Use of Prophylactic Parenteral Tranexamic Acid for Reduction of Blood Loss During and After Caesarean Section: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: Haemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal mortality. The prophylactic use of tranexamic acid during vaginal delivery or caesarean section has the potential to reduce blood loss and postpartum anaemia. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness and safety of tranexamic acid in reducing blood loss during and within twenty-four hours after a caesarean section. METHODS: This was a randomised controlled study of two hundred and eighty-four (284) pregnant women booked for caesarean section at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria. The women were randomised into two groups: the intervention group (n = 142) that received intraoperative tranexamic acid with routine post-delivery oxytocin injection and the control group (n =142) that received placebo with routine post-delivery oxytocin. Blood loss was assessed both intra and post-operatively using a standard technique. RESULTS: The mean intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group (435.9±34 vs. 918±258.7, P=0.036). Similarly, the postoperative blood loss within twenty-four hours of surgery was significantly less in the intervention compared to the control group (232.71±67.4 vs. 717±317.6, P=0.031). The incidences of postoperative anaemia and blood transfusion intra or postoperatively were also significantly less in the intervention group compared to the control group (33.2% vs. 48.6; RR = 0.623; 95% CI = 0.46-0.84; p = 0.002, and 6.3% vs 24.6%: RR = 0.257; 95%CI = 0.13-0.52; P= < 0.001, respectively). There were no differences in the incidences of maternal and neonatal complications. CONCLUSION: The use of prophylactic parenteral tranexamic acid significantly reduces blood loss during and after caesarean section. It is therefore recommended in our obstetric practice as it has the potential to reduce the incidence of postpartum anaemia.

CONTEXTE: L'hémorragie est l'une des principales causes de mortalité maternelle. L'utilisation prophylactique de l'acide tranexamique lors d'un accouchement par voie basse ou d'une césarienne a le potentiel de réduire la perte de sang et l'anémie post-partum. OBJECTIF: Déterminer l'efficacité et la sécurité de l'acide tranexamique dans la réduction de la perte de sang pendant et dans les vingt-quatre heures suivant une césarienne. MÉTHODES: Cette étude contrôlée randomisée a inclus deux cent quatre-vingt-quatre (284) femmes enceintes prévues pour une césarienne à l'Hôpital Universitaire du Nigeria (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, Enugu, Nigéria. Les femmes ont été randomisées en deux groupes : le groupe d'intervention (n = 142) qui a reçu de l'acide tranexamique en peropératoire avec une injection d'oxytocine post-accouchement de routine et le groupe témoin (n = 142) qui a reçu un placebo avec l'oxytocine de routine post-accouchement. La perte de sang a été évaluée pendant l'opération et après l'opération à l'aide d'une technique standard. RÉSULTATS: La perte de sang moyenne peropératoire était significativement plus faible dans le groupe d'intervention par rapport au groupe témoin (435,9±34 vs. 918±258,7, P=0,036). De même, la perte de sang postopératoire dans les vingt-quatre heures suivant l'opération était significativement plus faible dans le groupe d'intervention par rapport au groupe témoin (232,71±67,4 vs. 717±317,6, P=0,031). Les incidences d'anémie postopératoire et de transfusion sanguine pendant ou après l'opération étaient également significativement plus faibles dans le groupe d'intervention par rapport au groupe témoin (33,2% vs. 48,6%; RR = 0,623; IC 95% = 0,46-0,84; p = 0,002, et 6,3% vs. 24,6%: RR = 0,257; IC 95% = 0,13-0,52; P= < 0,001, respectivement). Il n'y avait pas de différences dans les incidences de complications maternelles et néonatales. CONCLUSION: L'utilisation prophylactique d'acide tranexamique parentéral réduit significativement la perte de sang pendant et après une césarienne. Il est donc recommandé dans notre pratique obstétricale, car il a le potentiel de réduire l'incidence de l'anémie post-partum. MOTS-CLÉS: Acide tranexamique, Perte de sang intrapartum, Hémorragie post-partum, Anémie.

