Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital is a Federal Government Teaching Hospital located in Kano State, Nigeria. It was formerly known as Bayero University Teaching hospital. The current chief medical director is Abdurahaman Abba Shehe.Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital serves three main functions: training of medical students and Resident doctors, provision of specialist medical service to the sick, and important research for the advancement of medical knowledge.It is used for the training of Bayero University medical students and postgraduate medical doctors (Residency training). It recorded success over years including being the first government hospital to perform a successful kidney transplant in the year 2002 and the former Chief Medical Director Professor Abdulhamid Isa Dutse was the instrumental to the transplant.
Global population growth underlies the need to explore alternative materials to address pressing challenges in food security, medicine, energy, and environmental pollution. Spirulina is a nutrient dense cyanobacteria that offers promising solutions to the aforementioned challenges, mainly due to its rich composition of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds such as β-carotene and phycocyanin. These compounds confer various health benefits, including antioxidant, anticancer, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, which make Spirulina a valuable dietary and therapeutic supplement. Essential fatty acids and its rapid growth rate also makes Spirulina a potential source of biodiesel for energy related applications. Additionally, Spirulina's high porosity and variable functional groups endow it with remarkable biosorption properties for soil and wastewater remediation applications. The chemical structure and unique properties of Spirulina have been utilized to produce biotemplates for nanomaterials as well as the fabrication of functional composites for various applications. Thus, in this review, we have highlighted the broad potentials of Spirulina in diverse applications, emphasizing its eco-friendliness, economic viability, challenges, and the prospects of its biomass for sustainable, nutraceutical, therapeutic, energy related, and environmental applications.
BACKGROUND Splenic stiffness measurement (SSM) via transient elastography is an emerging, non-invasive method for assessing portal hypertension and liver disease severity in cirrhosis. Its role is particularly relevant in low-resource settings where access to endoscopic services is limited. AIM To assess splenic stiffness patterns among cirrhotic patients using transient elastography and determine their relationship with liver disease severity. METHODS In a comparative cross-sectional study at a tertiary hospital in Katsina, Nigeria, 60 patients with clinically diagnosed liver cirrhosis and 60 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent SSM using transient elastography. Liver disease severity was classified using the Child-Pugh score. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman's correlation tests. RESULTS Median SSM was significantly higher in cirrhotic patients compared with controls (56.8 kPa vs 17.9 kPa; P < 0.001). SSM increased progressively with worsening Child-Pugh class (A: 28.4 kPa; B: 56.7 kPa; C: 90.6 kPa; P < 0.001). SSM correlated positively with total bilirubin (r = 0.384; P = 0.002) and international normalized ratio (r = 0.441; P < 0.001), and negatively with serum albumin (r = -0.468; P < 0.001) and platelet count (r = -0.533; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION SSM correlates with liver disease severity and offers a practical, non-invasive alternative for assessing portal hypertension, potentially reducing reliance on endoscopy in resource-limited settings.
Palliative care is an integral component of comprehensive primary health care and is particularly relevant for older adults living with chronic and progressive illnesses. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including many African settings, access to palliative care remains limited despite substantial need. Sociocultural beliefs shape perceptions of ageing, illness, suffering and death, and influence how palliative care needs are recognised and addressed within primary care and family medicine contexts. To synthesise existing evidence on how sociocultural beliefs influence palliative care needs and utilisation among older adults in LMICs, with implications for primary care and family practice. A narrative literature review was conducted using published qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies identified through searches of major electronic databases and relevant grey literature. Evidence was synthesised thematically, focusing on sociocultural influences relevant to primary care settings. Key themes identified included cultural constructions of ageing and suffering, family-centred decision-making, religious and spiritual interpretations of illness, and misconceptions surrounding palliative care. These factors influence symptom reporting, care-seeking behaviour, referral patterns and utilisation of palliative care services at the primary care level. Sociocultural beliefs are fundamental to understanding palliative care needs among older adults in LMICs. To improve access and quality of care, culturally sensitive palliative care models that involve families, recognise spiritual concerns and dispel myths are crucial. More empirical research from under-represented LMIC regions is required to inform contextually appropriate policy and practice.
ABSTRACT Women living with HIV face about a six-fold higher risk of cervical cancer, yet screening uptake remains low in many sub-Saharan African settings. We explored factors influencing repeated decisions to decline cervical cancer screening during routine HIV care among women living with HIV at a large HIV clinic in Jos, Nigeria. Between September and December 2024, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study at the AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria Clinic in Jos, Nigeria. We purposively recruited 27 women living with HIV aged 21 to 65 years who had never undergone cervical cancer screening and had repeatedly declined screening offers during routine HIV care, including at the current clinic visit. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted in English or Hausa, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English where needed. Data were analyzed thematically using theory-informed coding based on the Health Belief Model and Social Ecological Model. Among 27 women living with HIV who had repeatedly declined screening, perceived susceptibility was often low or uncertain despite recognition of cervical cancer severity. Perceived benefits were acknowledged but were frequently outweighed by overlapping barriers, including knowledge gaps and misinformation, indirect and downstream costs, emotional barriers, logistical constraints, clinic-flow and service-delivery barriers, and anticipated stigma. Education, reminders, and supportive clinic processes acted as cues to action, and most participants expressed willingness to screen in future. Among women living with HIV at this clinic who repeatedly declined screening when it was offered, perceived benefits were often outweighed by multilevel barriers. Screening programs may integrate fear-reduction and stigma-sensitive counseling with practical service delivery improvements, including shorter waiting times, reduced indirect costs, predictable and streamlined clinic flow, and consistent provider invitations and reminders, while addressing misinformation through community-embedded, culturally tailored messaging. These strategies may improve screening uptake and support more equitable cervical cancer prevention for women living with HIV in similar HIV-care settings.
OBJECTIVE:To explore Nigerian women's lived experiences of menopause and identify sociocultural, structural, and health-system factors shaping symptom recognition, care-seeking, and wellbeing, using in-depth qualitative inquiry. DESIGN:Qualitative interview study. SETTING:Urban, peri-urban, and rural communities across Nigeria. PARTICIPANTS:Post-menopausal women aged 40-66 years experiencing natural, surgical, or medical menopause. METHODS:As part of the Nigerian arm of the MARIE project, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with purposively sampled post-menopausal women to capture diverse menopausal stages, socioeconomic positions, and geographic contexts. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis informed by an equity-centred, intersectional framework. Multiple researchers independently coded transcripts, with iterative discussion and triangulation to enhance analytic rigour and validity. RESULTS:Three interrelated themes characterised menopausal experiences in Nigeria. First, structural health-system inequalities were evident, including limited anticipatory information, inadequate clinician training, fragmented care pathways, and restricted access to hormone replacement therapy and non-hormonal treatments. Second, sociocultural and gendered norms shaped symptom interpretation and disclosure, with menopause often framed as a natural or inevitable life stage requiring endurance rather than care, compounded by stigma and silencing within families and communities. Third, women demonstrated adaptive coping and resilience, relying on peer networks, faith-based practices, and self-management strategies in the absence of formal support. Urban participants reported comparatively better access to information and services, while rural women described pronounced neglect and dependence on informal care. CONCLUSIONS:This qualitative study provides the first in-depth, context-specific account of menopausal experiences among Nigerian women, revealing substantial inequities driven by sociocultural beliefs, economic constraints, and systemic gaps in healthcare provision. The findings underline the urgent need for culturally sensitive, equity-oriented menopause care in Nigeria, including integration into primary healthcare, improved professional training, affordable access to evidence-based treatments, and public health education to reduce stigma and unmet need.
