Knowledge and Compliance with Malaria National Treatment Guidelines among Primary Health Care Workers in a Rural Area in Northern Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Knowledge and compliance with malaria treatment guidelines are among the major issues affecting treatment outcome for malaria in Nigeria. Primary health care (PHC) facilities are the first point of contact with the national health system for patients with malaria and other diseases.

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the knowledge and compliance with malaria National Treatment Guidelines (NTG) among PHC workers in Lere local government area of Kaduna State, North western Nigeria.

METHODS

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 42 community health workers. The total population of all eligible participants was used for subject selection. Data were analysed with SPSS IBM version 25.0 and STATA/SE 12. The level of statistical significance p-value was set at p<0.05.

RESULTS

The mean age of the respondents was 38.02±9.23 years. Majority of the respondents were males (25; 59.5%) and community health extension workers (CHEWs) (24; 57.1%). Almost one-third (28.6%) of the PHC workers had poor knowledge of the recommendations of the NTG for malaria, while 14.3% had poor compliance with the NTG. Bivariate analysis showed a significant relationship between older age and good knowledge of the NTG ( χ2 =0.03, p=0.04). Multivariate analysis further revealed that the odds for poor knowledge of NTG was 40% higher among CHEWs compared to other health workers (AOR=1.40, 95% CI=0.25-7.93). The odds for good knowledge was lower by 55% among those who had practiced for <10 years compared to >10 years (OR=0.45, 95% CI=0.06-3.32).

CONCLUSION

Poor knowledge and compliance to malaria NTG were commoner among lower cadre (CHEWs) staff with relatively fewer years in PHC practice. There is a need for training, retraining and equitable distribution of the NTG to ensure access and also improve knowledge and utilisation of the NTG for malaria by rural PHC workers.

Ginger and its active compounds in cancer therapy: From folk uses to nano-therapeutic applications

Ginger is a spice that is renowned for its characteristic aromatic fragrance and pungent taste, with documented healing properties. Field studies conducted in several Asian and African countries revealed that ginger is used traditionally in the management of cancer. The scientific community has probed into the biological validation of its extracts and isolated compounds including the gingerols, shogaols, zingiberene, and zingerone, through in-vitro and in-vivo studies. Nonetheless, an updated compilation of these data together with a deep mechanistic approach is yet to be provided. Accordingly, this review highlights the mechanisms and therapeutics of ginger and its bioactive compounds focused on a cancer context and these evidence are based on the (i) cytotoxic effect against cancer cell lines, (ii) enzyme inhibitory action, (iii) combination therapy with chemotherapeutic and phenolic compounds, (iv) possible links to the microbiome and (v) the use of nano-formulations of ginger bioactive compounds as a more effective drug delivery strategy in cancer therapy.

Effect of Na2O Doping on the Surface and Catalytic Properties of the Mn2O3/Al2O3 System

Manganese/aluminium mixed oxide solids having the formula 0.2MnCO3/Al2O3 were prepared by mechanical mixing of a known weight of finely powdered manganese carbonate and aluminium hydroxide. The solids obtained were treated with NaNO3 (0.75–6 mol%) solution and dried at 110°C, then calcined in air at 500°C and 800°C for 6 h. The phases produced were identified by XRD analysis. The surface properties (SBET, Vp and r̄) of the pure and doped solids were studied by using N2 adsorption at – 196°C and their catalytic activities were determined by studying the oxidation of CO by O2at 125–300°C.

The results obtained reveal that pure and doped mixed solids preheated in air at 500°C and 800°C consist of Mn2O3 (partridgite) and a poorly crystalline γ-alumina. Doping with sodium oxide at 500°C and 800°C resulted in a small decrease (14–19%) in the SBET value of the treated solids. However, this treatment brought about a significant modification in the catalytic activity of the doped solids. Doping with 0.75% Na2O at 500°C led to an increase of about 30–50% in the specific catalytic activity which was found to decrease on increasing the percentage of Na2O above this limit, falling to values smaller than that measured for the undoped catalyst. Doping at 800°C led to a progressive decrease in the activity of the treated solid to an extent proportional to the amount of dopant present. The doping process at 500°C and 800°C did not modify the mechanism of the catalytic reaction but altered the number of catalytically-active sites contributing in the catalysis of CO oxidation by O2 without changing their energetic nature.

Epidemiology of diarrhoeal diseases among children under age 5 years in Dakahlia, Egypt

Using multistage cluster sampling, we conducted a household survey of diarrhoea among 4458 children under age 5 years in Dakahlia governorate from June 2002 to May 2003 to determine the prevalence and determinants of diarrhoeal diseases. Frequency of diarrhoea in the previous 2 weeks and last 24 hours were 23.6% and 8.7% respectively. Oral rehydration solution use rate was 24.3% among children with diarrhoea in the past 2 weeks. The frequency of diarrhoea was significantly higher among children in rural areas, those aged 6-24 months and of higher birth order, in the summer, when mothers were younger, had lower education or were not working, and when fathers had lower education or were farmers or manual labourers. Overcrowding, improper refuse disposal and non-flush toilets were also significantly correlated with diarrhoea incidence.

Nitrogen balance and protein turnover during the growth failure in newly born low-birth-weight infants

Weight gain, nitrogen balance, protein turnover, and energy and protein intakes were measured during the first week of life of 14 low-birth-weight (LBW) infants, 5 small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants and 9 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) infants enterally fed at rates determined by the infants ability to assimilate feed. Mean gross intakes were 334 KJ and 1.75 g/kg protein; 4 infants were increasing and 10 were losing weight at rates proportional to gross energy and protein intakes and to nitrogen balance (0.031 g protein balance/g wt gain). Rates of protein synthesis and degradation measured by an intragastric infusion of [1-13C]leucine, averaged 14.5 and 15.9 g protein.kg-1.d-1, some 50% higher than previously reported in older preterm infants and not correlated with nitrogen balance. The growth failure of these infants was not associated with inadequate overall rates of protein turnover, but appeared to reflect an influence of the insufficient energy and protein intakes on the high rates of protein turnover, inducing changes in protein balance in either direction through relatively small changes in protein synthesis and/or degradation.