Background: Developing an effective and safe COVID-19 vaccine is a global public health necessity in containing the pandemic, however, recruiting volunteers can be challenging in a clinical trial phase because of poor knowledge, negative perception, ethical issues and safety concerns.

Background: Inflammation is linked to the aetiopathogenesis of Metabolic syndrome (MetS). Objective: To assess the ability of high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP), Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNFα) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) to predict MetS. Methods: A case-control study involving 123 subjects with MetS (cases) and age-matched 123 subjects. without MetS (controls) was conducted. The levels of TNFα, IL-6, and hs-CRP between independent groups were compared. The Receiver Operative Characteristic Curve was used to assess the ability of inflammatory markers to discriminately identify MetS. Results: The mean age of the case and control groups was 49.9±0.9 years and 48.1±1.1 years (p = 0.274) respectively. The median levels of TNFα, IL-6 and hS-CRP were significantly higher among the cases than the control group in both genders (p <0.001). There was a significant increase in the serum values of the markers with increasing components of MetS (p <0.001). The Area Under the Curve of TNFα, IL-6 and hs-CRP was > 0.9 in both males and females. Conclusion: TNFα, IL-6, and hs-CRP identified MetS. There is a need for further studies to determine the inflammatory marker most predictive of MetS.

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Background: The purpose of the laboratory services within the framework of the NTP is to provide bacteriologic evidence for the diagnosis, follow-up of TB patients and to document cure at the end of treatment. However to be fully functional, laboratory commodities should be available as needed. This study compared the laboratory hygiene practices and availability of laboratory equipment and other consumables for making diagnosis of TB in public and private DOTS laboratories in Lagos State. Methods: A descriptive comparative cross sectional study comparing availability of commodities in public and private laboratories involved in TB services in Lagos State. Results: Seventeen DOTS laboratories and 34 laboratory scientist/technician were recruited for this study. About three quarter and two thirds of the public and private DOTS laboratories respectively had reagents for smear microscopy. A significantly higher proportion of the public DOTS laboratories had separate area for TB work and separate table for smear preparation (p <0.05). A higher proportion (71.4%) of the laboratory scientist/ technicians at the public compared with 38.5% of those at the private DOTS laboratories had good knowledge of the laboratory diagnosis of TB.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is linked with the pathophysiology of some non-communicable diseases including Type 2 Diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. Objective: To determine the factors associated with IR among apparently healthy individuals in South-west Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study of a cohort of apparently healthy volunteers aged 18 years and above consecutively recruited from two communities was conducted. IR was determined using the homeostasis model assessment for IR (HOMA-IR) based on the cut off values of ≥ 2. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the crude and adjusted odds ratio of IR associated factors. Results: A total of 520 participants aged 18–89 years were recruited for the study. Their mean age was 46.7±14.6 years and the prevalence of IR was 43.5%. Alcohol intake (AOR = 2.1, 95%CI 1.3 – 3.4; p<0.001), lack of physical exercise (AOR = 1.5, 95%CI 1.0 – 2.3), and Body Mass Index (AOR = 1.03, 95%CI 1.0 – 1.1) were the factors associated with IR. Conclusion: The prevalence of IR among apparently healthy individuals in this study was high. The need for proactive measures to avert the sequelae of IR is of utmost importance.