African health sciences
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African health sciences · Sep 2017
HIV-Sero-prevalence trend among blood donors in North East Ethiopia.
Although blood transfusion is one of the known therapeutic interventions that cuts across a number of clinical disciplines. It is necessary to test all intending blood donors for HIV infection before donation. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HIV among blood donors at Dessie Blood Bank, Northeast Ethiopia. ⋯ The prevalence of HIV infections among blood donors is still high in this study setting, and needs constant monitoring to evaluate prevention and control strategies to reduce the burden of transfusion-transmissible HIV infections.
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African health sciences · Sep 2017
Effects of meteorological factors on the incidence of meningococcal meningitis.
Substantial climate changes have led to the emergence and re-emergence of various infectious diseases worldwide, presenting an imperative need to explore the effects of meteorological factors on serious contagious disease incidences such as that of meningococcal meningitis (MCM). ⋯ Public health institutions should pay more attention to the meteorological variables of humidity, sunshine, and temperature in prospective MCM control and prevention.
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African health sciences · Sep 2017
The prevalence of and factors associated with tobacco smoking behavior among long-distance drivers in Lagos, Nigeria.
Factors associated with tobacco smoking are useful in designing tobacco control programs. ⋯ Prevalence of tobacco smoking is higher among non AHS compared to AHS drivers. Having close friends that smoked, cargo driving, and lower education levels were associated with current smoking.
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African health sciences · Sep 2017
Repurposing metformin as a quorum sensing inhibitor in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Quorum sensing is a mechanism of intercellular communication that controls the production of virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Inhibition of quorum sensing can disarm the virulence factors without exerting stress on bacterial growth that leads to emergence of antibiotic resistance. ⋯ Metformin can act as a quorum sensing inhibitor and virulence inhibiting agent that may be useful in the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
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African health sciences · Sep 2017
Patients' perceptions of a rural decentralised anti-retroviral therapy management and its impact on direct out-of-pocket spending.
Geographical and financial barriers hamper accessibility to HIV services for rural communities. The government has introduced the nurse initiated management of anti-retroviral therapy at primary health care level, in an effort to improve patient access and reduce patient loads on facilities further up the system. ⋯ Patients seem to indicate that they preferred decentralisation of HIV care to PHC level and that this might minimise out-of-pocket spending. Further studies are required to confirm these findings.