Urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa provides a unique opportunity to investigate the mechanism by which the environment influences disease epidemiology. Research priorities include: (1) studies to define the relationship between infection and risk factors for NCDs, (2) explaining the observed differences in the inflammatory response between rural and urban populations, and (3) identification of animal models that simulate the biological changes that occurs with urbanization. A better understanding of the biological changes that occur with urbanization could lead to new prevention and treatment strategies for some of the most common surgical diseases in high-income countries.

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Background: Pancytopenia is a reduction in the number of each type of peripheral blood cell. Therefore the role of bone marrow examintion in diagnosis of pancytopenia is important to know etiology of pancytopenia. The objective of the study was to know the aetiology of pancytopenia. Methods: This descriptive (Cross sectional) study was carried out in Khyber teaching hospital. Fifty patients with pancytopenia were included in the study from 1st January 2008 to 30th October 2008. Full blood counts, bone marrow examinations and trephine biopsies were performed according to standard methods. Statistical packages for social science (SPSS.11) was used to analyze data. Results: Out of 50 patients, 36% were of aplastic anaemia, 16% megaloblastic anaemia, 14% myelodysplastic syndrome and 12% acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Hypersplenism in 10%, 4% non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and 4% multiple myeloma, 2% each of acute myeloblastic leukemia and chronic myelocytic leukemia. All of these disorders were common in male as compared to female. Conclusions: Aplastic anaemia was the commonest cause of pancytopenia followed by megaloblastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndrome in our study.

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Background: There has been a growing public health burden of childhood tumours in low and middle income countries (LMICs) as the trend in epidemiological transition continues to vary. Objective: The objective of this report is to determine the spectrum of childhood tumours at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective review of the histopathology register over the period January 2006 to December 2015. Results: The total paediatric tumour cases was 248, including 143 (57.7%) females and 105 (42.3%) males, aged 0 – 12 years (mean 6.1years ± 3.97 SD). The age group 2 - 5 year cohort had the highest prevalence of tumour. The predominant tumour based on tissue of origin was epithelial neoplasms 88 (35.5%), vascular neoplasms 56 (22.6%), neural neoplasm 42 (16.9%), mesenchymal neoplasm 37 (14.9%), germ cell neoplasm 13 (5.2%) and haematopoietic neoplasms 12 (4.8%). Majority of the tumours were benign, 148 (59.7%) and malignant 100 (40.3%). The most predominant benign tumour was haemangioma 33 (13.3%) and predominant malignant tumour was lymphoma 22 (8.9%). Conclusion: Benign tumours remain the commonest neoplasm of children in this hospital-based data. Development and implementation of a tumour registry would provide a more comprehensive information. Keywords: Childhood tumours; spectrum; haemangioma; lymphoma.