Chikwe Ihekweazu
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 7012906 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Chikwe Ihekweazu |
| PRENOMES | Chikwe |
| SOBRENOME | Ihekweazu |
| ASSINATURA | IHEKWEAZU C |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Nigeria Centre for Disease Control |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0659-0833 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 32 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 0 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 32 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2010 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 0 |
Beyond benchmarking
Sovereignty, equity, solidarity
BOX The Global Health Emergency Corps (GHEC) offers a novel, structured approach to international crisis response by integrating national, regional and global experts through coordinated networks
Field validation and application of the luminex triplex HIV assay to estimate HIV prevalence and HIV-1 incidence in Nigeria
HIV cross-sectional surveys require multi-layered testing with several tests to estimate HIV prevalence and HIV-1 incidence. We evaluated the performance and accuracy of the newly developed HIV Triplex assay to diagnose HIV-1 and HIV-2 and detect HIV-1 recent infections using plasma samples from the 2018 Nigeria AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS). Plasma samples from consenting HIV-positive (n=2,773) and a subset of HIV-negative samples (n=…
Performance evaluation of Sars-CoV-2 rapid diagnostic tests in Nigeria
The COVID-19 pandemic challenged health systems globally. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits for COVID-19 have been widely used in Nigeria. This has greatly improved test turnover rates and significantly decreased the high technical demands of RT-PCR. However, there is currently no nationally representative eva…
Enablers and barriers to implementing cholera interventions in Nigeria
Nigeria accounts for a substantial cholera burden globally, particularly in its northeast region, where insurgency is persistent and widespread. We used participatory group model building workshops to explore enablers and barriers to implementing known cholera interventions, including water, sanitation and hygiene, surveillance and laboratory, case management, community engagement, oral cholera vaccine, and leadership and coordination, as well as…
Mpox (monkeypox) risk and mortality associated with HIV infection
INTRODUCTION: Recent outbreaks of mpox are characterised by changes in the natural history of the disease, the demographic and clinical characteristics of the cases, and widening geographical distribution. We investigated the role of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) coinfection among cases in the re-emergence of mpox to inform national and global response. METHODS: We conducted a national descriptive and case-control study on …
A continent-wide effort and solidarity at curbing Covid-19 pandemic
A continent-wide Africa Task Force for Coronavirus with its six technical working groups was formed to prepare adequately and respond to the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Africa. This research in practice article aimed to describe how the infection prevention and control (IPC) technical working group (TWG) supported Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in preparedness and response to COVID-19 on the con…
The Lancet Nigeria Commission
Health is central to the development of any country. Nigeria’s gross domestic product is the largest in Africa, but its per capita income of about ₦770 000 (US$2000) is low with a highly inequitable distribution of income, wealth, and therefore, health. It is a picture of poverty amidst plenty. Nigeria is both a wealthy country and a very poor one. About 40% of Nigerians live in poverty, in social conditions that create ill health, and with the e…
Adapting public health response through lessons learnt
Response to public health emergencies requires continued adaptation and innovation. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is the country’s public health institute with the mandate to protect the health of Nigerians. Achieving such mandate in resource-limited settings with divergent demographic characteristics of the citizens, necessitates the readiness to learn from experience and to develop policies and activities in line with lessons le…
Evaluation of the Nigeria national HIV rapid testing algorithm
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnosis remains the gateway to HIV care and treatment. However, due to changes in HIV prevalence and testing coverage across different geopolitical zones, it is crucial to evaluate the national HIV testing algorithm as false positivity due to low prevalence could be detrimental to both the client and the service delivery. Therefore, we evaluated the performance of the national HIV rapid testing algorithm using…
Seroprevalence of Sars-CoV-2 in four states of Nigeria in October 2020
The observed epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in sub-Saharan Africa has varied greatly from that in Europe and the United States, with much lower reported incidence. Population-based studies are needed to estimate true cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 to inform public health interventions. This study estimated SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in four selected states in Nigeria in October 2020. We implemented a two-stage cluster sample household survey in fo…
Covid-19 mortality rate and its associated factors during the first and second waves in Nigeria
