Rhema University

Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) remains a cornerstone of malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa, yet coverage gaps persist despite widespread antenatal care (ANC) attendance. In Nigeria’s mixed health system, institutional differences between public and private facilities may contribute to uneven delivery of IPTp, but such disparities are poorly understood at operational spatial scales. This study employed a catchment-based spatial framework to evaluate IPTp3 delivery among pregnant women in Oyo State, Nigeria, using routine health facility data from DHIS2 for 2025. IPTp3 coverage was standardized against pregnancy stock derived from high-resolution WorldPop population estimates. Catchment-level indicators were compared between public and private facilities, and ownership effects were assessed using demand-adjusted regression models controlling for pregnancy burden, women-of-reproductive-age density, and catchment area. IPTp3 delivery exhibited extreme heterogeneity across catchments. Private facilities recorded substantially lower median IPTp3 coverage and a markedly higher prevalence of zero delivery despite non-zero pregnancy burden. After adjusting for demographic demand and spatial scale, private facility ownership was independently associated with significantly lower IPTp3 delivery (p < 0.001). Aggregated ward- and LGA-level summaries obscured these micro-scale inequities, highlighting the added value of catchment-level analysis. Malaria prevention during pregnancy in Oyo State is strongly shaped by institutional factors rather than demographic demand alone. Persistent under-delivery of IPTp3 in private facility catchments represents a critical equity gap that may undermine progress toward malaria elimination and maternal health goals. Strengthening private-sector integration into malaria prevention programs and adopting catchment-based monitoring frameworks are essential for achieving more equitable IPTp coverage.

Malaria remains a major public health concern in Nigeria, this study analyses the temporal trend of malaria incidence in Abuja from 2014 to 2024, assesses the trend of malaria parasite suitable days from 1979 to 2024, examines population growth trends, and evaluates the relationship between malaria, climatic suitability, and population expansion. Daily climate data from ERA5 (and CFS reanalysis datasets were utilized, incorporating temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and specific humidity as key environmental factors. The Mann-Kendall trend test was applied to assess long-term malaria and climate trends, while ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis was used to evaluate statistical relationships. Results indicate a statistically significant increasing trend in malaria incidence (p < 0.001), coinciding with rapid urban population growth. However, malaria parasite suitable days showed a significant decline (p < 0.001), suggesting climate-induced changes in vector ecology. Regression analysis revealed a strong positive association between malaria incidence and population growth (p = 0.043, R² = 0.38), while the relationship between malaria and climatic suitability was weak (p = 0.260, R² = 0.138). These findings highlight the growing urban malaria burden, driven primarily by population expansion rather than climate change. The study underscores the need for integrated malaria control strategies, combining vector management, urban health planning, and climate adaptation measures to mitigate future risks in Abuja.

Bloodstream infections are a significant global health concern, causing substantial morbidity and mortality particularly in hospital settings. Recent trends show an alarming rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) making treatment increasingly challenging. This study analysed the trends in bloodstream infections at (FMC) umuahia. Blood samples were collected asptically from 480 patients and cultured on BACT/ALERT system. Out of 480 blood cultures collected, 223 (46.46%) showed bacterial growth, indicating a high prevalence of bloodstream infections at FMC Umuahia. The most common organism was Staphylococcus aureus (32.75%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10.31%), Streptococcus spp. (9.8%), and Klebsiella spp., (9.42%). Less common isolates included Enterococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Candida spp., Saccharomyces spp., and Micrococcus spp. Male subjects had a significantly higher infection rate (50%) compared to females (41.24%). Staphylococcus aureus showed notable resistance to Augmentin (35%), Ampicillin (55%), and Amoxicillin (65%). Similarly, Escherichia coli exhibited high resistance to Amoxicillin (70%) and Ampicillin (65%). Klebsiella pneumoniae showed 50% resistance to Augmentin and 80% to Amoxicillin. However, Imipenem, Gentamicin, and Ciprofloxacin remained generally effective against most of the tested pathogens. Improved surveillance, antibiotic stewardship, infection control (especially hand hygiene), health worker education and training, and research into new antibiotics are key measures to reduce antibiotic resistance and optimizing treatment protocol.

In this study, Density Functional Theory (DFT), Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, Natural Bond Orbital (NBO), and topological analyses were employed to evaluate the corrosion inhibition performance of isovitexin on AA2024 aluminum alloy in acidic media. Quantum chemical calculations revealed that neutral isovitexin exhibits superior inhibition potential compared to its protonated form, as evidenced by its lower HOMO-LUMO energy gap (ΔE = 0.482 eV), higher softness (σ = 4.15 eV-1), lower global hardness (η = 0.241 eV), and greater electron-transfer capability. MD simulations demonstrated strong and spontaneous adsorption of isovitexin on the AA2024 surface, with a highly negative interaction energy of -130 kcal mol-1 and a binding energy of 130 kcal mol-1, significantly greater than those obtained for the protonated form (-85 and 85 kcal mol-1, respectively). These findings indicate the formation of a stable and compact protective film on the metal surface. Furthermore, topological analysis confirmed that adsorption is stabilized through a synergistic combination of van der Waals interactions, hydrogen bonding, and donor-acceptor interactions. Collectively, the electronic, adsorption, and charge-transfer analyses establish isovitexin as a promising eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor, capable of providing efficient protection of aluminum alloys in acidic environments through strong surface adsorption and favorable molecular interaction characteristics.

Rapid food price inflation and volatility have become a major socioeconomic challenge in Nigeria, with uneven impacts across food commodities and geopolitical regions. However, national food inflation figures often mask substantial heterogeneity in price dynamics, limiting the effectiveness of policy responses. This study investigates the spatio-temporal dynamics of food prices in Nigeria, with the objectives of quantifying short- and long-term inflation patterns, assessing regional price disparities and market integration, and identifying vulnerability-relevant food commodities subject to compounded price pressure. The analysis uses officially reported retail food price data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria, covering 42 major food commodities and prices across six geopolitical zones for April 2024, March 2025, and April 2025. Methodologically, the study combines month-on-month (MoM) and year-on-year (YoY) inflation measures, spatial dis-persion indices, ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests of zonal price differences, multivariate tech-niques (principal component analysis and k-means clustering), and a composite Food Price Pres-sure Index (FPPI). Results show that while MoM inflation was modest on average (mean = 0.10%; SD = 4.63%), YoY inflation was substantial and widespread (mean = 58.45%; SD = 26.43%). Several staples and protein-rich foods experienced exceptionally high YoY inflation, including un-ripe plantain (123.1%), ripe plantain (103.9%), yam tuber (98.2%), and tilapia fresh fish (94.0%). Significant regional price disparities persist, with spatial coefficients of variation exceeding 0.30 for onions and sweet potatoes, indicating incomplete market integration. Multivariate analysis re-veals three distinct commodity regimes—high-volatility protein foods, spatially segmented perish-ables, and high-inflation staples. The FPPI identifies plantain, yam, onions, and fish products as the most vulnerability-relevant commodities, combining high inflation, volatility, and spatial price dispersion. The findings demonstrate that food price pressure in Nigeria is commodity- and region-specific rather than uniform. The study provides data-driven evidence to support targeted food price monitoring, regional market integration, and vulnerability-focused food security policies.