RISK PERCEPTION OF CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATION AMONG THE PUBLIC IN KOTA KINABALU, SABAH

@#Objective: The study was designed to determine the risk perception of the public population in Kota Kinabalu towards childhood immunisation. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study where self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the public in Kota Kinabalu. The respondents who consented were 18 years old and older. The illiterate persons and the foreigners were excluded. The calculated sample size was 400. Only 313 samples collected were suitable for analysis using SPSS21.0. Results: Fever, pain swelling and allergic reaction were correctly identified as risks of immunisation. Autism, mental retardation and even death could also result from vaccination. Of the total respondents, 76.7% agreed with the practice of childhood vaccination, 70.0% thought that childhood vaccinations were safe and effective and 58.1% felt that its benefit outweighed the risk. Other than that, 32.0% refused childhood vaccination from fear of its risks, and this fear was the main reason for the refusal of childhood vaccination. Age, marital status, race and income were the factors which influenced parental willingness to vaccinate their children (p<0.05). Conclusions: Most participants understood the risks of childhood vaccination, but few agreed to the practice of childhood immunisation for herd immunity. Public health campaigns are needed, to increase the understanding and acceptance of childhood vaccination especially in the rural community.

Legal responses to HIV and AIDS: lessons from Swaziland

Since 1999, the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Swaziland has been declared a national disaster, and today HIV and AIDS still pose a great threat to the survival and development of Swaziland and its people. The impact of the pandemic necessitated a multi-faceted response from the government. This paper critically evaluates the Swaziland legal response to HIV and AIDS. The objective is to assess whether and to what extent Swazi law addresses human rights issues related to HIV and AIDS. Through the application of a human rights based theory, the paper analyses the domestication of Swaziland's treaty commitments, and the constitutional and the statutory frameworks. The paper advances the importance of "law" as a tool that can create an enabling environment for a national response to HIV and AIDS. It analyses how the government has successfully crafted the normative framework so as to make it responsive to the fight against HIV and AIDS, and the shortcomings of the Swaziland legal system in this fight. The paper argues that even though a credible legal and policy environment is in place, some laws still need to be supplemented, reviewed and amended so that the legal system adequately addresses the human rights issues related to HIV and AIDS. The paper suggests improvements to the legal system which mainly relate to aligning the legal framework with the Constitution of Swaziland and international conventions to which Swaziland is party

Prevalence of Non-Invasive Risk Factors of Type 2 Diabetes among Higher Education Teachers in North-Western Nigeria

Background: Teaching is associated with a number of stressful circumstances that promote unhealthy lifestyles capable of fuelling risk factors for metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. This study investigated the prevalence of selected non-invasive risk factors of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) among higher education teachers. Methods: Higher education teachers numbering 876 from three tertiary institutions in Kano; North- Western Nigeria were assessed on selected non-invasive risk factors of T2D including Body Mass Index (BMI); Waist Circumference (WC); Waist-Hip-ratio (WHR); Percent Body Fat (PBF) and family history of diabetes. Lifestyle including smoking; alcoholism and physical inactivity were also assessed. Results: Female-male ratio of participants was 1:5 while the age range was 24-58 years. Female teachers had higher prevalence of poor adiposity markers represented by overweight (33.8); obesity (12.7); high PBF (21.7) and WC in the high risk domain (53.5). They also had higher prevalence of hypertension (22.5) while men had higher prevalence of WHR (31.2) in the high risk domain. Positive family history of diabetes was 6.5(males); 7.5(females); physical activity at walking level 46.0(males); sedentary activity 85.9(females); current smoking habit 42.8(males); 4.3(females) and current alcohol consumption was 11.9for males and 0for female teachers. Conclusion: There may be considerable chances of developing T2D among the higher education teachers based on prevalence of the selected risk factors and the risk may be higher among the female teachers. Measures to change the modifiable risk factors for the better in this population are urgently needed

Chronic suppurative otitis media: a prospective study

This is a prospective study of 183 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media who attended the E.N.T. clinic at the Jordan University Hospital between 1978-1983. The cases were assessed according to a preset protocol where history, clinical examination, and special investigations were recorded. Cases were categorised according to the presence of cholesteatoma and the type of perforation into three groups: group I consisted of patients with central perforations without cholesteatoma [151 ears], group II with attic and marginal perforation [54 ears], and group III with central perforation and cholesteatoma [39 ears]. The present article includes the findings in group I and II; those of group III were previously reported. The peak incidence of the disease in both groups was in the second decade of life, no correlation between the duration of discharge and the presence of cholesteatoma was noticed, and no firm association between nasal and throat pathology on the one hand and chronic ear suppuration on the other could be elicited. Complications occured in cases where cholesteatoma was present. The majority of the cases are speculated to be sequela of secretory otitis media

Peripheral nerve tumor involving maxillary sinuses: a case report and review of the literature

Nerve sheath tumors of the paranasal sinuses are uncommon. Those confined to the maxillary antrum are rare, four only being on world record. We present an additional case with review of the literature. First described by Verocay[1] in 1910 under the term neurinoma, schwannoma [neurolemmoma] has frequently been reported in many anatomical locations wherever Schwann cell wrapping of a nerve occurs. Among other sites the tumor was reported to occur in the thorax[2-3], oral cavity, middle ear and orbit[4], breast[5] and bone of which the most common sites of involvement have been the mandible, scapula and ribs[6-7] though rare sites such as the femur have also been reported. However, up to 45% of schwannomas develop about the head and neck[9]; comprising the highest proportion in an anatomical body location. Yet, the tumor rarely involves paranasal sinuses. In this report we describe a case of solitary schwannoma developed in the left maxillary sinus, an extremely rare site of occurrence according to the English literature. The present case is the first to be reported in Jordan