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Background: This study assessed trends of tuberculosis (TB) case notification rate (CNR) and treatment outcomes between 2011 and 2015 in Lagos State, Nigeria., Methods: A retrospective review of TB notification data to the Lagos State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (LSTBLCP) between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2015 was conducted., Results: A total of 44 516 TB cases were notified during the study period, representing 9.4% of the national figure. The male:female ratio was 1.3:1. About 53%, 44.1% and 2.7% of patients were smear positive, smear negative and extrapulmonary TB cases, respectively. TB notification increased by 12.2% between 2011 and 2013 and subsequently declined by 7.2% in 2015 relative to 2013. The TB CNR declined from 82.9 per 100 000 in 2013 to 72.1 per 100 000 in 2015. However, directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) and microscopy site expansion increased from 0.3 to 0.64 per 25 000 population and from 0.16 to 0.4 per 50 000 population, respectively, from 2011 to 2015. Similarly, there was a slight increase in treatment success rate, from 80.1% in 2011 to 82% in 2015., Conclusion: The CNR declined in Lagos State despite an increasing trend in DOTS and microscopy site expansions between 2013 and 2015. The LSTBLCPs need to re-engineer current strategies of active TB case findings in order to improve case notification in the state., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: This study assessed factors associated with TB/HIV co-infection among TB patients managed in a secondary health facility in Lagos Nigeria., Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of treatment cards of patients seen at a secondary referral hospital between January 1 2014 and December 31 2014 was conducted. Treatment outcomes and factors associated with TB/HIV co-infection were assessed., Results: Of the 334 records of patients reviewed, the proportion of patients with TB/HIV co-infection was 21.6%. The odds of having TB/HIV co-infection was 2.7 times higher among patients above 40 years than patients less than 25 years (AOR 2.7 95% CI 1.1 - 6.5, p =0.030). In addition, the odds of having TB/HIV co-infection was 3.3 higher among extra-pulmonary TB cases (AOR 3.3; 95% CI 1.2 - 9.5; p = 0.026) and 2.1 times higher among retreated patients (AOR 2.1; 95% CI 1.1 - 3.9; p = 0.017) than pulmonary TB and new patients respectively. The chance of having TB/HIV co-infection was 2.7-fold more in patients with poor treatment outcomes than patients with treatment success (AOR 2.7; 95%CI 1.3 - 5.4; p =0.006)., Conclusion: TB/HIV co-infection rate was high in the study area. There is need to put measures in place to improve treatment outcomes of TB/HIV co-infected patients.

One of the major challenges of kidney transplantation is shortage of kidney donors. Care givers (CGs) are potential kidney donors, but the majority of them are unwilling to donate due to inadequate knowledge on kidney donation. This study evaluated the knowledge of kidney donation and its determinants among CGs in two tertiary hospitals in Southwest Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study that was carried out in the Kidney Care Centre (KCC), Ondo and Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Ilishan-Remo using a self-administered pretested questionnaire that assessed knowledge of kidney donation and its determinants. Pvalue of <0.05 was taken as significant. A total of 244 respondents participated in the study. The majority were below 40 years, married, and female. The proportion of respondents with adequate knowledge of kidney donation was 63.4%. More respondents from BUTH compared to KCC had adequate knowledge of kidney donation (80% vs. 46.7%, P ≤ 0.001). Similarly, the mean knowledge score was higher in respondents from BUTH (P ≤ 0.001). Factors that determined knowledge of kidney donation were female gender (AOR: 3.43, 95% CI: 1.25-9.40, P = 0.02) and social class (AOR: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.50-2.95, P ≤ 0.001). There was positive correlation between knowledge of kidney donation among the respondents from both hospitals and their willingness to donate kidneys (r = 0.439, P ≤ 0.001). Knowledge of kidney donation was better among BUTH's respondents. Gender and social class were predictors of knowledge of kidney donation. Improving knowledge of kidney donation may improve willingness to donate among the public., (© 2016 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasingly prevalent problem worldwide. Treatment of end-stage kidney disease is beyond the reach of an average Nigerian. The prevention and early detection are imperative to reducing its burden., Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CKD and some of its risk factors among adults in a representative semi-urban Nigerian population., Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 400 randomly selected adults. Participants were assessed using the WHO stepwise approach. Urinary protein-creatinine ratio (PCR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from serum creatinine, among other parameters, were analysed. A PCR ≥200 mg/g was regarded as significant proteinuria while GFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 was regarded as reduced GFR. Participants with abnormal PCR and/or reduced GFR were re-evaluated after 3 months to document persistence of these abnormalities. CKD was defined as persistent significant proteinuria and/or reduced GFR for more than 3 months., Results: Data were complete for 328 participants. Persistent significant proteinuria was found in 5.8% while persistently reduced GFR was obtained in 4.6% of participants. Overall, the prevalence of CKD was 7.8%. The prevalence of some established CKD risk factors was old age, 36.3%; hypertension, 36.9%; diabetes mellitus, 7.9%; and family history of kidney disease, 6.4%. The predictors of CKD included old age (adjusted odds ratio = 3.2; confidence interval: 1.10-8.92; P= 0.02), hypertension: 3.5 (1.93-11.90; P= 0.001), family history of kidney disease; 4.5 (3.91-10.23; P= 0.01), generalised obesity 1.3 (1.20-6.21; P= 0.001) and central obesity 3.8 (1.13-12.68; P= 0.003)., Conclusion: The prevalence of CKD and some of its risk factors were high. Effective control of the modifiable risk factors identified will assist in reducing the burden of CKD.

