Trend of malaria cases in Kaduna State using routine surveillance data, 2011-2015.

INTRODUCTION: in 2015, 212 million malaria cases and 429,000 malaria deaths were estimated globally. Kaduna State, located in northern Nigeria had a malaria prevalence rate of 36.7% among children less than 5 years old which was higher than the national average of 27%. We assessed the trend of malaria cases in Kaduna State from 2011 to 2015, to analyse trend of malaria in Kaduna as well as describe malaria in time, place and person. METHODS: we conducted secondary data analysis of Kaduna State malaria data between January 2011 and December 2015. Data were extracted from the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) 003 form. Data of uncomplicated malaria defined as "any person with fever or history of fever within 24 hours; without signs of severe disease (vital organ dysfunction)" was analysed. In IDSR, a case of malaria is based on presumed diagnosis. Frequencies and proportions were calculated. We also conducted trend analysis of incidence of malaria. RESULTS: in the period under study, 1,031,603 malaria cases were recorded with 238 deaths (CFR = 0.23 per 1,000). There was a downward trend with a slope of -3287.2. The data showed higher seasonal variation for quarters 2 (1430.96) and 3 (Q2 = 6,460.23) compared to Quarters 1 (6,857.19) and 4 (-1,034.01). Overall, the age group 12 -59 months had the highest number of incident cases 225, 537 (20.3%). Malaria death was highest in children 1 to 11 months (26.5%) and least, in children 0 -28 days (2.5%). CFR was also highest in children 1 to 11 months (0.45 per 1,000). The highest incidence of malaria cases was in Jaba Local Government Area (47.7%) and the least, in Lere (2.4%). CONCLUSION: there was a decreased incidence of malaria from 2011 to 2015. Malaria was most common in the second and third quarters of each year. Age group 12-59 months was most affected. Kaduna State Malaria Programme should sustain the programs it is implementing and focus more on the under-five years age group.

Knowledge and utilization of contraceptive devices among unmarried undergraduate students of a tertiary institution in Kano State, Nigeria 2016.

INTRODUCTION: Students in the universities mostly live independently from their parents or guardians, some of them for the first time. This gives them freedom and opportunity for high risk behavior such as unplanned and unprotected sex. The results of such sexual experimentation may include unplanned and or unwanted pregnancies that may lead to unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS. Contraception has the potential to prevent unwanted pregnancies, abortion, and STIs. This study aimed at assessing the general knowledge on contraceptives, sexual practices, and level of utilization of contraceptives devices among unmarried students of the Bayero University Kano. METHODS: We did an institutional based cross-sectional descriptive study. We administered a pretested, self-administered, structured questionnaire to randomly selected unmarried undergraduate students of the institution. We analyzed data using Microsoft Excel 2016 and Epi-info7. RESULTS: A total of 300 students were interviewed. The median age for respondents was 23 years with an age range of 16-25 years. Male respondents made up 61.3% (184) while the females made up the remaining 38.7% (116). Also, 158(47.33%) of respondents lived outside the school campus, while 158(52.67%) lived in the school hostels. Knowledge on contraception was 87.7% among respondents with internet (91%) and media (89.3%) as the commonest sources of knowledge. Proportion of sexually active students was 10.67%, while prevalence of contraceptive utilization among sexually active students was 15.63%. About 8(25%) had their sexual debut at < 16years of age, 22(68.75%) at ages between 16-20years, and 4(12.5%) above 20years of age. All sexually active respondents practice vaginal sex. Most sexual debuts were planned (44.75 %) and with friends (86.4%), and they occurred between the ages of 16-20years age group in 70.3% of respondents. CONCLUSION: Even though knowledge on contraceptive used was high among the respondents, utilization of contraceptives among sexually active students was low, thus creating a window for possible unintended and unwanted pregnancies among these group of students.

Descriptive epidemiology of a cholera outbreak in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria, 2014.

INTRODUCTION: Cholera is an acute gastrointestinal infection caused by Vibrio cholerae, which may lead to severe dehydration and death if not treated. This analysis is aimed at highlighting the magnitude, pattern and trend of cholera outbreak that occurred in Kaduna State in 2014. METHODS: We obtained the 2014 cholera line-list from the Kaduna State Disease Surveillance and Notification officer (DSNO). We described the outbreaks in time, place and person using Epi-info 7 and Health Mapper. RESULTS: A total of 1468 case-patients and 54 deaths were recorded, giving a case fatality rate (CFR) of 3.68%. Female case-patients were 809(55.08%). The median age for case-patients was 15 years, with an age range of 0.04-90 years. Age specific case fatality rate (ASCFR) is highest among the > 60 years. Seven (30%) out of the 23 local government areas (LGAs) in Kaduna State were affected by the cholera outbreak in 2014. Igabi LGA has the highest attack rate (150.46 per 100,000 population) while Chikun LGA has the lowest attack rate (12.22 per 100,000 population). Chikun LGA records the highest CFR (17.54%). Cholera infection spread across LGAs sharing the same borders. The outbreak started from the first epidemic week of 2014 and lasted over 33 weeks. CONCLUSION: Our analysis revealed a protracted cholera outbreak that gradually increases in magnitude throughout the first half of 2014 and spread within contiguous LGAs. We recommended the strengthening of the state's diseases surveillance system towards timely detection and early response to disease outbreaks in the future.