COVID-19 mortality rate has not been formally assessed in Nigeria. Thus, we aimed to address this gap and identify associated mortality risk factors during the first and second waves in Nigeria. This was a retrospective analysis of national surveillance data from all 37 States in Nigeria between February 27, 2020, and April 3, 2021. The outcome variable was mortality amongst persons who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by Reverse-Transcriptase Poly…
Analysis of sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with Lassa fever disease and mortality in Nigeria
Over past decades, there has been increasing geographical spread of Lassa fever (LF) cases across Nigeria and other countries in West Africa. This increase has been associated with significant morbidity and mortality despite increasing focus on the disease by both local and international scientists. Many of these studies on LF have been limited to few specialised centres in the country. This study was done to identify sociodemographic and clinica…
Telling our own story in global health–experience from Nigeria
Epidemiological description of and response to a large yellow fever outbreak in Edo state Nigeria, September 2018 - January 2019
Edo State is one of the states in Nigeria with the highest burden of yellow fever. More males were affected among the confirmed. Major symptoms include fever, jaundice, weakness, and bleeding. Majority of surveillance performance indicators were above target. There is a high risk of transmission of the disease in the state. Low yellow fever vaccination coverage, and presence of yellow fever vectors (Ae.aegypti, Ae.albopictus and Ae.simpsoni) are …
The first and second waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa
Improving National Intelligence for Public Health Preparedness
The COVID-19 epidemic is the latest evidence of critical gaps in our collective ability to monitor country-level preparedness for health emergencies. The global frameworks that exist to strengthen core public health capacities lack coverage of several preparedness domains and do not provide mechanisms to interface with local intelligence. We designed and piloted a process, in collaboration with three National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) in E…
Building local capacity for emergency coordination
Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) provide a platform for multisectoral coordination and collaboration, to enhance the efficiency of outbreak response activities and enable the control of disease outbreaks. Over the last decade, PHEOCs have been introduced to address the gaps in outbreak response coordination. With its tropical climate, high population density and poor socioeconomic indicators, Nigeria experiences large outbreaks…
Lessons from co-production of evidence and policy in Nigeria’s Covid-19 response
In February 2020, Nigeria faced a potentially catastrophic COVID-19 outbreak due to multiple introductions, high population density in urban slums, prevalence of other infectious diseases and poor health infrastructure. As in other countries, Nigerian policymakers had to make rapid and consequential decisions with limited understanding of transmission dynamics and the efficacy of available control measures. We present an account of the Nigerian C…
Epidemiological comparison of the first and second waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria, February 2020–April 2021
BACKGROUND: With reports of surges in COVID-19 case numbers across over 50 countries, country-level epidemiological analysis is required to inform context-appropriate response strategies for containment and mitigation of the outbreak. We aimed to compare the epidemiological features of the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Nigeria. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis Sys…
Electronic reporting of integrated disease surveillance and response
The eIDSR has increased the number of health facilities reporting IDSR, enabled early identification, reporting, and verification of alerts, improved timeliness and completeness of reports, and supportive supervision of staff at the operational levels. It was well accepted by the stakeholder as a system that made reporting easy with the potential to improve the public health surveillance system in Nigeria
Covid-19
The multi-sectorial emergency response to a cholera outbreak in Internally Displaced Persons camps in Borno State, Nigeria, 2017
Introduction: In August 2017, a cholera outbreak started in Muna Garage Internally Displaced Persons camp, Borno state, Nigeria and >5000 cases occurred in six local government areas. This qualitative study evaluated perspectives about the emergency response to this outbreak. Methods: We conducted 39 key informant interviews and focus group discussions, and reviewed 21 documents with participants involved with surveillance, water, sanitation, hyg…
Systems thinking for health emergencies
Process mapping is a systems thinking approach used to understand, analyse and optimise processes within complex systems. We aim to demonstrate how this methodology can be applied during disease outbreaks to strengthen response and health systems. Process mapping exercises were conducted during three unique emerging disease outbreak contexts with different: mode of transmission, size, and health system infrastructure. System functioning improved …
The prevalence of noma in northwest Nigeria
Background: Noma, a rapidly progressing infection of the oral cavity, mainly affects children. The true burden is unknown. This study reports estimated noma prevalence in children in northwest Nigeria. Methods: Oral screening was performed on all ≤15 year olds, with caretaker consent, in selected households during this cross-sectional survey. Noma stages were classified using WHO criteria and caretakers answered survey questions. The prevalence o…
Sem obras proeminentes nesta página.
