Effets de l'incorporation de la biomasse d'azolla (azolla pinnata) sechee dans les rations du poulet en aviculture traditionnelle amelioree

Une étude sur l’effet de l’incorporation de la farine de l’Azolla pinnata dans la ration alimentaire des poulets de chair en vue d’évaluer leurs performances de croissance a été conduite sur 120 poussins âgés de 21 jours. Le soja torréfié utilisé comme témoin a été substitué partiellement par la farine d’A. pinnata à des taux de 0 ; 5,5 et 12 % correspondant à trois (3) traitements (T0, T1 et T2). Les résultats ont montré que la substitution partielle a eu un effet sur les poids vifs, les gains moyens quotidiens, la consommation alimentaire, l’indice de consommation des sujets, Les Poids vifs moyens étaient de 1393,00 ± 24,17g pour T2 comparable aux poids vifs moyens de T1 qui étaient de 1314,53 ± 21g et T0 qui étaient de 1251,67 ± 23,7g. Les indices de consommation étaient de 3,56 ± 0,32 ; 3,78 ± 0,33 ; 3,55 ± 0,26 respectivement pour T2, T1 et T0. Il n’y a pas eu de différence statistiquement significative (P >0,05) entre les différents traitements au seuil de 5 %. Le coût de l’alimentation / kg de poulet de chair et le coût total / kg de poulet de chair étaient les plus bas au niveau de T2. Dans cette expérience l’incorporation d’Azolla jusqu’à 12 % dans la ration a amélioré le gain de poids corporel et la consommation d’aliments chez le poulet de chair. ABSTRACTEFFECTS OF INCORPORATING DRIED AZOLLA (AZOLLA PINNATA) BIOMASS IN CHICKEN RATIONS IN IMPROVEDTRADITIONAL POULTRY FARMINGA study on the effect of incorporating flour from Azolla pinnata in the feed ration of broilers to assess their growth performance was carried out on 120 chicks aged 21 days. The roasted soybean used as a control was partially substituted with A. pinnata flour at levels of 0; 5.5 and 12% corresponding to three (3) treatments (T0, T1, T2). Results showed that partial substitution had an effect on body weight, meandaily gain, food consumption, subjects consumption index, mean body weight was 1393.00 ± 24.17g for comparable T2 the mean live weights of T1 which were 1314.53 ± 21g and T0 which were 1251.67 ± 23.7g. The consumption indices were 3.56 ± 0.32; 3.78 ± 0.33; 3.55 ± 0.26 respectively for T2, T1 and T0. There was no statistically significant difference (P> 0.05) between the different treatments at the5% level. Feed cost / kg broiler and total cost / kg broiler were the lowest at T2 level. In this experiment, incorporating Azolla up to 12% into the ration improved body weight gain and feed consumption in broilers

Circuit et expérience de la gestion pharmaceutique des produits locaux utilisés dans un essai clinique contrôlé par un placebo

La spiruline, une algue douée de propriétés thérapeutiques et immunostimulantes, est fréquemment utilisée par les personnes infectées par le VIH (PvVIH). Un essai clinique contrôlé par un placebo, a été menée chez les personnes infectées par le VIH de type 1 (PvVIH-1) avec la spiruline enrichi en zinc et en sélénium, et appelée «spiruline plus». L’objectif de l’étude était de définir un circuit d’approvisionnement et de gestion de la « spiruline plus » et du placebo. L’étude qui a eu l’approbation du Comité d’Ethique National des Sciences et de la Santé a duré 12 mois. Les patients inclus dans l’étude ont été randomisés dans six séries. Les quatre-vingt-dix-sept patients de l’étude étaient composés de 52,6% des sujets sous placebo contre 47,4% sous « la spiruline plus ». Les 63.7% des patients étaient sous traitement antirétroviraux contre 36.3% sans traitement. Neuf cent cinq traitements ont été dispensés aux quatre-cent-quatre-vingt-neuf patients sous placebo et quatre cent seize patients sous « spiruline plus ». Le circuit défini a permis la dispensation de la « spiruline plus » et du placebo aux patients de l’étude pendant 12 mois.Mots clés: Circuit, gestion, «spiruline plus», PvVIH-

RECRUDESCENCE OF ONCHOCERCIASIS IN THE COMOÉ VALLEY IN SOUTHWEST BURKINA FASO.

