University of Nigeria, Nsukka

About: University of Nigeria, Nsukka is a education organization based out in Nsukka, Nigeria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 10211 authors who have published 13685 publications receiving 138922 citations.

The Impact of Introducing Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests on Fever Case Management: A Synthesis of Ten Studies from the ACT Consortium

Abstract: Since 2010, the World Health Organization has been recommending that all suspected cases of malaria be confirmed with parasite-based diagnosis before treatment. These guidelines represent a paradigm shift away from presumptive antimalarial treatment of fever. Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) are central to implementing this policy, intended to target artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT) to patients with confirmed malaria and to improve management of patients with nonmalarial fevers. The ACT Consortium conducted ten linked studies, eight in sub-Saharan Africa and two in Afghanistan, to evaluate the impact of mRDT introduction on case management across settings that vary in malaria endemicity and healthcare provider type. This synthesis includes 562,368 outpatient encounters (study size range 2,400–432,513). mRDTs were associated with significantly lower ACT prescription (range 8–69% versus 20–100%). Prescribing did not always adhere to malaria test results; in several settings, ACTs were prescribed to more than 30% of test-negative patients or to fewer than 80% of test-positive patients. Either an antimalarial or an antibiotic was prescribed for more than 75% of patients across most settings; lower antimalarial prescription for malaria test-negative patients was partly offset by higher antibiotic prescription. Symptomatic management with antipyretics alone was prescribed for fewer than 25% of patients across all scenarios. In community health worker and private retailer settings, mRDTs increased referral of patients to other providers. This synthesis provides an overview of shifts in case management that may be expected with mRDT introduction and highlights areas of focus to improve design and implementation of future case management programs.

Poverty and income inequality in nigeria: any causality?

Abstract: The issue of poverty has continued to pose serious threat to the continued cordial existence of an economy like Nigeria. Issues pertaining to poverty and inequality have also continued to receive wider attention among scholars in various economies of the globe. However, there seems to be a gap in literature as to the existence of a causal relationship between poverty and inequality. Should there be causality; the direction of causality is yet to be known, especially as it pertains to Nigerian economy. Therefore, this study seeks to establish whether or not there is a causal relationship between poverty and inequality in Nigeria. Adopting Granger causality techniques, this study finds out that there is a direct line of causality between poverty and inequality as well as indirect channels through unemployment and low life expectancy on inequality which exacerbate poverty in Nigeria.

Tinea capitis in school children in Eastern Nigeria.

Abstract: Summary: A survey of tinea capitis was carried out during the period 1974–1977 in 3, 478 primary school children aged 4–13 years and comprising 1, 868 males and 1610 females in Anambra State in Eastern Nigeria. A total of 303 (8.7%) mycologicaliy proven cases of tinea capitis were detected. Incidence was significantly higher in young children (10.5%) aged 4–8 years than in older children (6.0%) aged 9–13 years. Males (9.0%) were more commonly affected than the females (73%). Microsporum audouinii was the commonest etiological agent (483%) followed next by Trichophyton soudanense (26.6%) and T. tonsurans (15.2%). Other dermatophytes occasionally represented were M. ferrugineum (3.4%), T. violaceum (3.7%), T. yaoundei (1.2%), T. mentagrophytes (0.9%) and T. schoenleinii (0.6%). Investigation of scalp carriage of dermatophytes showed that approximately 9% of children without any clinical signs of tinea capitis harbour dermatophytes in their scalp hair. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to relative distribution of different species of dermatophytes in Nigeria and other countries in Africa. A detailed study of the morphological characters of the isolates showed considerable variation in microscopical features of M. audouinii and T. soudanense. Zusammenfassung: In den Jahren 1974 bis 1977 wurden im Staat Anambra in Ost-Nigeria 3478 Schulkinder im Alter von 4 bis 13 Jahren, darunter 1868 mannliche und 1610 weibliche Kinder, untersucht Insgesamt wurden 303 (8,7%) einer nachgewiesenen Tinea capitis entdeckt. Bei jungen Kindern im Alter von 4–8 Jahren war die Inzidenz mit 10,5% hoher als bei alteren Kindern im Alter von 9–13 Jahren mit 6%. Mannliche Kinder waren mit 9,0% haufiger betroffen als weibliche Kinder (73%). Der haufigste Erreger war Microsporum audouinii (483%). Es folgten Trichophyton soudanense (26,6%) und T. tonsurans (15,2%). Andere Dermatophyten traten nur gelegentlich auf: M. ferrugineum (3,4%), T. violaceum (3,7%), T. yaoundei (1,2%), T. mentagrophytes (0,9%) und T. schoenleinii (0,6%). Die Untersuchung der Kopfhaut von klinisch erscheinungsfreien Kindern zeigte, das bei etwa 9% dieser Kinder Dermatophyten von der Kopfhaut isoliert werden konnten. Die Bedeutung dieser Ergebnisse wird auch unter dem Gesichtspunkt der unterschiedlichen Verteilung der verschiedenen Dermatophyten in Nigeria und in anderen afrikanischen Landern diskutiert. Eine eingehende Untersuchung der morphologischen Charakteristika der isolierten Pilze zeigte betrachtliche Variationen in der Mikromorphologie von M. audouinii and T. soudanense.

