African health sciences
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African health sciences · Sep 2017
Assessment of policy makers' individual and organizational capacity to acquire, assess, adapt and apply research evidence for maternal and child health policy making in Nigeria: a cross-sectional quantitative survey.
Throughout the world, there is increasing awareness and acknowledgement of the value of research evidence in the development of effective health policy and in quality health care practice and administration. Among the major challenges associated with the lack of uptake of research evidence into policy and practice in Nigeria is the capacity constraints of policymakers to use research evidence in policy making. ⋯ There is need to institute policy makers' capacity development programmes to improve evidence-informed policymaking.
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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
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.
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African health sciences · Sep 2017
Cigarette smoke condensate attenuates phorbol ester-mediated neutrophil extracellular trap formation.
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) constitute a network of chromatin fibres containing histone and antimicrobial peptides that are released by activated neutrophils. NETs protect the host against infection by trapping and facilitating phagocytosis of potentially harmful pathogens. ⋯ The inhibition of NETosis observed in the presence of CSC correlated with attenuation of oxygen consumption by PMA-activated neutrophils suggesting a mechanistic relationship between these events. If operative in vivo, smoking-related attenuation of NETosis may impair host immune responses and increase the risk of respiratory infections.