key: cord-0864184-3wwmtjxz authors: Tumwine, James K title: Editor's choice: this December 2020 date: 2020-12-03 journal: Afr Health Sci DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v20i4.2 sha: bbf71a51607b9aed5e8ca8bef9aaf33b0c07e775 doc_id: 864184 cord_uid: 3wwmtjxz nan We have quite a number of papers in this issue and, honestly, I am lost for choice. None the less a few papers stand out for me. In the infectious disease section, I was touched by Dr. Ombeva's sharing and reflection of his story: the way he caught Covid-19 from a child he was treating and the child's parents. 1 To me this is the story of the year and epitomizes what I have referred to as annus horribis. Then the Covid-19 vaccine story by Prof. Fikri and colleagues. 2 It is followed by a meta-analysis on seasonal flu that is highly relevant given that flu impacts the effects of Covid-19. 3 Then follows the attempt by the HIV community to understand the ramifications of the HIV pandemic in Africa despite having lived with it for almost 4 decades now! Hence we have papers on: outcomes on PLHIV in Kenya 4 CD4 counts, 5 VMMC and HIV risk in Uganda, 6 HIV and fungal infection 7 , HIV in Wuhan China 8 that city that gave Covid-19 to the world; and HIV and primary school teachers. 9 Then comes dengue, 10 hepatitis B and osteoporosis, 11 TB, 12 H.pylori, 13 MDR Staph. aureus, 14 antibiotics in Rwanda, 15 adult pneumonia, 16 C.parvum, 17 antimalaria drugs 18,19 and pulmonary micro-aspiration. 20 NCDS: our curse of the century Even during this Covid-19 pandemic, NCDs are forever with thus: cardio-vascular disease nursing care, 21 hypertention, 22 HIV-exposed infants 23 , ECG abnormalities in HIV, 24 left ventricular hypertrophy, 25 epicardial fat, 26 aerobic exercise, 27 insulin resistance, 28 asthma, 29 COPD and sleep, 30 e cigarettes, 31 non-alcoholic liver disease, 32 home care, 33 Bilateral paediatric surgery, 34 self-harm, 35 MRI, 36 osteosarcoma risk, 37 thyroid 38 and gastric esophageal cancer; 39 fibromatosis, 40 prostate cancer, 41 neuro-endocrine tumour, 42 polycystic ovary and vitamin D deficiency, 43 micro RNAs and disease: 44 all will hopefully make us appreciate the burden and effect of this scourge on our people. In this section we have issues of pregnancy (ectopic, 45 teenage, 46 ) labour, 47 caesarean section, 48 gestational age, 49 home delivery, 50 postpartum depression, 51 female genital mutilation in the Horn of Africa 52 and Nigeria, 53 menopause and sexuality, 54 infertility, 55 hand washing, 56 anaemia in children in Ethiopia, 57 and breastfeeding efficacy. 58 The rest of the papers are on self-medication, 59 halitosis 60 Opportunistic fungal infections in persons living with advanced HIV disease in Lagos, Nigeria; a 12-year retrospective study Effects of health education on HIV/ AIDS related knowledge among first year university students in China HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA): a cross-sectional study of primary school teachers Knowledge, attitude and practices about dengue fever among adults living in Pwani Region, Tanzania in 2019 Association between osteoporosis and hepatitis B cirrhosis: a case-control study Molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pulmonary and extrapulmonary samples in a hospital-based study Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among children with primary nephrotic syndrome: a cross-sectional study Sensitizing multi drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from surgical site infections to antimicrobials by efflux pump inhibitors Antibiotic prescribing practices in three neonatology units in Kigali, Rwanda. -an observational study Clinical and microbiological profile of adult inpatients with community acquired pneumonia in Ilorin, North Central, Nigeria Aerobic exercise affects sleep, psychological wellbeing and immune system parameters among subjects with chronic primary insomnia Association of FADS2 rs174575 gene polymorphism and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus Effects of body weight and posture on pulmonary functions in asthmatic children The relationship between sleep quality and dyspnoea severity in patients with COPD Acute effects of electronic cigarette smoking on ventricular repolarization in adults Association between APOC3 polymorphisms and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease risk: a meta-analysis The effect of home care based on the Neuman systems model on symptomatic relief and quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis Bilateral paediatric cataract surgery -outcomes of 298 children from Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo Bilateral oedipism: a case of extreme self-harm in an African society averse to self-mutilation Evaluation of MRI Artifact in some selected centers in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria BRAFV600E hot spot mutation in thyroid carcinomas: first Moroccan experience from a single-institution retrospective study Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression in gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in patients seen at the University Teaching Hospital Does shared decision making increase prostate screening uptake in countries with a low prevalence of prostate cancer? Afri Health Sci Non-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour presenting with hypoglycemia in an elderly patient The relationship between Vitamin D deficiency and polycystic ovary syndrome Micro RNAs and the biological clock: a target for diseases associated with a loss of circadian regulation Ectopic pregnancy in the ampulla of the fallopian tube at 16 gestational weeks: lessons from a case report Knowledge and barriers on correct use of modified guidelines for active management of third stage of labour: a cross sectional survey of nurse-midwives at three referral hospitals in Dar es Salaam Management of spinal-induced hypotension for elective caesarean section: A survey of practices among anesthesiologists from a developing country Transverse cerebellar diameter: a reliable predictor of gestational age Prevalence, predictors and reasons for home delivery amongst women of childbearing age in Dodoma Municipality in central Tanzania Prevalence and predictors of postpartum depression among postnatal women in Lagos Combating female genital mutilation in Northeast (Horn) Africa and its challenges Towards characterization of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in rural Nigeria The impact of menopause on sexual function in women and their spouses Infertility and associated factors in three hospitals in Douala, Cameroon: a cross-sectional study A multilevel analysis of the determinants of handwashing behavior among households in Eswatini: a secondary analysis of the 2014 multiple indicator cluster survey A systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence and predictors of anemia among children in Ethiopia Comparison of breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding success of obese and normal-weight mothers in the early period Pediatric self-medication use in Rwanda -a cross sectional study Self-reported halitosis and oral health related quality of life in adolescent students from a suburban community in Nigeria Trace metal toxicity in some food items in three major markets in Ado-Odo/Ota LGA, Ogun State, Nigeria and associated health implications