Kenneth Yongabi

• Professor (Full) at Imo State University

Background: For the first time in the history of medicine and public health, we observed some clinical situations where a parasitic infection on a plant infects humans and other animals and vice versa and is unfamiliar in medicine and plant pathology nor in veterinary medicine. We noted that this is similar to the kind of situation where diseases f...

Background: There is growing recognition of the physical and mental health impacts of climate change and the attendant burden on health care systems, including from the World Health Organisation, the United Nations, and national governments. However, the repercussions on 'social health'— our access to meaningful social connections and the health an...

Whole-genome sequencing has revolutionized parasitology, offering insights into parasites' biology, evolution, and potential interventions. This discussion explores the profound impact of genomics on parasitology, from democratizing research to understanding parasites' intricacies and their relationships with hosts. High-throughput sequencing has m...

Pan-Africanism, a socio-political and cultural movement aimed at unifying African nations and people, has played a critical role in shaping the continent's response to global challenges, including climate change. This study explores how Pan-Africanism, cultural resilience, and biodiversity conservation intersect with the urgent issue of climate cha...

Health literacy remains an underutilized tool in Africa to curb prevalent, emerging, and re-emerging diseases, especially considering the comparatively poor socio-economic factors and poor health infrastructure. Individual and community health literacies in Africa are complex constructs influenced by levels of formal education, socio-economic deter...

Background: Disinfection and sterilization are key processes required to ensure the safety of clients when they visit a barber for a haircut. Barbering practices differ across barbershops depending on the knowledge and economic status of the barber. Several studies have reported on disinfection methods and disinfectants used in barbershops but the...

The potential health hazards wastes generated from animal husbandry carry to both the users and the underground water contamination are not well reported in Africa. Poultry wastes have been used as feedstock in large-scale biodigester to produce biogas but less emphasis on pathogen reduction in Salmonella Shigella Agar (SSA) has been reported as we...

Colonial legacies have deeply shaped Africa's scientific and educational realms, imposing Western knowledge systems while marginalizing indigenous wisdom. The journey of decolonizing African science involves a profound recognition of this historical bias and the endeavor to restore indigenous knowledge to its rightful place. This article explores c...

In the era of global interconnectivity, international collaboration has emerged as a driving force for progress, particularly in the context of Africa development. The complexities of shared challenges, spanning healthcare, agriculture, environment, and technology, have highlighted the imperative for African nations to transcend borders and work co...

High blood pressure one billion people and is the common risk factor for death throughout the world. High blood pressure causes hypertension, which is a major risk factor and one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), stroke, heart failure and death [1]. Patients make catastrophic out-of-poc...

Importance of the work: Brown leaf spot disease is one of the major causes of yield losses in rice production in Cameroon. Objectives: To evaluate the bioactivity of aqueous extracts of three Cameroonian medicinal plants on rice growth, yield and brown spot disease incidence. Materials & Methods: Plant extracts were tested at two doses (1 kg/15 L...

Background: Hypertension is a global disease affecting one billion people and is the common risk factor for death throughout the world. Hypertension is a major risk factor and one of the leading causes of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) such as Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), stroke, heart failure and death. Patients make catastrophic out-of-pocke...

Over the last two decades, many African countries have undergone dietary and nutrition transitions fueled by globalization, rapid urbanization and development. These changes have altered African food environments and subsequently, dietary behaviors, including food acquisition and consumption. Dietary patterns associated with the nutrition transitio...

Over the last two decades, many African countries have undergone dietary and nutrition transitions fueled by globalization, rapid urbanization and development. These changes have altered African food environments and subsequently, dietary behaviors, including food acquisition and consumption. Dietary patterns associated with the nutrition transitio...

This transdisciplinary literature review paper aims at addressing the literature lacuna in community engagement and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in sub-Saharan countries. By responding to a set of identified WASH-related questions to community engagement, it explores through different disciplinary lenses the challenges and opportunities in...

Cellulose is one of the most copious natural glucose biopolymers (linked by β-1,4-glycosidic linkages) that are derived from living organisms on the earth. Plants are the largest contributors of cellulose in the cellulose pool of the biosphere as plant cell walls contain cellulose in the lignocellulosic form. Cellulose is water-insoluble and theref...

The Marchantiophyta (liverworts) are rich sources of phenolic substances, especially cyclic and acyclic bis-bibenzyls, which are rare natural products in the plant kingdom, together with bibenzyls and characteristic terpenoids. At present, more than 125 bis-bibenzyls have been found in liverworts. They are biosynthesized from the dimerization of lu...

