INFECTION

There is a significant difference in the attitude towards UTI prevention and control between different year levels of nursing students. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in women, including female nursing students, who may be at increased risk due to lifestyle and academic stressors. Adequate knowledge and a positive attitude toward prevention and control are essential in reducing their incidence and complications. This study assessed the knowledge and attitude of female nursing students at the University of Benin, Benin City, regarding UTI prevention and control. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, and 260 female nursing students from 200 to 500 level were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Of the distributed questionnaires, 256 were correctly completed, yielding a 96.5% response rate. Analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26.0, with results presented in frequencies, percentages, means, and charts. Findings revealed that 80% of respondents had good knowledge of UTI causes, prevention, and complications, with a grand mean knowledge score of 3.2. Most participants were aged 20–24 (55.9%), single (84.4%), and Christian (82.4%). The general attitude toward UTI prevention was positive, also with a grand mean score of 3.2. Many students agreed on the importance of UTI prevention and expressed a willingness to educate others. Despite the overall positive findings, minor knowledge gaps were observed, particularly regarding the preventive role of cranberry juice. The study recommends enhanced health education within nursing curricula to address these gaps. Additionally, regular hygiene campaigns and sensitization seminars could further promote preventive behavior among students

This study investigated the prevalence and outcome of malaria infection among children below 11 years of age in a tertiary healthcare facility in Benin City from 2022–2024. The study aimed to determine the months and years when malaria infection was most prevalent, the gender in which malaria infection was most common, the number of children who had malaria infection, and the treatment outcomes of malaria infection among children below 11 years in a selected tertiary healthcare facility from 2022–2024. The study adopted a non-experimental, retrospective
research design method. The study population consisted of all children aged 0 to 10 years who presented with a confirmed diagnosis of malaria at a selected tertiary healthcare facility in Benin City, Edo State, between 2022–2024. A sample size of 900 medical records was selected for the study using a retrospective census sampling technique. A checklist was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by the research supervisor and two other experts in the field. To ensure the reliability of the instrument, a pilot study was conducted prior to full data collection, extracting information from 20 randomly selected pediatric malaria case records not included in the main study. The data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 to obtain the Mean, SD, chi-square, and P-value < 0.05. The result shows that malaria was most prevalent in May and in the year 2023, and the treatment outcome of malaria infection had a 95% success rate and a 5% failure rate. Based on the findings, it was recommended that health education by health personnel should be intensified to enlighten parents on the dangers of malaria and ways of preventing it. Mass media outlets such as television, radio, road jingles, and posters should also be used to disseminate useful information on malaria.

The persistent burden of malaria in sub-Sahara Africa despite different interventions spanning decades makes it a major public health concern, especially in this region. The study was aimed at investigating how malaria infection affects these hemorheologic factors (haematocrit, fibrinogen and whole blood viscosity) and understand their implications in the severity of the disease. This research was conducted at the University ofBenin, Benin City, on a a total of 35 students within the age range of 18-25 years. Blood samples were collected from the participant and tested for haematocrit, fibrinogen and whole blood viscosity using a micro hematocrit centrifuge, the clauss method, reid and ugwu method respectively. Twenty five students who had no traces of malaria infection were used as control. Results showed a non-significant decrease in Packed Cell Volume (PCV) in the test subjects when compared with the control subjects. There was also no significant increase in fibrinogen level and whole blood viscosity between the test subjects and the control subjects. However, on the basis of sex, the malaria-infected males showed marked difference in their haemorrhegic factors when compared to the non-infected control male subjects. While the haemorrhaegic factors of the malaria-infected female subjects did not differ significantly from the haemorrhaegic factors of the female control subjects. Thus, implying that the male subjects were responsible for the significant difference observed in the overall number of malaria-infected subjects in this study, due to slight changes in PCV Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the haemorrhaegic factors between the groups of control subjects overall and on the basis of sex. It can thus, be concluded that malaria infection does have an impact on haemorrhegic factors. In view of the attempts at eliminating malaria in sub-sahara Africa, everyone in the region must contribute their quota to its elimination.