ObjectivesMedical training has long been globally recognised as involving numerous stressors that can affect the well-being of students. This study, the first to be conducted among first-year medical students at a private university in Nigeria, aims to identify factors associated with students’ perceived stress.MethodsAn analytical cross-sectional design was employed. A semi-structured pretested and validated questionnaire was administered to first-year medical students. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive and analytical statistics were presented as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The chi-square test was also used to identify the associations between categorical variables.ResultsThe majority of the respondents were females (72.2%) and Christians (85.8%). Sixty seven percent of the participants perceived medical school as being stressful. More females than males were stressed. Statistically, ethnicity and intrapersonal factors were correlated with perceived stress.ConclusionIn this study, the prevalence of perceived stress among first-year medical undergraduate students was high. Students should be prepared on how to cope with stress by developing coping strategies such as healthy lifestyle patterns, availing of social support, engaging in physical activity, and seeking counselling when needed.

Introduction the unmet need for family planning is a global health burden. The lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced access to contraceptives, especially in the developing countries. This study examined the predictors of the unmet need for family planning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Nigeria. Methods the study adopted a cross-sectional analytical survey design. A self-designed questionnaire was administered to 1,404 adult respondents aged 18 years and above. The data was generated through the use of online Google survey and analyzed with SPSS version 25. The results were presented using descriptive and logistic regression at p≤0.05. Results fourty-seven percent of the respondents were females and 58.8% were married. The four major reasons for non-access to contraceptive methods during the lockdown were: fear of visiting health facility (77.9%), locked drug/chemist stores (51.2%), the restriction of movement (47.6%) and a lack of access to health care providers (42.9%). Predictors of unmet need for family planning were: aged 26-33 (OR = 1.912, 95% CI: 1.02-3.55), married/cohabiters (OR = 3.693, 95% CI: 2.44-5.58), tertiary education (OR = 0.272, 95% CI: 0.13-0.54), Yoruba ethnicity (OR=1.642, 95% CI: 1.02-2.62), rural residence (OR = 0.554, 95% CI: 0.36-0.85) and 2-4 children born (OR = 3.873, 95% CI: 2.32-6.45). Conclusion a significant proportion of Nigerians experienced an unmet need for family planning during the COVID-19 lockdown. Prioritizing the access to contraceptives during the pandemic would not only allow women and men to correctly plan childbirth, it also reduces maternal risks, poverty and undesirable fertility rates.

IntroductionHypoxemia is a life‐threatening condition and is commonly seen in children with severe pneumonia. A government‐led, NGO‐supported, multifaceted oxygen improvement program was implemented to increase access to oxygen therapy in 29 hospitals in Kaduna, Kano, and Niger states. The program installed pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators, trained health care workers, and biomedical engineers (BMEs), and provided regular feedback to health care staff through quality improvement teams.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate whether the program increased screening for hypoxemia with pulse oximetry and prescription of oxygen for patients with hypoxemia.MethodologyThe study is an uncontrolled before‐after interventional study implemented at the hospital level. Medical charts of patients under 5 admitted for pneumonia between January 2017 and August 2018 were reviewed and information on patient care was extracted using a standardized form. The preintervention period of this study was defined as 1 January to 31 October 2017 and the postintervention period as 1 February to 31 August 2018. The primary outcomes of the study were whether blood‐oxygen saturation measurements (SpO2) were documented and whether children with hypoxemia were prescribed oxygen.ResultsA total of 3418 patient charts were reviewed (1601 during the preintervention period and 1817 during the postintervention period). There was a significant increase in the proportion of patients with SpO2 measurements after the interventions were conducted (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.0; 4.3‐5.7, P < .001). Before the interventions, only 13.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.2‐15.3) of patients had SpO2 measurements and after the interventions, 82.4% (95% CI: 80.7‐84.1) had SpO2 measurements. Oxygen administration for patients with clinical signs of hypoxemia also increased significantly (aOR 5.0; 4.2‐5.9, P < .001)—from 22.8% (95% CI: 18.8‐27.2) to 77.9% (95% CI: 73.9‐81.5).ConclusionIncreasing pulse oximetry and oxygen therapy access and utilization in a low‐resourced environment is achievable through a multifaceted program focused on strengthening government‐owned systems.

Background Over 80% of new cervical cancer cases occur in women living in low- and middle-income countries. It is the second highest cause of female cancer deaths in Nigeria. School based vaccination programs are an effective strategy for delivering the HPV vaccine to adolescent girls. This study aims to understand the challenges to implementing school-based HPV vaccination programs, particularly in a remote rural setting where vaccine hesitancy is high. Methods A 22- item interviewer administered questionnaire was used to evaluate HPV knowledge and willingness to get the HPV vaccinate among 100 female secondary school students as part of an HPV vaccination pilot in a rural community in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were used to assess community knowledge and attitudes on cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. Data collected were analyzed thematically to understand challenges and generate lessons for vaccine delivery in the study setting. Results Knowledge of HPV and cervical cancer among junior secondary school aged girls was fair with a mean score of 66.05%. For senior secondary school aged girls, the knowledge score ranged from 70 to 100% with a mean of 96.25% indicating good knowledge of HPV and cervical cancer. All participants (n = 100) received the first vaccine dose but due to COVID-19, 33 participants were not able to complete the vaccine dosage within the recommended 6-month schedule. Of the parents who provided consent, none could afford the vaccine out of pocket. Challenges to vaccine delivery included operational costs exacerbated by lack of adequate health workforce and infrastructure in the study setting. Conclusion An exploration of sociocultural perspectives and contextual realities is crucial to understanding the complexities of HPV vaccine introduction from the perspective of the target audience, and the local community. Strategies for introducing the HPV vaccine should address community concerns through effective communication, appropriate delivery, and targeted advocacy to make the vaccination program locally relevant. While school-based HPV immunization programs have been shown to be successful, adequate design, planning and monitoring is important. Additionally, considerations must be made to account for the high operational cost of vaccine delivery in rural, hard to reach areas where human resources and infrastructure are limited.

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Background: Poor knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer screening and vaccination are significant barriers to effective cervical cancer prevention in developing countries. Knowledge of cervical cancer and vaccination against cervical cancer remains low in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, awareness, and attitude of female staff of Afe Babalola University towards cervical cancer screening and vaccinations. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire among the female staff of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. The workers’ knowledge and awareness were assessed using yes and no questions while the attitude was assessed using Likert scale questions. The workers’ knowledge was ranked as good (>50%) and poor (<50%). The relationship between demographics, attitude and knowledge of cervical cancer screening and vaccination was carried out using the Chi-square test. Analyses were conducted using SPSS software version 20. Results: A total of 200 staff consented to participate in the study out of which 64% were married with mean age 32.81 + 8.164 years. Majority (60.5%) of the participants knew the causes of cervical cancer while 7.5% strongly agreed that they do not see the need for cervical screening. Majority (63.5%) of the participants showed good knowledge while 46% had a positive attitude towards cervical cancer screening and vaccination. Conclusions: The study participants showed good knowledge and awareness but poor attitude towards cervical cancer screening and vaccinations. Interventions and continuous education are needed to improve the population’s attitude and eliminate misconceptions.