Medicinal plants are proven sources of many useful drugs in our modern world. Jatropha tanjorensis, known as hospital too far, is consumed highly in Africa as herbal medicine. This research work was done to evaluate the effect of aqueous leaf extract of Jatropha tanjorensis on parasitaemia and haematological parameters in mice infected with Plasmod...

This study investigated the influence of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) management on the bacteriological quality of students’ palms in some schools within the Bamenda municipality, to serve as baseline data for strengthening of hygiene management and health policies in schools. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional approach with d...

A neglected disease affecting many malnourished children and immunosuppressed patients in sub Saharan Africa is noma caused mainly by Fusobacterium necrophorum. Poverty and malnutrition are highly implicated in the epidemiology, prevalence and poor management of noma. Local mushroomsof the gens Termitomyces have been used in parts of northern Niger...

Breast cancer (BC) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with an annual incidence of about 1.7 million (11.9%). In Africa and Cameroon, BC accounts for 28% and 33.4% respectively of all cancers, hence it is a health and an economic burden. This study was conducted to investigate the perception and practice of breast self-examinati...

The wastes generated from animal husbandry and the potential health hazards it carries to both the users and the underground water contamination is not well reported in Africa. Thus, digester design using brick was considered and found to be less cost-effective and portable with respect to Nigeria's geological conditions and availability of materia...

Introducción: El uso de las medicinas no convencionales (MNC) crece en la población; sin embargo, los médicos tienen un bajo nivel de conocimiento acerca de ellas, a pesar de su interés, debido a las preguntas que reciben de sus pacientes con respecto a sus riesgos y beneficios. No obstante, se desconoce cuántos y cuáles son los instrumentos que ev...

African mushrooms remain underexploited for biopharmaceuticals for application in modern medicine. Yet, amidst the rich use of mushrooms in African folk medicine and the high rates of endemic diseases plaguing the continent, the need for a critical exposé of African mushrooms as biopharmaceuticals and phytoceuticals is imperative and hereby present...

Identifying the sources of pollution and reducing the levels of contamination to improve water quality is a key priority to ensure long term water security for states and nations. However, advanced water treatment technologies are still economically burdening for many developing countries, including Africa, putting human health at risk. Implementat...

Gladiolus dalenii is a plant commonly used in many regions of Cameroon as a cure for various diseases like headaches, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and mood disorders. Recent studies have revealed that the aqueous extract of G. dalenii (AEGD) exhibited antidepressant-like properties in rats. Therefore, we hypothesized that the AEGD could protect from th...

Background: Due to the dearth of information about the burden of prostate cancer disease in Cameroon, and in respond to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG#3) to prevent non-communicable diseases, a discrete choice clinical study of prostate cancer with the aim to determine the incidence, the associated risk factors and comparative diagnostic too...

Keywords: Spatial distribution, habitat characterization, mosquito larvae, Bamenda, Cameroon

The present study establishes the in-vitro effect of some selected agrochemicals(Glycot, Lamida and Pencozeb) on protozoans and some algae isolated from mosquito larval habitats in Bamenda urban zone, Cameroon. A convenience sampling technique was used in which water samples were randomly collected from 125 mosquito larval habitats from Bamenda urb...

Nelsonia canescens is a plant used in African and Asian traditional medicine. In Africa, it is used to reduce fever and as an analgesic in a wide range of conditions. N. canescens is commonly used in many regions of Cameroon as a cure for various ailments. The macerated leaves are empirically used to improve female fertility. The present study was...

Firewood has been a major source of energy for ages and is still a primary source of energy in rural households worldwide. Its m ode of acquisition and usage disproportionately exposes different persons to physical burden, time trade-off and health hazards. This study assessed gender differences in firewood consumption in order to design strategies...

We previously demonstrated that the survival time of BALB/c mice challenged with Toxoplasma gondii RH strain was prolonged by immunising the mice with a eukaryotic vector expressing the protein ROP16 of T. gondii. Building upon previous findings, we are exploring improved vaccination strategies to enhance protection. In this work, a novel recombina...

Objetivo: Describir la toxicidad aguda, efecto antibacteriano y análisis fitoquímico de los polvos de Chlorella vulgaris y Spirulina platensis. Material y Métodos: Se realizaron los test de FeCl3, Keller Killiani, de saponinas, solución alcalina y de concentración de ácido sulfúrico para el análisis fitoquímico. El efecto antibacteriano de los extr...

