Coronavirus Disease 2019 Knowledge, Its Vaccine Uptake Intentions, and the Influence of Personality Traits among Undergraduate Pharmacy Students in a University Setting: Findings and Implications.

CONTEXT: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the greatest global health catastrophe of the century, with its vaccine hesitancy compounding the woes. Relevant stakeholders, including pharmacy students (whose education was disrupted) are important bulwarks against these catastrophes, but their COVID-19-related information are scarce. AIMS: We assessed COVID-19 knowledge, its vaccine uptake intentions, and the influence of personality traits among pharmacy undergraduates in a Nigerian university. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a post-lockdown cross sectional study conducted at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A 61-item questionnaire was used to collect data among pharmacy undergraduates who attended Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria, in May 2021. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Summary statistics- mean (±standard deviation), range, frequency, proportion; inferential statistics- Chi square statistics, binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The response rate was 88% (168/191). The average COVID-19 knowledge score, the frequency of acceptance, and hesitancy to take COVID-19 vaccine among study participants were 42.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 42.1-43.7), 39.1% (95% CI = 37.3%-41.8%), and 61.9% (95% CI = 58.0%-64.2%), respectively. In addition, of the 168 study participants, 73 (43.5%) considered themselves to have high self-esteem, 67 (39.9%) were highly extroverted, 91 (54.2%) highly privately self-conscious, 96 (57.1%) highly publicly self-conscious, and 60 (35.7%) highly self-restrained, with 57 (34.0%) not believing in the existence of COVID-19. COVID-19 knowledge varied significantly by level of study ( F [2,165] = 5.539; P = 0.005; η 2 = 0.06). Similarly, those with high self-esteem were twice as knowledgeable regarding COVID-19 as those with low self-esteem (odds ratio [OR]: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.08-3.78; P = 0.03) with gleaning COVID-19-related information from social media platforms predicting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (CVH) (OR: 0.37; 95% CI: 0.16-0.85; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The observed suboptimal COVID-19 knowledge was associated with participants' low level of self-esteem, and the prevalent CVH was associated with obtaining COVID-19-related information from social media platform.

Résumé Contexte:La maladie du coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) est la plus grande catastrophe sanitaire mondiale du siècle, avec ses hésitations à vacciner qui aggravent les fléaux. Les intervenants pertinents, y compris les étudiants en pharmacie (dont l'éducation a été perturbée), sont des gardiens importants contre ces catastrophes, mais leurs informations relatives au COVID-19 sont rares.Objectifs:Nous avons évalué les connaissances sur le COVID-19, ses intentions d'adoption du vaccin et l'influence des traits de personnalité chez les étudiants en pharmacie d'une université nigériane.Configuration et conception:Il s'agit d'une étude transversale.Sujets et méthodes:Un questionnaire de 61 points a été utilisé pour recueillir des données auprès des étudiants en pharmacie qui ont étudié à l'Université Usmanu Danfodiyo, Sokoto, au Nigeria, en mai 2021.Analyse statistique Utilisé:Résumé ­ moyenne (± déviation standard), gamme, fréquence, proportion; inferentiel ­ statistiques Chi-square, régression logistique binaire.Résultats:Le taux de réponse était de 88 % (168/191). Le score moyen de connaissances sur le COVID-19, la fréquence d'acceptation et l'hésitation à prendre le vaccin contre le Covid-19 parmi les participants à l'étude étaient respectivement de 42,9% (intervalle de confiance de 95 % [CI] = 42,1 à 43,7), de 39,1% (IC 95 % = 37,3% à 41,8%) et de 61,9% (IC 95% = 58,0 % à 64,2%). En outre, sur les 168 participants à l'étude, 73 (43,5%) se considéraient comme ayant une haute estime de soi, 67 (39,9%) étaient hautement extrovertis, 91 (54,2%) très conscients de soi en privé, 96 (57,1%) sont hautement conscients d'eux-mêmes en public et 60 (35,7%) sont très restreints, avec 57 (34,0%) qui ne croient pas en l'existence de COVID-19. Les connaissances sur le COVID-19 varient considérablement selon le niveau d'étude (F [2,165] = 5,539; P = 0,005; η2 = 0,06). De même, les personnes ayant une haute estime de soi étaient deux fois plus informées au sujet du COVID-19 que celles ayant une faible estime d'eux-mêmes (ratio de probabilité [OR]: 2,02; 95% CI: 1,08­3,78; P = 0,03) avec la collecte d'informations relatives au Covid-19 provenant des plates-formes de médias sociaux qui prédisaient l'hésitation au vaccin contre le COVid-19 (CVH) (OR: 0,37; 95% IC: 0,16­0,85; P= 0,02).Conclusions:Les connaissances sous-optimales observées sur le COVID-19 ont été associées à un faible niveau d'estime de soi des participants, et la prévalence de la HCV a été associée à l'obtention d'informations relatives au Covid-19 à partir d'une plate-forme de médias sociaux.

