Fulani Ethnic Group Research Articles

Factors contributing to maternal mortality in north-central Nigeria: a seventeen-year review.

Maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria is one of the highest in the world. This paper reports a facility based study in north-central Nigeria to determine the magnitude, trends, causes and characteristics of maternal deaths before and after the launch of the Safe Motherhood Initiative in Nigeria, with a view to suggesting strategic interventions to reduce these deaths. The records of all deliveries and case files of all women who died during pregnancy and childbirth between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 2001, in the maternity unit of Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria, were reviewed. Data collected were analysed for socio-biological variables including age, booking status, educational level, parity, ethnic group, marital status, mode of delivery, duration of hospital stay before death occurred, cause (s) of maternal deaths. There were 38,768 deliveries and 267 maternal deaths during the period under review, giving a maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 740/ 100,000 total deliveries. The trend fluctuated between 450 in 1990 and 1,010/100.000 deliveries in 1994. The mean age of maternal death was 26.4 (SD 8.1) years. The greatest risk of MMR was among young teenagers (> 15 years) and older women (< 40 years). Parity-specific maternal mortality ratio was highest in the grand multiparous women. Unbooked as well as illiterate women were associated with very high maternal mortality ratio. The Hausa - Fulani ethnic group contributed the largest number (44%) by tribe to maternal mortality in our study. The major direct causes of deaths were haemorrhage (34.6%), sepsis (28.3%), eclampsia (23.6%) and unsafe abortion (9.6%). The most common indirect causes of death were hepatitis (18.6%), anaesthetic death (14.6%), anaemia in pregnancy (14.6%), meningitis (12.0%), HIV/AIDS (10.6%) and acute renal failure (8.0%). Seventy-nine percent of the maternal deaths occurred within 24 hours of admission. Most of the deaths were preventable. A regional-specific programme should be planned to reduce the deplorably high maternal mortality in north-central Nigeria.

Epidemiology Of Neural Tube Defects In North Central Nigeria

Background. Neural tube defects (NTDs) are associated with high childhood morbidity worldwide. We wanted to know the pattern and the possible aetiological factors responsible for this anomaly in northcentral Nigeria. Patients and Methods. The clinical records of all children with NTD admitted at JUTH between 1986 and 2003 were reviewed and the data analyzed for age, gender and antenatal care, incidence, type and location of lesion. Results. There were 284 patients (144 males and 140 females). The incidence of NTD was 0.5/1000 live births and 1.9% of all admissions. The Hausa / Fulani ethnic group constituted the highest proportion. In 165 (58%) patients, the mothers had received antenatal care; however, the antenatal care generally started late in pregnancy. Spina bifida constituted 97% of the total NTDs, 79.6% of which were meningomyeloceles. The sites mostly affected were the lumbosacral and the thoracolumbar regions in 55.8% and 31.9% of cases, respectively. Hydrocephalus was the most common complication occurring in 194 (68.3%) patients. Among those patients presenting with myelomeningocele, 95 (42%) had ruptured sacs, while in 62 (27.4%) the sacs were ulcerated and locally infected; 15 (6.6%) patients had meningitis while 16 (7.1%) had septicemia. Conclusion. The most common type of NTD in this study was lumbosacral myelomeningocele, the majority of which were complicated at presentation. Consanguinity marriage and delayed or absence of antenatal care appear to be important aetiological factors.

Gender and ethnic differences in onchocercal skin disease in Oyo State, Nigeria.

During preparation for a study on the effects of ivermectin treatment on onchocercal skin disease in the Ifeloju Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria, 1032 adults aged 20 years and older were examined for skin lesions and palpable nodules. It was found that for 4 types of skin lesions, acute papular onchodermatitis (APOD), chronic papular onchodermatitis (CPOD), lichenified onchodermatitis (LOD) and depigmentation (leopard skin), as well as for subcutaneous nodules, females had a significantly higher prevalence than males. Although the area is inhabited primarily by the Yoruba people, the study also included some of the cattle-herding Fulani ethnic group. The reactive skin lesions, APOD, CPOD and LOD, were found to be more common among the Fulani, although there were no significant differences in leopard skin and nodules between both groups. While there is need for further research on both immunological and behavioural factors that may lead to these differences in disease. The need to achieve equity in health programming by ensuring that women and ethnic minorities receive full disease control services is of more immediate concern.

Characterization of peri-urban dairy production system in Ghana. 1. Social attributes and characteristics of the production environmen

A survey was carried out in five districts on the Accra plains to characterize the peri-urban dairy system. Results of the survey indicated that about half of the farms visited had hired herd managers who were paid in kind with milk. The Fulani ethnic group constituted 58.2 per cent of the herdsmen encountered, followed by Ga, 20.9 per cent, Ewe, 12.0 per cent, and other mixed group, 8.9 per cent. The educational level of household heads was generally low; 49.1 per cent were illiterate, 22.0 per cent had Arabic education, while 18.0 and 10.9 per cent had primary and secondary education, respectively. Utility services, namely electricity, water and telephone, were non-existent. There were little or no farm equipment and most farmers used hand dipping as a means of applying acaricide. Integration of crops and livestock production was very low. Tenancy was communal with no private grazing lands. It was concluded that the factors mentioned above were constraints to smallholder peri-urban dairy production and need to be addressed. Ghana Jnl agric. Sci. Vol.30(2) 1997: 87-94

Pmphigus in Mali: a study of 30 cases

Pemphigus has been largely studied in developed countries (North America and Europe) and in Brazil. In these geographical settings, pemphigus presents two very different epidemiological and clinical patterns. Little is known about pemphigus in other regions of the world, particularly in Africa. We report here a study of 30 cases of pemphigus observed in Bamako, Mali. Our data suggest that pemphigus in this area presents a distinctive pattern. Our cases of pemphigus were diagnosed on the basis of clinical, histological and direct immunofluorescence studies. We estimated the annual incidence in the Bamako region to be 0.29 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. There was no endemic focus in Mali. The disease was observed mainly in women (24 of 30; 80%), especially those older than 40 years (mean age, 46.7 years), and in the Fulani ethnic group (10 of 30; 33%). Our study group was composed of 25 cases of pemphigus foliaceus (PF) (83%), four cases of pemphigus vulgaris and one case of pemphigus vegetans. Pustules with hypopyon were observed in 11 patients (37%). A diffuse verrucous change in the skin was noted in four cases of erythrodermic PF. In 16 patients with PF, localized verrucous lesions mimicking seborrhoeic keratoses were observed when oral corticosteroid treatment was decreased. Histopathological examination demonstrated eosinophilic spongiosis in 50% of patients. These data suggest that pemphigus in Mali differs from the two main known patterns of the disease: the North American/European one, and the Brazilian pattern, with which it shares the predominance of superficial forms but otherwise differs in many features.

Prevalence and risk factors of diabetes mellitus in the rural region of Mali (West Africa): a practical approach.

A wide-range analytical study for screening diabetes mellitus in the rural region of the Republic of Mali was carried out on 7,472 subjects in whom fasting glycaemia was determined using reflectometry kits. Our results represent a breakthrough in the field of epidemiology of diabetes mellitus in West Africa. The prevalence rate of fasting hyperglycaemia equal to or over 7.00 mmol/l was 0.92%. The statistical analysis of data collected in this manner showed an increased prevalence in the Caucasian and Fulani ethnic groups, and a decreased prevalence in the Negroid ethnic groups. Age and body mass index are also risk factors in this population.