Refractive Errors Among Children at the Teaching Hospital of Bouaké (Central Côte d’Ivoire), from 2012 to 2016

Purpose: Contribute to a better understanding of refractive errors (or ametropias) among children in Côte d’Ivoire, at the epidemiological and clinical levels. Material and methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional descriptive study of medical records of children aged from 0 to 15 years received in ophthalmology consultation from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016. Whatever the reason for consultation, the clinical examination highlighted an error in the refraction.  Out of a total of 3,568 cases, 435 were selected. Results: The average age of patients was 12 years ± 0.6 (samples of 5- and 15-years extreme values) and children aged from 12 to 15 years represented 66.21% (n = 288).  There was a female predominance with 65.29% (n = 284) and 98.39% of them were students (n = 428).  The personal history of wearing corrective lenses was found in 4.83% (n = 21) while the family history of wearing corrective lenses was found in 3.91% of cases (n = 17). The most frequent reason for consultation was reduced visual acuity, but this represented only 17.45% of the reasons for consultation.  It was followed by photophobia (15.10%), and headaches (13, 50%).  All patients had benefited from an objective refraction study by automatic refractometry before optical correction, with documented evidence of cycloplegia with 0.5% Cyclopentolate in 53.8% of cases (n = 234). The refractive errors had a frequency of 12.2% and astigmatism, all forms combined (simple, compound, mixed), was present in 49.42% of patients (n = 215), followed by hyperopia with 33.1% (n = 144) and myopia with 17.47% (n = 76).  Refractive errors were classified as low in 96.55% of cases (n = 420) and strabismus was among 4 children, or 0.92% of the population under study. All these ametropias had benefited from an optical correction by glasses. Conclusion: Reducing the prevalence of uncorrected ametropia among children requires systematic screening, especially in schools.  However, the low representation of children of preschool or out-of-school age contributes to an underestimation of the real prevalence of refractive errors in our conditions

Etude de la non linéarité entre la dette et la croissance : cas de la Côte d’Ivoire

L’article examine la relation entre la dette et la croissance en côte d’ivoire sur la période 1965-2016. Les estimations à l’aide du modèle LSTAR indiquent un effet de seuil entre la dette et la croissance Ivoirienne. Les résultats de notre étude montrent qu’au-delà d’un seuil de 47,02 %, la dette influe négativement sur la croissance Ivoirienne. D’où la nécessité de renforcer les engagements en matière de discipline budgétaire à long terme

Rice farmers' knowledge, attitudes and practices towards mosquitoes in irrigation schemes in Côte d'Ivoire: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Irrigated rice cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa not only brings more malaria vectors to nearby communities, but also greater malaria risk. To aid the implementation of mosquito control in rice-growing communities, it is necessary to understand how farmers understand, view and manage their responsibility in mosquito generation and whether they are interested in coordinating to minimize it. METHODS: Qualitative methods (observation grids, semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions) were used to reveal the perceptions of mosquitoes and their control in two irrigated rice farming communities in central Côte d'Ivoire near the M'bé and Lokapli irrigation schemes. RESULTS: All rice farmers viewed mosquitoes as severe nuisances, and most acknowledged that they caused djèkouadjo (malaria) and were less numerous during harmattan (dry season). Many study participants believed that mosquitoes originated from grasses and stagnant water around villages. Only those living closer in proximity (~ 1 km) to the paddies believed that mosquitoes came from the bas-fonds (irrigated lowlands). However, they did not associate mosquito production with rice cultivation. Some farmers believed that there were more mosquitoes in recent years than historically because of the dam construction, but remarked on the importance of the dam (and bas-fonds) for their livelihood. Many farmers were not convinced that mosquito control could occur at farm-level. CONCLUSIONS: To enhance accountability amongst rice farmers, there is a need for greater awareness on the rice-mosquito link, and emphasis that the link does not imply a trade-off between food production and health. Training should not only be directed towards farming communities, but also agricultural and health extension workers. Future riceland mosquito control methods must focus on improving crop productivity and address collective action problems that may occur