BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene practice entails hand washing, which is simple, cost-effective, and one of the first lines of defense in ceasing the spread of the current pandemic. This narrative review of published studies is conducted to highlight factors impacting hand hygiene practice and identify evidence-based strategies for improvement in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: The literature search strategy covered printed and online sources, including manual library search (PubMed), Embase, Medline, and Cochrane Library. For papers written in English and published in the last ten years. A systematic analysis of available data was subsequently performed based on the review questions. RESULTS: An estimated 134 articles were found online, and thirty-two articles utilized in the final analysis. Overall, hand hygiene betides with low compliance rates in developing countries. The calculated compliance rate was 20.49%. The challenges identified were the poverty of awareness and scientific knowledge concerning hand hygiene, infrastructural deficit including lack of access to clean and potable water, soap, hand rub gel, misconceptions regarding hand hygiene practice, etc. CONCLUSION: Healthcare-associated infections draw increasing attention from all and sundry due to the growing recognition that most of these are preventable. Free evidence-based practice suggests that strict adherence to hand hygiene reduces the risk of cross-transmission of infections and especially in the COVID-19 pandemic era. The challenges identified in this review are consistent with the findings of studies conducted elsewhere. With “Clean Care is Safer Care” as a prime list of the World Health Organization’s global initiative on patient safety programs; therefore, it is high time for developing countries to formulate the much-needed policies for implementing basic infection prevention practices in our healthcare settings.

Introduction: Aspirin has justifiably been called the first miracle drug. In this article, we highlight the history of Aspirin, a novel mechanism of action, and its use in cardiovascular and other diseases. Also included is a brief statement of emerging new applications. Objective: We highlight principal mechanisms by which Aspirin inhibits acute inflammation and alters platelet-biology; therefore, hypothesized that Aspirin might prove highly beneficial as a novel therapeutic drug for combating severe acute inflammation and thrombosis associated with the cytokine storm in COVID -19 patients. The communiqué also suggests possible strategies for maximizing the gain of Aspirin as a wonder-drug of the future. Discussion: Interestingly, some fascinating studies demonstrated Aspirin's superior benefits with dangerous side effects. Aspirin inhibits COX-1 (cyclooxygenase-1). Its impact on COX-2 is more delicate because it “turns off” COX-2's production of prostaglandins but “switches on” the enzymatic ability to produce novel protective lipid mediators. The established mechanism of action of Aspirin is the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. However, further evidence showed that aspirin-elicited nitric oxide exerts anti-inflammatory effects in the microcirculation by inhibiting leukocyte– endothelium interactions. Interestingly, aspirin-triggered lipoxin formation may provide a novel mechanism underlying Aspirin's clinical benefits. Interestingly, Aspirin reduces the risk of a cardiovascular event by about 30 percent. Also, Aspirin has been associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, and possibly a few other digestive tract cancers. Conclusion: The current emerging interest is to conduct further study to provide evidence for Aspirin as the novel therapeutic drug for combating severe acute inflammation and thrombosis associated with the cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients. Besides, the most wanted is The RECOVERY II (Randomized Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy II) trial to be established as a randomized clinical trial to test the effectiveness of low-dose Aspirin as an anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic treatment in COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: Public health security is concerned with infection prevention and control worldwide. These measures are the concern of all and sundry to ensure prevention of any outbreaks of diseases that has epidemic potential. Africa may be uniquely positioned to have the most severe and under-detected outcomes related to COVID-19 infection. This article seeks to highlight such challenges of healthcare delivery systems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The communique also suggests possible strategies for improvement in such settings. Method: We identified relevant articles to date using a manual library search, journal publications on the subject, and critically reviewed them. Results: We identified and exhaustively discussed the main limitations to public health security in sub-Saharan Africa as follows i) Continuing deterioration of the public health infrastructure for disease control, ii) The changing outlooks of contagious diseases, iii) Private sector reforms like the managed care, iv) Relatively weak health care systems, and v) Poor organizational structures. Conclusion: Most Africans are eager to see the desired transformation in our public health systems. Unfortunately, the political will to invest in public health infrastructure is lacking. Also, the system is characterized by human resources shortage and diverted resources, which significantly impacted the provision for emerging COVID-19 pandemic –related care. Interestingly the monumental breakthroughs in research development for bio-therapeutics and vaccines in African countries appear a mirage even with extensive past study experience with such products from China and the Western world. Finally, notwithstanding these challenges in our public health systems as elaborated, the facts are that enormous capacities exist that can be harnessed in African countries for the COVID-19 preparedness and response.

The present study aims to detect the distribution of dfrA1 and cat1 antibiotic resistance genes among uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) in pregnant teen women and determine their susceptibility to common antibiotic uses. We collected urine (116) samples from patients in hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq. Isolation and identification of bacteria (culturing, biochemical test, and genetically by 16S rRNA gene), antibiotic susceptibility tests (eight antibiotics), and detection of the dfrA1 and cat1 resistance genes, and used SPSS program for statistically analyzing the results. The distributed UPEC in patients most than another causative agent in percentage (50%). It was highly resistant to Trimethoprim (82%) and Cefotaxime (82%) antibiotics. And they highly distributed frequency for dfrA1-gene (Trimethoprim resistance gene) (74%) than cat1-gene (Chloramphenicol resistance gene) (38%).

BACKGROUND: Patients in Africa frequently utilize medicinal herbs at large. Nonetheless, to date, there is a lack of data on concurrent use of herbs with conventional cancer therapies. This scoping review aimed to describe the use of medicinal herbs and their derived products by cancer patients in contemporary African settings. METHODS: We identified relevant articles to date using a manual library search (PubMed), Embase Medline, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) for articles with information on medicinal plants with potential anti-cancer therapeutic properties in Central, Eastern, and Western Africa. We assessed 122 articles based on titles and abstracts, and 28 articles based on full text. Fourteen research articles fulfilled preset eligibility criteria. RESULTS: The median prevalence of herbal and complementary medicine (H&CM) use in our contemporary Africa settings was 60.0% (range: 13–80%). Median percent disclosure of H&CM use to attending healthcare professionals was low at 26% (range: 10.3– 78.8%). H&CM used by cancer patients included herbs, healing prayers, and massage. Reported reasons for the use of H&CMs include i) the strong desire to get rid of cancer symptoms, especially pain, and the need to improve physical and psychological well-being. There were limited data on safety and risk profiles of H&CM among cancer patients in our African settings. CONCLUSION: Herbal and complementary medicines are frequently in use among cancer patients undergoing conventional cancer treatments. Healthcare professionals caring for cancer patients ought to inquire and communicate effectively regarding the use of H&CM to minimize the risks of side effects from concurrent use of H&CM and biomedicines. H&CMs could give enormous opportunities for cancer and non-communicable disease therapies, especially now that Africa’s cancer burden is overwhelming. From the preceding, therefore, the benefit of H&CM is fundamental in the preservation of threatens species and traditional knowledge. Consequently, a balanced approach and a mutually beneficial partnership between traditional medicine and Bio-medicine must be found by local and global health politics.