Effects of short inter-pregnancy interval on maternal and perinatal outcomes: A cohort study of pregnant women in a low-income country.

BACKGROUND: Short inter-pregnancy interval (IPI) is a potential risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Previous reports from sub-Sahara Africa documented increasing incidence of short IPI but evidence is lacking in its effect on pregnancy outcome. AIM: The study aimed to determine the effect of short IPI on pregnancy outcome in Nigeria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: It was a prospective cohort study of 271 pregnant women receiving antenatal care in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. For every eligible woman with short IPI (<18 months) recruited; a suitable control with IPI ≥18 months was selected. Statistical analysis was both inferential and descriptive using the statistical package for social sciences version 24 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, Illinois, USA) for windows. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Incidence of maternal anemia was higher in women with short IPI than control (RR: 2.091; 95% CI: 1.4433.031; P < 0.001). Other maternal and perinatal outcome measures including premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor/delivery, pregnancy induced hypertension, third trimester bleeding, postpartum hemorrhage, and inadequate gestational weight gain did not show any significant association with short IPI (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Short IPI is associated with anemia in pregnancy in Nigeria. Public health campaigns for improvement in uptake of family planning services and breastfeeding may help reduce the incidence of short IPI and anemia in low income countries.

Prevalence and predictors of placental malaria in human immunodeficiency virus-positive women in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected pregnant women have alterations in cellular and humoral immunity that increase the risks to placental malaria infection. AIM: This study aimed at determining the prevalence and predictors of placental malaria among HIV-positive women in Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a longitudinal cohort study of pregnant women receiving antenatal care at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Peripheral blood sample for packed cell volume estimation and placental blood sample for malaria parasite estimation were collected from each participant at a presentation in labor and upon delivery, respectively. RESULTS: The Prevalence of placenta malaria (68.6%) and anemia (66.7%) in HIV-positive women were significantly higher than the prevalence of placental malaria (35.3%) and anemia (44.1%) in HIV-negative control (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001 respectively). The employment status was the only sociodemographic factor significantly associated with the development of placental malaria in HIV-positive women (odds ratio: 21.60; 95% confidence interval: 7.1-66.2; P< 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of placental malaria is very high among HIV-positive women in Nigeria. Scaling up free distribution of insecticide treated nets in the short term and employment opportunities of HIV-positive women, in the long run, may reduce the prevalence of placental malaria in our population.

Patterns of gestational weight gain and its association with birthweight in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing global importance of gestational weight gain (GWG) and its impact on birthweight, little is known about the patterns of GWG in African populations. OBJECTIVES: To determine the pattern of GWG and its association with birthweight in Nigeria. METHODS: It was a longitudinal study of 200 pregnant women receiving antenatal care at two tertiary hospitals in Enugu, south eastern Nigeria. The women were consecutively recruited at <14 weeks gestation and their body mass indexes recorded upon recruitment. Thereafter, weight measurements were taken at each visit until 38-39 weeks. RESULTS: Mean total GWG was 10.7 ± 3.4 kg, while mean birthweight was 3.3 ± 0.6 kg. GWG in second trimester had positive correlation with birthweight (r = 0.164, P = 0.02). Obese women gained above the recommended limits by the "institute of medicine" while underweight women gained below the limits. Excessive total GWG was associated with higher risk of macrosomia [8/21 (38.1%) vs. 7/179; RR: 9.74; 95% CI: 3.9-24.2; P < 0.001] while inadequate total GWG was associated with higher risk of low birth weight [7/72 (9.7%) vs. 3/128 (2.3%; RR: 4.15; 95% CI: 1.1-15.4; P = 0.03]. Maternal age of <35 years, high social class, nulliparity, and regular antenatal care were associated with normal GWG while maternal age <35 years and regular antenatal care were associated with normal birthweight (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Women should be counseled on the factors that influence GWG and birthweight. Interventions to assist women achieve appropriate GWG may need to include components related to improved dietary intake for the underweight and increased physical activity for the obese.