Diabetic bacterial foot infections (DBFIs) are limb-threatening complications in patients with diabetes mellitus, accounting for 50% of diabetes related lower limb amputations in developing countries, representing approximately 20 percent of all diabetes-related hospital admissions with significant healthcare-related costs involved. The widespread...

Liverworts are rich sources of terpenoids and aromatic compounds among which bis-bibenzyls are well known for their wide spectrum of biological activities. This is the first report of chemical analysis of the African liverwort Marchantia debilis Goebel. From the methanol extract marchantinquinone-1'-methyl ether was newly isolated together with thr...

Objectives. To describe acute toxicity, antibacterial activity and phytochemical assessment of Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina platensis powders. Material and Methods. FeCl 3 test, Wagner test, Keller Killiani test, frothing test, alkaline solution and dilute acid; concentrated sulphuric acid were used for phytochemical analysis. Antibacterial scr...

The applications of phytobiotechnology in disease prevention, treatment and effective sustainable health are presented in this book. This report is based on an inventory of indigenous knowledge bases on disease management in Cameroon and Nigeria using indigenous medicinal plants and the research built on this unclassified traditional knowledge and...

The persistently high maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates in Cameroon are known to be in direct relationship with family planning and child spacing, especially among the young females of reproductive age (Strategies for Growth and Employment, 2000; and Health Sectorial Strategy, 2009). In the Santa Health District, the number of women...

This report evaluates the use of appropriate biotechnology and African indigenous knowledge,in contributing to sustainable development in Africa. This report is based on a survey and collection of indigenous practices in Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Uganda, Ghana and Ethiopia. Some of the traditional knowledge relevant to agriculture collected have fo...

Keywords: Diarrhoeic; non dirrhoiec; Zoonotic, Modified Kinyoun's acid-fast stain; Oocysts; Zoonotic. The dynamic of Cryptosporidia parvum and its zoonotic potentials have not been established in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, which is an important watershed in Cameroon with a lot of cattle grazing at free range. The aim of this study was to ide...

Infection prevention and control has been a very challenging problem to the public health sector in Cameroon in general and in the Bamenda health district in particular. This has led to an upsurge of many infectious diseases and epidemics. With the advent of the Ebola hemorrhagic disease and other existing epidemics such as Poliomyelitis, Cholera a...

This is a preliminary case reports of the healing potential of Cameroonian traditional foods used since time immemorial and now used to enhance the immune systems of patients of HIV patients with lessons that can be applied in the clinical management of Ebola hemorrhagic fevers. Dietary supplements was made from 0.9% salt and aqueous extracts of Fl...

With more than 15000 people infected with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) leading to more than 7000 deaths in Liberia, Serra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal, Ebola Virus Disease remains one of the most dreaded scourges and concerns in contemporary international health (CIH). We note in this essay, that current intervention strategies for the containme...

Clinical management of leukemia patients with hydroxyurea - based chemotherapy drugs and radiotherapy often does not yield very quick therapeutic benefits in patients, especially in tropical resource limited countries. Evidence based supportive and palliative care plan is critical in the clinical management of leukemia patients, which clinicians an...

Africa constitutes at least 25% of the total mushroom biodiversity in the world, but barely contributes up to 0.4% of total mushroom sales and new mushroom products on the global market. The economic importance of mushrooms in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasingly gaining attention on the continent, but there is a paucity of information on the c...

Executive Summary: The demand for sources of nutrition to feed the world's population is ever increasing and in order to meet demand. Industries believed they had to make use of genetic modifications or intensify cultivation securing more output per hectare. The amount of waste produced through simple commodities such as coffee is staggering; only...

Thirty two, 6 to 8 weeks old rabbits of mongrel origin, balanced for sex and weighing averagely 0.92 kg were allotted to four dietary treatments in a complete randomized design (CRD) with 8 rabbits per treatment. The diets contained groundnut haulms (GH) at 40, 50, 60 and 70% levels of inclusion with a crude protein content of 16%. The rabbits were...

Occupational diseases associated with agricultural practices in Sub-Saharan Africa have a major health impact on farmers, farm workers and their families. This leads to reduced productivity through decreased human and livestock resource and places an additional burden on health care requirements in already poor areas. An in-depth knowledge of the v...

