Health workers (HWs) play a pivotal role in preventative programmes being implemented to combat the steady increase in the prevalence of HIV infection and AIDS in Nigeria. We report on a questionnaire survey conducted in October, 1993 among 111 doctors, 92 nurses and 53 non-health workers at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. The aim was to assess their knowledge of AIDS (for all groups) and the attitude of the HWs only towards the care of patients with AIDS (PWAs). Although important gaps in knowledge were found in all groups, doctors performed significantly better than non-health workers on 22 out of 23 knowledge items, and more than nurses on 8 of such items. Nurses scored significantly higher than non-health workers on 18 of the knowledge items and more than doctors on one knowledge item. About one in three nurses would hesitate to nurse a PWA, while half would not participate in birth delivery. Also, about a quarter of doctors would hesitate to treat a PWA while one in three would not carry out surgery despite adequate precautions. The findings compare favourably with those reported from other countries. However, they still indicate the need for a comprehensive AIDS education package to improve the knowledge base and allay fears for all groups and to prepare HWs for the important task of caring for PWAs.
A Af fr ri ic ca an n J Jo ou ur rn na al l o of f P Ps sy yc ch hi ia at tr ry y • May 2008 1 11 13 3 IntroductionIn Nigeria, like most developing countries, mental health care (and health care in general) is still elusive to a significant proportion of the population. About 70% of the population lives in rural areas while 30% lives in urban areas. In contrast, 70% of the health facilities are in urban areas while 30% are in rural areas. 1 This seems to present a state of inequality of health distribution. Most of the populace still patronize traditional healers and spiritual healers; either because of poverty, poor accessibility to mental health facilities and hospital care, stigma or lack of belief in the efficacy of treatment received in these facilities regarding the cause of mental illness. 2 Some of these reasons are also applicable to the majority of those living in urban areas, irrespective of level of education. 2 The peculiarity and importance of these alternative sources of mental health care has necessitated research into knowledge, attitude and practice of traditional mental health care 3,4,5,6 , treatment modalities and herbs in mental health practice 7 , classification and training of traditional healers 8 and cost comparison of traditional mental health care versus care received from psychiatrists or other medical facilities. 2 Also, some studies have been carried out on the role of religion in healing. 9 While studies have been undertaken in the area of traditional medicine, research into spiritual healing in the syncretic churches, which form a section of the Christian religious movement that combines traditional practices and those of Christian beliefs 10 , has not received commensurate attention.In Nigeria, religion plays a significant role in the life of the average Nigerian especially as it relates to psychosocial, economic and health-related matters. The average Nigerian, sometimes, irrespective of their educational status, still believe in supernatural and preternatural causes in the aetiology of mental illness. 11 This belief system is embraced by some syncretic churches and makes them very popular in both the rural and urban areas. 10,12 Practitioners of healing in these syncretic churches are referred to as spiritual healers. Their The study aimed at examining the knowledge, attitude and practice of mental health care among a syncretic Church's healers, and their readiness to cooperate with Psychiatrists. Method: A modified, pilot-tested, selfcompleted questionnaire was used to obtain information from consenting spiritual healers who satisfy the inclusion criteria. Focus group discussions (FGDs), Participatory Observation (PO) and Key Informant Interviews (KII) were used to corroborate or refute the findings. Results: The respondents' knowledge of mental disorders was limited to psychotic disorders; their explanatory model was similar to beliefs of the populace. In practice, they combined some modern medical approach, some native methodology and some eclectic religious practices such ...
The article aims to draw attention of clinicians to the addictive potentials of Pentazocine use in sickle cell anaemia patients and to highlight some of the associated problems of pentazocine abuse. It also hopes to stimulate the need to review guidelines for the use of analgesics in the management of bone pain crisis or other chronic pains. Two case reports of pentazocine abuse seen in a psychiatry clinic at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) Ilorin, Nigeria were made. It was found that both patients who were sickle cell anaemia (HbS) patients were first given intramuscular pentazocine in private hospitals during an episode of bone pain crises. They claimed that though the bone pain crises subsided after a few days on admission, they continued to feign pains in order to be given pentazocine because they enjoyed its dysphoric effect. There were features of pentazocine dependence as shown by intense craving for the drug, excessive sweating, body (not bone) pains, signs of needle pricks on the body, sudden extravagance, begging for money, stealing and poor academic performance among other things. There was no clinical evidence of bone crisis or complications of sickle cell anaemia. It was concluded that more than before, clinicians should be cautious in the use of analgesics which has potential for addiction in sickle cell anaemia and chronic pain patients.
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