Background: Death registration provides an opportunity for the legal documentation of death of persons. Documentation of deaths has several implications including its use in the recovery of inheritance and insurance benefits. It is also an important input for construction of life tables which are crucial for national planning. However, the registration of deaths is poor in several countries including Nigeria. Objective: This paper describes the performance of death registration in Nigeria and factors that may affect its performance. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of death registration completeness in Nigeria to identify, characterize issues as well as challenges associated with realizing completeness in death registration. Results: Only 13.5% of deaths in Nigeria were registered in 2007 which regressed to 10% in 2017. There was no data reported for Nigeria in the World Health Organization database between 2008 and 2017. The country scored less than 0.1 (out of a maximum of 1) on the Vital Statistics Performance Index. There are multiple institutions with parallel constitutional and legal responsibilities for death registration in Nigeria including the National Population Commission, National Identity Management Commission and Local Government Authorities, which may be contributing to its overall poor performance. Conclusions: We offer proposals to substantially improve death registration completeness in Nigeria including the streamlining and merger of the National Population Commission and the National Identity Management Commission into one commission, the revision of the legal mandate of the new agency to mainly coordination and establishment of standards. We recommend that Local Government authorities maintain the local registries given their proximity to households. This arrangement will be enhanced by increased utilization of information and communications technology in Civil Registration and Vital Statistics processes that ensure records are properly archived.

The preponderance of chronic hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver cirrhosis in this study is similar to those already established in the African literature, with hepatitis B and/or C being the most incriminated risk factors due to their endemicity in our environment. Public enlightenment programs, widespread implementation of hepatitis B virus vaccination, and surveillance of individual at-risk are essential for the control of hepatitis infection and its late complications.

: Melatonin is a multifunctional signalling molecule that is secreted by the mammalian pineal gland, and also found in a number of organisms including plants and bacteria. Research has continued to uncover an ever-increasing number of processes in which melatonin is known to play crucial roles in mammals. Amongst these functions is its contribution to cell multiplication, differentiation and survival in the brain. Experimental studies show that melatonin can achieve these functions by influencing transcription factors which control neuronal and glial gene expression. Since neuronal survival and differentiation are processes that are important determinants of the pathogenesis, course and outcome of neurodegenerative disorders; the known and potential influences of melatonin on neuronal and glial transcription factors are worthy of constant examination. In this review, we examine relevant scientific literature on the role of melatonin in preventing, or altering the course and outcome of neurodegenerative disorders, by focusing on melatonin’s influence on transcription factors. We also highlight a number of transcription factors whose functions can be influenced by melatonin in neurodegenerative disease models. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic implications of melatonin’s influences, and highlight the potential limitations to its applications.

Background:Intracranial abscess collections, though uncommon, are dreaded complications of head trauma, neurosurgical operations, meningitis, and otogenic, mastoid, and paranasal air sinus infections. Combining surgical evacuation with the appropriate antibiotic therapy is the effective treatment for intracranial abscesses. However, literature on surgical treatment is replete with several procedures which, on their own, may notObjectives:To determine the epidemiology and outcomes (of various treatment modalities) of intracranial abscesses in our institution, a major referral center for neurosurgical conditions in the midwestern region of Nigeria.Materials and Methods:This is a retrospective analysis of demographic data as well as indications, treatment modalities, and outcomes of various surgical procedures for evacuation of intracranial abscesses between September 2006 and December 2011.Results:We carried out 40 procedures in 32 (23 male and 9 female) patients with various intracranial abscesses. These represented approximately 5.6% of all operative neurosurgical procedures in our unit since inception. Most abscesses [16, i.e. 50%] occurred in the second decade. In the first decade, there were 7 (22%), and after the age of 30 years, there were 4 (12.5%). The most susceptible single year of life was infancy with 4 (12.5%) cases of intracranial abscesses. None of the infants had features of congenital heart disease. The predisposing factors were mostly otolaryngologic (9) or posttraumatic (6). Most abscesses (41%) were located in the frontal region, and intraparenchymal (i.e. intracerebral or intracerebellar) (50%) lesions were commoner than extradural, subdural, or intraventricular lesions. The commonest procedure performed (50%) was burr hole evacuation. Four patients (12.5% of cases) died. Prognosis appears to worsen with meningitis as the predisposing infection, ventriculitis, multiple abscesses especially in infants, and immunosuppression.Conclusion:The relative rarity of intracranial abscesses and the frequent delays in making the diagnosis render the condition a significant challenge to the clinician. A high index of suspicion, close interaction between the neurosurgeon and infectious disease specialist, with early treatment by adequate abscess drainage and appropriate antimicrobial treatment are important in their management.

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