: Onchocerciasis control by vector control was instigated in southwest Burkina Faso in January 1969 by ORSTOM/OCCGE, and continued until operations were taken over by the WHO Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) in February 1975, which itself ceased operations in the area in 1989 when onchocerciasis was judged to have been reduced to insignificant levels. Initially (1969-1975) vector immigration maintained unacceptably high levels of transmission, but OCP was much larger than the preceding campaign and in 1975 the Annual Transmission Potential (ATP) dropped below 100 at all sites in the Comoé river valley except Folonzo, which continued to be subject to reinvasion, along with the whole of the Léraba river valley. However, after the southern extension of the OCP in 1979, ATPs dropped below 100 everywhere in the Comoé basin (including the Léraba valley), and further dropped to insignificant levels after the western extension of the OCP in 1985. Thus transmission dropped more quickly in the Comoé river valley than the Léraba river valley (which had been subject to vector reinvasion), and this was also reflected in prevalence of microfilaraemia in the human population. After 1986 prevalence was less than 5% in all villages in the Comoé river valley (except for two, which subsequently dropped to 0% and 3.7% by 1999). However, in 2001 (12 years after the cessation of vector control) the prevalence in one village in the Comoé river valley had increased to 39.6%, and two more had increased above 5% by 2007. New epidemiological surveys in 2011 and 2012 showed that in 13 out of 30 villages in the Comoé river valley prevalence of microfilaraemia was above 5%, although this was not observed in the Léraba river valley where prevalence remained low. This is the first documented case of recrudescence of onchocerciasis in the old OCP area, and the reasons are not clear. It is possible that there has been immigration of parasites with humans or vectors from areas where there has been a shorter period of control, or that control has been less effective. It is possible that in spite of very low levels of transmission the local parasite population was never reduced to a level below the transmission breakpoint, or that there has been a local recrudescence due to stochastic population effects. In any case it is clear that the distribution of ivermectin against lymphatic filariasis in the area since 2004 has failed to prevent the recrudescence of onchocerciasis, and the Burkina Faso Programme National de Lutte contre l'Onchocercose (PNLO - Ministere de la Santé) has instigated a programme of Community Directed Treatment with Ivermectin specifically aimed at onchocerciasis in accordance with the strategy developed by APOC and recommended to governments by OCP when it was dissolved in 2002.<br/

Biological status and dietary intakes ofiIron, zinc and vitamin A among women and preschool children in rural Burkina Faso

Background Food-based approaches such as biofortification are meant to sustainably address micronutrient deficiencies in poor settings. Knowing more about micronutrient intakes and deficiencies is a prerequisite to designing and evaluating interventions. Objective The objectives of the study were to assess biological status and dietary intakes of iron, zinc and vitamin A among women and children aged 36-59 months in rural Burkina Faso and to study relationships between intake and status to better inform future food-based interventions. Design A cross-sectional survey was carried out in two rural provinces of Burkina Faso on a random cluster sample of 480 mother-child pairs. Dietary data was obtained by 24-hour recalls repeated on a random sub-selection of 37.5% of subjects to allow calculation of nutrient's probability of adequacy (PA). Biomarkers were measured on a sub-sample of 180 mother-child pairs. Blood samples were analyzed for hemoglobin, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptors (sTfR), C-reactive protein, alpha-1-glycoprotein, serum zinc concentration (SZnC) and retinol. For each micronutrient the relationship between biomarker and dietary intake was investigated by multiple linear regression models accounting for inflammatory biomarkers. Results Mean PA for iron, zinc and vitamin A was 0.49, 0.87 and 0.21 among women and 0.61, 0.95 and 0.33 among children, respectively. Prevalence of anemia, corrected low serum ferritin and high sTfR was 37.6%, 4.0% and 77.5% among women and 72.1%, 1.5% and 87.6% among children, respectively. Prevalence of low SZnC and corrected low serum retinol was 39.4% and 12.0% among women and 63.7% and 24.8% among children, respectively. There was a tendency for a positive relationship between vitamin A intakes and serum retinol among women (beta = 0.0003, P = 0.06). Otherwise, no link was found between micronutrients biomarkers and intakes. Conclusion Our study depicted different images of micronutrient deficiencies when based on dietary intakes or biomarkers results, thus highlighting the need for more suitable biomarkers and more precise measures of absorbable micronutrient intakes at the individual level. It thus points to challenges in the design and evaluation of future biofortification or other food-based interventions in rural areas of Burkina Faso