Background: Management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients often requires the use of multiple drugs due to a high number of cardiovascular risk factors and complications associated with the disease. Multiple drugs predispose to potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) which may be associated with increased morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay and health-care cost., Objectives: This study determined the prevalence and pattern of potential DDIs among CKD patients attending Kidney Care Centre, in Ondo City, Nigeria., Methodology: It was an 18-month retrospective study that involved the reviewed CKD patients' records. The Lexi-Interact database was used to evaluate patients' medications for potential DDIs., Results: One hundred and twenty-three (123) CKD patients, made up of 82 (66.67%) males and 41 (33.33%) females were studied. The mean age of the CKD patients was 53.81 ± 16.03 years. The most common comorbid conditions were hypertension in 103 (83.74%) and diabetes mellitus in 39 (31.71%). A total of 1237 prescriptions were made and the mean number of prescribed medications per patient was 10.06 ± 3.97. A total number of 1851 potential DDIs were observed among 118 patients. The prevalence of potential DDIs was 95.9% while the mean DDIs per prescription was 1.27. Among the potential DDIs observed, the severity was mild in 639 (34.5%), moderate in 1160 (62.7%), major in 51 (2.8%) and only 1 (0.1%) was of avoid drug combination. The most frequent DDI was between calcium carbonate and oral ferrous sulphate., Conclusion: The prevalence of potential DDIs is high among CKD patients. About 63% of these interactions have moderate severity. Clinicians and pharmacists should utilise available DDI software to avoid harmful DDIs in CKD patients.

Background: Ceftriaxone is a third-generation cephalosporin with broad-spectrum activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Despite its effectiveness, its use for the treatment of infections in neonatal patients has been limited because of concern about its potential toxicity., Objective: Our aim was to review the literature for an association between ceftriaxone and cardiopulmonary events, hyperbilirubinemia, and pseudolithiasis among neonates., Methods: We searched PubMed and EMBASE and included studies that evaluated ceftriaxone safety in neonates. Study bias was evaluated in the following domains: exposure measurement, outcome measurement, attrition, generalizability, confounding, statistical analysis, and reporting., Results: We included nine studies regarding ceftriaxone side effects, primarily spontaneous reports, published case reports, and small case series. Reports of bilirubin displacement attributed to ceftriaxone included increases in serum bilirubin necessitating antibiotic change in a subset of infants after administration of ceftriaxone. One study described self-resolving biliary sludge after ceftriaxone administration in six of 80 infants. Cardiopulmonary adverse events included a report of eight cardiopulmonary events related to concomitant ceftriaxone-calcium infusion, including seven infant deaths. Additional cardiopulmonary events reported included perinatal asphyxia, pulmonary hypertension, and thrombocytosis. However, the available literature had small sample sizes, poor external validity, and inconsistent outcome ascertainment methods, which made it impossible to estimate the magnitude of risk., Discussion: Concomitant administration of intravenous ceftriaxone and calcium-containing solutions should be avoided in neonates. However, further controlled studies are needed to assess whether bilirubin displacement associated with the use of ceftriaxone is clinically relevant, particularly in healthy term and near-term neonates with mild hyperbilirubinemia.

