10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

The last decade has witnessed a continuous increase in the use of nanotechnology. Thousands of products varying from food, cosmetics, clothes, military equipment, and personal care products are now available with nanoparticle contents. Due to the numerous applications of nanoparticles in consumer products, the chances of human exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact are...

Traditional and Alternative Medicine (TAM) serves as a primary healthcare resource globally, yet foreign pharmacy graduates' perspectives on its integration remain underexplored. This cross-sectional survey examined 52 foreign pharmacy graduates participating in the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Orientation Programme (FPGOP), Northern zone at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria in 2021. Using a...

Maternal mortality stayed a huge public health challenge in rural Kenya, where delayed recognition of pregnancy related complications, played a big role in preventable maternal and neonatal deaths. The World Health Organization noted that Kenya recorded around 379 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, and that number was far above the Sustainable Development Goal target which is under 70...

Maternal body mass index (BMI) in early pregnancy is a modifiable determinant of maternal and fetal health. Sub-Saharan Africa faces a dual nutritional burden of persistent undernutrition alongside rising overweight and obesity. In Kenya, where both extremes coexist, the relationship between early-pregnancy BMI and stillbirth risk remains poorly characterised, limiting evidence-based antenatal...

Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea) is a leguminous plant which is traditionally being used for various health benefits including antisickling, immune booster, wound healing among others. It is rich in phytopeptide knottins which possess structural stability and biological activity that may influence neural functions. This study investigated the neuropharmacological effects of a phytopeptide...

Traditional healers play an important role in primary healthcare and the preservation of indigenous knowledge in South Africa. However, the cultivation of medicinal plants remains controversial among some healers due to cultural taboos, ceremonial practices, and beliefs about the reduced potency of cultivated plants. Despite concerns over the decline of medicinal plant populations in the wild,...

Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen (N-acetyl-para-aminophenol, APAP) is the world’s most used over the-counter analgesic-antipyretic drug. The increasing misuse of acetaminophen as a meat tenderizing agent in the food industry is a public health concern. This study examined the reproductive effects of acetaminophen tenderized meat fed to male swiss albino mice (Mus musculus). Utilizing a...

Comorbid conditions significantly impact cancer prognosis, treatment selection, and overall patient survival. While advances in cancer care have improved survival outcomes for patients without underlying conditions, managing cancer alongside non-communicable and infectious diseases remains a major clinical challenge. This study analyzes the prevalence of comorbid conditions, cancer types, and...

This is the first report on the antimicrobial evaluation of tetrafluorinated azobenzene-imidazolium salts with various spacer length. All salts qualified as ionic liquids crystals (ILCs) which melted below 100 ⁰C. The functionalized azobenzene moiety was connected to the imidazolium head via a methylene spacer of varying length (n = 3-12). The ILCs were characterized using FTIR, NMR...

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are viruses present in the blood and can be transmitted from mothers to their children, posing significant health challenges among pregnant women in Africa. This research determined the prevalence of Hepatitis and co-infection with HIV and the presence of tumor markers among pregnant women attending...

Under-five mortality in the Lake Victoria basin counties of Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori, Busia and Kakamega remains among the highest in Kenya, driven by malaria, pneumonia, sepsis, and severe malnutrition, yet community health surveillance in this region remains largely reactive, paper-based, and linguistically inaccessible to the Swahili-speaking community health workers who deliver...

Unsafe domestic water remains a major public health challenge in rapidly urbanizing areas, increasing the risk of microbial contamination and waterborne diseases. In Nakuru West Sub-County, Kenya, intermittent piped water supply, dependence on alternative water sources, inadequate sanitation, and rapid population growth heighten household exposure to unsafe drinking water. However, limited...

The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is closely associated with dietary patterns high in glycemic load and fat. Potatoes, particularly when consumed as fried products, possess a high glycemic index and may contribute to metabolic disturbances. However, experimental evidence linking potato consumption to the progression of prediabetes to diabetes remains limited. This...