Holistic farming systems provide designs for the whole farm that make long term sustainable use of nutrients, water, labour, finances and energy. In using organic residues to produce energy, and safely recycling the digested residues back into the farming system, a biogas digester could be a central component of many holistic systems. This paper di...

Current burdens of faecally derived pathogens entering the environment through untreated human and animal faeces can lead to disease, through direct handling and through contamination of water supplies used for drinking and washing. Anaerobic digestion for biogas generation in rural households in Sub-Saharan Africa has the potential to reduce patho...

Universities in Africa, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, can make a significant contribution to good research and guide policy-making by generating, nationally, relevant data and evidence. But there is dearth of information of how to carry out adaptive research that can strategically revolutionalize Africa. In this paper, as esoteric shift expos...

Interest in the use of small scale biogas digesters for household energy generation and treatment and utilization of organic wastes in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been increasing with numerous organisations promoting their adoption for both socioeconomic and environmental benefits. In this paper, we review energy production using sm...

Findings from a preliminary lab-scale study show strong potentials of phytodisinfectants as a low-cost, appropriate and ecological alternative technology in purifying water in rural Cameroon. A survey of plants used in water purification in Bamenda, Cameroon, indicated that there are many plants used in water treatment. A rapid screening on the coa...

This report details an assessment of an integrated low-technology phytodisinfectant-sand filter drum for household water and waste water treatment for sub-Saharan Africa, using bacterial culture tests, total solids, and turbidity amongst others is presented. A hundred litres of very dirty/turbid water (130.3 NTU) was pretreated with 100 seeds of Mo...

An Evaluation of plant- based coagulants and disinfectant-sand filter medium for surface water treatment in Bamenda, Cameroon using bacterial analyses and turbidity were carried out. 100L of very turbid surface water (Turbidity approx. 500NTU) was pretreated with 100 seeds of Moringa oleifera, and further filtered through a sand filter drum (120 L...

A survey and inventory of indigenous knowledge and plants used by rural Africans to purify water was carned out vis-à-vis the inherent local water crisis cum challenges in the existing water purification technologies. The findings indicated that from time immemorial indigenous people have had to use rich knowledge base to treat their water. Plants...

Poultry faeces collected from the research farm of the school of Agriculture, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria, was anaerobically digested for five weeks retention time using a plastic type digester constructed at the FMEnv/ZERI Research Centre and a follow up system set up in Cameroon at the compound of the National Polytechnic B...

A total of 530 HIV-seropositive patients, undergoing treatment at the Phytobiotechnology Research Foundation (PRF) Clinic from May 2007 to May 2008, were screened for yeast infection using various specimens. Of the total number of patients, 318 were females and 212 were males. The specimens comprised 550 stools specimens, 422 oral swabs, 98 sputum...

The study investigated the effect of anaerobically digested cow dung using polyethylene tube digester on the antimicrobial property of Aloe barbadensis, (Aloe vera) Allium sativum (Garlic) and Zingiber officinale (Ginger). The methanol extracts of the three medicinal plants grown on soil augmented with anaerobically digested cow dung slurry exhibit...

A pot experiment and a bioassay test were conducted at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Nigeria. The former, which was to determine the effect of nitrogen (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg N/ha) on the productivity of Aloe vera, was laid out in a completely randomized design with four replications; the latter was to determine the inhibitio...

The study details the result of a preliminary investigation on the coagulative and disinfective ability of seeds of Moringa oleifera, Jatropha curcas seeds, calyx of Hibiscus sabdarifa, sclerotium of Pleurotus tuberregium and Alum on wastewater samples from Yelwa settlement in Bauchi, Nigeria. Varying weights (0.5 to 59) of dried pulverized plant m...

Mushrooms play important social, economic, and ecological roles in Cameroon. Several species, belonging to the genera Agaricus, Volvariella, Ganoderma, Flammulina, Auricularia, Pleurotus, and Termitomyces, were found to be used as food or in traditional medicine by the indigenous people.

An investigation was carried out to isolate the microorganisms present in eight animal feeds (I-VIII) formulated in Bauchi with indigenous attempt to control the isolates with medicinal plants. Bacillus cereus, Salmonella sp, and Escherichia coli were the bacteria isolated from all the diets while Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Rhizopus...

A study was conducted to investigate the antifungal properties of Urtica dioica (the red Stinging Nettle), in vitro and in vivo. A cold methanol extract of whole plant (stems, leaves and roots) showed marked inhibitory properties against Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis and Aspergillus fumigatus with Trichophyton...