Background: The engagement of private practitioners in the public-private mix of tuberculosis (TB) management started in 2007 in Lagos State Nigeria. This study compared the treatment outcomes of patients managed at private for profit (PFP) and private not for profit (PNFP) directly observed treatment short course (DOTS) facilities., Methods: A retrospective review of treatment cards of TB patients managed between January 1, 2012, and June 30, 2012, in seven PFP and four PNFP DOTS facilities that served as treatment and microscopy center under the Lagos State TB and Leprosy Control Programme (LSTBLCP) at least 2 years before data collection was conducted., Results: A total of 372 treatment cards of TB patients were reviewed, of which 132 (35.5%) and 240 (64.5%) were from PFP and PNFP DOTS facilities, respectively. Treatment success rate was higher among patients managed at PFP (89.4%) DOTS facilities than PNFP (81.3%) DOTS facilities ( P = 0.04). The proportion of patients lost to follow-up (12.5% vs. 8.3%), dead (3.3% vs. 1.5%) and treatment failure (2.5% vs. 0.8%) was higher among patients managed at PNFP DOTS facilities ( P > 0.05). The odds that patients treated at PFP DOTS facilities had treatment success were about four times higher than PNFP DOTS facilities when other variables have been controlled for ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: There is need by the LSTBLCP to engage more private practitioners to increase case detection and improve treatment outcomes of TB patients., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Despite achieving the WHO elimination target of less than 1/10,000 population in 1998 at the national level, there are still pockets of relative high endemicity of leprosy in Nigeria. This study used spatial analytic techniques to determine the spatial distribution of leprosy in Nigeria., Methods: The study is an ecological study of secondary data of new leprosy cases reported to the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) in Nigeria, 2010–2014. The 36 states and Federal Capital Territory were used as the unit of geographical analysis. The global Moran’s I and Local Moran’s I (LISA) test were used to measure spatial autocorrelation and significant levels were taken at P < , 0·05., Results: A total of 17,356 new leprosy cases were notified over 5 years (2010–2014) in Nigeria. A majority of the cases were multi-bacillary 16,037 (92·4%) while 1319 (7·6%) were pauci-bacillary. A total of 1569 (9%) children were reported with leprosy. The leprosy case detection rate increased slightly from 2·21/100,000 in 2010 to 2·24/100,000 in 2012 and declined to 1·66/100,000 population in 2014. Significant clustering of average annual leprosy case detection rate was observed in Kebbi state only, while childhood leprosy was significantly clustered in four states namely Sokoto, Kebbi, Rivers and Zamfara states., Conclusion: The study observed a significant clustering of leprosy case detection rate in Nigeria. The findings can serve as a useful guide to the national leprosy control programme for efficient use of scarce resources to target interventions to priority states for the elimination of leprosy in the country.

Objective/background: Despite several studies on health system delay (HSD) among tuberculosis (TB) patients in Nigeria, no study has compared HSD in private and public health facilities. This study assessed the determinants of HSD in public and private health facilities offering the directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS)., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 470 new smear-positive TB patients aged 14years and older were consecutively recruited between October 1, 2012, and December 31, 2012, from 34 (23 public and 11 private) DOTS facilities that offered treatment and microscopy services. Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression were used to assess the determinants of HSD., Results: The median HSD was longer at public DOTS facilities (14days; interquartile range [IQR] 10-21days) than private DOTS facilities (12.5days; IQR 10.0-14.0days, p=.002). Age and human immunodeficiency virus status were determinants of HSD at the public DOTS facilities, whereas sex and income were determinants of HSD at the private DOTS facilities. TB patients who first visited a nonhospital facility were over four times more likely (odds ratio 4.12; 95% confidence interval 2.25-7.54) to have prolonged HSD than those who first visited the government hospital when they first developed the symptoms of TB after controlling for other factors in the model., Conclusion: Determinants of HSD at the public and private DOTS facilities vary. Strategies to reduce HSD at both public and private DOTS facilities in Lagos State, Nigeria, are urgently needed., (Copyright © 2016 Asian-African Society for Mycobacteriology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Discharge against medical advice (DAMA) portends serious ethico-legal consequences for healthcare givers. Several studies have described its prevalence