A cross-sectional survey of knowledge, attitude, and practices toward dengue fever among health workers in a tertiary health institution in Sokoto state, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: Dengue fever (DF) has become a disease of public health concern. It is a mosquito-borne virus infection caused by one of the four serotypes of the dengue virus, and the disease is prevalent in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, with a global burden in the Americas. Yearly, about 390 million cases of new infection are estimated to occur. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This study was aimed atdetermining the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding dengue fever amongst health workers in a tertiary health institution in Sokoto state , Nigeria. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, among 367 health-care workers who had worked in the hospital for at least 1 year before the study were selected using a systematic sampling method. Data were collected by trained resident doctors using a standardized, pretested questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 20 with a significance set at P > 0.05. RESULTS: There was high awareness (95.1%) among the respondents, with seminars and lectures in school as the most familiar information sources. A more significant proportion, 87.8%, 93.2%, and 76.6%, of the respondents had adequate knowledge, positive attitude, and appropriate DF practice, respectively. Nurses and laboratory scientists had higher practice scores compared to other health-care workers (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: Capacity building of health-care workers, especially the primary care physicians on surveillance, proper diagnosis, and treatment, is needed to avoid missing cases or misdiagnosis of cases, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries with limited health resources care service delivery.

Assessment of the knowledge of fathers, uptake of routine immunization, and its associated factors in a rural community of North West Nigeria.

Introduction: Father's involvement is essential for the successful immunization of the child, as man is the head of the family and he takes responsibility for all decisions including health and financial issues. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of fathers, uptake of routine immunization (RI), and its associated factors in a rural community of North West Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted among the male heads of households residing in a rural community of Sokoto state. Systematic sampling was used to recruit 276 respondents. Data were obtained using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data obtained was entered into the IBM Software package and subsequently analyzed. Level of significance was set at 5%. Results: Only 2.5% and 1.4% of the respondents knew the age measles and yellow fever vaccines were given, respectively. Majority (75.4%) of the respondents' last-born child did not receive bacillus Calmette-Guérin at birth. Only (7.6%) of their last-born child were completely immunized for age. Majority of the respondents that had poor knowledge of RI had no formal education (P = 0.043). Conclusion: The study reported the knowledge of RI among fathers was poor. Having formal education and perception that children should be allowed to receive RI were correlates of good knowledge and uptake of RI. Parents, fathers, in particular, should be educated on the schedule of RI.

RésuméIntroduction: L'implication du père est essentielle à la réussite de la vaccination de l'enfant que l'homme est le chef de famille et il assume la responsabilité de toutes les décisions, y compris les questions de santé et financiers. Cette étude visait à évaluer les connaissances des pères, l'absorption de la vaccination de routine et de ses facteurs associés dans une communauté rurale du nord-ouest du Nigeria. matériaux et méthodes: L'étude était une communauté étude transversale basée menée entre les chefs de famille résidant dans une communauté rurale de l'Etat de Sokoto. L'échantillonnage systématique a été utilisé pour recruter 276 répondants. Les données ont été obtenues à l'aide d'un enquêteur structuré questionnaires. Les données obtenues ont été saisies dans progiciel IBM et ensuite analysés. Le niveau de signification a été fixé à 5%. Résultats: Seulement 2,5% et 1,4% des personnes interrogées connaissaient la rougeole d'âge et les vaccins contre la fièvre jaune ont reçu respectivement. La majorité (75,4%) des répondants de l'enfant dernier-né n'a pas reçu le BCG à la naissance. Seulement (7,6%) de leur dernier enfant ont été complètement vaccinés pour l'âge. La majorité des répondants qui avaient une mauvaise connaissance du RI avait pas d'éducation formelle (p = 0,043). Conclusion: L'étude des connaissances déclarée de vaccination de routine chez les pères était pauvre. Avoir l'éducation formelle et de la perception que les enfants devraient être autorisés à recevoir RI étaient corrélats de la bonne connaissance et l'absorption de la vaccination systématique. Les parents, les pères en particulier, doivent être éduqués sur le calendrier du RI.

Prevalence and factors associated with the use of traditional medicines among human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients in Sokoto, Nigeria.

Background: In resource-scarce settings like Nigeria, access to conventional drugs and antiretroviral therapy (ART) is highly limited, hence the resort to use of traditional herbal medicine by a significant number of people living with human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) (PLWHAs). Traditional medicine (TM) continues to provide health coverage for most of the people in developing countries, and it is equally becoming increasingly popular in western countries. Aim: This study aims to present the status and use of TM and determine the factors associated with its use among patients with HIV/AIDS on highly active ART in a tertiary health institution in Sokoto, Northwest Nigeria. Methodology: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study involving HIV/AIDS patients attending antiretroviral treatment center of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, Nigeria. The study population comprised PLWHAs attending the ART clinic of the hospital (UDUTH). A total of 271 respondents were recruited into the study and administered a set of pretested structured questionnaire. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the ethical committee of the teaching hospital. Results: Only 11 (4.2%) of the respondents had used TM before, of whom 9 (5%) were females and 2 (2.7%) were males with P = 0.399. Only one of the respondents had side effects following the use of TM, and the most common reason for the use of TM was as a result of too much weight loss. Conclusion: Although the use of TM among the study participants in Sokoto was low, there is need to educate PLWHAs about the possible risks of interactions following the concurrent use of TM and ART.

Determinants of appropriate knowledge on human immunodeficiency virus postexposure prophylaxis among professional health-care workers in Sokoto, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: The prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) among health-care workers (HCWs) has remained a major topical issue worldwide. Accidental transmission of HIV infection to HCWs during occupational exposure is a real threat today. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) among HCWs in a tertiary health institution in Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria. METHODOLOGY: The study was carried out at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, through a cross-sectional descriptive study design; a total of 156 participants were recruited using a stratified sampling technique. Data were collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS computer software after obtaining ethical clearance from the Health Ethics and Research Committee of the teaching hospital. RESULTS: A total of 87.2% (136) of the respondents had heard of PEP and 71.8% (112) thought that HIV/AIDs could be prevented through PEP. A total of 71.2% (111) had good knowledge about PEP, whereas 86.8% (118) had a positive attitude toward PEP. CONCLUSION: Although the study demonstrated high knowledge and positive attitude toward PEP, the observance of safety measures against needlestick injuries that could result in HIV infections was abysmally low. There is the need to create more awareness and strengthen the use of PEP protocol by all cadres of health workers as this will go a long way in minimizing blood-borne infections.