Optimizing primary healthcare experience: assessing client satisfaction in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Client satisfaction is a multidimensional construct focusing on clients' perceptions and evaluations of the treatment and care received. It is one of the factors affecting the outcomes of healthcare and the use of health services. Therefore, we aimed to assess clients' satisfaction with PHC services in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Kaduna State, Northwest, Nigeria which evaluate the satisfaction of clients and caregivers accessing healthcare in PHC centres. A sample size of 217 was determined using Fisher's formula, with a multi-stage sampling technique used to randomly select eligible respondents, who have accessed at least a PHC service in any of the PHCs in the State were included in the study, A semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire was administered, and the data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Appropriate statistical tests were used to examine the association between dependent and independent variables, while predictor variables that showed significant association with the outcome variables were further subjected to logistic regression analysis, to determine factors that affect clients' satisfaction with PHC services. Statistical significance was determined at an alpha level set at 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Thirty-one percent of the respondents were satisfied with PHC services in Kaduna State with a mean composite satisfaction score of 3.78 ± 0.67. Age, ethnicity, level of education, and occupational status were factors affecting clients' satisfaction with PHC services among the respondents. On multivariate analysis, age, ethnicity, educational status, and occupational status were significant factors affecting clients' satisfaction with PHC services. Clients of Hausa/Fulani extraction are one and a half times less likely to be satisfied with PHC services when compared to clients from other tribes [aOR = 1.5, 95% CI (1.21-4.67); p = 0.003]. In terms of educational status, clients with formal education are one and a one-third times more likely to be satisfied [aOR = 1.3, 95% CI (0.17-0.94)] with PHC service when compared with their counterparts with informal education (p = 0.034). CONCLUSION: Clients' satisfaction with PHC services in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria was sub-optimal. Healthcare providers were recommended to improve their attitude bearing in mind clients' peculiarities.

Falsified and substandard medicines trafficking: A wakeup call for the African continent.

While great effort is being placed on reducing disease burdens in Africa, the circulation of falsified and substandard medicines in the continent are reversing the hard-won gains. This commentary provides insights on the high (and increasing) burden, impact and threat that falsified and substandard medicines pose to the region's development. The proposed recommendations, such as a coherent multi-sectorial and government-led strategy, call for a fundamental rethink of approaches towards strong regulations, policies, legislations, community-based approaches, collaborations and investments, which all must be scaled up before this the situation gets out of control. These recommendations are of paramount importance and have the potential to ensure access to genuine medicines and also to avert therapeutic failure and intoxication from dangerous substances. In addition, there will be added benefits to the economic, social, health and well-being of the region. Concerted efforts towards medicine regulations have enormous potential to contribute towards averting many preventable deaths and reducing disease burden in the region. A paradigm shift is necessary to ensure quality medicines reach patients at community and healthcare facilities to prevent this silent epidemic in Africa.

COVID-19 AND INSECURITY IN NORTHERN NIGERIA.

Northern Nigeria is currently facing a twin crisis of both COVID-19 and insecurity. They have made it difficult for the people to follow government containment efforts to control the pandemic and also have impacted on the socioeconomic and health aspects of the society. We have discussed on the impact of insecurity amid COVID-19 in Northern Nigeria. It is opined that if the insecurity in Northern Nigeria is not tackled, it will expose the region to more escalation of cases and deaths. Thus, it is recommended that proactive steps should be implemented by all stakeholders concerned to tackle insecurity, particularly the government to revive the security architecture, provide an environment for training and retraining of all security personnel and enhancing intelligence gathering to pave the way for resolving this issue.

Knowledge of Lassa fever, its prevention and control practices and their predictors among healthcare workers during an outbreak in Northern Nigeria: A multi-centre cross-sectional assessment.