and pattern but hardly any to evaluate adherence to standards by medical staff while administering DAMA in developing countries., Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate adherence of medical staff to standard protocols during the administration of DAMA in a public secondary hospital in Ondo State., Methodology: In a descriptive, retrospective study we examined case files and DAMA forms of in-patients who obtained DAMA between April 2014 and September 2015 for design, signatories and completeness. Data were analysed by means of SPSS version 17., Results: A total of 235 patients (male:female, 1.03:1) who obtained DAMA out of 7465 in-patients were studied. Their mean age was 40.5 ± 19.3 years (range, 17-110 years). The overall hospital DAMA prevalence was 3.2%. DAMA forms were inadequately designed, deficient and not protective against litigation. Improper processing of DAMA was high (66.7%). The only signatories in the DAMA forms were the nurses (8.5%) and patients' relatives (100%). There was no physician entry in the forms., Conclusions: Adherence to standard DAMA protocol by medical staff was poor. Update courses on ethico-legal matters, adopting a discharge planning team, upgrading of DAMA forms and stressing global best practices will reduce or eliminate risk of litigations.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a public health problem in Nigeria. Efforts are being geared toward early diagnosis and prevention of CKD. This study involved the evaluation of the referral pattern and mode of presentation of CKD patients at first contact in a tertiary health institution., Patients and Methods: Patients' records over an 18 month period were retrieved and the following information extracted: Sociodemographic data, referral hospital, mode of presentation, etiology of CKD, packed cell volume, blood pressure, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at first presentation., Results: There were 202 CKD patients with a male: female ratio of 1.7:1 and a mean age of 48.15 ± 16.69 years. The median estimated GFR of the patients at presentation was 3.17 ml/min/1.73 m(2). The common etiologies of CKD were chronic glomerulonephritis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obstructive nephropathy in 69 (34.2%), 47 (23.3%), 38 (18.8%), and 21 (10.4%) respectively. Among these patients, 111 (55%) and 98 (48.6%) had moderate to severe hypertension and anemia, respectively, 173 (85.6%) presented in CKD Stage 5, 101 (50%) required urgent hemodialysis whereas 123 (60.9%) required in-hospital admission. Only (18) 9% of these CKD patients presented by self-referral while (103) 51% were referred from secondary and private health facilities., Conclusion: Most Nigerian CKD patients still present very late to nephrologists implying that the present preventive strategies have not yielded desired results. Early diagnosis and referral of CKD patients could be better achieved through regular education of the public and retraining of health workers especially those in primary and secondary health institutions.

Background: : Treatment outcomes of tuberculosis (TB) in children are rarely evaluated by most national TB programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluated the treatment outcomes of children treated for TB in Lagos State, Nigeria., Methods: A retrospective review of programme data of the Lagos state TB and the Leprosy control programme in Nigeria from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012. Treatment outcomes were categorized according to the national TB guidelines., Results: A total of 535 cases of childhood TB were notified in 2012, representing 6.3% of the total TB cases notified in Lagos state in 2012. The prevalence of TB/HIV co-infection was 29%. The treatment success rate was 79.2% in TB/HIV-negative children compared with 73.4% in TB/HIV-positive children (p = 0.1268). Children <1 year had the worst treatment outcomes (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: There is a need to intensify effort at improving notification and treatment outcomes in children., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Dyslipidaemia is one of the cardiovascular risk factors responsible for cardiovascular disease and rapid progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end stage renal disease. Early detection and management of dyslipidaemia will reduce cardiovascular burden and retard progression of CKD., Aims: To determine the prevalence and pattern of dyslipidaemia in pre-dialysis CKD patients in a tertiary hospital in southern Nigeria., Methods: This was a case-control study that involved 105 consecutive pre-dialysis CKD patients recruited over two years and 105 age and sex matched control subjects. Data obtained from participants included demographics, body mass index, and aetiology of CKD. Blood sampling was done for the determination of creatinine and fasting serum lipids. P values < 0.05 were taken as significant., Results: The mean age of the CKD and control subjects were 46.98±16.81 and 47.57±15.97 