The Decree establishing the National·Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was promulgated In 1999, however, actual Implementation of the NHIS commenced In 2002. The goal of the NHIS Is to provide easy access to qualitative healthcare services at an affordable price to all ·Nigerians. The NHIS · operates on the principles of Social Health Insurance and has a total of 6 programmes desiged to Cater for all sections of the populace4 of the six Programmes of the NHIS have been commenced on a small scale.' Further - development of the NHIS to the stage of universal Implementation will de pend on several factors amongst which are continued political will, adequate funding, human resource development and public sensitization and mobilization to ensure widespread participation.

A retrospective study of 66 histologically diagnosed teratoma s in the Universityl of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, In North Eastern part of Nigeria from January 1990 to Decemb'er 2001if'wtis carried out to analyze the age, gender, anatomical site and the histological types.· The tumours represented 2.1% of all tumours diagnosed within the study period. There were 45(68.2%);,adlts; . 21(31 .tl%) children whose age range Is between 5 weeks and 55 years. There was a broad peak age from 2nd 'to 4th decaes accounting for 69.7% of all cases. There was a marked female predominance with .a. M:F ratio of 1:15.5. Fifty-eight (87.9%) cases were benign while 8(12.1%) cases were malignant. However, the ovary was the commonest organ Involved while the testis was very rare. Four (6.1%) cases of the ovarian tumours occurred bilaterally. Five of the cases with benign cystic teratoma also had multiple uterine nodules (leiomyomata) . of the uterus. The age range of these patients was between 28 and 46 years. About 10% of the teratomas had tissues derived from all the three germ layers. In conclusion, teratomas are not uncommon In our environment. The malignant narte of the disease cannot be over emphasized and therefore early diagnosis with prompt medical treatment will Im prove the prognosis.

National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has remained on the drawing board since 1962. Wfth the renewed Interest and efforts at full commencement of the Scheme, an attempt was, therefore ma'tle to stud y tie awareness and the attitude of 112 doctors practising across disciplines at University oj llorln Teaching Hospital. Even though all the respondents (100%) were aware of the Scheme, only 23.3% considered themselves as having adequate Information on lt. . , "' . Newspapers (61.1%) and seminars/workshop (35.2%) were the major sources of Information on the Scheme. Majority of the respondents ,_oplf1ed that· both· the public (94.6%) and the health care providers (89.3%) have not been adequately mobilized for the scheme. Also worthy of note was the fact that even though 43.9% of the 'respondents had reservations on the Scheme as presently packaged , majority of them (66.1%) were willing to participate' in it. It Is, therefore, suggested that efforts should be made to lmprove the level of Information and mobilization on the Scheme using the media of newspapers and scientific meetings

The objective of the study was to determine the level of knowledge of in-school female adolescents In Sobon Gari Local Government Area about HIV/AIDS and the Influence of such knowledge· on their. sexual behaviour. ·· . The study a cross-sectional descriptive study of 400 in-school female / adolescents randomly select.ed .. using. a 2-stage stratified sampling with equal allocation In different schools, Questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions were used ..to collect data. Chi square was used to test' the association between variables at p < 0.05 significant. . · · The study setting was Sabon Gari, the headquarter of Sabon Local Govemmet((.- A.'ea in Kaduna State which in an urban settlement. The twon has mixed ethnic and religious population. It has a permissive social setting and poor socio-economic conditions. The subjects for the study were school female adolescents currently attending, Senior Secondary Schools in the area. ,, The result of the study shows that 93.3% of the respondents were aware of HlV/AIDS..Only 3.7% of the respondents were sexually exposed. Twenty eight percent of the sexually exposed used condom regularly, Knowledge.. on condom's protective effect against sexually transmission ol HIV/AJDS virus was significantly associated with regular use of condom. It was, therefore, concluded . !·'·' that Public Health measures are needed to educate in-scho61 adolescents in Sabon Gari Locall Government Area about the regular use as well as the protective effect f condoms

This was a prospective study that was conducted between July 2000 and September- 2001 . It was designed to determine the incidence and the risk factor(s) of aspiration pneumonia in patients with acute cerebrovascular accident. . . .\1- : Aspiration pneumonia was recorded' In 23.5% of the · 68 patients that :were recrulted . . The major predisposing factors ldentlfled were disorder of swallowing which Increased the risk of aspiration pneumonia by more than 4 times. The relative risk ( RR ) was 4 .5 and th9e5;confldence Interval ( 95%C I) was 1.25-16.25. Abnormal voluntary cough increased the risk by ·3:'f : ' RR was 3 and (95%CI) was 0.85-10.63. And depressed level of consciousness had 2.3 times rlsiC"' wlth RR of 2.33 and ( 95%Cl) of 0.83-6.54 . Combination of abnormal gag reflex and facial palsy ·;vas another significant risk factor; the RR was 2 and ( 95%CI) was 0.71 - 5.62. .. .