Assessment of the implementation of respectful maternity care charter in North Central Nigeria (Federal Capital Territory and Kwara State): study protocol

Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) charter is one of the tools for ensuring quality of care in maternity services. Nigeria is a signatory to RMC charter; therefore, the charter is expected to be the standard of care. However, in Nigeria and other countries, reports of disrespectful maternity care abound; this discourages women from accessing facility-birth. Therefore, to improve the quality of care towards increase in uptake, it is expedient to assess the level of implementation of the RMC charter by key stakeholders for sustainability, impact and scale-up of charter-compliant maternity care in Nigeria. The study aims to assess the implementation of RMC charter in North-central Nigeria. The study is a mixed-method, cross-sectional study; the expected participants are key stakeholders in healthcare (Healthcare workers, Healthcare Administrators, Project Managers, Policy makers) in North-Central Nigeria (Federal Capital Territory and Kwara state). A multistage sampling technique would be used to enroll participants from 18 healthcare facilities (Primary, Private, Secondary and Tertiary) in rural and urban areas and Ministries of Health officials at local and state government levels. Expected outcomes: The study is expected to provide information on the current status of knowledge and implementation of the RMC charter in Nigeria. It would also identify the enablers and barriers to the implementation process and provide evidence for effective scale-up of the process in Nigeria. The outcomes will be widely disseminated to healthcare workers, health administrators and decision-makers in healthcare services through post-study meetings, conference presentations, journal publications and policy briefs for effective RMC charter implementation in Nigeria.

Antiplasmodial Activity of the n-Hexane Extract from Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex. Fr) P. Kumm.

OBJECTIVES: Several mushrooms species have been reported to be nematophagous and antiprotozoan. This study reported the antiplasmodial and cytotoxic properties of the n-hexane extract from the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus and the isolation of a sterol from the extract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Antiplasmodial and cytotoxicity assays were done in vitro using the plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase assay and human HeLa cervical cell lines, respectively. The structure of the isolated compound from the n-hexane extract was elucidated using spectroscopic techniques. RESULTS: The n-hexane extract (yield: 0.93% w/w) showed dose dependent antiplasmodial activity with the trend in parasite inhibition of: chloroquine (IC50=0.016 µg/mL) > n-hexane extract (IC50=25.18 µg/mL). It also showed mild cytotoxicity (IC50>100 µg/mL; selectivity index >4) compared to the reference drug emetine (IC50=0.013 µg/mL). The known sterol, ergostan-5,7,22-trien-3-ol, was isolated and characterized from the extract. CONCLUSION: This study reporting for the first time the antiplasmodial activity of P. ostreatus revealed its nutraceutical potential in the management of malaria.