African Health Sciences Makerere University Medical School ISSN: 1680-6905 EISSN: 1729-0503 Vol. 9, Num. 1, 2009, pp. 1

African Health Sciences, Vol. 9, No. 1, March, 2009, pp. 1-1

Editor's Choice

Prof. James K Tumwine, MBChB; M.Med; PhD

Editor in Chief, African Health Sciences

Code Number: hs09001

The March 2009 issue of African Health Sciences is here! In this issue we bring you very interesting papers on HIV/AIDS, haematology, herbal remedies, and guess what, witchcraft!

In their paper on HIV sero-discordant couples in Uganda, Beyeza and others report that these couples have a strong desire for childbearing with a dilemma of risking HIV infection. Clearly there is need to address the gender and societal issues that influence reproductive choice among on HIV sero-discordant couples.

We rarely see papers on blood transfusion in Africa. Opoku and colleagues from Ghana report a serious problem of contamination of blood donated for transfusion at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. One in six samples was contaminated. From Nigeria,

Oyedunni and colleagues report the potential risk of HIV transmission among barbers in Ibadan. They conclude that the risk of transmitting HIV is high in barbershops and make a number of recommendations. Iasaac Kadowa and coauthors report factors influencing disclosure of HIV positive status in Mityan Uganda. These factors include not fearing negative outcomes, possession ov disclosure skills, and having initiated antiretroviral therapy.

Mwambete from Tanzania reports antimicrobial activity of a Tanzanian medicinal plant: Momordica charantia, Kirimuhuzya from Uganda reports that Lantana camara has anti-mycobacterial activity. Have you heard of thallasemia in Africa? Well, Kotila and others from Ibadan in Nigeria have an interesting story. Several case reports highlight practice issues: severe depression following a-interferon in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia, and afew others such as oxygen cylinders witch craft in South Africa.

This year we have been overwhelmed by the number of submitted manuscripts. Many of them are attempting to answer original practical scientific questions relevant to health in Africa. Unfortunately, because of limited space in the print journal, we are only able to publish a small proportion of manuscripts received. In order to address this we shall be publishing a much larger issue beginning with the June 2009 issue. So we shall publish 9-12 manuscripts in the paper edition of the journal, but published many more papers online of the same issue. The online only papers will be marked with an e. For example a paper on page e68-73 would be an online only paper, while paper 13-18 would be both in the print and online copies. This will enable us publish the accepted papers as soon as they are accepted hence reducing delay in publication.

I wish to encourage you once gain to submit your manuscripts through our web based system: at the following website: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mums-ahs

Finally I wish to thank all our authors, editorial staff and the reviewers who all are producing African Health Sciences as volunteers. Thank you very much for your commitment and for haiving hearts larger than normal. Have nice reading.

References

1. Jolly Beyeza-Kashesya, Frank Kaharuza, Florence Mirembe, Stella Neema, Anna Mia Ekstrom, Asli Kulane. The dilemma of safe sex and having children: challenges facing HIV sero-discordant couples in Uganda. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1): 2-12
2. Opoku-Okrah, C, Feglo, P ; Amidu N; Dakorah M.P. Bacterial contamination of donor blood at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana. African Health Sciences 2009: 9(1):13-18
3. Oyedunni S. Arulogun and Moses O. Adesor. Potential risk of HIV transmission in barbering practice among professional barbers in Ibadan, Nigeria. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1):19-25
4. Isaac Kadowa, Fred Nuwaha. Factors influencing disclosure of HIV positive status in Mityana district of Uganda. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1):26-33
5. K. D. Mwambete. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of fruit and leaf crude extracts of momordica charantia: A Tanzania medicinal plant. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1):34-39
6. Claude Kirimuhuzya, Paul Waako, Moses Joloba, Olwa Odyek. The anti-mycobacterial activity of Lantana camara a plant traditionally used to treat symptoms of tuberculosis in South-western Uganda. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1): 40-45
7. Taiwo R.Kotila1, Adebowale A Adeyemo, Olusoji O Mewoyeka, Wuraola A Shokunb. Beta thalassaemiatriat in western Nigeria. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1):46-48
8. Watcho Pierre, Ngadjui Esther, Nkeng-Efouet P. Alango, Nguelefack T. Benoît, Kamanyi Albert.Reproductive effects of Ficus asperifolia (Moraceae) in female rats. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1):49-53
9. Aisha I Mamman, AJ Yusuf, Sm Aminu, T L Sheikh Dr A Hassan. Severe depression following á-interferon usage in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia. African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1):54-56
10. Sanjay Gupta, C.B.Jan. Oxygen Cylinders: "life" or "death"?African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1):57-60
11. B.L. MeeL. Witchcraft in Transkei Region of South African: case report.African Health Sciences 2009; 9(1):61-63

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