Trends and Burden of Hepatitis B Viral Infection in Children and Adults in a Tertiary Health Facility in North East Nigeria Over a Fifteen-year Period.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B infection is endemic in Nigeria where greater than six percent of the general population are chronic carriers. Transmission predominantly occurs in infants and children when compared with adults. Viral hepatitis deaths are mostly due to chronic liver disease. Routine immunization against hepatitis B virus infection in Nigeria is still low. AIMS: We planned to describe the burden and trend of hepatitis B viral infection at Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe. METHODOLOGY: This study was a retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study. The results of all hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) tests using rapid chromatographic immunoassay performed at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe (FTHG), Nigeria from January 2000 to December 2014 were retrieved and analyzed. RESULTS: Between 2000 and 2014, 23,611 individuals ranging from 2 months to 98 years of age were tested for HBsAg. A total of 13,136 (55.6%) were males and 10,475 (44.4%) were females. Among individuals tested for hepatitis B surface antigen, 18.9% (4,456) were positive. A total of 70.6% (3,147) were males and 29.4% (11,239) were females. Male sex was significantly associated with HBsAg positivity (P < 0.001). The mean HBsAg prevalence over the 15-year periods among males and females were 22% and 12%, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean yearly HBV prevalence was 17.5%, 17.2%, 19.6%, 15.5%, and 4.4% among age-groups 0-18 years, 19-25 years, 26-45 years, 56-65 years, and >65 years, respectively (P = 0.132). The proportion of HBsAg-positive individuals was highest in the year 2012 (28.7%) and lowest in 2014 (1.8%). CONCLUSION: There was an increasing trend in HBV testing and diagnosis in children and adults in our facility over the last 15 years. Health facility capacity for HBV treatment and care requires strengthening.

Alleged rape: an analysis of management of cases seen at specialist hospital Gombe, Nigeria.

The aim of this study was to determine how patients who presented following sexual assault were managed at a secondary health facility in Gombe, Nigeria. The case notes of patient who presented at the Accident and Emergency Unit of State Specialist Hospital Gombe after serious sexual assault from August 1 2016 to July 30 2018 were retrieved and the data were entered into SPSS Version 20 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) and summarised as proportions. Of the 15,613 patients who presented, 277 were alleged rapes which constituted 1.77% of presentations. Two hundred and one of the patients were females with a total of 2341 admissions at the gynaecological ward representing 8.6%. One hundred and seventy one (67%) of the patients did not receive any form of care, 127 (54.0%) were not given antibiotics prophylaxis against STIs, 117 (42%) did not receive post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV/AIDS and 80% of the women between the ages of 15-45 had emergency contraception. One hundred and ninety seven (71.1%) did not receive any psychological support. Rape is common. Measures should be put in place to improve the clinical management of survivors.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Rape is common in Gombe, Nigeria, and a standard management protocol has been developed with a view to reduce the adverse consequences associated with it.What the results of this study add? The results of this study show that survivors of rape in the developing countries like ours do not receive adequate clinical and psychological care when they present at the hospital.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Given the results, there is the need for physicians managing rape cases to pay attention to details so as to minimise both immediate and long-term complications associated with rape.

Effect of health education on long lasting insecticidal nets utilization among mothers of under five children in Yamaltu Deba Lga, Gombe State, Nigeria

Background: Malaria remains a major global public health challenge. It is the leading cause of death among children below the age of five years and constitutes 10% of the continent's disease burden. The objective of this study was to determine effect of health education on utilization of long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) among mothers of under five children in Yamaltu Deba LGA of Gombe state: Objective: This study was aimed at determining the effect of health education on LLINs utilization among mothers of under five children in Yamaltu Deba LGA of Gombe State. Method: The study was a community-based quasi-experimental intervention where 240 mothers of under five children were selected from two communities using a multi stage sampling technique. Health education was given in the study community and withheld in the control community. Data was collected from both communities before and after the intervention using an interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using EPI-INFO 3.7.1 and Micro soft Excel software. Result obtained was presented using proportion, Chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between categorical variables and decision taken at p<0.05. Results: The mean ages of respondents in study and control communities were 28.9±6.2 and 27.9±6.7 years respectively. At pre-intervention, LLIN ownership was found to be 86.6% and 76.3% while its utilization was 45.4% and 38.1% in both communities. After health education intervention, (LLINs) improved significantly in study community from 42.9% to 89.9% compared with control community which increased from 33.9% to 60.9% and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.0001). Conclusion: This study concludes that health education significantly improved utilization. We recommended continuous health education on LLINs utilization in communities especially among mothers of under five children

Are roadside petrol dispensers at risk of oxidative stress? a study from gombe, North East Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Gasoline is one of the most frequently utilized chemicals whose use is on the increase. Exposure to the volatile constituents of gasoline generates free radicals leading to oxidative stress. This is associated with nucleic acid, lipids, and protein damages leading to chronic diseases including cancers. Occupational exposure to this product is of public health concern, especially in the developing countries where the awareness and enforcement of safety measures are not adequate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plasma level of total antioxidant status (TAS) was compared between 90 roadside dispensers of gasoline and 90 age- and sex-matched controls. TAS was measured using standard colorimetric method. RESULTS: The mean age of the exposed and control groups is 29.03 ± 3.7 and 29.24 ± 3.5 years, respectively. The mean plasma TAS level of the exposed (0.60 ± 0.33 mmol/L) was significantly (P < 0.001) lower than that of the controls (1.29 ± 0.25 mmol/L). CONCLUSION: Our data have demonstrated higher level of oxidative stress in roadside dispensers of gasoline compared to the controls. This is an indication that roadside gasoline dispensers are probably at greater risk of developing chronic diseases associated with increased oxidative stress. Antioxidant supplementation may be of benefit to the roadside gasoline dispensers. Legislation on roadside gasoline dispensing should be enforced to reduce the incidence of long-term complications from repeated exposures.