COVID-19 vaccine wastage in Africa: A case of Nigeria.

The World Health Organization has launched campaigns to boost immunisation rates to 70 percent globally by the middle of 2022. However, despite the global success of about 64% COVID-19 vaccination coverage, there is a big gap in Nigeria. To date, only 13.8% of the population has received the recommended dose. This demonstrates a significant disparity between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. Amidst the wide gap in vaccination, COVID-19 vaccine wastage still occurs in Nigeria. At the end of 2021, it was estimated that over a million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been wasted. It is anticipated that there will be more COVID-19 vaccine wastage in Nigeria, because of the combined factors that threaten vaccination uptake including vaccine accessibility, lack of appropriate storage facilities, poor electricity supply, insecurity challenges, and inadequate health promotion. This results in concomitant financial and opportunity losses. In this paper, we discuss COVID-19 vaccine wastage in Nigeria including causes, and solutions that can be applied to mitigate this wastage.

Barriers to utilisation of maternal health services in a semi-urban community in northern Nigeria: The clients' perspective.

BACKGROUND: Low level of utilisation of maternal health services is a major factor responsible for high maternal mortality in northwestern region of Nigeria. This study was aimed at determining the barriers to utilisation of maternal health services from the perspective of mothers in northwestern Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 150 mothers, selected through multistage technique, was conducted. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, and analysed using SPSS statistics 17.0. RESULTS: Only 2.7% utilised preconception service, 98.7% antenatal care service (ANC), 24.0% delivery, 35.3% postnatal care and 14.0% utilised family planning service. Major reasons for non-utilisation of delivery service were not having a delivery complication in the past (57% (CI = 47.4-66.1)) and negative provider attitude (23.7% (CI = 16.4-32.7)). For non-utilisation of postnatal care, the major reasons were also not having a postnatal complication in the past (60.8% (CI = 50.4-70.4)) and negative provider attitude (27.8% (CI = 19.4-38.0)). As for non-utilisation of family planning service, the major reason was desire to have more children (32.6% (CI = 24.7-41.4)). Reasons for non-use of preconception care and ANC were not computed because respondents to these questions were not enough; only 6 (4.0%) were aware of preconception care in the first place and only 2 (1.3%) were not using ANC. CONCLUSION: Despite living near a health facility, most of the mothers were not using maternal health services. It is recommended that while there is the need to raise awareness on the utilisation of maternal health services, bring it closer to the mothers and make it more affordable, there is a more pressing need to improve its quality, especially through the alleviation of negative attitude of health care providers.

Factors affecting self-reported use of seat belt among commercial vehicle drivers in Gusau metropolis Zamfara State north-western Nigeria.

Optimal and adequate prevention of road traffic injuries in developing countries has been hampered by limitations of knowledge and poor attitude towards use of cost effective safety and preventive measures like the seat belt. The objective of the study was to determine the level of self-reported use of seat belt and the factors affecting it among commercial motor vehicle drivers. The study was cross-sectional descriptive, data was obtained using interviewer-administered, structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Knowledge of seat belt was low, (11%), more than half (55.3%) admitted that use of seat belts prevents ejection of vehicle occupants. Less than half (47%) reported use of seat belt always. Age and educational level were significantly associated with use of seat belts (p < 0.0001), (p = 0.009). There is sub-optimal knowledge of the importance of seat belts coupled with low level of use. Innovative public health education approaches with enforcement could mitigate the low level of use.

Barriers to Utilisation of Maternal Health Services in a Semi-urban Community in Northern Nigeria: The Clients' Perspective

Low level of utilisation of maternal health services is a major factor responsible for high maternal mortality in northwestern region of Nigeria. This study was aimed at determining the barriers to utilisation of maternal health services from the perspective of mothers in northwestern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 150 mothers; selected through multistage technique; was conducted. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire; and analysed using SPSS statistics 17.0. Results: Only 2.7 utilised preconception service; 98.7 antenatal care service (ANC); 24.0 delivery; 35.3 postnatal care and 14.0 utilised family planning service. Major reasons for non-utilisation of delivery service were not having a delivery complication in the past (57 (CI = 47.4-66.1)) and negative provider attitude (23.7(CI = 16.4-32.7)). For non-utilisation of postnatal care; the major reasons were also not having a postnatal complication in the past (60.8 (CI = 50.4-70.4)) and negative provider attitude (27.8 (CI = 19.4-38.0)). As for non-utilisation of family planning service; the major reason was desire to have more children (32.6 (CI = 24.7-41.4)). Reasons for non-use of preconception care and ANC were not computed because respondents to these questions were not enough; only 6 (4.0) were aware of preconception care in the first place and only 2 (1.3) were aware of preconception care in the first place and only 2 (1.3) were not using ANC. Conclusion: Despite living near a health facility; most of the mothers were not using maternal health services. It is recommended that while there is the need to raise awareness on the utilisation of maternal health services; bring it closer to the mothers and make it more affordable; there is a more pressing need to improve its quality; especially through the alleviation of negative attitude of health care providers