Purpose: The study was conducted to survey the knowledge and behavioural practices of food handlers in bukas (a type of local restaurant) in Nigeria with the aim of assessing the hygiene practices of food handlers and...Purpose: The study was conducted to survey the knowledge and behavioural practices of food handlers in bukas (a type of local restaurant) in Nigeria with the aim of assessing the hygiene practices of food handlers and whether they were knowledgeable about typhoid fever and its mode of transmission. Methods: One hundred and seventy four (174) Respondents were ad- ministered questionnaires on their sociode- mographic characteristics, behavioural practices and knowledge of typhoid fever. Results: Ma- jority of the food handlers drank pure water (32.1%), borehole water (32.6%) and public tap water (31.1%) at the about the same frequecy. More than half (62.2%) washed their hands with water only before eating while 27.7% did not wash their hands always before preparing food. After using toilets, 71.9% washed their hands with soap and water while 28.1% washed their hands with only water. When asked if they had heard about typhoid fever 90% said they had heard, out of which15.6% did not know how it was contracted while the others had partial knowledge. Conclusion: Food handlers play a prominent role in the transmission of typhoid fever and so it is important that the food handlers are well informed about their hygiene status and the causes of typhoid fever trans- mission and ways by which typhoid fever spread is prevented. This will go a long way to help reduce the incidence of typhoid fever in the country.展开更多
Introduction: Human malaria infection remains a problem of public health importance in many regions of the world. The infection continues to spread particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, malaria and its treat...Introduction: Human malaria infection remains a problem of public health importance in many regions of the world. The infection continues to spread particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, malaria and its treatment have been affected by factors like wrong diagnosis, wrong attitude of the people, unavailability of drugs, fake and substandard drugs, attitude and practices of medical and paramedical personnel. Nigeria’s national standard for malaria treatment was recently changed to artemisinin combination therapy. Methods: A descriptive study using a structured questionnaire was administered to all doctors (123) practicing in the three Army hospitals in Lagos. The study was done between March, 2009 and April, 2009. The findings were precoded;data entry and analysis was done using EPI INFO version 3.5.1 statistical software. Results: Presumptive/clinical diagnosis was still a common practice for diagnosing malaria among doctors, as well as the use of microscopy. None of the doctors had the facility for diagnosing malaria with rapid diagnostic test in their hospitals. Fifty one percent of the doctors stated that they utilized the current National antimalarial treatment guidelines. Significant proportion of the doctors used Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACTs) as first line treatment of uncomplicated malaria in adults and children. Chloroquine was the commonest drug for first line treatment of uncomplicated malaria in pregnancy. Only 45.5% of the doctors had correct knowledge of Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy (IPTp), while 33.3% knew the stage of pregnancy in which a pregnant woman should receive IPTp with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine. Awareness and the content of knowledge of the current National antimalarial treatment guideline were not affected by the category or current position of the doctors. Thirteen percent of the respondents had attended training/update workshop organized by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) Roll Back Malaria programme on the current National antimalarial treatment guideline. Conclusion: The study showed that there is need to improve use of recommended antimalarial medicines for all categories of patients by doctors in Army Hospitals in Lagos. More effort should be made by the Federal Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to organize training and refresher courses on the current National antimalarial treatment guidelines for all categories of health care providers.展开更多
文摘Purpose: The study was conducted to survey the knowledge and behavioural practices of food handlers in bukas (a type of local restaurant) in Nigeria with the aim of assessing the hygiene practices of food handlers and whether they were knowledgeable about typhoid fever and its mode of transmission. Methods: One hundred and seventy four (174) Respondents were ad- ministered questionnaires on their sociode- mographic characteristics, behavioural practices and knowledge of typhoid fever. Results: Ma- jority of the food handlers drank pure water (32.1%), borehole water (32.6%) and public tap water (31.1%) at the about the same frequecy. More than half (62.2%) washed their hands with water only before eating while 27.7% did not wash their hands always before preparing food. After using toilets, 71.9% washed their hands with soap and water while 28.1% washed their hands with only water. When asked if they had heard about typhoid fever 90% said they had heard, out of which15.6% did not know how it was contracted while the others had partial knowledge. Conclusion: Food handlers play a prominent role in the transmission of typhoid fever and so it is important that the food handlers are well informed about their hygiene status and the causes of typhoid fever trans- mission and ways by which typhoid fever spread is prevented. This will go a long way to help reduce the incidence of typhoid fever in the country.
文摘Introduction: Human malaria infection remains a problem of public health importance in many regions of the world. The infection continues to spread particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, malaria and its treatment have been affected by factors like wrong diagnosis, wrong attitude of the people, unavailability of drugs, fake and substandard drugs, attitude and practices of medical and paramedical personnel. Nigeria’s national standard for malaria treatment was recently changed to artemisinin combination therapy. Methods: A descriptive study using a structured questionnaire was administered to all doctors (123) practicing in the three Army hospitals in Lagos. The study was done between March, 2009 and April, 2009. The findings were precoded;data entry and analysis was done using EPI INFO version 3.5.1 statistical software. Results: Presumptive/clinical diagnosis was still a common practice for diagnosing malaria among doctors, as well as the use of microscopy. None of the doctors had the facility for diagnosing malaria with rapid diagnostic test in their hospitals. Fifty one percent of the doctors stated that they utilized the current National antimalarial treatment guidelines. Significant proportion of the doctors used Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACTs) as first line treatment of uncomplicated malaria in adults and children. Chloroquine was the commonest drug for first line treatment of uncomplicated malaria in pregnancy. Only 45.5% of the doctors had correct knowledge of Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy (IPTp), while 33.3% knew the stage of pregnancy in which a pregnant woman should receive IPTp with sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine. Awareness and the content of knowledge of the current National antimalarial treatment guideline were not affected by the category or current position of the doctors. Thirteen percent of the respondents had attended training/update workshop organized by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) Roll Back Malaria programme on the current National antimalarial treatment guideline. Conclusion: The study showed that there is need to improve use of recommended antimalarial medicines for all categories of patients by doctors in Army Hospitals in Lagos. More effort should be made by the Federal Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to organize training and refresher courses on the current National antimalarial treatment guidelines for all categories of health care providers.