BACKGROUND: The year 2020 Lassa fever (LF) outbreak had the greatest disease burden and this can place an enormous strain on the already overstretched healthcare system and can potentially increase morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases. Therefore, having a knowledgeable healthcare workforce with appropriate skills and competencies to prevent and manage outbreaks of a neglected infectious disease such as LF in Nigeria will potentially enhance public health. Thus, this survey assessed the level of knowledge of LF and its prevention and control (PC) measures amongst the healthcare workers (HCWs) during a LF outbreak in Katsina state, Nigeria. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: During this cross-sectional survey, HCWs complete a validated 29-item questionnaire comprising 18 items on the knowledge of LF and its PC measures and an item on global self-evaluation of their LF knowledge. Psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated. Chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. Out of 435 HCWs invited, a total of 400 participated in the study (92% response rate). The majority of participants (51.8%) demonstrated inadequate LF knowledge, with 62.9% of those scoring low having a high self-perception of their LF knowledge with the global scale. This LF knowledge over-estimation was predicted by LF training status (odds ratio (OR) 2.53; 95% CI: 1.49-4.30; p = 0.001). The level of LF knowledge and its PC measures among the study participants was low (11.60±8.14, 64.4%) and predicted by participants' LF training status (OR 2.06; 95% CI: 1.19-3.57; p = 0.009), place of work (OR 1.82; 95% CI: 1.07-3.08; p = 0.03) and their designations (OR 2.40; 95% CI: 1.10-5.22; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The level of knowledge of LF and its PC measures among the HCWs surveyed was suboptimal and participants' LF training status, place of work and occupational category were the significant predictors. In addition, LF knowledge overestimation on a global scale was observed among a majority of HCWs and this was also predicted by LF training status. Therefore, there is a critical need for health authorities in Nigeria to prioritize continuous on-the-job training of HCWs on priority neglected tropical diseases such as Lassa fever.

Mental health in Nigeria: A Neglected issue in Public Health.

In Nigeria, the disparity between available healthcare services and need for mental health services is palpable. Although, the country has made significant advances on challenging public health problems, health-related policy development and legislation in trying to achieve health for all policy, there have been challenges with regards to mental health services including that of policy development and legislation, financing, research, training and integration of mental health care into primary health care. We consulted relevant publications, official document, policy statement, blueprints, working plans of the relevant organizations responsible for mental care and services locally and globally. We identify and highlight challenges faced in mental health services implementation and provide recommendations as way forward and call for urgent action to government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), policy makers and legislatives which are urgently needed to reform and implement them for a better, accessible, and affordable mental health services for the mental well-being of the populace.

Increasing coverage of vaccination by pharmacists in Nigeria; an urgent need.

Pharmacists have a key role to play to advance public health through immunization. Pharmacists are well trained and play a huge role in vaccine production, research and development, safety, pharmacovigilance, storage, logistics and distribution. There is a need for a revised national policy and strategy in Nigeria on vaccination and immunization programs with the involvement of community pharmacies and/or pharmacists. This will help accelerate getting a wider vaccination access coverage, establishing a greater healthcare delivery workforce for societal benefits and demonstrate the full potential of the community pharmacies and the pharmacists' role in immunization programs.

Prevalence and Impacts of Psychoactive Substance Abuse amongst Undergraduate University Students in Katsina State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Drug and substance abuse among university students is of public health concern and is becoming a global threat to the education system. This is more devastating to the academic performance of the addicts. The present study aims to assess the prevalence and impacts of psychoactive substance abuse among the university undergraduate students in Katsina State, Nigeria, and to determine the effects of such abuses on the students' academic performance. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using online survey tool (Google Form) validated by content validity and pilot study. The hyperlink to the online survey tool was shared with undergraduate students from three universities located in Katsina State via emails and social media platforms, namely WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. Data collected from eligible participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics. FINDINGS: A total of 308 students from the three universities returned the online questionnaire, of which 67.2% were men and 32.8% were women. Among the respondents, 37% admitted practicing drug and/or substance abuse. Majority of them (56.2%) were third-year students in the age range of 20-25 years. CONCLUSION: Drug and substance abuse among the undergraduate university students in Katsina State is common, and it cuts across both male and female students. Concerted efforts towards parental support and supervisions, social intervention programs, and campus-based prevention and supported programs against drug and substance abuse should be encouraged.