Burn injuries are a significant public health concern, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a majority occurring in and around homes. Household-related burns are caused by activities involving cooking, heating, and lighting. Open flames from traditional stoves, three stone fires, hot liquids, and unstable set stoves increase the risk. Overcrowding, poor housing, and...

Non-clinical diagnostics and predictive modeling in statistical genomics increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to extract clinically meaningful insights from high-dimensional molecular data. However, translating such models from research to practical use remains challenging due to the computational complexity of genomic datasets and the need for scalable solutions that can operate in...

Liver cirrhosis is the end-stage consequence of chronic liver injury, characterized by progressive fibrosis, nodular regeneration, and loss of normal liver architecture and function. It results from long-standing liver inflammation and damage caused by a variety of etiologies including chronic viral hepatitis (HBV, HCV), alcohol abuse, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), autoimmune...

Zoonotic diseases pose a significant public health threat in Nigeria, particularly in Kwara State, where human-animal-environment interactions are frequent due to widespread farming and livestock rearing. Rabies, Lassa fever, and other zoonoses continue to emerge and re-emerge, highlighting the urgent need for integrated approaches like the One Health framework to assess vulnerabilities and...

Cypermethrin’s effects on the corpus callosum, the brain’s largest white matter tract essential for interhemispheric communication, remain unexplored, particularly regarding sex‑dependent vulnerability. We examined the effects of sub‑chronic cypermethrin exposure (6.25 and 12.5 mg/kg) on corpus callosum integrity in male and female Wistar rats, focusing on glial populations, GABAergic...

In recent years, polymer-based embolisation beads have been used to deliver drugs for the treatment of cancer directly to the site of action. Known to be biocompatible implants, these beads have become an ideal drug delivery vehicle for parenteral administration, yet have not been considered for the more commonly used drug delivery routes such as oral and intramuscular drug delivery. This work...

Infertility remains a major reproductive health challenge worldwide, with disruption of the estrous cycle contributing to impaired female reproductive function. The increasing cost, limited accessibility and adverse effects associated with conventional fertility therapies have stimulated interest in medicinal plants as alternative therapeutic agents. This study evaluated the effect of...

Africa’s Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) demands a paradigm shift toward human-centric, bio-harmonious health innovations that safeguard community well-being and ecological systems. Evaluating the neuro-metabolic safety profiles of mass-distributed synthetic contraceptives, such as Levonorgestrel (LNG), is a critical priority under the ‘One Health’ framework. This study investigates the...

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Nigeria. Delayed diagnosis contributes significantly to late presentation and poor survival outcomes. Understanding awareness, beliefs, and attitudes is crucial for promoting early diagnosis, which is directly associated with improved survival. This study aimed to explore awareness and practice of breast cancer screening,...

Liver disease poses a persistent global health challenge, causing approximately two million deaths annually. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of Ocimum gratissimum essential oil (OGEO) in a thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver injury model in Wistar rats, combining chemical profiling, in vitro bioassays, and in vivo biochemical, inflammatory, apoptotic, and histopathological...

Malaria remains a major parasitic disease of global health importance, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is endemic. Emerging evidence suggests that beyond its systemic effects, malaria infection may adversely affect male reproductive function through inflammatory injury, endocrine disruption, and oxidative stress. However, the mechanisms linking malaria to male fertility impairment...

Lobostemon fruticosus (L.) H. Buek is an indigenous medicinal shrub widely used in traditional medicine in South Africa. This study investigated the phytochemical diversity and chemotypic variation of wild L. fruticosus populations collected from Rhodes Memorial, Doringrivier, and Grootnek fontein in the Western Cape Province. Leaf extracts were analysed using ultra-performance liquid...

University students in Nigeria are faced with numerous psychological and social challenges. The challenges include geographical relocation, financial constraints, academic stress, peer pressure and social adjustment. These challenges sometimes lead to health crises, academic failure, low morale, poor self-esteem and mental disorder. Therefore, this paper examines the promotion of holistic...