African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Clinicopathological study of otomycosis in a tertiary hospital in South-west Nigeria.
Otomycosis is common in environments with hot, humid weather, and it may be challenging to manage. ⋯ Otomycosis commonly present with itchy ears, the pathogenic fungi commonly being Aspergillus species. The factors associated with positive fungal culture were age, non-usage of ototopic agents and presence of co-morbidity. Treatment modality used was local debridement and topical antifungal agents, which produced favourable response in most patients.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
The use of antenatal corticosteroids in preterm labour for the prevention of perinatal mortality in hospitals in Tanzania.
Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) are given to pregnant women at risk of preterm delivery to hasten the maturation of the lungs, lowering the risk of newborn respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and perinatal mortality. ⋯ ACS significantly reduced the risk of perinatal mortality and RDS among preterm infants exposed to ACS in utero and delivered by women in preterm labour. The use of ACS should be encouraged in low-resource settings where preterm birth is prevalent to improve perinatal outcomes.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Sociodemographic predictors of beliefs about getting HIV infection by witchcraft or supernatural means: a population-based study of 15335 Senegalese women.
To provide more insights about beliefs of witchcraft and supernatural means as causes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among women in Senegal. ⋯ We demonstrated many predictors of the wrong beliefs about getting HIV infection by witchcraft or supernatural means in the Senegalese women. Policymakers should initiate health educational programs in parallel with increasing the socioeconomic status to limit the HIV transmission. In addition, continuous monitoring of the HIV knowledge in the endemic countries is crucial to decrease HIV burden.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Use of mobile hospitals to improve access to health services and promote primary health care: lessons from Zambia (2011-2018).
Mobile hospitals play a critical role in serving difficult to access populations. In 2011, they were introduced by the Zambian government to improve access to health care. However, little is known about and/or documented about their use in Zambia, and other similar settings where people rely on them to access critical health care, or have to travel long distances to the nearest health centre. ⋯ The research not only highlights conditions that must be considered for the effective implementation of mobile hospitals, but also the need for engagement of various key stakeholders during agenda setting in order to build trust and buy in, which contribute to smoother implementation.
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African health sciences · Mar 2024
Elderly people's perceptions on the use of mobile phones to support the self-management of long-term illnesses at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital.
The global estimate of the aging population is progressively increasing in low and middle-income countries and this is accompanied by the limitations associated with the need for equitable and efficient healthcare delivery among this dire population. Unfortunately, despite the increasing numbers, the adoption of mobile phones is not balanced in the different populations with research showing young persons' adoption rate is higher than that of elderly persons. ⋯ This study provides empirical evidence that there is hardly a known mobile phone adoption model to enable policymakers, systems developers, and health workers to promote the elderly population's use of mobile phones to manage their long-term illnesses in Uganda.