Globally, road traffic crashes (RTCs) annually kill 1.3 million people and injure 20-50 million others. Nigeria accounts for an estimated 15% of RTC deaths in the WHO African Region.
Objective: This study aimed to describe RTC characteristics and trends in Nigeria and determine progress towards halving RTC-related deaths/injuries by 2020 [i.e., Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 3.6].
Neonatal tetanus (NT) though a preventable disease, remains a disturbing cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality particularly in low income countries where maternal and child care are substandard and antitetanus immunization coverage is still poor. The disease, which is mostly fatal, is particularly common in hard to reach and rural areas where deliveries take place at home or with untrained attendants without adequate sterile procedures and in unclean environment. Since eliminating NT became a global target, significant reductions in NT deaths have been reported. The most recent estimates by WHO (2015) put death of newborns due to NT at 34,019, a 96% reduction from the situation in the late 1980s. All countries are committed to elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT), i.e., a reduction of NT incidence to below one case per 1000 live births per year in every district. A strong neonatal tetanus surveillance (NTS) is however required to achieve this. As of March 2018, only 14 countries were yet to eliminate MNT and this includes Nigeria. The different types of NTS recommended are conducted to varying degrees of efficiency and effectiveness in Nigeria under the major surveillance strategy the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR). These include routine monthly surveillance, zero reporting, active surveillance and retrospective record review. Nigeria comprises six geopolitical zones, 36 states and a Federal Capital territory (FCT), and is made up of 774 Local Government areas (LGA) (districts) an LGA being the lowest administrative level. This study was conducted in Bayelsa state one of the six states in the south zone. It is made up of eight LGAs, more than half of which are riverine and consists of many hard-to-reach communities, where formal functional health facilities are few and far between. Health workers are in short supply and funding of health care delivery is poor in the state.
Objective: To assess the performance of neonatal tetanus surveillance in Bayelsa state of Nigeria.
Rabies is a zoonotic, neglected viral disease. Every 10 minutes, the world loses a life, especially children, to dog-mediated rabies. Yet it is 100% preventable. Africa, including Nigeria, has major share of the disease. Eradication of human rabies relies majorly on control of rabies in animals and this cannot be achieved without good surveillance system of the disease in animal, especially dogs. There is little or no information as to whether the surveillance system in Nigeria is effective.
Objective: The objectives of this study are to evaluate the current animal rabies surveillance system in the state and suggest recommendations.
Nigeria is the only country in Africa yet to be certified free of Wild Polio Virus (WPV). The country consists of 36 States and a Federal Capital Territory. Gombe is one of the 19 Polio high risk States in the North-eastern geo-political zone of the country. The last case of WPV isolated in Gombe State was in 2013. One of the strategies for Polio eradication is a sensitive Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance system in which any AFP is promptly detected and timely investigated. The focus of the investigation is to analyze two faecal samples of the patient, and/or sometimes those from contacts for any possible isolation of Polio Virus (PV). AFP surveillance is meant to be applicable to any human population at any time; however, there are situations in which there are good reasons to suspect that negative results of AFP surveillance are not reliable. Supplementary information is required in such situations and one approach for that is Environmental Surveillance (ES), in which a search for PV is made in environmental specimens contaminated by human feaces. ES in the African region started in Nigeria in July 2011. Since the introduction of this strategy, it has achieved its objective of complimenting the AFP surveillance system. There has been a gradual increase in the number of ES sites in Nigeria from 2011 to date. The increase is largely due to the successes recorded in terms of the PV isolation from the sites, PV epidemiology, the large population size and mobility. The last cases of WPV1 and WPV3 from environmental samples had dates of collection in May 2014 (Kaduna) and July 2012 (Kano) respectively. ES was initiated in Gombe State in December 2016. Four ES sites were identified and sample collection began soon after training of personnel responsible for collection of the sewage sample. The four identified ES sites are Baba Roba Valley, Unguwauku Railway Bridge, Gadan Bayan Moonshine and Dan Gusau Bridge. Since inception of ES in Gombe State, ambiguous Vaccine Derived Poliovirus type 2 (aVDPV2) were confirmed from sewage samples collected from Baba Roba Valley site on the 30th January 2017 and from Dan Gusau Bridge site on the 6th March 2017. In 2018, a circulating Vaccine Derived Poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was also detected from sewage samples collected on the 9th April 2018 from Baba Roba Valley site. We reviewed the laboratory results from the 2 surveillance methods so as to evaluate the VDPV2 isolation rate.
