Molecular diagnosis of COVID-19 in Burkina Faso: successful challenge

COVID-19 has worsened the health situation in Burkina Faso. In fact, the country has known a peak of the second wave, which began in November, and ended around January 2021. Biological diagnosis has played a key role in the management of COVID-19. The aim of this review paper is to address the practical aspects that laboratories have faced in order to meet the challenge of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis in Burkina Faso. According to international requirements, Burkina Faso has used real-time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR) as the “gold standard” for the diagnosis of COVID-19. From March 9, 2020 to July 31, 2021, in Burkina Faso, laboratories involved in COVID-19 diagnosis analyzed 226,189 samples by molecular tests and 2, 352 samples by rapid antigenic tests, whose peak was in January 2021 with 35,984 samples analyzed. The daily average rate of samples analysis was 456.02 tests. The majority of the individuals requesting COVID-19 tests were travelers (62.00%), followed by contact cases (18.42%), suspected cases (7.95%), voluntary screening (7.57%), and 4.06% of other applicants consisting of health care personnel and at-risk patients. In terms of prevention, vaccines are being administered to the general population. However, some efforts must be made to provide automated sample analysis equipment and complete sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 remains among the challenges

Biological Status and Dietary Intakes of Iron, Zinc and Vitamin A among Women and Preschool Children in Rural Burkina Faso

Abstract Backgroun

Safer Conception Needs for HIV Prevention among Female Sex Workers in Burkina Faso and Togo

Background. Reproductive health programming for female sex workers (FSW) may include contraceptive services but rarely addresses safer pregnancy planning. Methods. Adult FSW were enrolled into a cross-sectional study across four sites in Burkina Faso and Togo using respondent-driven sampling. Sociobehavioral questionnaires and HIV counseling and testing were administered. Sample statistics and engagement in HIV treatment were described and compared using Chi-squared statistics. Results. 1,349 reproductive-aged FSW were enrolled from January to July 2013. Overall, 267 FSW (19.8%) were currently trying to conceive. FSW trying to conceive were more likely to test positive for HIV at enrollment as compared to women not trying to become pregnant (24.5% versus 17.7%, P<0.01); however awareness of HIV status was similar across groups. Among FSW trying to conceive, 79.0% (211/267) had previously received HIV testing, yet only 33.8% (23/68) of HIV-infected FSW reported a previous HIV diagnosis. Overall 25.0% (17/68) of HIV-infected FSW trying to conceive were on antiretroviral therapy. Conclusion. FSW frequently desire children. However engagement in the HIV prevention and treatment cascade among FSW trying to conceive is poor potentiating periconception transmission risks to partners and infants. Programs to facilitate earlier HIV diagnosis for FSW and safer conception counseling are needed as components of effective combination HIV prevention services

Frequency and management of maternal infection in health facilities in 52 countries (GLOSS): a 1-week inception cohort study

Background: Maternal infections are an important cause of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. We report the main findings of the WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study, which aimed to assess the frequency of maternal infections in health facilities, according to maternal characteristics and outcomes, and coverage of core practices for early identification and management. Methods: We did a facility-based, prospective, 1-week inception cohort study in 713 health facilities providing obstetric, midwifery, or abortion care, or where women could be admitted because of complications of pregnancy, childbirth, post-partum, or post-abortion, in 52 low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). We obtained data from hospital records for all pregnant or recently pregnant women hospitalised with suspected or confirmed infection. We calculated ratios of infection and infection-related severe maternal outcomes (ie, death or near-miss) per 1000 livebirths and the proportion of intrahospital fatalities across country income groups, as well as the distribution of demographic, obstetric, clinical characteristics and outcomes, and coverage of a set of core practices for identification and management across infection severity groups. Findings: Between Nov 28, 2017, and Dec 4, 2017, of 2965 women assessed for eligibility, 2850 pregnant or recently pregnant women with suspected or confirmed infection were included. 70·4 (95% CI 67·7–73·1) hospitalised women per 1000 livebirths had a maternal infection, and 10·9 (9·8–12·0) women per 1000 livebirths presented with infection-related (underlying or contributing cause) severe maternal outcomes. Highest ratios were observed in LMICs and the lowest in HICs. The proportion of intrahospital fatalities was 6·8% among women with severe maternal outcomes, with the highest proportion in low-income countries. Infection-related maternal deaths represented more than half of the intrahospital deaths. Around two-thirds (63·9%, n=1821) of the women had a complete set of vital signs recorded, or received antimicrobials the day of suspicion or diagnosis of the infection (70·2%, n=1875), without marked differences across severity groups. Interpretation: The frequency of maternal infections requiring management in health facilities is high. Our results suggest that contribution of direct (obstetric) and indirect (non-obstetric) infections to overall maternal deaths is greater than previously thought. Improvement of early identification is urgently needed, as well as prompt management of women with infections in health facilities by implementing effective evidence-based practices.Fil: Althabe, Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; ArgentinaFil: Espinoza, Marisa Mabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; ArgentinaFil: Pasquale, Julia. No especifíca;Fil: Hernández Muñoz, Rosalinda. No especifíca;Fil: Carvajal, Javier. No especifíca;Fil: Escobar, María Fernanda. No especifíca;Fil: Cecatti, José Guilherme. No especifíca;Fil: Ribeiro Do Valle, Carolina C.. No especifíca;Fil: Mereci, Wilson. No especifíca;Fil: Vélez, Paola. No especifíca;Fil: Pérez, Aquilino M.. No especifíca;Fil: Vitureira, Gerardo. No especifíca;Fil: Leroy, Charlotte. No especifíca;Fil: Roelens, Kristien. No especifíca;Fil: Vandenberghe, Griet. No especifíca;Fil: Aguemon, Christiane Tshabu. No especifíca;Fil: Cisse, Kadari. No especifíca;Fil: Ouedraogo, Henri Gautier. No especifíca;Fil: Kannitha, Cheang. No especifíca;Fil: Rathavy, Tung. No especifíca;Fil: Tebeu, Pierre Marie. No especifíca;Fil: Bustillo, Carolina. No especifíca;Fil: Bredy, Lara. No especifíca;Fil: Herrera Maldonado, Nazarea. No especifíca;Fil: Abdosh, Abdulfetah Abdulkadir. No especifíca;Fil: Teklu, Alula M.. No especifíca;Fil: Kassa, Dawit Worku. No especifíca;Fil: Kumar, Vijay. No especifíca;Fil: Suri, Vanita. No especifíca;Fil: Trikha, Sonia. No especifíca

