A tale of two towns: A comparative study exploring the possibilities and pitfalls of social capital among people seeking recovery from substance misuse

Background: Social capital has become an influential concept in debating and understanding the modern world. Within the drug and alcohol sector, the concept of ‘recovery capital’ has gained traction with researchers suggesting that people who have access to such capital are better placed to overcome their substance use-related problems than those who do not (Cloud and Granfield, 2008), leading to requests for interventions that focus on building social capital networks (Neale & Stevenson, 2015). While accepting that the concept of social capital has enormous potential for addressing the problems associated with drug use, this paper also considers its ‘dark side’. Methods: Data were drawn from semi-structured interviews with 180 participants including 135 people who use drugs and 45 people who formerly used drugs. Results: High levels of trust, acquired through the establishment of dense social networks, are required to initiate recovery. However, these ‘strong bonds’ may also lead to the emergence of what is perceived by others as an exclusive social network that limits membership to those who qualify and abide by the ‘rules’ of the recovery community, particularly around continuous abstinence. Conclusions: Depending on the nature of the networks and the types of links participants have into them being socially connected can both inhibit and encourage recovery. Therefore, the successful application of social capital within the drugs and alcohol field requires a consideration of not only the presence or absence of social connections but their nature, the value they produce, and the social contexts within which they are developed

Cohort profile: the Nigerian HIV geriatric cohort study

Background: The Nigerian HIV Geriatric Cohort (NHGC) is a longitudinal cohort setup to learn how elderly people living with HIV (EPLHIV) in Nigeria fare, despite not being prioritized by the national treatment program, and to deepen knowledge for their differentiated care and achieve better outcomes. In this paper, we describe data collected on sociodemographic and clinical data from EPLHIV from the inception of Nigeria’s national HIV program to 2018. Methods: Patient-level data spanning the period 2004 to 2018, obtained from comprehensive HIV treatment hospitals, that are supported by four major PEPFAR-implementing partners in Nigeria were used. These 4 entities collaborated as member organizations of the Nigeria Implementation Science Alliance. We defined elderly as those aged 50 years and above. From deidentified treatment records, demographic and clinical data of EPLHIV ≥50-year-old at ART initiation during the review period was extracted, merged into a single REDcap® database, and described using STATA 13. Results: A total of 101,652 EPLHIV were analysed. Women accounted for 53,608 (53%), 51,037 (71%) of EPLHIV identified as married and 33,446 (51%) unemployed. Median age was 57.1 years (IQR 52–60 years) with a median duration on ART treatment of 4.1 years (IQR 1.7–7.1 years). ART profile showed that 97,586 (96%) were on 1st-line and 66,125 (65%) were on TDF-based regimens. Median body mass index (BMI) was 22.2 kg/m2 (IQR 19.5–25.4 kg/m2) with 43,012 (55%), 15,081 (19%) and 6803 (9%) showing normal (BMI 18.5 – 140 mmHg or diastolic-BP > 90 mmHg) was 16,201 (21%). EPLHIV median CD4 count was 381 cells/μL (IQR 212–577 cells/μL) and 26,687 (82%) had a viral load result showing < 1000copies/ml within one year of their last visit. As for outcomes at their last visit, 62,821 (62%) were on active-in-treatment, 28,463 (28%) were lost-to-follow-up, 6912 (7%) died and 2456 (3%) had stopped or transferred out. Poor population death records and aversion to autopsies makes it almost impossible to estimate AIDS-related deaths. Conclusions: This cohort describes the clinical and non-clinical profile of EPLHIV in Nigeria. We are following up the cohort to design and implement intervention programs, develop prognostic models to achieve better care outcomes for EPLHIV. This cohort would provide vital information for stakeholders in HIV prevention, care and treatment to understand the characteristics of EPLHIV

Assessing UK Drug Policy from a Crime Control Perspective.