Objective: To evaluate Vaccine Derived Polio Virus 2 isolation rate from Environmental Surveillance and its contribution to Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI).
Contact tracing is an important strategy employed in surveillance to aid prompt detection of infectious disease and control outbreaks. It involves the identification of those who have come in contact with an infectious person and following them up for the duration of the incubation period of the disease to promptly detect symptoms and signs and institute treatment thus reducing chances of disease spread to other susceptible individuals. It is a primary means of disease prevention. The importance of cooperation from contacts being traced cannot be overemphasized as they are required to promptly report symptoms, avoid gatherings and travelling until they are cleared by the surveillance team. The follow-up should also link contacts who become symptomatic to designated care centers. In 2014, during the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, the disease spread from Lagos to another State in the country by a contact who travelled out of Lagos to Rivers state. To identify risk factors among contacts of Lassa fever cases which can predispose to disease spread and institute control measures, we interviewed primary contacts of Lassa fever cases during an outbreak response in Kogi State Nigeria, 2016.
Objective: To identify risk factors among contacts of Lassa fever cases which can predispose to disease spread and institute control measures.
The incidence of cryptococcosis is increasing with the global emergence of AIDS and this now represents a major life-threatening fungal infection in HIV-AIDS patients (1). Cryptococcal meningitis is a leading cause of death in AIDS patients and contributes substantially to the high early mortality in antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs in low-resource settings (1). Relatively high prevalence of cryptococcal infection has been reported in low-resource country like Nigeria (2). In more affluent countries, the incidence of HIV-associated cryptococcosis has decreased dramatically (3). Cryptococcal infections in HIV/AIDS patients contribute substantially to the high early mortality in antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs in low-resource countries (1).
Objective
Screening of a targeted group of HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for early detection of cryptococcal infection.
Adverse childhood experiences are childhood traumas which influence the developing child and derail healthy developmental processes. The developing child attempt to cope by adopting health risk behaviors such as smoking which has been associated with adverse health outcomes which may not be apparent until many years after exposure.1,2 Research and surveillance on adverse childhood experiences and smoking is a substantially neglected area in Sub Saharan Africa including Nigeria.
Objective
To assess the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Smoking behaviors among urban youths in Oyo State, South Western Nigeria.
The livestock sector is vital to the socio-economic development of Nigeria; it contributes about 9-10% of agricultural GDP. Livestock represents an important source of high quality animal protein pro- viding about 36.5 % of total protein intake of Nigerians (1). Lagos State, located in the south-western part of Nigeria, has the smallest landmass (3577 sq. km) and the highest human population density (2519.75 per sq. km) in the Country (2). The State has a poultry pop- ulation of 2.5 million birds and the largest outlet for poultry products with 207 Live bird markets, 375 poultry farms and a large number of poultry products consumers (3). Avian influenza (“bird flu”) is an in- fectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. The infection is known to cross species barrier to infect hu- mans (4). Between March 2006 and September 2007 Avian influenza (AI) outbreaks occurred in 99 poultry farms in Lagos State (3). The only human case of AI in Nigeria was detected at a health facility in Lagos in January 2007.
Objective
To assess the collaborative efforts in Avian Influenza control that could be harnessed for the control of other Zoonotic diseases.
Influenza is viral illness that affects mainly the nose, throat, bronchi and occasionally, the lungs. Influenza viruses have been an under-appreciated contributor to morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. They are a substantial contributor to respiratory disease burden in Nigeria and other developing countries. Nigeria started influenza sentinel surveillance in 2008 to inform disease control and prevention efforts.
Objective
To analyze Influenza surveillance data from 2009 to 2010 the Northern, Southern, and Western zones in Nigeria and determined co-morbidity factors associated with influenza in Nigeria.
The outbreak of infectious diseases with a propensity to spread across international boundaries is on an upward rise. Such outbreaks can be devastating with significant associated morbidity and mortality. The recent Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in West Africa which spread to Nigeria is an example. Nigeria like several other African countries implements the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system as its method for achieving the International Health Regulations (IHR). Yet, compliance to the IDSR is questioned. This study seeks to investigate the legal instruments in place and the factors affecting performance of the disease surveillance in the country.
Objective:
Assess the legal framework establishing disease surveillance in Nigeria and identify major factors affecting the performance of the surveillance system.