Determinants of compliance to iron supplementation among pregnant women in Enugu, Southeastern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Anemia in pregnancy is highly prevalent among antenatal clinic attendees in Enugu, Nigeria despite the practice of routine iron supplementation in pregnancy. The major problem with iron supplementation in pregnancy is compliance, and this may be a potential driver to the persistent high prevalence of anemia in this population. OBJECTIVES: To find out the compliance rate and determinants of compliance to iron supplementation among pregnant women in Enugu, southeastern Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study of eligible pregnant women receiving antenatal care at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria between April 1, 2012 and January 31, 2013. RESULTS: The knowledge of iron supplementation was 76.3% ( n = 302), however, the compliance rate was 65.9% ( n = 261). Tertiary level of education and high social class were factors significantly associated with compliance to iron supplementation after adjusting for other factors in the binary logistic regression analysis ( P < 0.05). The major barriers to compliance to iron supplementation included gastrointestinal side effects of iron supplements (41.7%), non-affordability of iron supplements (28.3%), and forgetfulness (15.0%) among the antenatal mothers. CONCLUSION: The compliance rate of 65.9% for iron supplementation by pregnant mothers in Enugu can further be improved by providing the drug free of charge in the short term and improvement in education and socioeconomic class of the populace in the long run.

Accuracy of clinical and ultrasound estimation of fetal weight in predicting actual birth weight in Enugu, Southeastern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Estimation of fetal weight is important for antenatal and intrapartum management of pregnant women. Sonographic methods are not readily accessible in under-resourced settings, it is therefore necessary to study the accuracy of a clinical method of estimating fetal weight where this limitation (unavailability of ultrasound) exists. OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy of clinical and ultrasound methods of fetal weight estimation at term. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical and ultrasound fetal weights were estimated on 200 consecutive term pregnancies (37 completed weeks of gestation - 41 weeks and 6 days) at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria from 1 st April to 30 th November 2012. Accuracy was determined using percentage error, absolute percentage error, and proportion of estimates within 10% of actual birth weight. RESULTS: Actual birth weight had strong positive correlation with both clinical and ultrasound estimated fetal weights (r = 0.71, P < 0.001 and r = 0.69, P < 0.001, respectively). Overall, both the clinical and ultrasound methods systematically overestimated the actual birth weight. The proportion of the clinical estimated weights that were within 10% of the actual birth weight was significantly lower than that of ultrasound method for babies of all birth weights (35.0 vs. 67.5%; P < 0.001) and for macrosomic babies (76 vs 100%, P = 0.009). For babies with normal birth weights (2.5-3.9 kg), ultrasound method error values were significantly lower than those of clinical method for both the mean % error (5.4 vs 19.6%; P < 0.001) and the mean absolute % error (9.97 vs 20.6%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The ultrasound method is generally a better predictor of the actual birth weight than the clinical method, and thus should be used in estimating the actual birth weight when accessible.

Effect of the Foley catheter and synchronous low dose misoprostol administration on cervical ripening: a randomised controlled trial.

This randomised controlled trial was carried out over a 14-month period in a tertiary health institution in Nigeria, to determine the effectiveness of Foley catheter and synchronous low dose misoprostol for pre-labour cervical ripening. Term pregnant women with unfavourable cervices (Bishop's score < 6) requiring cervical ripening/induction of labour were assigned randomly into three groups: Group A, transcervical Foley catheter was used synchronously with low dose intravaginal misoprostol; Group B, transcervical Foley catheter alone was used and Group C, low dose intravaginal misoprostol alone was used. The time to achieve a favourable cervical status as well as vaginal delivery was significantly shorter in the synchronous group than in the control groups (p < 0.05). The synchronous use of Foley catheter and misoprostol is very effective in cervical ripening and should be considered in clinical situations where there is need to hasten vaginal delivery in the presence of an unripe cervix.

