Are Women In Lomé Getting Their Desired Methods Of Contraception? Understanding Provider Bias From Restrictions To Choice.

Background: Despite improvements in contraception availability, women face persistent barriers that compromise reproductive autonomy and informed choice. Provider bias is one way in which access to contraception can be restricted within clinical encounters and has been established as common in sub-Saharan Africa. This analysis assessed the prevalence of provider restrictions and the potential impact on womens method uptake in Lomé, Togo. Methods: This sub-analysis used survey data from provider and client interviews collected to assess the impacts of the Agir pour la Planification Familiale (AgirPF) program in Togo. The relationships between provider restrictiveness and womens receipt of their desired method of contraception were modelled using mixed effects logistic regressions looking at all women and among subgroups hypothesized to be at potentially higher risk of bias. Results: Around 84% of providers reported a restriction in contraceptive provision for the five contraceptive methods explored (pill, male condom, injectable, IUD, and implant). Around 53% of providers reported restricting at least four of the five methods based on age, parity, partner consent, or marital status. Among all women, there were no significant associations between provider restrictiveness and womens receipt of desired method, including among those who desired long-acting methods. In adjusted modeling, marital status was a covariate significantly associated with desired method, with married women more likely to receive their desired method than unmarried women (aOR 2.73, 95% CI 1.45-5.13). Conclusion: Provider reports of high levels of restrictions in this population are concerning and should be further explored, especially its effects on unmarried women. However, restrictions reported by providers in this study did not appear to statistically significantly influence contraceptive method received

Engaging Men in Family Planning: Perspectives From Married Men in Lomé, Togo.

Family planning programs have made vast progress in many regions of sub-Saharan Africa in the last decade, but francophone West Africa is still lagging behind. More emphasis on male engagement might result in better outcomes, especially in countries with strong patriarchal societies. Few studies in francophone West Africa have examined attitudes of male involvement in family planning from the perspective of men themselves, yet this evidence is necessary for development of successful family planning projects that include men. This qualitative study, conducted in 2016, explored attitudes of 72 married men ages 18-54 through 6 focus groups in the capital of Togo, Lomé. Participants included professional workers as well as skilled and unskilled workers. Results indicate that men have specific views on family planning based on their knowledge and understanding of how and why women might use contraception. While some men did have reservations, both founded and not, there was an overwhelmingly positive response to discussing family planning and being engaged with related decisions and services. Four key findings from the analyses of focus group responses were: (1) socioeconomic motivations drive mens interest in family planning; (2) men strongly disapprove of unilateral decisions by women to use family planning; (3) misconceptions surrounding modern methods can hinder support for family planning; and (4) limited method choice for men, insufficient venues to receive services, and few messages that target men create barriers for male engagement in family planning. Future attempts to engage men in family planning programs should pay specific attention to mens concerns, misconceptions, and their roles in family decision making. Interventions should educate men on the socioeconomic and health benefits of family planning while explaining the possible side effects and dispelling myths. To help build trust and facilitate open communication, family planning programs that encourage counseling of husbands and wives in their homes by community health workers, trusted men, or couples who have successfully used or are currently using family planning to achieve their desired family size will be important

Le cancer en milieu chirurgical pédiatrique au Togo

Introduction: Le but de ce travail était de relever les aspects épidémiologiques des cancers de l'enfant en milieu chirurgical, décrire les problèmes posés par ces cancers et éval er les résultats de leur prise en charge Méthodes: Il s'agit d'une étude rétrospective analytique sur dossiers de patients âgés de moins de 15 ans pris en charge dans le service de chirurgie pédiatrique pour cancer solide de preuve anatomopathologique entre janvier 1987 et décembre 2010. Jusqu'en 2010, les hôpitaux publics du Togo ne disposaient pas d'imagerie par résonance magnétique ni de la tomodensitométrie. Il n'existe pas de service d'oncologie pédiatrique, ni de radiothérapie au Togo. Depuis quelques années maintenant, le Togo a intégré le Groupe Franco Africain d'oncologie Pédiatrique (GFAOP) et les patients bénéficient  gracieusement des antimitotiques pour la prise en charge de certains cancers. Résultats: Trente un  patients avaient été pris en charge dans le service de chirurgie pédiatrique pour cancer. Parmi eux, il y avait 18 garçons (58,06%) et 15 filles (41,94%). L'âge moyen des patients était de 7,62 ans (extrêmes: 3 mois et 15 ans). Les patients étaient également répartis dans les différentes tranches d'âge. Les  circonstances de découverte variaient selon le type de tumeurs. Les tumeurs des tissus mous  représentaient 51,61% des cas, les tumeurs germinales 25,81% des cas et les tumeurs osseuses 22,58% des cas. Le délai moyen d'évolution avant la consultation était de 4,6 mois (extrêmes : 2 et 14 mois). Le taux de décès était de 54,84% des cas. Conclusion: Les cancers solides de l'enfant sont  caractérisés par un retard à la consultation et un plateau à visée diagnostique et thérapeutique très limité entrainant de ce fait une forte mortalit

Quality of Long-acting Reversible Contraception Provision in Lomé, Togo.

CONTEXT: Provision of high-quality contraceptive counseling and services is essential to ensure family planning (FP) programs are rights-based and voluntary. Togos modern contraceptive use has steadily increased with almost a quarter of the method mix attributed to long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC). The purpose of this study is to assess the quality of LARC provision in Togo. METHODS: Data for this study were collected in 2016 as part of a larger research study conducted in Lomé, Togo to assess the effectiveness of the ongoing FP service delivery model. Quality of FP service was assessed in terms of program capacity and program performance. Program capacity was measured with five individual variables and program performance was measured with the Method Information Index (MII). Descriptive statistics and mixed effects models were used to assess likelihood of LARC uptake. RESULTS: Of the 669 clients included in the study, 19.4% received a LARC method. Multivariable results show that LARC uptake is significantly associated with supervisory visit at the facility in the last three months (program capacity indicator) (OR 1.44; 95%CI 1.48-2.39) and is twice as likely for those with a positive MII score, even after controlling for provider and client characteristics (OR 2.1; 95%CI 1.61-2.51). CONCLUSION: This study identified supervisory visits and comprehensive contraceptive counseling as the key quality factors positively associated with uptake of LARC. Continued focus on quality of care and provider-client information exchange is necessary to ensure womens FP needs are met

Patients diabétiques de type 2 hypertendus

The congenital epulis is a benign congenital granular cell tumor arising most often of the alveolar ridge of the jawbone. When giant, it is source of digestive discomfort disabling feeding. We report the case of a newborn female, vaginal delivery, presented with a giant intraoral tumor. Tumor obstructing the mouth of the newborn and prevent the attachment and feeding. The treatment consisted of excision of the tumor under general anesthesia. The histology of the tumor was revealed that it was an epulis.Key words: Congenital epulis, newborn, oral cavity, Tog