CI=1.17–3.05). Similarly, respondents with good knowledge of family planning were about two times more likely to use a family planning method compared with those with poor knowledge (OR=2.35; 95% CI=2.257.20). Conclusion: Commercial drivers’ participation in the choice and use of family planning was poor. The policy implication of these findings is the need for programmes targeted at men and designed to further improve their knowledge and attitude about family planning. This will motivate the men and by extension their wives in order to achieve better planned families.

Research Ethics Education among Graduate Students of the University of Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria.

Aims: Research ethics is an integral part of graduate education in developed countries; but little is known about exposure of graduate students in Nigeria to this subject. This study aimed to document the current teaching and knowledge of research ethics among graduate students of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Study Design: A cross-sectional, exploratory study. Place and Duration of Study: Four faculties (Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Dentistry and Public Health) of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, southwest Nigeria in July 2010. Methodology: We interviewed 250 graduate students (40.4% males and 59.6% females) using a 55-item self-administered questionnaire to obtain data on general information and socio-demographic characteristics of the participants; research work during graduate students’ programme; knowledge of research ethics, research integrity and research misconduct; perception and practice of research ethics; and research ethics training needs. Results: The mean age of study participants was 31.5±7.1 years; 82% received training on research ethics in current graduate work. 65.2% demonstrated good knowledge for research ethics and research misconduct separately and 51.2% for research integrity. Overall mean knowledge scores were 3.1±1.6 for research ethics, 2.5±2.0 for research integrity and 5.3±1.9 for research misconduct. Age and faculty location were predictors of knowledge of research integrity and research misconduct respectively. Conclusion: It is desirable to integrate the existing structure of research ethics education. Expanding the scope of human development unit of tertiary institutions of learning to include capacity building and community engagement activities on research ethics for graduate students is suggested.

Outbreaks-of Ebola virus disease in the West African sub-region

BACKGROUND: Five West African countries, including Nigeria are currently experiencing the largest, most severe, most complex outbreak of Ebola virus disease in history. This paper provided a chronology of outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in the West African sub-region and provided an update on efforts at containing the present outbreak. METHODS: Literature from Pubmed (MEDLINE), AJOL, Google Scholar and Cochrane database were reviewed. RESULTS: Outbreaks of Ebola, virus disease had frequently occurred mainly in Central and East African countries. Occasional outbreaks reported from outside of Africa were due to laboratory contamination and imported monkeys in quarantine facilities. The ongoing outbreak in West Africa is the largest and first in the sub-region; the number of suspected cases and deaths from this single current outbreak is already about three times the total of all cases and deaths from previous known outbreaks in 40 years. Prevention and control efforts are hindered not only by lack of a known vaccine and virus-specific treatment, but also by weak health systems, poor sanitation, poor personal hygiene and cultural beliefs and practices, including myths and misconceptions about Ebola virus disease--all of which are prevalent in affected countries. Constrained by this situation, the World Health Organisation departed from the global standard and recommended the use of not yet proven treatments to treat or prevent the disease in humans on ethical and evidential grounds. CONCLUSION: The large number of people affected by the present outbreak in West Africa and the high case-fatality rate calls for accelerated evaluation and development of the investigational medical interventions for life saving and curbing the epidemic. Meanwhile, existing interventions such as early detection and isolation, contact tracing and monitoring, and adherence to rigorous procedures of infection prevention and control should be intensified

Prevention of Congenital Transmission of Malaria in Sub-Saharan African Countries: Challenges and Implications for Health System Strengthening

Objectives: Review of burden of congenital transmission of malaria; challenges of preventive measures; and implications for health system strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. Literature from Pubmed (MEDLINE); Biomed central; Google Scholar; and Cochrane Database were reviewed. Results. The prevalence of congenital malaria in sub-Saharan Africa ranges from 0 to 23. Diagnosis and existing preventive measures are constantly hindered by weak health systems and sociocultural issues. WHO strategic framework for prevention: intermittent preventive therapy (IPT); insecticide-treated nets (ITNs); and case management of malaria illness and anaemia remain highly promising; though; specific interventions are required to strengthen the health systems in order to improve the effectiveness of these measures. Conclusion. Congenital malaria remains a public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Overcoming the challenges of the preventive measures hinges on the ability of national governments and development partners in responding to the weak health systems

Profile of chloroquine - induced pruritus in Nigerian children resident in Ibadan, Nigeria

Chloroquine is still the first-line drug in the treatment of malaria in Nigeria and West- Africa sub-region. A major drawback to the use of chloroquine is pruritus. We studied a total of 175 children aged 1­15 years with a view to assessing some factors that may influence chloroquine induced pruritus and the possible impact on therapy with this drug. The mean age was 5.2+4.0 and there were 87 females and 88 males. Chloroquine-induced pruritus was found in 43/175 (24.6%). All the subjects experienced the itching within 24 hours of ingestion of the drug and median duration of the itching was 2 days. Majority of those who itched still used chloroquine to treat malaria for various reasons. There was positive family history in 34/43 (79%) of those who itched and 57/132 (43%) of those who did not itch to chloroquine. Those who had chloroquine-induced pruritus were relatively older (mean age 6.90+3.68 years versus 4.64+4.00; p< 0.05) and mean age onset of chloroquine-induced pruritus was positively associated with mean age of the children r = 0.91; 95% confidence limits: 0.71< r < 0.91. We concluded that chloroquine-induced pruritus in this group of children evolved with increasing age and was associated with positive family history