Verbal autopsy can consistently measure Aids mortality
BACKGROUND: Verbal autopsy is currently the only option for obtaining cause of death information in most populations with a widespread HIV/AIDS epidemic. METHODS: With the use of a data-driven algorithm, a set of criteria for classifying AIDS mortality was trained. Data from two longitudinal community studies in Tanzania and Zimbabwe were used, both of which have collected information on the HIV status of the population over a prolonged period an…
Descriptive epidemiology of cholera outbreak in Nigeria, January–November, 2018
The severity and wide-geographical distribution of cholera cases and deaths during the 2018 outbreak are indicative of an elevated burden, which was more notable in the northern region of the country. Overall, the findings reaffirm the strategic role of a multi-sectoral approach in the design and implementation of public health interventions aimed at preventing and controlling cholera in Nigeria
Covid-19
The multi-sectorial emergency response to a cholera outbreak in Internally Displaced Persons camps in Borno State, Nigeria, 2017
Introduction: In August 2017, a cholera outbreak started in Muna Garage Internally Displaced Persons camp, Borno state, Nigeria and >5000 cases occurred in six local government areas. This qualitative study evaluated perspectives about the emergency response to this outbreak. Methods: We conducted 39 key informant interviews and focus group discussions, and reviewed 21 documents with participants involved with surveillance, water, sanitation, hyg…
Systems thinking for health emergencies
Process mapping is a systems thinking approach used to understand, analyse and optimise processes within complex systems. We aim to demonstrate how this methodology can be applied during disease outbreaks to strengthen response and health systems. Process mapping exercises were conducted during three unique emerging disease outbreak contexts with different: mode of transmission, size, and health system infrastructure. System functioning improved …
The prevalence of noma in northwest Nigeria
Background: Noma, a rapidly progressing infection of the oral cavity, mainly affects children. The true burden is unknown. This study reports estimated noma prevalence in children in northwest Nigeria. Methods: Oral screening was performed on all ≤15 year olds, with caretaker consent, in selected households during this cross-sectional survey. Noma stages were classified using WHO criteria and caretakers answered survey questions. The prevalence o…
Using critical information to strengthen pandemic preparedness
COVID-19 has demonstrated that most countries’ public health systems and capacities are insufficiently prepared to prevent a localised infectious disease outbreak from spreading. Strengthening national preparedness requires National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs), or their equivalent, to overcome practical challenges affecting timely access to, and use of, data that is critical to preparedness. Our situational analysis in collaboration with NPH…
The reactive vaccination campaign against cholera emergency in camps for internally displaced persons, Borno, Nigeria, 2017
INTRODUCTION: In 2017, amidst insecurity and displacements posed by Boko Haram armed insurgency, cholera outbreak started in the Muna Garage camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno State, Nigeria. In response, the Borno Ministry of Health and partners determined to provide oral cholera vaccine (OCV) to about 1 million people in IDP camps and surrounding communities in six Local Government Areas (LGAs) including Maiduguri, Jere, Kond…
Determination of the emergency phase for response against endemic disease outbreak
Nigeria’s public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic
The novel coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome \nvirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1] was first reported in December 2019 by Chinese Health Authorities following an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown origin in Wuhan, Hubei Province [2,3]. SARS-CoV-2 is \nlikely of zoonotic origin, similar to SARS and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and transmitted between humans through respiratory droplets and fomit…
A rapid assessment of the implementation of integrated disease surveillance and response system in Northeast Nigeria, 2017
The major gaps were poor documentation of patients' data in the facility registers, inadequate reporting tools, limited participation of health facilities in IDSR and limited capacities of personnel to identify, report IDSR priority diseases, analyze and interpret IDSR data for decision making. Training of surveillance focal persons, provision of IDSR reporting tools and effective supportive supervisions will strengthen the system in the country
The first and second waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa
Improving National Intelligence for Public Health Preparedness
The COVID-19 epidemic is the latest evidence of critical gaps in our collective ability to monitor country-level preparedness for health emergencies. The global frameworks that exist to strengthen core public health capacities lack coverage of several preparedness domains and do not provide mechanisms to interface with local intelligence. We designed and piloted a process, in collaboration with three National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) in E…
Building local capacity for emergency coordination
Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) provide a platform for multisectoral coordination and collaboration, to enhance the efficiency of outbreak response activities and enable the control of disease outbreaks. Over the last decade, PHEOCs have been introduced to address the gaps in outbreak response coordination. With its tropical climate, high population density and poor socioeconomic indicators, Nigeria experiences large outbreaks…
