Traitement préventif intermittent à la sulfadoxine – pyriméthamine du paludisme chez les femmes enceintes: efficacité et observance dans deux hôpitaux urbains du Burkina Faso

Introduction: La présente étude prospective se propose dévaluer l’efficacité thérapeutique du traitement préventif intermittent à la sulfadoxine - pyriméthamine et son observance chez la femme enceinte dans deux hôpitaux urbains au Burkina Faso. Méthodes: Chaque femme répondant aux critères d’inclusion a été soumise à un questionnaire pour la collecte des données socio - démographiques et des renseignements sur la grossesse. A l’accouchement, une apposition placentaire a été réalisée systématiquement. La lecture a été faite au microscope à lobjectif 100 à immersion. Résultats: Au total, 542 femmes ont été incluses avec un âge moyen de 26,0 ± 6,45 ans (extrêmes 13- 43 ans). Le taux de couverture du TPI à la sulfadoxine- pyriméthamine a été de 80%. Le taux d’infestation placentaire a été de 4,7 %. Il a diminué avec le nombre de dose de traitement préventif intermittent. Il a augmenté cependant de juillet à octobre. De 42,9% en octobre, il a diminué significativement à 9,5% en novembre (p<0,05). Le taux global de bonne d'observance a été de 55%. Il a augmenté avec l'âge (p<0,05). Conclusion: Le taux de couverture de la sulfadoxine - pyriméthamine a été de 80%. Ce résultat est en conformité avec les objectifs du plan stratégique 2006-2010 de lutte contre le paludisme au Burkina Faso, qui préconisait un taux de couverture en sulfadoxine - pyriméthamine de 80% pour 2010. L’augmentation de la fréquence d’infestation de juillet à octobre, serait liée à la recrudescence de la transmission palustre pendant la saison des pluies (mai-octobre).Pan African Medical Journal 2013; 14: 10

Effets de cinq prétraitements sur la germination du vène (Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir., Fabaceae) dans la Réserve du Haut Bandama (Côte d'Ivoire)

Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir (Fabaceae) is a sudanese multipurpose species ranging in Côte d'Ivoire, at the north of the 8 th parallel. This species is object of illegal exploitation and the survival of its natural populations is strongly threatened. The sustainable management of this resource requires an improvement of its germinative capacities. To achieve this goal, five pretreatments were applied to seeds collected from a population of Pterocarpus erinaceus in the “Réserve du Haut Bandama”. These treatments include flowing water soaking during three days or 72 hours (STE 3), water soaking at 60 ° C (STE 60), and at 100° C (STE 100), removal of the shell of the fruit (SD) and light fire burning (SF) as well as a control (no pretreatment applied, SND). Germination rate (TG), germination time (DG) and mean germination time (GMT) were evaluated. The results showed that the husked seeds have good germination ability with a rate of 68.5% and a germination time of a week. It also appears that the seeds of the species are very sensitive to heat. Indeed no germination was observed under the pretreatments of light fire burning and soaking in boiling water (100 °C). In addition to this, the shell of the fruit is a factor of dormancy (seed coat / pericarp dormancy). This dormancy can be removed with soaking inflowing water

Right-heart infective endocarditis: apropos of 10 cases

The prevalence and characteristics of right heart endocarditis in Africa are not well known. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical and laboratory profiles of patients with right-heart infective endocarditis. This was a 10-year retrospective study conducted in 2 cardiology departments in Dakar, Senegal. All patients who met the diagnosis of right heart infective endocarditis according to the Duke's criteria were included. We studied the epidemiological, clinical as well as their laboratory profiles. There were 10 cases of right-heart infective endocarditis representing 3.04% of cases of infective endocarditis. There was a valvulopathy in 3 patients, an atrial septal defect in 1 patient, parturiency in 2 patients and the presence of a pacemaker in one patient. Anaemia was present in 9 patients whilst leukocytosis in 6 patients. The port of entry was found to be oral in three cases, ENT in one case and urogenital in two cases. Apart from one patient with vegetations in the tricuspid and pulmonary valves, the rest had localized vegetation only at the tricuspid valve. However, blood culture was positive in only three patients. There was a favorable outcome after antibiotic treatment in 4 patients with others having complications; three cases of renal impairment, two cases of heart failure and one case of pulmonary embolism. There was one mortality. Right heart infective endocarditis is rare but associated with potentially fatal complications.Pan African Medical Journal 2015; 2

Using systematic screening to increase integration of reproductive health services delivery in Senegal

This study tested the systematic screening technique to increase the integration of reproductive health services in Senegal. The study took place in four urban health posts in the city of Dakar and three rural health posts in the district of Kebemer. A before and after design tested the hypothesis that the use of the systematic screening tool would result in more services received per client visit. In Dakar, services per visit increased significantly by 20 percent, while in Kebemer, services per visit also increased significantly by 35 percent. The study also examined several techniques to improve provider compliance with the screening technique. The Senegal Ministry of Health has requested assistance in scaling up the strategy to other reproductive health service delivery points at district, regional, and national levels