Short-term and long-term outcomes following DOTS-based treatment for tuberculosis patients in Burkina Faso.

A cross-sectional study was initiated in Burkina Faso's National Tuberculosis Programme to confirm successful treatment results within 3 months of completing treatment and to characterise longer-term outcomes 12-24 months after completion. The sample (n = 278) included 91 patients who had completed treatment 0-3 months earlier ('short-term' sample) and 187 patients who had completed treatment 12-24 months earlier ('long-term' sample). All sputum specimens from the short-term sample were confirmed as negative. In the long-term sample, among 154 patients with available information, 13 (8%) had died, 24 were not traced, and 117 (76%) were interviewed and had sputum examinations, of which 2 (2%) were smear-positive. Recording of successful treatment outcomes shows good validity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Hepatitis B, C, and D virus and human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 infections and correlates among men who have sex with men in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) are considered to be at significant risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and bloodborne viruses including viral hepatitis types B, C, and D (HBV, HCV, and HDV) and human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV 1&2). This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence and correlates of HBV, HCV, HDV, and HTLV 1&2 antibodies among MSM in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey to assess the biological and behavourial characteristics among MSM in Ouagadougou from January to April 2013. Serum specimens obtained were tested for the presence of HBV, HCV, HDV and HTLV-1&2 infections. MSM 18 years and older were recruited using respondent driven sampling (RDS). Population estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for the RDS design were calculated using RDS Analysis Tool (RDSAT) version 6.0.1 (RDS, Inc., Ithaca, NY). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess correlates of these infections using Stata 14. Results A total of 329 MSM were tested. Prevalence was 20.4% (95% CI: 16.4–25.1) for HBV, 11.0% (95% CI: 8.0–14.8) for HCV, and 0.0% for HDV. Anti-HTLV 1&2 antibodies were found in 4.0% (95% CI: 2.3–6.8) of MSM. Factors independently associated with HBV infection were lack of condom use during the last anal sex act with a main male sexual partner and experience of condom tearing during anal sex. Presence of anti-HTLV 1&2 antibodies was associated with history of genital or anal lesions and injection drug use. None of the variables included in our study were associated with HCV. Conclusions This study shows that HBV, HCV and HTLV 1&2 prevalence among MSM in Burkina is high and suggests that comprehensive STI prevention and sexual health education services for this group are needed

Connaissances, attitudes et pratiques des populations face à la tuberculose dans trois régions du Burkina Faso

