Editorial: Non-communicable diseases are reaching epidemic proportions: evidence from low and middle income countries

In this September 2013 issue of African Health Sciences we bring you diverse papers with one running theme: communicable diseases. They cover a wide range of topics: from ‘making plantains safe’ for renal patients to sexuality for people surviving stroke. Hence Eluwa et al report on the effect of diet soda drinks on the histology of the cerebellum, while Uganda researchers report on the effect of soaking plantain (matooke) to reduce its potassium content to make it safe for kidney disease patients. This is followed by biochemistry papers including one on inhibition of glucuronosyltransferase, bile acid metabolism, the role of angiocidin in cell proliferation, and paraoxonase and lipid hydroperoxide after football tournaments.