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Lawrence Ijimdiya Sylvanus, Community Medicine - Ahmadu Bello University, 2011

The patient-doctor relationship is central to the practice of medicine and the delivery of high quality medical. Without it doctors be effective and patients cannot be helped. This study was designed to assess patient-doctor relationship in medical care at Ahmadu Bello university teaching hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Zaria. This was descriptive cross sectional study involving 150 patients sampled from the clinical departments of medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, obstaetrics and gynaecology. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire which sought information on their sociodemograhic characteristics, nature of patient-doctor relationship, compliance and satisfaction and litigation in medical care as well as possible ways of improving the patient-doctor relationship. There were 200 respondents. Most of the respondents were males (61.3%). The modal age group was (35.3%) with a mean age of 37 years. Most of the respondents were Hausa (28.7%) by tribe and Christians by religion (64%). Most were married (52.7%), majority were students (38.7%) and 63.3% had tertiary education. Most (96.7%) of the patients had a good patient-doctor relationship. Compliance and satisfaction rates in medical care were both 91.3%. Only 6% of patients have ever sued for medical malpractice. A positive relationship was found between patient-doctor relationship and satisfaction in medical care. No relationship was observed between patient-doctor relationship and compliance or litigation in medical care.

Kadala Mivanyi, Community Medicine - Ahmadu Bello University, 2011

Sickle cell anaemia is a chronic genetic disorder which remains the most important hereditary disease in tropical Africa and it is particularly important in Nigeria because Nigeria is known to have the largest number of sickle cell disease patients of any country in the world. This study intends to assess the quality of care provided to sickle cell anaemia patients by the Ahmadu Bello University teaching hospital Haematology clinic. A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out using simple random sampling technique to select the 60 respondents that participated in the study. Questionnaires were administered on their clinic days and the data collected was analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences software, version17. A total of 60 patients responded to the questionnaires giving a response rate of 100%. The areas assessed majorly in the questionnaires include counseling in the various aspects of the disease and therapy especially in the management of complications. Most respondents strongly agree that they have been counseled adequately about the nature of the disease and its mode of inheritance (68.3 and 58.3% respectively) while 61.7% of patients believe strongly that they have been adequately counseled on the avoidance of crises and self care. Only 10% of patients strongly believe that they do not receive adequate emotional/psychological support at the clinic. The majority of respondents 55% believe strongly that the emotional support is adequate. Pregnancy and related care was rated poorly by respondents with only 13% of those who responded strongly agreeing with the fact that care is adequate. Most of them (25.5%) were undecided. It was also observed that 33.3% and 31.8% respectively which form the majority of respondents strongly disagree that eye and orthopaedic care is adequate in the clinic. 43.3% of patients which form the majority strongly agree that social services are adequate to meet their needs outside the hospital setting especially as it relates to disability and socio-economic consequences. The advanced modalities of cure such as stem cell transplant and gene therapy are not available in this centre as is evident from 58.1% of patients strongly disagreeing that such modalities have been adequately presented to them in the clinic. ABUTH haematology clinic offers a reasonably high quality of care especially in the basic areas of counseling (about the disease, its mode of inheritance, self care and avoidance of crises), drug management of the condition and giving emotional and psychological support to patients. Areas which were poor include the management of pregnancy as well as ophthalmic and orthopaedic complications and the availability of services that offer cure for the disease such as gene therapy and stem cell transplant.

Jacob Dusu Sambo, Community Medicine - Ahmadu Bello University, 2011

Scabies is a highly contagious, intensely pruritic disorder, caused by the human itch mite, sarcoptes scabeii var huminis acquired by direct contact with an infected person or indirectly through contaminated clothing, bed liners, and handholding materials. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence and distribution of scabies and to propose an effective health education and advocacy programme to address the problems of scabies among school age children in a Koranic school at Samaru, Zaria. Using a cross sectional study design, data was collected from a sample of 134 children age 5-14years drawn from a population of pupils attending Mallam Barau Koranic school at Samaru, Zaria. Data was collected on factors which may be associated with scabies using structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17 and Microsoft Excel and presented in charts and tables, and measures of central tendency and of dispersion were used to summarize it. The prevalence of scabies was found to be 19% with more males (20.5%) affected than females (11.7%). Age group 5-9years have a relatively high prevalence of 22.2% compared to the age group 10-14years with 17.9%. The commonest body part affected by scabies rash was the inter-digital webs of hands and feet (40.4%) and the least affected was the head and neck region (6.4%). The high prevalence of scabies recorded in this study may be due to low socio-economical status, poor living conditions, and poor personal hygiene among others. This shows that scabies is still a common health problem among children in Koranic schools that needs due attention from policy makers and other stakeholders.

Iyua Kuleve Othniel, Community Medicine - Ahmadu Bello University, 2011

Globally vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) cause 2 million or more deaths annually; approximately 1.5 million deaths are in children under five. These 1.5 million deaths represent perhaps 15% of annual global deaths in children under five. The National Immunization Cluster Survey, 2003, stated that in Nigeria, VPDs currently account for 22% of deaths nationally for children aged under five5. This study assesses the state of routine immunization services in primary health facilities in Sabon Gari Local Government Area. Using a cross-sectional descriptive study design, data was collected with self administered questionnaire. 90 questionnaires were distributed among the study population of which 87 were returned and analyzed using SPSS 17.0, and results presented in form of tables and charts. Majority of the health workers in the primary health centre (81.6 percent) have good knowledge of routine immunization. The study reveals that all the primary health care facilities (100%) visited were offering routine immunization services. Immunization coverage per antigen was lower than the set targets in most of the facilities. Only 25 percent of primary centres for which data are presented were drop-out rates less than 10%. Fifty percent (50%) of the primary health centres visited had either refrigerator or deep freezer; however these facilities were not used for vaccine storage. All the primary health centres visited have a map of their catchment areas, and their source of vaccine was only from the local government. In conclusion routine immunization is available at all the primary health care centres in Sabon Gari LGA, but the utilization of this service is poor. The study recommends regular training of primary health workers, public awareness on immunization, and ensuring availability of vaccines and its storage facilities as ways to improve routine immunization services at primary health centres in Sabon-Gari local government area.

Pembi Emmanuel, Community Medicine - Ahmadu Bello University, 2011

While exchange of sex for money is a common practice around the world, commercial sex workers are often treated as less than human, both in cultural attitudes and public policy. There are four main categories of health risks faced by workers in the commercial sex industry. These relate to the acquisition of sexually transmitted infections (STI), harm through violence from clients or pimps, factors associated with the use of drugs and mental health. The practice of contraception can go a long way in preventing health hazards. The purpose of this study was to investigate the health needs and contraceptive practices among commercial sex workers in Sabon Gari Zaria. A descriptive study was carried out using a structured, interviewer administered close ended questionnaires which were administered to 78 commercial sex workers. A total survey was carried out using 12 brothels in Sabon Gari Zaria. The study revealed that knowledge of contraception and practice was exceptionally high.98.7% is aware of the male condom, and 80.8% use condoms every time they have sex. Knowledge of HIV and its prevention is also high in this population.100% heard about HIV/AIDS, knew that it is preventable, that a healthy looking person may be infected and that is important to know one’s HIV status.98.7% knew their HIV status.65% drink alcohol while 34.6% smoke cigarette. Use of intravenous drug was 1.3%. 29.1% had abortion with complication while 19% had no complication after abortion. They were also exposed to variety of violence. The good knowledge of contraceptives and knowledge of HIV indicates relatively low transmission of HIV and other STIs. Other issues however need to be addressed such as violence to commercial sex workers.