Background The recent outbreaks of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Guinea and Ghana have become a major public health concern not only to the West African sub-region but a threat to global health. Main body of the abstract Given the poorly elucidated ecological and epidemiological dynamics of the Marburg virus, it would be imprudent to preclude the possibility of another pandemic if urgent efforts are not put in place. However, the prior emergence and impact of COVID-19 and other co-occurring epidemics may add ‘noise’ to the epidemiological dynamics and public health interventions that may be required in the advent of a MVD outbreak in Nigeria. Short conclusion Paying attention to the lessons learned from previous (and current) multiple epidemics including Avian Influenza, Yellow fever, Ebola virus disease, Monkeypox, Lassa fever, and COVID-19 could help avoid a potentially devastating public health catastrophe in Nigeria.
PURPOSE To better understand the barriers to accessing standard-of-care radiation therapy (RT) for breast and cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa and their impact on outcomes. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was completed with a medical librarian. Articles were screened by title, abstract, and full text. Included publications were analyzed for data describing barriers to RT access, available technology, and disease-related outcomes, and further grouped into subcategories and graded according to predefined criteria. RESULTS A total of 96 articles were included: 37 discussed breast cancer, 51 discussed cervical cancer, and eight discussed both. Financial access was affected by health care system payment models and combined burdens of treatment-related costs and lost wages. Staffing and technology shortages limit the ability to expand service locations and/or increase capacity within existing centers. Patient factors including use of traditional healers, fear of stigma, and low health literacy decrease the likelihood of early presentation and completion of therapies. Survival outcomes are worse than most high- and middle-income countries and are affected by many factors. Side effects are similar to other regions, but these findings are limited by poor documentation capabilities. Access to palliative RT is more expeditious than definitive management. RT was noted to lead to feelings of burden, lower self-esteem, and worsened quality of life. CONCLUSION Sub-Saharan Africa represents a diverse region with barriers to RT that differ on the basis of funding, available technology and staff, and community populations. Although long-term solutions must focus on building capacity by increasing the number of treatment machines and providers, short-term improvements should be implemented, such as interim housing for traveling patients, increased community education to reduce late-stage diagnoses, and use of virtual visits to avoid travel.
Background Effective elimination of the COVID-19 pandemic is dependent on the COVID-19 vaccines that are readily available and acceptable to the public. This study evaluated the COVID-19 risk perception and factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional online survey with a structured questionnaire employing a Snowball sampling method was administered among Nigerian adults from the beginning of COVID-19 mass vaccination in March 2021 till December 2021. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and multivariable regression. Participants’ general knowledge regarding COVID-19, willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccines, perception of seriousness, susceptibility of COVID-19 were assessed. Results From the 402 responses received, the mean age of the respondents was 35.1 ± 11.9 years, with the majority being males (288 (71.6%)) and non-health workers (349 (86.8%)). Overall, COVID-19 knowledge was good, with a mean score of 6.2 ± 0.19 (range 0–8) and a COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate of 65.67%. We found a consistent positive relationship between respondents’ COVID-19 knowledge and their willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Respondents who believed that the 5G network is not the cause of COVID-19 were two times more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (aOR 2.38; 95%CI 1.05–5.36; p = 0.04). Furthermore, our comparisons of respondents’ age groups and marital status revealed higher odds of being willing to accept COVID-19 vaccines among respondents who were age 50 ≥ years old (aOR 7.35; 95% CI: 1.69–31.93; p = 0.008) and those who were singles (aOR 4.39; 95% CI: 1.86–10.33; p = 0.001), respectively. However, non-healthcare workers with high income and educational status were unwilling to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Surprisingly, although 303 (75.4%) of the respondents believed COVID-19 is a severe disease, only 119 (45.1%) are confident of contracting the COVID-19 should they fail to adhere to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Conclusion the study revealed that the intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine varied across demographic characteristics, level of education, income and employment status, and perceived severity and susceptibility to COVID-19. We recommend continuous public health education on the risk of COVID-19 and the vital role vaccine will play in ending this pandemic.
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