University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) is a premier and multi-specialty healthcare service provider in West Africa. The hospital is located in Ugbowo, Benin City and got established on May 12, 1973 following the enactment of an edict (number 12) of the Nigeria National Health Act.As the sixth of the 1st generation Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria, its establishment was also to complement her sister institution, University of Benin, and to provide secondary and tertiary care to the then Mid-western Region (now Edo and Delta State) and its environs. It also provides necessary facilities for training of high and middle-level workforce for the health industry and spearheads research opportunities for lecturers in the University and other interested persons with economic morbidity burden as research question(s).Through the Community Health Centres in Ogbona and Udo, and the General Practice Clinic that came on stream later, UBTH equally provides some avenues for primary health care to the immediate communities.University of Benin Teaching Hospital offers an internship training for medical professionals from different medical fields such as Medicine, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Ophthalmology, Medical Laboratory scientist, Nursing, Radiographers, Dentistry, Nutrition and Dietetics amongst other professions Each section of the Hospital consulting room has its own Pharmacy, situated close to consulting room.
Infertility remains a major global reproductive health challenge and is highly stigmatized in many African societies. Despite the growing availability of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), including in vitro fertilization (IVF), utilization in low- and middle-income countries remains disproportionately low. In Sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 30
Introduction In many Nigerian cities, travel to emergency obstetric care (EmOC) remains challenging, and the so-called urban advantage is shrinking. Benin City, Nigeria, has four major referral hospitals providing EmOC, yet maternal mortality remains very high. While facility-based deliveries are common, many women still face significant delays in reaching timely, appropriate care. This study explored women’s and stakeholders’ perspectives on EmOC geographical accessibility in this rapidly urbanising city. Methods This descriptive qualitative study was conducted in four referral hospitals in Benin City, Nigeria. In-depth interviews were conducted with 44 purposively recruited women who had experienced obstetric emergencies, alongside 11 key stakeholders, including health service planners and policymakers. Women were recruited from hospital settings and communities in three local government areas identified as having the poorest geographical access to EmOC. Thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-step approach. Results Four themes emerged from our study: 1) travel challenges force some women to use unsafe transport and seek informal care in emergencies, 2) bypassing non-preferred facilities prolonged travel to obstetric care, 3) systemic inefficiencies further complicates EmOC geographical access, and 4) multi-sectoral action needed to improve EmOC geographical access. Women described unsafe roads, lack of transport, and security concerns, particularly at night, leading to delays or resorting to traditional birth attendants. Referral inefficiencies, workforce shortages, and inadequate facility readiness compounded these delays. Participants proposed infrastructure upgrades, birth preparedness, improved insurance coverage, and stronger referral coordination to reduce in-transit delays and ensure equitable access. Discussion Timely access to EmOC in urban settings is undermined by the intersection of spatial inequities, system dysfunction, and unreliable service availability. Addressing these challenges requires integrated infrastructure planning, strengthened referral coordination, and investment in health workforce retention. Without effective implementation of existing policies and targeted support for high-burden areas, maternal health inequities will persist even in urban contexts.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) in pregnancy among women with kidney transplants is rarely addressed in the literature. There is no consensus definition of AKI among this population, and limited data exist on the different aetiologies and outcomes, thereby creating a significant knowledge gap. Pregnancy among patients with a kidney transplant is considered high risk due to the possibility of foetal and maternal risks, AKI and graft loss during pregnancy. This is a case series report of two post-kidney transplant patients who developed multiple episodes of AKI in the course of pregnancy. There was no identifiable pre-renal, intrinsic renal, post-renal or transplant-specific cause for the AKI. There was a failure of the first-trimester dip in serum creatinine in both patients. In addition, the serum creatinine stabilised between 6 and 12 months post-delivery, albeit at a higher level. The renal biopsy done was negative for rejection or polyoma virus nephropathy. Failure of the first trimester dip in serum creatinine may be a risk factor for AKI in pregnant transplant patient which may in turn have deleterious short term and long term outcomes on kidney function.
Introduction Basic airway management (BAM) is the cornerstone of pre-hospital care and an expected competence of all paramedics. In Nigeria, paramedic training is relatively young and lacks regulatory oversight to ensure the competence of the workforce. This study assessed the knowledge, self-reported practice, self-reported confidence, and barriers to practice of BAM among paramedic students at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among paramedic students (2nd to 5th year) at UBTH from September 1 to 14, 2025. Census sampling was used, and a validated questionnaire assessed knowledge (16 items), self-reported practice, self-reported confidence (7-item Likert scale), and barriers to basic airway management. Knowledge scores were categorised as good (>70%), moderate (50-69%), or poor (<50%). Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression identified factors associated with knowledge and confidence. Results Of 125 respondents, 87.2% demonstrated good knowledge of basic airway management (mean score 12.76±1.16). Only 11.2% had never performed BAM in any setting. Most participants reported high (50.4%) or moderate (42.4%) confidence. Good knowledge was significantly associated with emergency department exposure in the last 3 months (OR=6.32, p=0.014), recent BLS/ALS certification (OR=9.41, p=0.026), and combined self-reported practice on simulation and real patients (OR=13.00, p=0.001). Conclusion Paramedic students at UBTH demonstrated good knowledge and confidence in BAM. Self-reported practice of BAM on both simulation and real patients was associated with knowledge, while real patient experience was strongly associated with confidence. To improve paramedic training, curricula should prioritise integrated learning approaches that provide both simulation facilities for skill development and adequate supervised clinical exposure.
Background:The recent outbreak of diphtheria in Nigeria, lasting over 18 months, is largely attributed to a lack of vaccination, but other factors may have been contributory. The study aims to describe the characteristics of cases and control measures of a localised outbreak of diphtheria in Edo State, Nigeria. Methodology:This was a descriptive study of patients who met the case definition for suspected diphtheria in Edo state between May and September 2024. A multidisciplinary management strategy was instituted for sample collection, integrated disease surveillance, contact investigation, awareness creation and standard treatment protocols. Data (age, gender, immunization status, signs and symptoms, receipt of Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT), laboratory results and outcomes) were extracted from the case notes, entered into an Excel spreadsheet and exported into an SPSS spreadsheet for analysis. Continuous data were expressed as median (IQR), categorical data were summarized as proportions, and the level of immunity was categorized into adequate and inadequate. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the University of Benin Health Research Ethics Committee with Protocol Number: ADM/22/A/VOL.VII/4831141825 and dated May 28th 2025. Results:Of the19 suspected cases, 5(26.3%) were laboratory confirmed, and 4/5(80.0%) of the confirmed cases were older than 9 years. The commonest symptoms were catarrh12(63.2%), sore throat and neck swelling 11(57.9%) each, and fever and hoarseness 10(52.6%). The majority, 89.6% were vaccinated. Of the ten cases that had serology done, 7(70%) had inadequate immunity. No secondary cases were found on contact investigation. Conclusion:A multidisciplinary team approach ensured this outbreak did not spread widely. With diphtheria occurring in almost 90% of previously vaccinated children, waned immunity was likely a major contributor to this outbreak. It is recommended that booster doses be included in the immunization schedule of Nigerian children.