Quality of Antenatal Care and Obstetrical Coverage in Rural Burkina Faso

Improving maternal health is one of the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. Despite the efforts to promote maternal and neonatal care to achieve this goal, the use of delivery care remains below expectations in Burkina Faso. This situation raises the question of the quality of care offered in maternity wards. The aim of this study was to identify primary healthcare facility and antenatal care characteristics predictive of an assisted delivery in rural Burkina Faso. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Gnagna province (North-East Burkina Faso) in November 2003. The operational capacities of health facilities were assessed, and a non-participating observation of the antenatal care (ANC) procedure was undertaken to evaluate their quality. Scores were established to summarize the information gathered. The rate of professional childbirth (obstetrical coverage) was derived from the number of childbirths registered in the health facility compared to the size of the population. The established scores were related to the obstetrical coverage using non-parametric tests (Kendall). In total, 17 health facilities were visited, and 81 antenatal consultations were observed. Insufficiencies were observed at all steps of ANC (mean total score for the quality of ANC=10.3\ub13.0, ranging from 6 to 16, out of a maximum of 20). Health facilities are poorly equipped, and the availability of qualified staff remained low (mean total score for the provision of care was 22.9\ub14.2, ranging from 14 to 33). However, these scores were not significantly related to the rate of professional childbirth (tau Kendall=0.27: p=0.14 and 0.01, p=0.93 respectively). The ability of the primary health centres to provide good antenatal care remains low in rural Burkina Faso. The key factors involved in the limited use of professional childbirth relating to maternal health services may be the quality of ANC

The Dryland Eco-Farm: A Potential Solution to the Main Constraints of Rain-Fed Agriculture in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Africa

This chapter presents the results of studies on a production system called Dryland Eco-Farm (DEF) that addresses a range of constraints to agricultural productivity in dryland Africa. It combines the use of live hedges and alleys of Acacia colei, “demi-lunes” in which are planted domesticated Ziziphus mauritiania. Annual crops like pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.), cowpeas and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) are planted in rotation. This trial tests the effect of the system on (1) soil erosion control, soil fertility and water use efficiency, (2) crop yield and biomass production, and (3) improving income generation and diversification. Average pearl millet yields in the DEF were twice the control (880 vs. 430 kg ha–1) when no mineral fertilizer was applied. With the application of NPK, millet yields were almost similar under both conditions (950 vs. 780 kg ha–1). Cowpea yields were on average seven times higher than the control without NPK (1,400 vs. 200 kg ha–1 total biomass) and three times with NPK (1,850 vs. 650 kg ha–1 total biomass). Roselle yield increased four times on average without NPK (205 vs. 60 kg ha–1 calices yield) and two times with NPK (234 vs. 114 kg ha–1). Therefore, the system has the potential to produce yield response similar to that of the recommended rate of 100 kg of the 15-15-15 fertilizer per ha. The return to land is estimated at US 224 for the DEF compared to US224fortheDEFcomparedtoUS77 for the traditional millet–cowpea system. This system has the potential to improve productivity and rural livelihood in the drylands of Africa while sustaining the natural resources base