Monitoring the elimination of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in the historical focus of Batié, South-West Burkina Faso

The World Health Organisation has targeted the elimination of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) as zero transmission by 2030. Continued surveillance needs to be in place for early detection of re-emergent cases. In this context, the performance of diagnostic tests and testing algorithms for detection of the re-emergence of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense HAT remains to be assessed. We carried out a door-to-door active medical survey for HAT in the historical focus of Batié, South-West Burkina Faso. Screening was done using three rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Two laboratory tests (ELISA/T. b. gambiense and immune trypanolysis) and parasitological examination were performed on RDT positives only. In total, 5883 participants were screened, among which 842 (14%) tested positive in at least one RDT. Blood from 519 RDT positives was examined microscopically but no trypanosomes were observed. The HAT Sero-K-Set test showed the lowest specificity of 89%, while the specificities of SD Bioline HAT and rHAT Sero-Strip were 92% and 99%, respectively. The specificity of ELISA/T. b. gambiense and trypanolysis was 99% (98-99%) and 100% (99-100%), respectively. Our results suggest that T. b. gambiense is no longer circulating in the study area and that zero transmission has probably been attained. While a least cost analysis is still required, our study showed that RDT preselection followed by trypanolysis may be a useful strategy for post-elimination surveillance in Burkina Faso.</p

Climate Variability and Outlook of Cocoa Production in Côte D’ivoire under Future Climate

Cocoa supports about 3.5 million people. Farmers produce each year 1.5 million ton. This performance hides production constraints, the most is climate variability. The climatic variables, temperature, precipitation, and 16 climatic indices were identified to assess the potential impacts on cacao in the past year, currently and under future climate. The climate data in the southern and central cocoa production zone were analysed for periods of 2021–2050 and 2041–2070. The climate reference period is 1981–2010. The climate projections are from the CORDEX RCP 4.5 and 8.5. The results suggest an increase in daily temperature of 1.0–2.1°C in the central region and 0.9–2.0°C in the southern region by 2041–2070. Cocoa could be affected by the projected changes, especially in the central region where the maximum daily temperature at which production is reduced (33°C) would be exceeded between 92 and 142 days per year by this time horizon. The direction of changes in precipitation cannot be established due to a lack of consensus between the climate models analysed. However, the little rainy season would start slightly earlier, potentially reducing the duration of the little dry season between the rainy seasons. The climate scenarios enhanced deterioration of growing environment conditions. It is necessary to take adaptation measures to mitigate climate impacts

The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa’s major land uses

Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species’ population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate ‘intactness scores’: the remaining proportion of an ‘intact’ reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region’s major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/ taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems

Influence of initial soil moisture in a regional climate model study over West Africa - Part 1: Impact on the climate mean

International audienceThe impact of soil moisture initial conditions on the mean climate over West Africa was examined using the latest version of the regional climate model of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (RegCM4) at a 25 km horizontal resolution. The soil moisture reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis of the 20th century (ERA-20C) was used to initialize the control experiment, while its minimum and maximum values over the entire domain were used to establish the respective initial dry and wet soil moisture conditions (hereafter referred to as dry and wet experiments, respectively). For the respective control, wet and dry experiments, an ensemble of five runs from June to September was performed. In each experiment, we analyzed the two idealized simulations most sensitive to the dry and wet soil moisture initial conditions. The impact of soil moisture initial conditions on precipitation in West Africa is linear over the Central and West Sahel regions, where dry (wet) experiments lead to a rainfall decrease (increase). The strongest precipitation increase is found over the West Sahel for wet experiments, with a maximum change value of approximately 40 %, whereas the strongest precipitation decrease is found for dry experiments over the Central Sahel, with a peak change of approximately −4 %. The sensitivity of soil moisture initial conditions can persist for 3-4 months (90-120 d) depending on the region. However, the influence on precipitation is no longer than 1 month (between 15 and 30 d). The strongest temperature decrease is located over the Central and West Sahel, with a maximum change of approximately −1.5 °C in wet experiments, whereas the strongest temperature increase is found over the Guinea coast and Central Sahel for the dry experiments, with a maximum change of around 0.6 °C. A significant impact of soil moisture initial conditions on the surface energy fluxes is noted: in the wet (dry) experiments, a cooling (warming) of the surface temperature is associated with a decrease (increase) in sensible heat flux, an increase (decrease) in latent heat flux and a decrease (increase) in the boundary layer depth. Part 2 of this study (Koné et al., 2022) investigates the influence of soil moisture initial conditions on climate extremes