years respectively with a male:female ratio of 1.7:1. The median atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) were significantly higher in the CKD patients while mean high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly lower in the CKD patients (p=<0.001). The overall prevalence of dyslipidaemia in the CKD patients was 60% which was significantly higher than 39% in the control (p=0.002). The prevalence of high AIP, elevated TG and reduced HDL-C increased with worsening renal function. Dyslipidaemia was commoner in female CKD patients (p=0.02) and those who were ≥ 45years (p=0.94)., Conclusion: Dyslipidaemia is common in pre-dialysis CKD especially in female and older patients. Some lipid abnormalities increased with worsening kidney function., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of hospitalization and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of cardiovascular disease and predictor of mortality in CKD patients. CKD patients with elevated CRP should be identified early with institution of measures to treat cardiovascular risk factors in order to reduce attendant mortality., Aims: Determination of serum CRP levels in CKD patients and associated factors., Methods: This was a case-control study involving 80 consecutive CKD patients and 40 control subjects without CKD. Data obtained from participants included demographics, body mass index (BMI), and aetiology of CKD. Serum CRP levels, albumin, creatinine and lipid profile were determined. Cases and controls were compared. P values <0.05 were taken as significant., Results: The mean age of the CKD subjects was 49.09±16.85 years. The median CRP value was significantly higher in the CKD group compared to controls (p=<0.001). Low, average and high cardiovascular event risk according to CRP values were present in 51(63.8%), 13(16.2%) and 16(20%) of the CKD patients respectively. Cardiovascular event risk was significantly higher in CKD subjects (p=<0.001). Serum creatinine, BMI, triglyceride and atherogenic index of plasma correlated positively with CRP. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and albumin correlated negatively with CRP. Elevated serum CRP was significantly predicted by low eGFR and high BMI on multivariate analysis., Conclusion: Chronic kidney disease patients have increased cardiovascular event risk. Interventions aimed at reducing weight and treating dyslipidaemia should be instituted early in order to reduce this risk., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared

Background: Kidney transplantation (KT) is now the preferred renal replacement therapy in suitable patients with end-stage renal disease but organ availability is a major limiting factor., Aims: To evaluate the willingness of caregivers (CGs) and healthcare workers (HWs) to donate a kidney and possible motivating factors in our setting., Methods: This cross-sectional study was done at Mother and Child Hospital, Kidney Care Centre Ondo and Babcock University Teaching Hospital, all in Southern Nigeria. Participants' willingness to donate a kidney was assessed using Likert and Visual Analogue Scales (VAS). The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Student t test was used to compare weighted mean scores. Multivariate analysis done; P < .05 was taken as significant., Results: A total of 563 CGs and HWs took part in the study. Sixty percent of them were aware of kidney donation (KD) but only 43.7% had a favorable attitude towards it, and these were predominantly HWs (63.4% vs 33.1%, P < .001). A quarter of the participants were adequately willing to donate a kidney; HWs were significantly more willing than CGs (45.4% vs 15.8%, P < .001). On VAS, the mean willingness score of HWs was higher than that of CGs (t = 7.13, P < .001). Factors strongly influencing the willingness of CGs to donate include their educational level (P = .028, OR = 4.86, 95% CI: 1.19-19.91) social class (P = .012, OR = 6.17 95% CI: 1.5-24.8) and having a relative with kidney disease (P = .019; OR = 3.07 95% CI: 1.25-12.00). Willingness correlated with awareness of KD among CGs (r = 0.534, P < .001)., Conclusion: There is a low level of willingness alongside negative attitudes toward kidney donation among our participants., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cardiovascular risk factors are responsible for cardiovascular disease and rapid progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end-stage renal disease. Prompt evaluation, modification, and treatment of these factors in predialysis patients will reduce morbidity and mortality. This study assessed some cardiovascular risk factors in predialysis CKD patients in a tertiary hospital in Southern Nigeria., Patients and Methods: This was a case-control study that involved 76 consecutive predialysis CKD patients and 38 age-and sex-matched controls without CKD over 1 year period. Both groups were assessed for cardiovascular risk factors, and comparisons were made. A P value of <0.05 was taken as significant., Results: The mean ages of the CKD versus