Acceptability of human papilloma virus vaccine and cervical cancer screening among female health-care workers in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer, a leading cause of cancer deaths in women in developing countries can be prevented primarily by vaccinating adolescent girls and women against infection by the human papillomavirus (HPV) before their first sexual exposure, and secondarily through screening and treatment of identified precancerous lesions. AIM: To determine the awareness and acceptability of the HPV vaccine and screening for cervical cancer among female health-care workers in Enugu, southeastern Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questionnaires were administered to a cross-section of 177 female health-care workers selected systematically from the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Nigeria. Statistical analysis was both descriptive and inferential at 95% confidence level using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software version 16. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The awareness of screening for cervical cancer (91%) was significantly higher than that of the HPV vaccine (62.7%) [odds ratio (OR): 0.17; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09-0.30]. However, the acceptability rate of the HPV vaccine (91.0%) was significantly higher than that of cervical screening (71.4%) (OR: 4.04;95% CI: 1.94-8.42)]. Only 25 (14.1%) of the health-care workers had done cervical screening, but 30 (49.2%) of the 61 respondents with adolescent daughters had immunized their daughters with the HPV vaccine. Although no reason was given for the low participation in cervical screening, cost and availability of HPV vaccine was a major deterrent for the latter. CONCLUSION: With more public enlightenment, available and affordable HPV vaccine appears to hold the key for prevention of cervical cancer in developing countries where the burden is high.

Utilization of insecticide treated nets among pregnant women in Enugu, South Eastern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The goal of roll back malaria partnership is to achieve universal coverage for all populations at risk using appropriate interventions for prevention and case management. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine the use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) and other anti-vector measures among pregnant women in an area hyper-endemic for malaria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questionnaires were administered to a cross-section of 832 consecutive pregnant women attending antenatal care in three hospitals in Enugu, Nigeria that have high client flow for maternity services. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics by means of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the women was 33.2 ± 2.9 (range: 15-45) years. Three hundred and fifty nine (43.1%) women owned insecticide treated nets (ITNs), however 325(90.5%) slept under the nets during the index pregnancies; equivalent to 39.1% utilization rate among the 832 women studied. Out of the 325 (39.1%) women that used ITNs; 236 (28.4%) used it singly, while 89 (10.7%) used it in combination with other anti-vector measures. Educational status and social class of the women had strong association with the use of ITNs (P < 0.0001). Women who used ITNs were significantly less likely to have acute malaria, anaemia and babies with low birth weight than women who did not use ITNs (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The use of ITNs is poor among pregnant women in Enugu, but associated with favorable maternal and feto-neonatal outcome. Future measures to increase its use should consider improvement in educational level and social class of our women.

Spontaneous rupture of gravid horn of bicornuate uterus at mid trimester--a case report.

Rupture of gravid uterus in a primigravida is rare and is generally associated with Mullerian duct anomalies. A case of rupture of gravid left horn of bicornuate uterus at 20 weeks gestation is reported in a 25-year-old unmarried primigravida. The ruptured left horn was excited and defect closed. The need for high index of suspicion, early diagnosis and prompt intervention is highlighted.

Large vulvar lipoma following episiotomy: a case report.

Vulvar lipomas are rare few cases have been reported in the world literature. We document a case of large soft vulvar mass following episiotomy in a 23-year-old primipara. The mass was excised and histologic examination confirmed lipoma.

Coinfection with hepatitis B and C viruses among HIV positive pregnant women in Enugu south east, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B and C viruses coinfection in HIV positive pregnant women is a common public health problem and recognized worldwide. The consequences of this problem in our poor resource setting with the risk of mother to child transmission is obvious with increased morbidity and mortality in our environment. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of coinfection patterns of HBV and HCV among HIV positive pregnant women in Enugu Nigeria. METHODS: A retrospective survey conducted on 401 Nigeria HIV positive pregnant women seen at Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT) clinic at the UNTH Enugu Nigeria over a 3 year period between 1st January 2007 and 31st December 2009. RESULTS: The prevalence of hepatitis B and C viruses coinfection among HIV positive pregnant women in Enugu is 6.5%. HIV/HBV coinfection was commoner than HIV/HCV coinfection. There was no significant association between hepatitis B and C viruses coinfection and the age, ethnic group, marital or educational status of the women (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There is high prevalence of hepatitis B and C coinfection among HIV positive pregnant women in Enugu. This high burden of these hepatotropie virus coinfection calls for continued need to screen for these infections and vaccinate the affected babies for hepatitis B and/or C where appropriate.