Lessons from co-production of evidence and policy in Nigeria’s Covid-19 response
In February 2020, Nigeria faced a potentially catastrophic COVID-19 outbreak due to multiple introductions, high population density in urban slums, prevalence of other infectious diseases and poor health infrastructure. As in other countries, Nigerian policymakers had to make rapid and consequential decisions with limited understanding of transmission dynamics and the efficacy of available control measures. We present an account of the Nigerian C…
Epidemiological comparison of the first and second waves of the Covid-19 pandemic in Nigeria, February 2020–April 2021
BACKGROUND: With reports of surges in COVID-19 case numbers across over 50 countries, country-level epidemiological analysis is required to inform context-appropriate response strategies for containment and mitigation of the outbreak. We aimed to compare the epidemiological features of the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Nigeria. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis Sys…
Electronic reporting of integrated disease surveillance and response
The eIDSR has increased the number of health facilities reporting IDSR, enabled early identification, reporting, and verification of alerts, improved timeliness and completeness of reports, and supportive supervision of staff at the operational levels. It was well accepted by the stakeholder as a system that made reporting easy with the potential to improve the public health surveillance system in Nigeria
The Lancet Nigeria Commission
Health is central to the development of any country. Nigeria’s gross domestic product is the largest in Africa, but its per capita income of about ₦770 000 (US$2000) is low with a highly inequitable distribution of income, wealth, and therefore, health. It is a picture of poverty amidst plenty. Nigeria is both a wealthy country and a very poor one. About 40% of Nigerians live in poverty, in social conditions that create ill health, and with the e…
Adapting public health response through lessons learnt
Response to public health emergencies requires continued adaptation and innovation. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is the country’s public health institute with the mandate to protect the health of Nigerians. Achieving such mandate in resource-limited settings with divergent demographic characteristics of the citizens, necessitates the readiness to learn from experience and to develop policies and activities in line with lessons le…
Evaluation of the Nigeria national HIV rapid testing algorithm
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) diagnosis remains the gateway to HIV care and treatment. However, due to changes in HIV prevalence and testing coverage across different geopolitical zones, it is crucial to evaluate the national HIV testing algorithm as false positivity due to low prevalence could be detrimental to both the client and the service delivery. Therefore, we evaluated the performance of the national HIV rapid testing algorithm using…
Seroprevalence of Sars-CoV-2 in four states of Nigeria in October 2020
The observed epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in sub-Saharan Africa has varied greatly from that in Europe and the United States, with much lower reported incidence. Population-based studies are needed to estimate true cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 to inform public health interventions. This study estimated SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in four selected states in Nigeria in October 2020. We implemented a two-stage cluster sample household survey in fo…
Covid-19 mortality rate and its associated factors during the first and second waves in Nigeria
COVID-19 mortality rate has not been formally assessed in Nigeria. Thus, we aimed to address this gap and identify associated mortality risk factors during the first and second waves in Nigeria. This was a retrospective analysis of national surveillance data from all 37 States in Nigeria between February 27, 2020, and April 3, 2021. The outcome variable was mortality amongst persons who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by Reverse-Transcriptase Poly…
Analysis of sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with Lassa fever disease and mortality in Nigeria
Over past decades, there has been increasing geographical spread of Lassa fever (LF) cases across Nigeria and other countries in West Africa. This increase has been associated with significant morbidity and mortality despite increasing focus on the disease by both local and international scientists. Many of these studies on LF have been limited to few specialised centres in the country. This study was done to identify sociodemographic and clinica…
Telling our own story in global health–experience from Nigeria
Epidemiological description of and response to a large yellow fever outbreak in Edo state Nigeria, September 2018 - January 2019
Edo State is one of the states in Nigeria with the highest burden of yellow fever. More males were affected among the confirmed. Major symptoms include fever, jaundice, weakness, and bleeding. Majority of surveillance performance indicators were above target. There is a high risk of transmission of the disease in the state. Low yellow fever vaccination coverage, and presence of yellow fever vectors (Ae.aegypti, Ae.albopictus and Ae.simpsoni) are …
Medicine (29 obras) · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research (19 obras) · Environmental health (18 obras) · Public health (13 obras) · Internal Medicine (11 obras) · Outbreak (11 obras) · Virology (11 obras) · COVID-19 epidemiological studies (10 obras) · Demography (9 obras) · Disease (9 obras)