Department of Pediatrics, Mt Scopus Campus

Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center

Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology

M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences

Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

“Annals of Public Health Issues” Has Come to Stay!

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Myths associated with neonatal and natal teeth (NNT) differ across different countries and cultures, ranging from beliefs of a magnificent future at one end, to that of serious misfortune at the opposite end. In Nigeria, the beliefs reported on NNT have been mostly negative and erroneous, with consequential effects of varying degrees ranging from anxiety by the affected child‘s mother and other members of the family to infanticide contemplation. The beliefs surrounding NNT, oftentimes, are handed down from generation to generation, and they are held in high esteem in many families. These erroneous beliefs need to be dispelled and the accurate information regarding NNT need to be passed to the people for public health benefits.
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A Narrative review of Myths on Neonatal and Natal Teeth in Nigeria

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Background: The advent of digital healthcare services has become paramount in the world we live in today. Digital healthcare involves the use of information and communication technologies in addressing the medical problems and health-related challenges faced by people seeking medical treatment. This study assesses the impact of digital healthcare among technologically literate people in Southwestern Nigeria (SWN) and seeks to understand its accessibility and acceptability among them. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study. Our study data was obtained through an online questionnaire survey of 427 individuals (aged ≥15 years) living in SWN. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 25 software. Results: The study found that roughly half of the respondents (52.0%) have heard about digital healthcare while only 44.0% have accessed it. Over seven-tenth (76.3%) of the respondents considered digital healthcare to be an acceptable form of receiving healthcare while 64.4% were willing to pay for it. Age (X2=7.702, p-value = 0.021), occupation (X2=20.685, p-value = 0.004) and awareness about digital healthcare (X2=55.507, p-value = 0.001) were significantly associated with accessibility of digital healthcare. Conclusion: The findings obtained from this study showed that awareness of digital healthcare was high among people in SWN; however, its accessibility was low. Also, digital healthcare was highly acceptable amongst them and they were willing to pay for such service.
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Department of International Healthcare Management

Accessibility and Acceptability of Digital Healthcare Services among People Living in Southwestern Nigeria

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Introduction: Head and neck cancer (HNC), oral cancer inclusive (OC), is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths globally, especially in Nigeria – a developing African country. Public literacy about HNC plays a very crucial role in HNC prevention. Aim: This study aimed to systematically review existing literature on literacy of HNC in Nigeria. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Google Scholar and AJOL databases for all relevant English articles published on HNC literacy in Nigeria from January 2000 till October 2020. Only relevant articles were included for the study. Quality assessment of the full text of the included articles was done using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS); also, relevant data were extracted from these articles and analyzed thematically. Results: A total of 21 articles (19 surveys and 2 interventional studies), which studied a total population of 7,883 people, were included in the study. All the included articles were rated “excellent” (70 – 100%), regarding quality. The awareness rates of HNC/OC, as documented in the included studies, ranged from 0% to 100%; however, the rate recorded in the majority of these studies was &lt;50%. In-depth knowledge of HNC/OC was found to be generally poor among the surveyed population groups; however, education intervention was found to improve in-depth knowledge of HNC and attitudes toward peer and nonpeer education about HNC among Nigerians. Conclusion: The level of knowledge regarding HNC, in Nigeria, is low. The use of relevant health education programs to boost knowledge about HNC among the Nigerian public is highly recommended.
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Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery

Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital

Head and Neck Cancer Literacy in Nigeria: A systematic Review of the Literature

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COVID-19 pandemic infests every sphere of life, including the economy, thereby accounting for tremendous economic calamities on a global scale. Some of such calamities are still evolving. This paper examines the economic impact of COVID-19 with particular emphasis on Nigeria within the early days of the pandemic. The article established its theoretical foundation through a marriage of both AK-type of endogenous growth theory and endogenous growth model with an assumption of increasing returns to scale. Using a simple descriptive technique, the article identified the devastating economic impacts of the pandemic on the oil-dependent economy in the short run. The paper identifies four fundamental COVID-19 economic shocks; the declined price of oil; unplanned increase in health spending, temporary shutdown of the local economy; and unanticipated palliative needs. Some of these impacts also include loss in income and output, increasing rate of unemployment, and poverty contributing to the disruption of the previously steady growth rate. In the longer term, COVID-19-related damages will have no or insignificant negative impact on growth. The economy is bound to bounce back on a steady growth path provided the quality of institutions is strengthened to the extent of surmounting the disruptive shocks.
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The Infected Economy: Interrogating the Early Economic Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major threat to people and healthcare systems around the world. Each region of the world has had unique factors such as culture, demographics, socioeconomic and the political landscape that has either fueled or mitigated the severity of the pandemic. For example, the 2021 Indian Kumbh Mela festival fueled a devastating wave of the pandemic in India. Similarly, the pandemic in the United States has in part been fueled an epidemic of disinformation that led to a growing number of anti-vaxxers, and those who are opposed to COVID-19 prevention guidelines set by agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Africa, burial practices in Liberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo once fueled the Ebola epidemic. Likewise, in the context of COVID-19, there are factors that are unique to Africa that may have either fueled or mitigated the severity of the pandemic. The anti-COVID-19 measures in many African countries significantly affected household income without commensurate deployment of palliative measures to cushion the effect. Fortunately, the pandemic has run a relatively milder course in sub-Saharan Africa—defying earlier devastating projections. Therefore, to be prepared for the next pandemic, African governments must involve critical stakeholders such as religious and traditional leaders, strengthen current disease surveillance systems and invest in systems that encourage private investments in local vaccine manufacturing.
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COVID-19 Crisis in Africa: Revisiting the Contributing Factors

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 2 (2022): Issue 1 (January 2022)

Volume 1 (2021): Issue 1 (January 2021)

Annals of Public Health Issues

 Annals of Public Health Issues is an international, open access, double-blind and peer-review journal. The journal aims to publish papers related to all aspects of public health research and practice, including health education, biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, community health, behavioral health, health economics, disability, reproductive and sexual health, occupational health, social work, medical sociology, mental health, (health-related) laws and public policy. APHI is owned by the Cephas Health Research Initiative Inc (Nigeria) – a private non-profit health organization established in 2016 by a group of professionals (researchers, academics, legal practitioners, and clinicians) in August 2016.  The journal serves a broad range of international audiences comprising students, trainees, and professionals in the field of public health. Hence, submissions from researchers of all cadres are welcomed, irrespective of their geographical location, race, creed, religion, or ideologies.  Only relevant and good quality papers written in English are considered for publication in APHI. Also, the only language for correspondence by the journal is English.  All papers submitted to APHI shall undergo rigorous peer review before an editorial decision is made. APHI publishes research papers (original/review articles and study protocols) and non-research papers (editorial, commentary, letter to editor, biography, quiz, experience, etc.). All submitted manuscripts shall also be subjected to similarity (plagiarism) checks.  The journal aims to publish accepted articles continuously in an open volume throughout the year. Hence, the publication process of accepted papers can be done rapidly, without delay.  We are looking forward to receiving your submissions because APHI has come to stay.   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 