HIV sero-prevalence among pregnant women in a resource constrained setting, South East Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: HIV infection and AIDS is a public health problem worldwide, particularly affecting the populace in resource constrained settings like in sub-Saharan Africa. Women of reproductive age are most affected and infected with the disease. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive study of pregnant women presenting for the first time at the obstetrics booking clinic of ESUTTH, Parklane from 1st April, 2009 to 31st March, 2010. Socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behavior, pregnancy history and STI related symptoms were obtained using already prepared proforma. HIV Screening test was conducted in a serial two step approach using Determine HIV test kits and Stat- Pak HIV kits after obtaining an informed consent. Discordant results were subjected to Western blot for confirmation. Data were entered and analyzed using Epi-info statistical software. P Value < 0.05 were assessed as statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. RESULT: A total of 1306 women were recruited, 66 women were HIV positive, giving a prevalence rate of 5.1%. Their mean age was 28.79 +/- 5.06 years. Majority of them were married (9%). The mean gestational age at booking was 26.2 +/- 6.8 weeks. Alcohol intake, history of 3 or more sexual partner in the last 5 years, abnormal vaginal discharge in the last 12 months, history of genital ulcer in last 12 month, had a statistically significant association with prevalence of HIV infection (p value < 0.005). CONCLUSION: HIV infection prevalence rate in among antenatal attendants in Enugu is still high. A multi-sectoral approach is required for effective prevention and control of the disease to ensure achievement of Millennium development Goals 5&6.

Post-myomectomy intussusception: report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Post-myomectomy intussusception is a very rare cause of post-operative intestinal obstruction in adult surgical practice. Preoperative diagnosis is usually missed or delayed because the symptoms are usually subacute and nonspecific. METHOD: The case notes of the patients were retrieved and relevant data extracted and summarized. An extensive literature search was done and results reviewed and compared with the present case. RESULTS: The two patients reported developed features of post operative intestinal obstructions which were thought to be due to adhesive bands and initial conservative managements instituted. Exploratory laparotomies later revealed ileo-ileal and jejuno-ileal intussusceptions which were reduced without resection with good outcome. CONCLUSION: Intussusception is a rare but serious complication of myomectomy. High index of suspicion with prompt intervention and early team management optimize outcomes.

Pregnancy after rupture of the pregnant uterus.

Pregnant women managed by us after suture repairs for rupture of the pregnant uterus between 2006 and 2009 in Enugu, South-east Nigeria were reviewed. Five pregnancies were managed during the study period. Four had normal pregnancies. Three booked early in pregnancy and had repeat caesarean deliveries at 36 weeks' gestation. One booked at another private hospital but had emergency caesarean section at 38 weeks' gestation. The fourth woman had repeat rupture at 28 weeks' gestation, suture repair and bilateral tubal ligation. Four healthy babies were discharged home. There was no maternal death. The outcomes of pregnancies after rupture of the pregnant uterus are good. Suture repairs should be the method of choice whenever preservation of future fertility is necessary. The woman and her family must be counselled on the associated risks and the need for hospital delivery by elective caesarean section in the subsequent pregnancies before discharge.