Au Burkina Faso, le dépistage précoce des cas de la tuberculose (TB) constitue encore un défi malgré l’implication communautaire dansla lutte contre la maladie depuis 2005. Des connaissances et attitudes adéquates face à la tuberculose devraient contribuer à améliorer la détection des cas. L’objectif de notre travail était de décrire les connaissances, attitudes et pratiques des communautésface à la tuberculose. Nous avonsréalisé une analyse des données d’enquête transversale menée en 2012 dans trois régions du Burkina Faso. Les participants ont été choisis selon un échantillonnage en grappe. Nous avons identifié les facteurs associés à la connaissance à partir d’une régression de Cox. Au total 2 261 individus ont été enquêtés. Le sexe féminin était majoritaire (56,2 %). Plus de 85 % des enquêtés ont déclaré avoir déjà entendu parler de la TB. Un tiers (30,4 %) de la population a une bonne connaissance de la tuberculose. Lesfacteurs associés à la connaissance sur la tuberculose sont : le sexe, l’âge, le niveau d’instruction et le lieu de résidence. Pour plus de 96 % de la population enquêtée, le centre de santé est le premier recours en cas de suspicion de symptômes de la tuberculose. Le niveau global de la connaissance de la TB reste faible dansla population générale au Burkina Faso. L’amélioration de la connaissance sur la TB tenant compte des disparités identifiées dans cette étude est nécessaire pour l’atteinte des objectifs en matière de lutte contre la TB au Burkina Faso. Mots-clés : tuberculose, connaissance, pratique, Cox, Burkina Faso. &nbsp; English Title: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to TB among the general population of three regions of Burkina FasoIn Burkina Faso, early detection of tuberculosis(TB) casesremain a challenge despite community involvement in the fight against the disease since 2005. Adequate knowledge and attitudes related to tuberculosis should help improve case detection. The aim of our study was to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of communities regarding tuberculosis. We performed an analysis of cross-sectional survey data conductedin 2012 in three regions of Burkina Faso. To select participants, we carried out a three-stage clustersampling. We identified the TB related knowledge associated factorsthrough a Cox regression. A total, 2261 individuals were surveyed. The female was in the majority (56.2 %). Over 85 % of those surveyed said they had heard from TB before. One-third (30.4 %) of the population has a good knowledge of tuberculosis. Factors associated with TB-related knowledge are gender, age, education, and place of residence. For more than 96 % of the population surveyed, the health center is the first resort in case of suspected symptoms of tuberculosis. The overall level of knowledge of TB remainslow in the general population in Burkina Faso. Improving knowledge about TB taking into account the disparities identified in this study is necessary for reaching national goals in Burkina Faso. Keywords: Tuberculosis, knowledge, practices, Cox, Burkina Fas

Postabortion care service availability, readiness, and access in Burkina Faso: results from linked female-facility cross-sectional data

International audienceLittle is known about postabortion care (PAC) services in Burkina Faso, despite PACu2019s importance as an essential and life-saving component of emergency obstetric care. This study aims to evaluate PAC service availability, readiness, and accessibility in Burkina Faso. Methods: Data for this study come from the Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) Burkina Faso project and the Harmonized Health Facility Assessment (HHFA) conducted by the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé and the Ministry of Health. PMA data from a representative sample of women aged 15u201349 (n = 6,385) were linked via GPS coordinates to HHFA facility data (n = 2,757), which included all public and private health facilities in Burkina Faso. We assessed readiness to provide basic and comprehensive PAC using the signal functions framework. We then calculated distance to facilities and examined percent within 5 kms of a facility with any PAC, basic PAC, and comprehensive PAC overall and by womenu2019s background characteristics. Results: PAC services were available in 46.4% of health facilities nationwide; only 38.3% and 35.0% of eligible facilities had all basic and comprehensive PAC signal functions, respectively. Removal of retained products of conception was the most common missing signal function for both basic and comprehensive PAC, followed by provision of any contraception (basic) or any LARC (comprehensive). Nearly 85% of women lived within 5 km of a facility providing any PAC services, while 50.5% and 17.4% lived within 5 km of a facility providing all basic PAC and all comprehensive PAC signal functions, respectively. Women with more education, greater wealth, and those living in urban areas had greater odds of living within 5 km of a facility with offering PAC, basic PAC, or comprehensive PAC. Conclusions: Results indicate a need for increased PAC availability and readiness, prioritizing basic PAC services at the primary levelu2014the main source of care for many womenu2014which would reduce structural disparities in access. The current deficiencies in PAC signal a need for broader strengthening of the primary healthcare services in Burkina Faso to reduce the burden of unsafe abortion-related morbidity and mortality while improving maternal health outcomes more broadly

HIV among Female Sex Workers in Five Cities in Burkina Faso: A Cross-Sectional Baseline Survey to Inform HIV/AIDS Programs

Background. Female sex workers (FSWs) are considered a vulnerable population for HIV infection and a priority for HIV/AIDS response programs. This study aimed to determine HIV prevalence among FSWs in five cities in Burkina Faso. Methods. FSWs aged 18 and older were recruited using respondent driven sampling (RDS) in five cities (Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso, Koudougou, Ouahigouya, and Tenkodogo) in Burkina Faso from 2013 to 2014. HIV testing was performed using the HIV testing national algorithm. We conducted bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess correlates of HIV in all cities combined (not RDS-adjusted). Results. Among Ouagadougou, Koudougou, and Ouahigouya FSWs, RDS-adjusted HIV prevalence was 13.5% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 9.6–18.7), 13.3% (95% CI: 7.6–22.4), and 13.0% (95% CI: 7.6–21.3), respectively, compared to 30.1% (95% CI: 25.5–35.1) among Bobo-Dioulasso FSWs. Factors associated with HIV infection were age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 7.84 95% CI: 3.78–16.20), being married or cohabitating (aOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.31–4.49), and history of pregnancy (aOR = 5.24, 95% CI: 1.44–18.97). Conclusion. These results highlight the need to strengthen HIV prevention among FSWs, through behavior change strategies, and improve access to sexual and reproductive health services

Biological status and percentage of deficiency among women and children by province.

<p>Biological status and percentage of deficiency among women and children by province.</p