Relationship between women’s socioeconomic status and empowerment in Burkina Faso: A focus on participation in decision-making and experience of domestic violence

Since 2009, the Burkina Faso government has launched a national policy to empower women and to better integrate gender equity in policies, actions, and programs. This paper explores how socioeconomic characteristics shape two aspects of women’s empowerment: decision-making in the household and experience of domestic violence. Using binary logistic regression, data for 9,141 cohabiting or married women from the 2010 Burkina Faso Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) are analyzed. Decision-making is positively associated with working for cash, education and higher household wealth. Women’s experience domestic violence is weakly related to socioeconomic characteristics. Only psychological pressure is related to education and household wealth. The study show that high levels of human capital and financial autonomy influence women's participation in decision-making. The subtlety of the relationship between women’s empowerment and domestic violence is also shown. In acceptance of traditional gender roles, neither education nor financial autonomy is sufficient to assert women’s empowerment.

Composition and dynamic of benthic macroinvertebrates community in semi-arid area rivers of Burkina Faso (West Africa)

The benthic macroinvertebrates communities dynamic were investigated in rivers from Burkina Faso in the purpose to analyze the taxonomic composition, the structure of benthic macroinvertebrates community and the composite environmental variables that correspond to the major distribution patterns of this community. The results showed that a total of 132 taxa was recorded and the large majority of these (103 taxa) belonged to 57 families from 8 orders of insects that represent 95% of relative abundance. We also observed some distinct differences relative to the spatial and temporal variation in the taxonomic composition. The canonical correspondance analysis (CCA) revealed a strong correlationship between Chironomidae, Syrphidae, Culicidae, Psychodidae, as well as the Pulmonates molluscs and organic nutriments feeding dynamics. These findings showed the sensitivity of benthic macroinvertebrates at different level: sensitivity which could be attributable to man-induced activities.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Benthic macroinvertebrates, enviromental variables, dynamic, Burkina Fas

Phenotypic detection of Metallo-β-Lactamase in imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia at Schiphra Hospital of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso

Background: Epidemic of carbapenemase-producing bacteria has become worldwide. Thus, during the last decade, the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and non fermentative Gram-negative bacteria in human patients have increased. Carbapenemase-producing bacteria are usually multidrug resistant. Therefore, early recognition of carbapenemase producers is critical to prevent their spread. Objectives: The aim of this study was to contribute establishing the prevalence of isolates producing Metallo-β-Lactamase isolated from patients admitted to Schiphra Hospital of Ouagadougou. Methods: Susceptibility of bacteria to antimicrobial agents was evaluated by disc diffusion method using imipenem as screening antibiotic. The combination of imipenem-EDTA was used after detection the resistance to imipenem. Results: A total of 52 isolates resisting one of the third generation cephalosporins were collected. Five isolates showed an intermediary resistance to imipenem (9.61%). Two isolates were resistant to imipenem-EDTA (3.85%). The test of imipenem-EDTA was done to confirm to production of Metallo-β-Lactamase. The hydrolysis of bacterial extract by meropenem was confirmed by production with a kinetic activity at spectrophotometer V0=4.77x10–5µM/min for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and V0=1.183x10-4 µM/min for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Conclusion: This study showed that bacterial resistances by production to metallo-β-lactamases are a reality in Burkina Faso

Water Quality and Aquatic Ecosystem Assessment Using Water Quality Indices in West Africa: Challenge and Perspectives

“Water quality is health” as it is said, “water is life.” The water quality and aquatic ecosystem health assessment is essential for early detection of water habitat degradation and overall aquatic ecosystem disturbances. All water management programs/agencies need simple and cheaper tools for water quality assessment. However, in West Africa there is an urgent need of water quality assessment tools, as far they are very limited. This chapter presents water quality indices as simple and cost-effective tool to monitor water quality. We explore the categories of water quality indices (WQIs), their use/application, and their scope in West African countries. We found that some multimetric indices (MMIs) are developed in West Africa, but they are not well known/used by local water managers and decision makers. There are not yet biotic indices (BIs) and physicochemical water quality indices (PCQWIs) typical to Western African countries areas, but most of them are applied/adapted to meet the needs of West African water quality and ecosystem health assessment. In this chapter, we present the results of some studies led in some West African countries regarding water quality indices (MMIs, BIs, PCWQIs), and address challenges and perspectives for long-term management of water and biological resources in developing countries

Apport de la technique PCR pour une meilleure compréhension de l'épizootiologie des trypanosomoses bovines : exemple de la zone d'aménagement pastoral de Yalé au Burkina Faso

La technique PCR (polymerase chain reaction) a été utilisée pour l'identificat-ion des trypanosomes chez des glossines et des bovins infectés provenant de la zone d'aménagement pastoral de Yalé, au sud du Burkina Faso. Sur les 84 intestins moyens parasitologiquement positifs de Glossina tachinoides qui ont été analysés, 50 ont pu être identifiés par PCR (Trypanosoma congolens-e types « savane » et « forêt », T. simiae et T. vivax). Chez les bovins, la technique PCR a révélé la prédominance de T. congolense « savane » et de T. vivax. Le taxon « forêt » de T. congolense n'a pas été détecté chez le bétail. Certains animaux aparasitémiques mais suspects ont montré des signaux positifs par PCR avec les amorces spécifiques de T. congolense « savane ». Ces résultats confirment le haut intérêt de la technique PCR pour révéler les pauci-infections et les infections mixtes chez les différents hôte et mettre en évidence des relations complexes d'affinité des taxons « savane » et« forêt » de T. congolense vis-à-vis de leurs vecteurs, mais aussi vis-à-vis de leurs hôtes vertébrés