Introduction Malaria is the second leading cause of death in children after diarrheal disease, with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) accounting for over 9 in 10 incidence and deaths. Widespread acceptance and uptake of the RTS,S vaccine, recently approved by the world health organization (WHO), is projected to significantly reduce malaria incidence and deaths. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis with the aim to determine the malaria vaccine acceptance rate and the factors associated with acceptance. Methods We searched six databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane, African Index Medicus, The Regional Office for Africa Library, and WHO Institutional Repository for Information Sharing (IRIS) to identify studies evaluating the malaria vaccine acceptance rate. This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were included if they were original articles published in the English language in peer-reviewed journals and assessed the prevalence of willingness to accept a free malaria vaccine, and not qualitative. The risk of publication bias was checked using both Beggar’s funnel plot and Egger’s test, while the I2 statistic was used to assess the heterogeneity of the included studies. Study quality was determined using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model to evaluate the pooled prevalence of malaria vaccine acceptance. The protocol for this article was registered prospectively on the International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), with ID number CRD42022334282). Results Our analysis included 11 studies with a total sample size of 14, 666 participants. The aggregate malaria vaccine acceptance rate was 95.3% (95% CI:93.0%–97.2%). Among the general population, the acceptance rate was 96.3% (95% CI:92.0%–99.0%) and among mothers, it was 94.4% (95% CI:90.8%–97.2%). By country, Nigeria had the highest acceptance rate (97.6%, 95% CI:96.0%-98.8%), followed by Ghana (94.6%, 95% CI:93.8%-95.3%) and Tanzania (92.5%, 95% CI:84.4%-97.8%). Sociodemographic determinants of vaccine acceptance included place of residence, tribe, age, sex, occupation, and religion. Reasons for low acceptance included safety concerns, efficacy profile, vaccine’s requirement for multiple injections, and poor level of awareness. Conclusion Future efforts should be focused on identifying factors that may improve the actual uptake of the RTS,S vaccine in malaria-endemic communities.

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The Islamic month of Ramadan is marked by fasting, when Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset, which has an impact on their dietary habits. The study aimed to assess Nigerian Muslims’ dietary modifications during Ramadan and their related changes in body weight and health status. A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Nigerian adult Muslims. The survey assessed sociodemographic, dietary habits, eating behaviors, food choices, perceived weight changes, and health status. The logistic regression model was used to assess the predictors of weight change and perceived health status. There were 770 participants, 62.9% of whom were women, ranging in age from 18 to 60 years with a mean age of 27.7 ± 6.4 years. Fruits, palm dates, homemade foods, milk products, and vegetables were more frequently consumed. There were fewer energy drinks, pastries, salty snacks, and carbonated or sugared drinks consumed during Ramadan than before. Over half (54.6%, 95% CI: 51.0–58.9%) of the respondents lost weight during Ramadan, 37.0% (95% CI: 17.4–38.6%) maintained their weight and 8.4% (95% CI: 6.6–10.6%) gained weight during the month. Nearly all (97.3%, 95% CI: 95.8–98.3%) reported having good health during Ramadan, and 2.7% (95% CI: 1.7–4.1%) reported having a poorer health state during Ramadan. There was a significant weight loss and healthy dietary change associated with Ramadan fasting in Nigeria. Public health measures must be in place to impart such positive health behaviors so that such healthy habits continue throughout the year.

This study examined mental wellbeing and associated factors among Nigerian adults who observed Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online study was conducted among 770 adult Nigerians who observed RIF. Using pre-tested, web-based questionnaires, data about mental wellbeing (depression, anxiety), spirituality, and intrinsic religiosity were collected using validated generalised anxiety disorder-2 (GAD-2) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), four-item spiritual wellbeing index (4-ISWBI) and the Muslim intrinsic religiosity questionnaire. Respondents' mental wellbeing before and during Ramadan was compared. The factors associated with the feeling of depression and anxiety were determined using multinomial regression analysis. When compared to mental wellbeing prior to Ramadan, observing RIF by Nigerian adults were associated with improved mental wellbeing.