Courses with Gaps

Introduction: Medicines and discovery processes. Initial stages: Target discovery; applications of molecular biology, in silico methods and assays; lead discovery; lead optimization; biomarkers. Measurement of drug properties: assay techniques; agonists (full, partial, inverse and biased); competitive antagonists. In vivo models; pharmacokinetic profiles of compounds; pharmacogenetics and formulations. Pre-clinical safety assessment including acute toxicity evaluation, subacute and chronic toxicity studies, reproductive toxicity, carcinogenicity studies, mutagenicity and mechanistic toxicity studies. Limitations of preclinical studies. Problems associated with drug discovery and development. Later stages: Pharmaceutical development; phases of clinical evaluation; ethics (informed consent, good clinical practice, participation criteria, sponsorship) and concepts in clinical trial design. Pharmacovigilance. e-Learning Activity Links are provided to additional resources (further reading, videos, on-line activities) to support the lecture content. Online self-assessment modules on the course content can be provided for formative feedback. Practical: Experiments are designed to reflect the topics covered including spectrophotometry, chromatography, flow cytometry.

Introductory chemistry of amino acids; their properties, reactions and biological functions. Classification of amino acids: neutral, basic and acidic; polar and non-polar; essential and non- essential amino acids. Peptides. Introductory chemistry and classification of proteins. Biological functions of proteins. Methods of their isolation, purification and identification. Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures of proteins. Basic principles of tests for proteins and amino acids. Introductory chemistry of carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Nomenclature of nucleosides, and nucleotides; effects of acid and alkali on hydrolysis of nucleic acids.

Introductory chemistry of amino acids, their properties, reactions and biological functions. Classification of amino acids: neutral, basic and acidic; polar and non-polar; essential and non- essential amino acids. Peptides. Introductory chemistry and classification of proteins. Biological functions of proteins. Methods of their isolation, purification and identification. Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures of proteins. Basic principles of tests for proteins and amino acids. Introductory chemistry of carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. Nomenclature of nucleosides and nucleotides, effects of acid and alkali on hydrolysis of nucleic acids.

The course is planned to equip the undergraduates in all the disciplines of health sciences with the necessary tools and skills for collecting, analysing, interpreting data quantitatively. Topics to be covered include: The central role of statistics in health sciences disciplines, data description, elements of probability. Description of random variables. Applications of the binomial and normal distributions. Estimation and confidence intervals. Contingency tables. Regression and variance analysis. Study design and hypothesis testing for practical purposes. Students are provided with specific data to work on and are also required to develop simple questionnaire protocols for analysis.

Introduction to demographic and the emphasis is on the use of demographic materials and methods for planning, policy analysis, and evaluative research in public health. Emphasis should be placed on the demographic features of the Nigerian population, its size, composition and distribution should be highlighted. Response of demography to mortality, fertility and migration. Health need of each population group and health planning in relation to demography. The course gives an overview of the Nigerian population policies. Trends in general population growth are featured prominently in the course. Topics to cover include: sources and quality of data from census, special surveys, and other vital registration systems. Students are to present the descriptive statistics and graphics with report writing and submit assigned projects.

Macro and micro economic factors that influence health, illness and health care delivery system. Concept of health economics. Factors that affect demand and supply of health care services. Macroeconomic indices that influence the economy and health. The costing of health and nursing services. Availability and distribution. Cost recovery of services. Healthcare financing and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Role of nurses in the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Introduction to sociology, psychology and anthropology. Biological basis for human behaviour– sensation, perception. Motivation and emotion. Describe human development, learning and practices. Role of culture, communication and human relationship and public participation. Importance of indigenous knowledge, belief and health practices. Social, psychological and biological aspect of environmental planning and built-up environment, substance use and abuse. Inequalities in health, psychological disorders, stresses, illness behaviours in relation to social medicine and medical psychology. Role of human behaviours in illness and disease causation. Social determinants of health, social epidemiology and health service utilisation behaviours. Application of social science theories towards understanding behavioural aspects of health and medical care. Considerations of human behavioural dimensions in illness and disease, prophylactic behaviour, the role of culture, role of social institutions, stress and health, compliance behaviours, social epidemiology and many others. Also covers topics in social health including smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction, obesity and nutritional behaviour/disorders, health services utilisation behaviour, emotional health and personality disorders, religion and health.

This course reviews social determinants of health. How education status, social status and economic status affects health. Sociological perspective of health. The functionalist approach, the conflict approach, and the interactionist approach. The social issues in health with reference to the services offered such as social welfare services, care of the motherless babies, care, and rehabilitation of the handicapped, care of the elderly and the care of destitute/beggars are discussed. Inequality and social class in relation to health. Ethnicity. gender and health. Health equity and social stigmatisation are taught.

Historical development of microbiology and the effects on health. Morphology of bacteria and fungi. Nutritional needs of microorganisms. Cultivation and isolation methods for microorganisms. Diagnostic techniques in relation to culture determination. Bacteria growth in culture and respective phases including death. Formation of colonies. Metabolism in microbial systems. Genetics (introductory). Introductory parasitology.

Descriptive terms, plans and terms of relationship of the human body, terms of comparison, attachment of muscles, types of muscles, movements of joints. Osteology, principles of kinesiology, general organisation of body system. Cutaneous innervation of the upper limb; pectoral region; breast; axilla; shoulder region; arm and cubital fossa; flexor compartment of forearm; extensor compartment of forearm; hand; venous and lymphatic drainage of the upper limb. Applied anatomy of nerves; blood supply of the upper limb. Cutaneous innervation of the lower limb; femoral triangle; adductor canal and medial side of the thigh; gluteal region; back of the thigh, popliteal fossa; extensor compartment of the leg and dorsum of the foot; peroneal and flexor compartment of the leg; sole of the foot, arches of the foot; mechanism of walking; venous and lymphatic drainage of the lower limb; applied anatomy of the nerves and blood supply to the lower limb.