BackgroundObesity is a major health problem, and there is an increasing trend of overweight and obese individuals in developing countries. Being overweight or obese is known to contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality rates in various countries around the world. We therefore aimed to identify and discuss current epidemiological data on the prevalence of obesity in Nigeria.MethodA systematic review of papers published on the prevalence of obesity among adults in the country was carried out. We covered work published in MEDLINE, PubMed, Google, and African Journals Online using the terms “prevalence of overweight and obesity in Nigeria” or “overweight and obesity in Nigeria.” In addition, personal inquiries were made. The search limits were articles published from January 2001 to September 2012. Only studies that used the body mass index to assess for overweight and obesity were included.ResultsFour studies met the inclusion criteria out of the 75 studies reviewed. In Nigeria, the prevalence of overweight individuals ranged from 20.3%–35.1%, while the prevalence of obesity ranged from 8.1%–22.2%.ConclusionThe prevalence of overweight and obese individuals in Nigeria is of epidemic proportions. There is a need to pay closer attention to combating these health disorders.

Background: The burden of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is 2 to 18 times higher in developing countries. However, few data are available regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) process indicators in these countries. We evaluated hand hygiene (HH) facilities and compliance amongst healthcare workers (HCW) in a 600bed healthcare facility in Northcentral Nigeria providing tertiary care service for a catchment population of about 20 million. Methods: An in-house facility assessment tool and the World Health Organization (WHO) direct observation method were used to assess the HH facilities and compliance, respectively. Factors associated with good compliance were determined by multivariate analysis. Results: The facility survey was carried out in all 46 clinical units of the hospital. 72% of the units had no poster or written policy on HH; 87% did not have alcohol-based hand rubs; 98% had at least one handwash sink; 28% had flowing tap water all day while 72% utilized cup and bucket; and 58% had no hand drying facilities. A total of 406 HH opportunities were observed among 175 HCWs. The overall compliance was 31%, ranging from 18% among ward attendants to 82% among medical students. Based on WHO "5 moments" for HH, average compliance was 21% before patient contact, 23% before aseptic procedure, 63% after body fluid exposure risk, 41% after patient contact and 40% after contact with patients' surrounding. Being a medical student was independently associated with high HH compliance, adjusted odds ratio: 13.87 (1.70-112.88). Conclusions: Availability of HH facilities and HCW compliance in a large tertiary hospital in Nigeria is poor. Our findings confirm that HCWs seem more sensitized to their risk of exposure to potential pathogens than to the prevention of HAI cross-transmission. Inadequate HH facilities probably contributed to the poor compliance. Specific measures such as improved facilities, training and monitoring are needed to improve HH compliance.

Lassa fever (LF) outbreaks in Nigeria mostly occur in rural areas and during the dry season, peaking between December through February. Fever is a cardinal presenting feature among the myriad manifestations of LF. Thirty four patients with clinical diagnosis of LF were analyzed. However, only 11 (32%) LASV infections were confirmed by RT-PCR. The 2016 LF outbreak showed a preferential urban occurrence and a high case fatality. Fever (≥38°C) was not detected in over a fourth of the patients at the time of examination. Bleeding diathesis was the most common presentation while abdominal pain and headache were present in more than half of the confirmed cases. Changes in the geographical distribution and clinical presentation may have implications for disease control efforts and the risk of transmission, both locally and internationally. In order to guide interventions, public health authorities should be aware that the epidemic patterns may be changing.

Hepatotoxicity due to first-line anti-TBs, whether based on clinical features alone or backed by liver chemistry, is common among hospitalized patients in our environment. Studies to determine the predictors of hepatotoxicity to guide clinical interventions aimed at the prevention or timely identification of cases are needed.