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MEASLES IN ILORIN: AN EPIDEMIC IN THE MIDDLE OF ERADICATION PLANS

SK Ernest

 

Abstract

Forty-one cases of measles were seen within 3 months period in Emergency Paediatric Unit (EPU) of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) as against a recent report from the same center, which reported 52 cases over a 12 months period. More of the patients in this series needed hospitalization. Males were more affected, 17.1% were infants while 12.2% were older than 10 years. Coliforms were isolated from 40% of the positive blood cultures. Pneumonia was the leading complication and sultamycillin was the commonly used antibiotics. The mean duration of hospital stay was 6.3 days (SD=2.9) and case fatality was 14.6%. This pattern in the middle belt region of Nigeria represents an epidemic. This occurring at a time when a global eradication is being planned and anticipated, calls for a re-appraisal of the dynamics and logistics of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)

Key Words: Measles; Epidemics; Global Eradication.

Afr. J. Clin. Exper. Microbiol. 2004; 5(2): 203 – 207.

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AWARENESS AND COMPLIANCE OF ANTITETANUS IMMUNZATION AMONG ADULT FEMALES IN A TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN NIGERIA

JO Bamidele, SH Umoh

 

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness level and the compliance to anti-tetanus immunization among adult females in an urban community in South West of Nigeria. The rationale for the study was informed by the fact that high incidence of tetanus infections and deaths are still being reported from our clinics regularly. A total of 394 female workers and students of LAUTECH University and its Teaching Hospital participated in the cross-sectional survey. They were selected using the stratified sampling procedure. A pre-tested structure but open-ended questionnaire was administered on the respondents. The result of the analysis showed a high level of awareness (69. 8%) of anti-tetanus immunization among the respondents and a high significance association was found between the level of awareness and respondent’s profession (X= 7. 65; p < 0. 0011). Majority of the respondents (56.1%) took their last dose of anti-tetanus immunization during their last pregnancies. More than one third (37.2%) of the 148 respondents who ever gate birth took only one dose or none during their last pregnancy, thus putting into question the immunological status of those mothers and the children they gave birth to then. It was concluded that despite the high level of awareness among the respondents, compliance was quite low. It is recommended that government should provide logistic supports to make immunization programme accessible on a sustainable basis to everybody in the country. Activities should be put in place that will promote behavioural change in women so that they can go for anti-tetanus immunization.

Key Words: Antitetanus immunization, adult females; awareness; Compliance.

Afr. J. Clin. Exper. Microbiol. 2004; 5(2): 208 – 216.