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African Health Sciences
Makerere University Medical School
ISSN: 1680-6905 EISSN: 1729-0503
Vol. 9, Num. 3, 2009, pp. 129
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African Health Sciences, Vol. 9, No. 3, Sept, 2009, pp. 129
Editor's Choice
James K Tumwine
Editor in Chief
Code Number: hs09030
In this September issue of African Health Sciences we have a truly bumper collection of excellent articles ranging
from HIV, hepatitis C, smoking, hypertension, diabetes to
intestinal obstruction and Hodgkin disease.
Hepatitis C and HIV
We have selected for you three related articles on hepatitis
C: two from West Africa and one from Uganda. Hepatitis C
is becoming a very important illness and any publication
that helps understand it a little more is welcome. In their paper
on HIV and hepatitis C from the Gambia, Mboto, Jewell
and others1 report that over 6% of the study population
tested positive for HIV but only 0.5% had HIV/HCV
confection. Almost half of the HIV infected had CD4 cell counts
below 200/µL implying they were missing out on HAART.
These results are different from what Duru and
others2 report from Nigeria, in this same issue of African Health Sciences. They report that HIV and HCV sero-prevalence rates in pregnant
women were 3 and 5% respectively. Thirty percent were
co-infected with HIV and HCV. Walusansa and
Kagimu3 report in the same issue of African Health
Sciences a co-infection rate of 3.3% among HIV infected patients in Mulago hospital. These
studies call for further investigation of hepatitis C especially
amongst pregnant women, children and others in our
communities infected or non-infected with HIV.
Lifestyle issues
In the next group of articles authors report on conditions
or diseases associated with lifestyle.From Tunisia, Harrabi
and others4 report on the predictors of smoking initiation
among school children in a 4 year cohort study. Predictors
included previous experimentation with alcohol and tobacco, having
a smoking best friend, lack of sensitization from the school,
and believing that smoking one feel cool. They call for
authorities to equip school children with skills to resist pressure
from peers to adopt unhealthy habits such as smoking.
Uganda authors5 report on the prevalence and
factors associated with hypertension in one of Uganda's rural
remote districts: Rukungiri. The age-standardized prevalence
of hypertension was 30.5%. Factors associated with
hypertension included: past alcohol use, present alcohol use,
being overweight, obesity, female gender, having attained
tertiary education. Disturbing facts indeed!
Nigerian
researchers6 compared the quality of
life effects of type 2 diabetes determined by the Bradley
well-being questionnaire and the WHOQOL-BREF, a
generic instrument. They conclude: "Our study has shown how
two different measures of quality of life perform in patients
with type 2 diabetes. Although they were not very sensitive
to criteria of disease complications, casting doubt on their
utility as psychological outcome measures, they demonstrated
fairly reasonable internal consistency in our patients with type
2 diabetes."
The rest of the issue has papers on anaesthesia
aim patients with reactive airway
disease7; intestinal obstruction in
Ibadan8 as well as Epstein B virus in Hodgkin
disease9. Four more papers on the use of
warfarin10, assessing cerebral malaria
children11; a case of
hypertension, 12 mouth rinsing effect
on sputum culture results13 and factors associated with
severe malaria14 complete our rich and detailed story in this issue
of African Health Sciences.
Finally I wish to thank all the authors, reviewers, staff
and friends of African Health Sciences (none of us is paid to do
this work) for this commitment to a truly successful African
Journal. Together we can push African Health
Sciences to even greater heights publishing state of the art science relevant to health
in Africa. Keep it up!
References
- Mboto CI, Davies-Russell A, Fielder M, Jewell
AP. CD4+ lymphocyte values and trends in individuals infected
with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and/or co-infected
with Hepatitis C Virus in The Gambia African Health
Sciences 2009; 9(3): 130-136
- Duru MU, Aluyi HSA, Anukam KC. Rapid screening
for Co-Infection of HIV and HCV in Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Clinic in Benin City, Edo
State, Nigeria African Health Sciences 2009; 9(3): 137-142
- Walusansa V and Kagimu M. Screening for hepatitis C
among HIV positive patients at Mulago Hospital in
Uganda African Health Sciences 2009; 9(3): 143-146
- Harrabi I, Chahed H, Maatoug J et
al Predictors of smoking initiation among schoolchildren in Tunisia: a 4 years
cohort study. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(3): 147-152
- Wamala JF, Karyabakabo Z, Ndungutse D, Guwatudde
D. Prevalence factors associated with Hypertension in
Rukungiri District, Uganda - A Community-Based
Study African Health Sciences 2009; 9(3): 153-160
- Kolawole BA, Mosaku SK, R.T. Ikem. A Comparison of two measures of quality of life of Nigerian clinic
patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. African Health
Sciences 2009; 9(3): 161-166
- Lawal I, Bakari AG. Reactive airway and anaesthesia: challenge to the anaesthetist and the way
forward. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(3): 167-169
- Olakayode OO, Adefemi OA, Ogunlana DI, Taiwo AL, Abiboye C Y. Pattern and outcome of childhood intestinal obstruction at a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria African Health
Sciences 2009; 9(3): 170-173
- Adelusola KA, Titiloye N, Rotimi O, Durosinmi M. Epstein Barr virus latent membrane protein-1 in Hodgkin's lymphoma in Nigerians. African Health
Sciences 2009; 9(3): 174-178
- Amiwero C, Campbell IA, Prescott
RJ. A re-appraisal of Warfarin control in the treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis and / or Pulmonary Embolism. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(3): 179-185
- Bangirana P, Seggane-Musisi, Allebeck P et al. A preliminary examination of the construct validity of the KABC-II in Ugandan children with a history of cerebral
malaria African Health Sciences 2009; 9(3): 186-192
- Ekore RI, Ajayi IO, Arije
A. Case finding for hypertension in young adult patients attending a Missionary Hospital in Nigeria African Health
Sciences 2009; 9(3): 193-199
- Muzanye G, Morgan K, Johnson J, Mayanja-Kizza
H. Impact of mouth rinsing before sputum collection on culture contamination African Health
Sciences 2009; 9(3): 200
- Byakika-Kibwika P, Ndeezi G, Kamya
MR. Health care related factors associated with severe malaria in
children in Kampala, Uganda African Health
Sciences 2009; 9(3): 201-205
Copyright © 2009 - Makerere Medical School, Uganda
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