Over the entire last quarter of the 20th century the British drug problem worsened, despite the implementation of a variety of approaches and commitment of substantial criminal justice and other resources. The link between chronic use of expensive drugs and property crime makes this experience important for understanding trends in crime and justice in Britain. The worsening of the problem can be seen in the growing number of new heroin users each year over almost the entire period 1975–2000, on top of which was layered, starting in the late 1990s, the first major outbreak of chronic cocaine use. This was not the common pattern in Western Europe over that time and by 2000 the UK had Western Europe’s most serious drug problem. The response initially took the form of increasing enforcement against drug markets; in just the decade 1994–2005 the number of prison cell years handed out in annual sentences has tripled. Even with this expansion we estimate that the annual probability of incarceration for a class A drug dealer is only approximately 6 per cent. Since 2000 there has also been a massive increase in treatment resources linked to the criminal justice system. The number of treatment assessments in recent years has been as large as 58 per cent of the number of persons estimated to be problematic users of Class A drugs. The government believes that drug policy has contributed to the decline in crime in the UK since 2000. Using what is known about treatment outcomes, we argue that despite impressive evidence of effect on individual level offending, the effect of treatment expansion in reducing overall crime rates is likely to have been limited

Evaluation of the Insecticidal Potential of Six Plants Leaves Powders against Acanthoscelides obtectus Say on Stored Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Most plant powders possess insecticidal properties and can be used to control insect pests on stored products. This study was conducted to evaluate insecticidal properties of Solanum melongena, Parkia biglobosa. Ipomoea batatas, Colocasia esculenta, Tridax procumbens and Terminalia catappa   against Acanthoscelides obtectus Say, an insect pest of stored Phaseolus vulgaris L. The leaves powder of these plants were assessed for aduticidal and reproduction inhibition potential as well as effect on seed weight in a completely randomized design at three treatment concentrations of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 0 as the control. All the test plants investigated exhibited insecticidal activity against A. obtectus. Results showed a trend of variation in adult A. obtectus mortality according to post-treatment days and plants powder concentrations. Results analysis revealed that at 14 days after treatment, T. catappa at 1.5% had the highest significant (P=0.05) mortality of 40.21±0.71i. This was followed by S. melongena which had a similar effect of 39.41± 0.52i at the same concentration (1.5%). The least significant mortality was observed in the control. At 0.5% T.  procumbens, 0.5% Parkia biglobosa, 1.0% I. batatas and 1.0% C. esculenta, leaves powder had comparable effects. It was observed that the control had the highest number of progeny emergence of 181.33 ± 0.88g after six weeks while T. catappa significantly (P=0.05) inhibited progeny at 1.5% followed by 1.5% S. melongena and 1.5% C. esculenta.  Seeds of P. vulgaris treated with 1.5% T. catappa also had the least significant weight loss of 0.93 ± 0.17 g compared to the control which had the highest significant weight loss of 55.68 ± 0.79 g. Though all the plants studied caused significant increase in adult A. obtectus mortality, reduction in progeny emergence and P. vulgaris seed weight loss than the control. Terminalia catappa however, exhibited the best insecticidal potential. Terminalia catappa and Solanum melongena were very effective in inhibiting the reproduction and progeny emergence of A. obtectus, but increased adult mortality resulting in weight loss suggesting their potential in controlling A. obtectus on stored P. vulgaris.</jats:p

Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in Abini Community, Biase Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria

A survey of urinary schistosomiasis was conducted among primary school children in Abini Community, Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State. Centrifuge concentration technique was employed in the analysis of the urine samples. Of the 200 urine samples examined, an overall prevalence of 35% with mean egg count of 58.8 egg/10 ml of urine was recorded. Peak prevalence was observed in children between 12-13 years old. There was no significant difference in the prevalence rate between males and females (t-test, p > 0.05). There was also no significant difference in intensity of infection between males and females (t-test, p > 0.05). Because of lack of pipe-borne water, the children were involved in various activities in cercarial-infected water thus predisposing them to urinary schistosomiasis infection . Keywords: prevalence, intensity, urinary schistosomiasis, school children. Nigerian Journal of Parasitology Vol. 28 (1) 2007: pp. 28-3