The effect of a nutritionally-balanced cassava ( Manihot esculenta Crantz ) diet on endocrine function using the dog as a model 2. Thyroid

Abstract: Growing dogs were divided into three groups and were fed on a control (rice) diet, a diet in which cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz; gari) was used as the carbohydrate source, and the rice diet to which cyanide (equivalent to that present in gari) was added. Each group consumed its diet for 14 weeks, during which plasma thiocyanate concentration and plasma lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) activity were monitored. Plasma free amino acids were determined from pooled samples taken at the end of the experimental period, and the insulin status of the dogs was evaluated using the gluconeogenic index. The dogs were killed and the pancreas examined for histopathology. Dogs fed on both gari diet and the rice+cyanide diet generated significant amounts of thiocyanate when compared with the controls, with the rice+cyanide group having higher plasma thiocyanate than the gari group (P < 0.01). Plasma lipase activity rose significantly at the end of the experimental period in the dogs fed on gari (P < 0.05). Gluconeogenesis from protein was greatest in the dogs fed on gari, five times greater than that in the control dogs, while gluconeogenesis from protein in the dogs fed on rice+cyanide was approximately twice as high as that of the control dogs. Histopathological examination of the pancreas showed haemorrhage, necrosis, fibrosis and atrophy of the acinar tissue and fibrosis of the islets of Langerhans in the dogs fed on gari. The pancreas of the dogs fed on rice+cyanide showed similar lesions but haemorrhage was not prominent and fibrosis was more marked. The present study indicated that a hypoinsulinaemia developed which was more severe in the animals fed on gari than in the dogs fed on the rice+cyanide diet and that the condition was not related to the level of plasma thiocyanate or the histopathology observed.

Sugars of the unfermented sap and the wine from the oil palm, Elaeis guinensis, tree.

Abstract: The sugar composition of the unfermented sap from oil palm (Elaeis guinensis) trees growing in the plantations of the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, Benin City, has been determined. While sucrose concentration ranges from 9.59 to 10.59% (w/v) in the pure unfermented sap, that of either glucose or fructose is much less than 1% (w/v) (0.13-0.73% w/v). Raffinose occurs in traces only (0.13-0.35 w/v). These results were derived from our improved methods which eliminate completely, or reduce to a bare minimum, fermentation of the sap during collection. The variation with time of storage of the individual sugars in the sap during fermentation to form palm wine reveals that, as sucrose steadily decreases, fructose reaches a peak at 1.51% (w/v) at the 9th hour, and thereafter declines, while glucose and raffinose remain continuously low; all sugars disappear beyond the 33rd hour. Concomittantly, pH decreases from pH 6.60 at zero time and stabilizes at pH 3.30 after 48 h, while titrable acidity increases continuously up until the 96th hour. These changes account for the variations in the quality of palm wine during storages.