African health sciences
-
African health sciences · Mar 2021
Meta AnalysisIndian scenario of IgA nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is most common primary glomerulopathy. There are variations in prevalence of IgAN and its clinical features in different studies from India. ⋯ The overall prevalence of primary IgAN in India was 16.5%. The subnephrotic proteinuria and microscopic hematuria were common clinical features.
-
Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are one of the most common causes of the "common cold". Some HCoV strains, however, can cause fatal respiratory disease. Some examples of these diseases are severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19). This article will review the etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and management of HCoVs. ⋯ Due to the frequency of recombination events and the subsequent emergence of novel strains, HCoVs are becoming more prevalent, making them a global health concern as they can lead to epidemics and pandemics. Understanding the epidemiology, etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and management of HCoVs is important, especially during this worldwide pandemic.
-
African health sciences · Dec 2020
Meta AnalysisA systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence and predictors of anemia among children in Ethiopia.
Anemia is a wide-spread public health problem characterized by a decrease in hemoglobin concentration and/ or red blood cell volume below an established cut-off value. In developing countries including Ethiopia, about half of children are estimated to be anemic. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the pooled prevalence of anemia and its predictor factors among children in Ethiopia. ⋯ In this study, one in three children were anemic in Ethiopia. It is a moderate public health problem in children in this study. Low literacy, low socioeconomic status as well as rural residence of the families and helminthic infection of the children were found to be predictors of anemia in the children. Community and school-based interventions should be strengthened to improve the problem.
-
African health sciences · Dec 2020
The epidemiology of seasonal influenza after the 2009 influenza pandemic in Africa: a systematic review.
Influenza infection is a serious public health problem that causes an estimated 3 to 5 million cases and 250,000 deaths worldwide every year. The epidemiology of influenza is well-documented in high- and middle-income countries, however minimal effort had been made to understand the epidemiology, burden and seasonality of influenza in Africa. This study aims to assess the state of knowledge of seasonal influenza epidemiology in Africa and identify potential data gaps for policy formulation following the 2009 pandemic. ⋯ Significant progress has been made since the last pandemic in understanding the influenza epidemiology in Africa. However, efforts still remain for most countries to have sufficient data to allow countries to prioritize strategies for influenza prevention and control.
-
African health sciences · Sep 2020
Effective school-based preventive interventions for alcohol use in Africa: a systematic review.
Despite recognition of the risks of alcohol use and importance of prevention from an early age, the effectiveness of school-based interventions in Africa has not been clarified. ⋯ interventions had positive effects on students that were non-drinkers at baseline, especially girls. Although we could not find robust evidence that school-based interventions changed attitudes, frequency/quantity of drinking, and intentions to use alcohol, one intervention showed an increase in students' alcohol refusal self-efficacy.