Editorial

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Welcome to this June 2020 issue of African Health Sciences. It has papers on infections, sexuality, reproductive health, child health, surgery, non-communicable disease, nutrition and training.
We are changing the nature of our editorials in a bid to avoid self-citation which is anathema in the calculation of journal impact factors. Hence, we shall refer to the papers in the journal without necessarily providing a reference to the manuscript. None the less, African Health Sciences papers will still be freely available (full OPEN ACCESS) online. They will, straight away, appear on African Journals online (AJOL) and subsequently on PUBMED, BIOLINE, SCOPUS etc.
The topics covered in this issue of African Health Sciences, are largely research papers. For example, the HIV/AIDS papers are on diverse issues including third line antiretroviral therapy in South Africa (Rudman, Viljoen, and Rheeders, 2020) and adverse drug reactions to ART in Ethiopia (Tamirat et al., 2020). During these tough financial times, Odugbesan and Rjoub (2020) have a treatise on the evaluation of HIV/Aids prevalence and sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa specifically the role of health expenditure. The papers also touch on psycho-behavioral factors associated with neurocognitive performance among people living with HIV in Ghana (Asiedu, Kretchy, and Asampong, 2020); and salivary flow, amylase, and protein in hospitalized patients with HIV infection (Carina de Oliveira, 2020). Ethiopian workers share their 18-year experience of sex differences and HIV status of tuberculosis in adults (Ramos, 2020). Kenya workers on the other hand report on the prevalence of HIV-related opportunistic infections and conditions among HIV-positive patients attending the national hospital in Nairobi (Chepkondol, 2020). Ugandan researchers report on adherence to the MDR-TB intensive phase treatment protocol amongst individuals followed up at central and peripheral health care facilities, (Mukasa et al., 2020) and, pre-diagnostic drop out of presumptive TB patients (Ekuka et al., 2020) near the source of the river Nile. The infectious disease theme continues with a paper on biofilm formation of Candida Spp. isolated from the vagina and antibiofilm activities of lactic acid bacteria on them ( Kıvanç and Er, 2020); an analysis of clinical and virologic features in hepatitis B patients (Fouad et al., 2020) and ends with a short communication on the expansion of the range of services to survivors of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Shrivastava, 2020). Now to the sexuality and reproductive health theme. Mchunu, Naidoo and Ncama (20200 report on condom use among taxi drivers and their taxi queens; while Bokaie (et al., 2020), report on female genital mutilation in Iran. This is spiced by the paper from Idoko and Nwobodo, (2020) on trends in rape cases in Nigeria. Ahmed et al., 2020, report on ultrasonographic and biochemical assessments for early prediction of polycystic ovarian syndrome in obese women. The lives of women refugees are precarious especially their reproductive health. Coşkun et al. 2020, describe the fertility characteristics and factors impacting on Syrian refugee women in Istanbul, Turkey.
While antenatal care is an important component of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), Mulat et al., 2020, describe missed antenatal care follow-up and associated factors in Eastern Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Onu and Ohaeri (2020) have written for us an insightful paper on the association of family history of schizophrenia and history of obstetric complications at birth and exploring the relationship with age at onset and psychopathology dimensions. While the reduction of neonatal mortality is an important component of sustainable development goal 3, its determinants are not easy to establish. Ethiopian workers have elucidated the determinants of neonatal mortality using data collected in the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey. (Basha, Woya and Tekile, 2020).

African Health Sciences
From Turkey we have a study of low birth weight prevalence and risk factors among newborns in a public-hospital (Hüseyin, Muazzez, and Yadigar, 2020), while Kenyan scientists report the effect of community-based nutrition on infant nutrition and associated health practices (Mapesa, Meme and Muthamia, 2020). The next paper propels us into the realm of genetics and cardiovascular disease risk. In a population-based nested case-control study, Boulenouar et al.; 2020, report on the lack of association between genetic variants in the 19q13.32 region and CHD risk in the Algerian population. Namuyonga et al., 2020, describe the pattern of congenital heart disease among children presenting to the Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago Hospital in Uganda over a 7-year period, while Ezenwosu et al., (2020) present a case report of Glanzmann's thrombasthenia, a rare bleeding disorder. Now to ophthalmology! Jhetam and Mashige (2020) report on the effects of spectacles and telescopes on visual function in students with oculocutaneous albinism. Khoza et al., (2020) on the other hand, have written a beautiful piece on knowledge, attitudes and practices of contact lens use by South African adolescents. It would appear that there are differences of corneal astigmatism in different populations according to Zhang et al., 2020. We conclude this ophthalmology section with a paper by Abu et al., 2020. They report on the epidemiology and visual outcomes of ocular injuries in a low resource country. Are injuries important? What a question! Well, of course, they are very important especially given the ubiquitous boda boda in our continent. Hence Moshy et al., (2020) have written on the pattern of mandibular fractures and helmet use among motorcycle crash victims in Tanzania. In Nigeria these commercial tricyclists (Keke Napep) riders had their pulmonary function assessed by Ojukwu et al., (2020). We are seeing quite a number of innovations in the health sector in Africa such as the use of subcutaneous ketamine in children receiving local infiltration of plain Bupivacaine for inguinal herniotomy by Oham, Ekwere, and Tobi, (2020). Now to oncology. Li reports on the bio fabrication of gold nanoparticles and their combination with chemotherapy and ultrasound for effective treatment of tumours (2020), while Widowati et al., (2020) report the effect of interleukins (IL-2, IL-15, IL-18) on receptors activation and cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells in breast cancer cell. Have you ever heard of Ebela? Onalan et al., (2020), have some good news. It can be used as a marker for type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Continuing with the NCD theme, Ahmed et al., (2020) share their experiences on ketoacidosis diagnosis among childhood with type 1 diabetes in Khartoum state, Sudan. In a cohort study in Pakistan, Naheeda et al., (2020) developed a cost-effective CVD prediction model using lifestyle factors.
We have more papers on NCDs. Akokuwebe, Odimegwu and Omololu (2020) determined prevalence, risk-inducing lifestyle, and perceived susceptibility to kidney diseases among residents of South Western Nigeria. Now into health systems management. Chellan and Sibiya (2020) write on 'an audit tool for relicensing inspection for private hospitals in eThekwini in South Africa; while Alobo et al., (2020) share results of an assessment of the implementation of electronic health system in a specialist hospital in Nigeria. We conclude this section with a paper by Muzanyi et al. (2020). They report on the level of education and preferred language of informed consent for clinical research in a multi-lingual community in Uganda.