African Health Sciences Makerere University Medical School ISSN: 1680-6905 EISSN: 1729-0503 Vol. 9, Num. 2, 2009, pp. 65-65

African Health Sciences, Vol. 9, No. 2, June, 2009, pp. 65

Editor's Choice

Editor's choice: from malaria immunity, to seizures, hepatitis; condom use and millennium development goals

James K Tumwine

Editor in Chief

Code Number: hs09013

June is here and I am very pleased to introduce to you this issue of African Health Sciences. We continue with our theme of infectious diseases and the emerging and re emerging health problems in Africa.

The first paper is by Nigerian researchers who have studied factors contributing to protective immunity against malaria. They found that there is a relative balance between Th1 and Th2 cytokines¹.

Ugandan researchers report on seizure activity and neurological sequalae among children who have survived an episode of cerebral malaria. They report that neurologic deficits resolve but the cumulative incidence of seizures increases².

HIV AIDS is in our issue once again. This time, Ghanaian colleagues report on correlates of misperception in HIV knowledge and attitude towards people living with HIV among in- and out- of school adolescents³. Their results are quite intriguing as you read on. In a related paper, Nigerian workers have written about condom use amongst school youths in a local government area. Three quarters had had sexual intercourse and only 29% of these used a condom⁴.

In a study of hepatitis B, Bwogi and others report that more than 1.4 million people are infected in Uganda⁵. Transmission appears to occur during childhood into adulthood. The highest prevalence is in northern and eastern Uganda with the highest risk among the Karimojong, Acholi, Langi, Lugbra and Iteso tribes.

Muhwezi⁶ describes intrahousehold differences in health seeking behaviour for orphans and non orphans in Uganda, while William Macharia⁷ reports on road traffic injuries in Kenya. Most traffic casualties were young and from poor backgrounds.

Finally Nuwaha and Mukulu⁸ have studied trends in under-five mortality in the context of the millennium development goals. They found that the annual reductions of under-five mortality were much lower than the 4% required for achieving MDG4.

References

1. Nnaemeka C. Iriemenam, Christian M. F. Okafor, Halima A. Balogun, Idowu Ayede, Yusuf Omosun, Jan-Olov Persson, Margareta Hagstedt, Chiaka I. Anumudu, Roseangela I. Nwuba, Marita Troye-Blomberg , Klavs Berzins Cytokine profiles and antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in individuals living in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria African Health Sciences 2009: 9(2): 66-74 [BIOLINE]
2. Robert O Opoka, Paul Bangirana, Michael J Boivin, Chandy C. John, Justus Byarugaba. Seizure activity and neurological sequelae in Ugandan children who have survived an episode of cerebral malaria. African Health Sciences 2009: 9(2): 75-81 [BIOLINE]
3. Anthony M. SallarCorrelates of misperceptions in HIV knowledge and attitude towards People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) among in-school and out-of-school adolescents in Ghana. African Health Sciences 2009: 9(2):82-91 [BIOLINE]
4. AO Adebiyi and MC Asuzu Condom use amongst out of school youths in a local government area in Nigeria African Health Sciences 2009; 9(2): 92-97 [BIOLINE]
5. Josephine Bwogi, Fiona Braka, Issa Makumbi, Vinod Mishra, Barnabas Bakamutumaho, Miriam Nanyunja, Alex Opio, Robert Downing, Benon Biryahwaho, Rosamund F. Lewis. Hepatitis B infection is highly endemic in Uganda: findings from a national serosurvey. African Health Sciences 2009: 9(2): 98-108 [BIOLINE]
6. Wilson Winstons Muhwezi, Denis Muhangi, Firminus Mugumya. Intra-household differences in health seeking behaviour for orphans and non-orphans in an NGO-supported and non-supported sub-county of Luwero, Uganda.African Health Sciences 2009: 9(1):109-117 [BIOLINE]
7. Macharia WM, Njeru EK, Muli-Musiime F and Nantulya V . Severe road traffic injuries in Kenya, quality of care and access. African Heallth Sciences 2009: 9(2):118-124 [BIOLINE]
8. Fred Nuwaha, Andrew Mukulu. Trends in under-five mortality in Uganda 1954-2000: can Millennium Development Goals be met? African Health Sciences 2009: 9(2): 125-128 [BIOLINE]

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