Cardiovascular medicine in primary healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa: Minimum standards for practice (part 1)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for approximately30% of deaths worldwide, with 80% of thisCVD burden occurring in developing countries. Theepidemiological transition occurring in sub-SaharanAfrica (SSA) has the consequence of economic andsocial transformation, resulting in dramatic shifts in the disease spectrumfrom communicable diseases and malnutrition to CVD and cancer

Cardiovascular medicine in primary healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa: Minimum standards for practice (part 3)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading causeof death worldwide. Approximately 80% of allcardiovascular-related deaths occur in low- to middleincomecountries and at a younger age comparedwith high-income countries. The economic burdenimposed by CVD on developing countries in terms ofloss of productive years of life and amount of fiscal resources spent onsecondary and tertiary care is considerably high

Mycotic loads’ determination of non-sterile pharmaceuticals in Lagos state and 16S RDNA identification of the fungal isolates

Pharmaceuticals are medicinal products used in the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of diseases. As such, the presence of microorganisms’ especially fungal toxins can reduce or eliminate the product's therapeutic activity and constitute a potential danger to patient health. This study attempts to determine the fungal loads of liquid preparation used as medication in Lagos State and its environs and identify the fungal isolates. 252 different types of oral liquid drugs (200syrups and 52 suspensions) which included paracetamol syrup, cough syrup and antibiotics suspension manufactured in five different pharmaceutical industries in Nigeria were methodically sampled and analyzed for fungi contamination using standardized method. The isolated fungi were identified using morphological characterization as well as 16SrDNA sequencing. 13% of the sampled syrups were found to be contaminated with fungi where thecolony forming units for paracetamol syrup, cough syrup and antibiotics suspension ranges from 2.0x101 - 9.6×104; 1.0x102- 7.5x104 and 1.0x101- 8.8×104cfu/ml respectively while87% yielded no growth.Thirteen (13) morphologically different species of fungi were identified which included Aspergillus niger strains, A. tamari strains, A. japonicas, A. flavus, A. awamari, A. ellipticus, A. tubingensis, Meyerozyma aaribbica, Candida carpophila and  Eurotiomycetes spp, The presence of microorganisms in oral liquid samples might explain the treatment complicacy of the diseased children. Therefore, microbiological quality of such drugs is thus suggested

Topic reviews need to be robust

Letter by Klug on article by Kraus et al. (Kraus S, Ogunbanjo G, Sliwa K, Ntusi NA. Heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa: A clinical approach. S Afr Med J 2016;106(1):23-31. DOI:10.7196/samj.2016.v106i1.10325), and response by Ntusi et al

Potential of offshore wind energy in Malaysia : an investigation into wind and bathymetry conditions and site selection

The government has set an ambitious target of renewable energy development in Malaysia. As one of promising renewable energy sources, wind energy plays an important role in the Malaysia renewable energy roadmap. Compared to onshore wind energy, offshore wind resources with better quality can be provided in the areas away from the coast, which is more potential to contribute to electricity generation. Wind and bathymetry conditions are two important factors that determine the feasibility and economics of offshore wind turbines. In this paper, an investigation is conducted on wind and bathymetry conditions around Malaysia. The data source is mainly originated from Global Wind Atlas. The conditions of the coastal areas in different states and federal territories of both Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia are analysed, with a specific focus on wind speed, wind energy density, and bathymetry conditions in high wind-speed regions. The data and survey is verified and compared with the past published literature. This paper aims to investigate the wind and bathymetry conditions around Malaysia, assess the potential of offshore wind energy, discuss the feasibility of offshore wind turbines, and provide references for the offshore wind development in Malaysia

Knowledge, attitudes and management skills of medical practitioners regarding weight management

Background: Overweight and obesity have become a global problem. Health professionals are poorly prepared in weight management, which has an effect on their attitudes and management skills with regard to overweight and obese patients. Aim and setting: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and management skills of medical practitioners regarding weight management at Odi District Hospital, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 48 medical practitioners at Odi Hospital between 01 October and 31 October 2013. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge, attitudes and management skills in weight management. The SPSS® statistical software (Version 22) was used for data analysis. A p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Fifty medical practitioners were recruited, 48 consented to participate and 28 (58.3%) were male. Their categories were community service doctors (3), medical officers (21), registrars (22) and others (2). Thirty-seven (77.1%) never received training in weight management (p < 0.001). Thirty-two (66.7%) regarded weight management as not confined to a dietician (p < 0.001) and 27 (56.2%) regarded weight management as usually unsuccessful (p = 0.004). Forty-seven (97.9%) provided lifestyle modifications and 43 (89.6%) involved the patient’s family in weight management (p < 0.001). More non-registrars [14 (77.8%)] than registrars [8 (38.1%)] measured the body mass index (BMI) routinely (p = 0.013). Conclusion: Few medical practitioners received training in weight management. They regarded weight management as usually unsuccessful and lacked confidence in the same owing to lack of training. They provided lifestyle modifications and involved the patient’s family in weight management. Non-registrars measured the BMI routinely. There is a need for training in weight management at undergraduate and post-graduate levels