New ecological options for the management of horticultural crop pests in Sudano-Sahelian agroecosystems of west Africa

The agroecological approach to agroecosystem management relies on two pillars: vegetational diversification and soil biological activity enhancement. Although crop pests and their natural enemies may be diversely affected by measures derived from these principles, those generally result in increased agroecosystem resilience visà- vis both aerial and soil pests. Earlier studies by ICRISAT and CIRAD and their partners in West Africa showed the potential of the implementation of these principles for the management of some major pests of both staple food and horticultural crops, and their limitations for others, notably in the water-saving and income-generating systems mixing cereals, legumes, and high-value crops currently promoted in the Sudano-Sahelian zones, such as the drip irrigation-based African Market Garden (AMG) and the water harvesting-based Bio-Reclamation of Degraded Lands (BDL) systems. Pigeon-pea showed potential for trap-cropping tomato fruit worm (TFW) on okra, while Andropogon grass was dismissed for such management of stem-borer on pearl millet, and mixed results were obtained with castor bean and other potential trap crops for panicle-feeding bug management on sorghum. The results presented highlight the potential for mobilizing either aerial or soil-bound biological processes for managing fruit flies (FF), the main pest of grafted jujube tree, and leaf worm, the main pest of the Moringa tree, for sustainable production of these two major crops (in BDL and AMG systems, respectively), without having to rely on synthetic pesticide sprays. Studies on the social acceptability of the proposed management options (e.g., pigeon-pea in okra-based BDL) are also underway. The potential of the Jatropha shrub grown as a live-fence around these systems, either for its top-down effects or via the use of its extracts in an assisted push-pull strategy, is discussed. These studies on targeted pathosystems serve the dual purpose of finding solutions to local problems and contribute more globally to the design of pest resilient agrosystems

Bioreclamation of degraded African lands with women empowerment

The Sudano Sahel is a semi arid region south of the Sahara with a population greater than 60 million people. Its borders are delineated by the 300-800 mm/year rain isohyets (Fig. 1). The Sahel environment is very hostile. Air temperatures are always high. During March-June they can climb to 45ºC. The intensity of monsoonal rains can be higher than 100 mm/hr resulting in significant water runoff and soil erosion. The prevalent acid sandy soil is very poor in nutrients and it has very low organic carbon content (Schlecht et al., 2006). The soil is undergoing a continuous process of erosion, mostly by wind but also by water (Manu et al., 1998). Between 80-90% of the population lives from rain-fed agriculture, producing in the rainy season (June-September) a limited number of staple crops (millet, sorghum, groundnuts, and cowpeas). Droughts result in crop failure in two out of five years. Population growth rate is around 3% resulting in diminishing area of cultivated land per household. There is a need to identify innovative alternatives for increasing agricultural productivity and income generation in such a harsh environment.More than 50% of the Sahelian soil is degraded (Lal, 1988). Most of these degraded lands are crusted lateritic soils (Fig. 2). Both the cation exchange capacity and the water holding capacity of the degraded laterites are significantly higher than those of the predominantly sandy soils.Women in Africa, particularly in the Sudano Sahel, are a marginalized sector of the society. There they have no or only little inheritance rights for goods, they are not allowed to own land, they have no voting rights in community matters and have a higher percentage of illiteracy than men (Mulenkey, 2002). Yet women are bearing the burden to feed their families and to help their husbands in farm operations in addition to their daily chores. The lack of nutritional balance in the daily diets of rural Africa is becoming a matter of concern to the international community (World Bank, 1997). In dry West Africa between 13-15% of children are suffering from acute nutritional deficiency (USAID, 2006). The Bioreclamation of Degraded Lands (BDL) system developed by ICRISAT provides solutions to these constraints. The BDL is an integrated system aiming at increasing food production and income of women through the utilization of degraded lands for production of rain-fed fruit trees and vegetables