control group were 48.00 ± 15.28 versus 45.34 ± 15.35 years. The male:female ratio was 1.7:1 for both groups. The common etiologies of CKD in this study were hypertension 30 (39.5%), diabetes mellitus 23 (30.3%), and chronic glomerulonephritis 19 (25%). There were 38 (50%) in CKD stage 3, 31 (40.8%) in CKD stage 4, and 7 (9.2%) in CKD stage 5. The common cardiovascular risk factors found in the CKD versus control were hypertension (96.1% vs. 42.1%), anemia (96.1% vs. 23.7%), left ventricular hypertrophy (77.6% vs. 23.7%), dyslipidemia (67.1% vs. 39.5%), hypocalcemia (60.1% vs. 18.5%), hyperphosphatemia (63.2% vs. 0%), and hyperuricemia (57.9% vs. 15.8%). These risk factors were significantly higher in CKD group. Hyperphosphatemia and hypoalbuminemia significantly increased across CKD stages 3-5. Anemia was significantly more common in males whereas dyslipidemia was more common in female CKD patients., Conclusion: Cardiovascular risk factors were highly prevalent in predialysis CKD subjects even in early stages. Hypoalbuminemia and hyperphosphatemia significantly increased across the CKD stages 3-5 whereas anemia and dyslipidemia showed significant gender differences. Cardiovascular risk factors should be treated early in predialysis CKD patients.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) are the leading causes of death from infectious disease worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that the prevalence of HIV among children with TB in moderate to high prevalence countries ranges between 10% and 60%. This study aimed to determine the access to HIV services of HIV-TB co-infected children., Methods: A retrospective review of data of children diagnosed with TB in Lagos State, Nigeria from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2013., Results: A total of 1199 children aged between 0 and 14 years were diagnosed with TB. Of 1095 (91.3%) who underwent testing for HIV, 320 (29.2%) were HIV seropositive. The male-to-female ratio of HIV-TB positive outcomes was 1:0.9. Of the 320 HIV-TB co-infected children, 57 (17.8%) were aged <1 year, 86 (26.9%) 1-4 years and 186 (58.1%) 5-14 years; 186/320 (58.1%) began cotrimoxazole preventive therapy (CPT), and 151 (47.2%) were put on antiretroviral treatment (ART). ART uptake was not significantly higher in facilities where HIV-TB services were co-located (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: The uptake of CPT and ART was low. There is a need to intensify efforts to improve access to HIV services in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Introduction: Adolescents are a unique and sometimes neglected group in the planning of healthcare services. This is the case in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, where more than eight out of ten of the world's HIV-infected adolescents live. Although the last decade has seen a reduction in AIDS-related mortality worldwide, largely due to improved access to effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), AIDS remains a significant contributor to adolescent mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Although inadequate access to ART in parts of the subcontinent may be implicated, research among youth with HIV elsewhere in the world suggests that suboptimal adherence to ART may play a significant role. In this article, we summarize the epidemiology of HIV among sub-Saharan African adolescents and review their adherence to ART, emphasizing the unique challenges and factors associated with adherence behaviour., Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of online databases for articles, relevant abstracts, and conference reports from meetings held between 2010 and 2014. Our search terms included "adherence," "compliance," "antiretroviral use" and "antiretroviral adherence," in combination with "adolescents," "youth," "HIV," "Africa," "interventions" and the MeSH term "Africa South of the Sahara." Of 19,537 articles and abstracts identified, 215 met inclusion criteria, and 148 were reviewed., Discussion: Adolescents comprise a substantial portion of the population in many sub-Saharan African countries. They are at particular risk of HIV and may experience worse outcomes. Although demonstrated to have unique challenges, there is a dearth of comprehensive health services for adolescents, especially for those with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. ART adherence is poorer among older adolescents than other age groups, and psychosocial, socio-economic, individual, and treatment-related factors influence adherence behaviour among adolescents in this region. With the exception of a few examples based on affective, cognitive, and behavioural strategies, most adherence interventions have been targeted at adults with HIV., Conclusions: Although higher levels of ART adherence have been reported in sub-Saharan Africa than in other well-resourced settings, adolescents in the region may have poorer adherence patterns. There is substantial need for interventions to improve adherence in this unique population.