Impact of Free Maternal and Child Healthcare programme on maternal and neonatal healthcare outcome in Enugu State of Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Unaffordable medical bills is a major barrier to utilization of maternal and child healthcare services. This is associated with very high maternal and perinatal mortality and the inability to attain the MDG4 and MDG5 in many developing countries. This study examined the uptakes of obstetric services following introduction of Free Maternal and Child Health Care (FMCHC) in Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Southeast Nigeria and its impact on the maternal and neonatal healthcare outcome. METHODS: A retrospective comparative study of the utilizations of maternal and child healthcare services from June to August in 2008 with that of September to November in 2008 after commencement of the FMCHC. Information on all the pregnant women and neonates in their first week of Life that attended clinic within the period under review was collected from the Medical Records department of the hospital. RESULTS: FMCHC caused tremendous increases in the uptakes of antenatal booking (202.2%), and hospital delivery (151.8%). It also resulted in decreased maternal and perinatal mortality by 16.4% and 34% respectively. CONCLUSION: Implementation of FMCHC can make MDG4 and MDG5 attainable in sub-Saharan Africa.

Waiting time to conception among the Igbo women of Enugu, Nigeria.

The objective of this study was to determine the waiting time to conception among a sample of pregnant Igbo women resident in an urban area of South-east Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional questionnaire study of antenatal clinic attendees at four major health institutions within Enugu, South-eastern Nigeria. The time to conception showed a pattern closer to that of the USA than that of the UK and is consistent with high fertility previously recorded in the Igbo population. We conclude that the data will be useful in counselling women who present with difficulty in conception.

Sexual practices of HIV-positive individuals: The need for continued intervention in developing countries.

SUMMARY: This questionnaire survey explored the sexual practices and problems of 184 HIV-positive individuals in two tertiary health institutions in south-east Nigeria over a 6 month period. It showed that many (56.5%) HIV-positive individuals continue to be sexually active and almost half (47.6%) of them do not know the sero-status of their partners. About 60% (n = 62) of sexually active respondents use condoms with 27.9% using them consistently, 31.7% inconsistently, while 40.4% engage in unprotected intercourse. Condom use was more among the male than the female respondents (p < 0.05) and the married or divorced couples than the unmarried (p > 0.05). Diagnosis of HIV resulted in increased abstinence (37.3%) due to loss of interest in sex and/or loss of partner. Almost half (49%) of the respondents had sexually related problems in the form of lack of sexual desire (82.4%), erectile dysfunction (25.5%) and ejaculatory problems (5.9%). These problems are more in the first 6 months of HIV diagnosis and are probably psychological. There is a need for continued discussion on safe sexual practices with HIV-positive individuals during the course of routine clinical consultation.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of private medical practitioners towards abortion and post abortion care in Enugu, South-eastern Nigeria.

The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of private medical practitioners in Enugu, South-eastern Nigeria, on abortion and post-abortion care. It was a cross-sectional study of private medical practitioners in the study area using self-administered structured questionnaires. The results showed that 32.3% of the doctors terminate unwanted pregnancies when requested to do so. The majority of them (51.6%) use D&C in combination with manual vacuum aspiration for the termination of pregnancies in the first trimester. A total of 61 (63.5%) respondents offered various types of post-abortal care (PAC) services, while 42 (43.8%) of them screened women with abortion complications for sexually transmitted infections. For the doctors who do not terminate unwanted pregnancies, their main reasons were religious and moral considerations rather than obedience to the Nigerian abortion laws. We conclude that the majority of private medical practitioners in Enugu, South-eastern Nigeria, do not terminate unwanted pregnancies because of their religious beliefs.

Cervical cancer: socioeconomic implications of management in a developing nation.

This study, which assesses the economic, social and psychological implication of radiotherapy treatment of cervical cancer involved interviews with cervical cancer patients (and their relatives) seen at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Nigeria and subsequently referred for radiotherapy at other centres. Of the 95 cervical cancer patients referred for radiotherapy, only 19% (n = 18) actually underwent the procedure. The remaining 81% (n = 77) did not go due to financial reasons. All the patients that underwent radiotherapy were in the upper social class and spent almost 30% of their annual income on the treatment. The patients and their accompanying relatives encountered economic, emotional and social problems during the radiotherapy treatment because of absence of social health protection. There is a need to enhance institutional capabilities for preventing and treating cervical cancer through personnel training, establishment of special trust funds, regional screening and radiotherapy centres.