Background: Childhood tuberculosis (TB) has been neglected by national TB programs in sub-Saharan Africa because of the emphasis on adult smear-positive TB cases. About 80,000 HIV children die from TB, and over 550,000 childhood TB cases occur annually, representing 6% of the global TB burden, making TB an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Thus, this study assessed the trend of childhood TB cases notified in Lagos, Nigeria from 2011 to 2014., Methods: Retrospective data review of childhood TB cases notified to the Lagos State TB and Leprosy Control Programme (LSTBLCP) between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2014., Results: A total of 2396 children were treated for all forms of TB representing 6.8% of the total 35,305 TB cases notified during the study period. This constituted 1102 (46%) males and 1294 (54%) females. There was a progressive increase in the proportion of children treated for TB from 495 (5.9%) in 2011, 539 (6.4%) in 2012, 682 (7.2%) in 2013 and 680 (7.6%) in 2014. Of the total childhood TB cases notified, 16.3-20% were new sputum pulmonary smear positive; 68.2-74.6% were new sputum pulmonary smear negative; while extra-pulmonary TB accounted for 6.7-10.6%. The case notification rate (CNR) of childhood TB per 100,000 increased from 13.4 in 2011, 14.3 in 2012, 17.7 in 2013 and 17.2 in 2014., Conclusion: There was an increase in the case notification rate of TB among children between 2011 and 2014. Efforts should be made to sustain this increasing trend., (Copyright © 2015 Asian African Society for Mycobacteriology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The readiness of academics to engage in the service-learning (SL) institutionalisation process is not accentuated in research on SL institutionalisation in South Africa. The argument has been advanced that SL scholarship and willingness of key stakeholders are crucial for SL institutionalisation at the academic programme level., Aim: The research focus of the study being reported here was on readiness of respondents to embed SL in the curricula of the nursing programme., Method: This study used a quantitative, exploratory and descriptive design. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a stratified sample comprising 34 respondents. The data were analysed for descriptive statistics using SPSS 19., Results: The demographic profile of the respondents indicated that 31 (66%) were between 31 and 50 years old; 36 (75.16%) had a minimum of 10 years' nursing experience; 19 (39.6%) had a master's degree, two (4.2%) had a doctorate; and 29 (60.4%) had been employed by the school for a maximum of five years. The results indicated that the nurse educators were in need of SL capacity-building because 9 (18.8%) had limited or no knowledge of SL and 24 (50%) confused SL with other forms of community engagement activities. However, only 15 (33%) of the clinical supervisors and 13 (27%) of the lecturers indicated a willingness to participate in such a programme., Conclusion: The school was not ready to embed SL in the academic programme because of a lack of SL scholarship and willingness to remediate the identified theory-practice gaps.

Urban slum dwellers are not only prone to develop communicable diseases but also to non-communicable disease (NCDs). The extent and magnitude of NCDs among slum dwellers is largely unknown in Nigeria. A total of 964 adults aged 20-81 years (male 330 and female 634) residing in the urban slum of Ajegunle in Lagos State, Nigeria were studied to determine the prevalence of hypertension and associated factors. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 38.2 %. Of the 368 respondents identified as having hypertension, only 50 (5.2 %) respondents were previously aware of their diagnosis. Of the 50 known hypertensive patients, 48(96 %) had poor control of their high blood pressure. The socio-demographic factors significantly associated with hypertension status were age, sex, education, religion, BMI, and marital status. The study concludes a high prevalence of hypertension among urban slums dwellers in Lagos. The need for government to develop policies for the control of hypertension, improve access to early diagnosis and provide an enabling socioeconomic environment while promoting healthy living.

Background: Suicide is now among the five top causes of death in youth worldwide. However, during the preadolescent period, suicidal behaviour is rare and difficult to define because the cognitive level of young children limits their ability to plan and understand the consequences or the finality of suicide. There is virtually no information about preadolescent suicidal behaviour in Nigeria., Objective: To illustrate the presentation and psychosocial issues associated with preadolescent suicidal attempt using the 'hanging' method in Nigeria., Methods: Three case scenarios of suicide attempt by hanging in preadolescents seen at the University College Hospital, Ibadan between 2005 and 2006 were interviewed in detail along with mental state and physical examination. Family and individual therapies were embarked upon., Results: Types of psychopathology found in the preadolescents include depressive symptoms, conduct and oppositional defiant disorder and impulse control problems. Stressful life events such as family disruption, physical abuse, and bullying at school were factors associated with suicidal behaviour. The influence of the media in providing information about 'hanging' as a method of suicide was evident. Therapy yield varying results., Conclusion: High risk parameters for suicide in children should be known to all health professionals. The importance of intervention strategies particularly media education, monitoring systems and further research on suicidal behaviour in this environment is apparent.