A Decade of Partnering to Stop HIV in West Africa: GAIA VF Prevention, Education, Access to Care and Vaccine Trial Site Development in Bamako, Mali

Poster Presentation from AIDS Vaccine 2012 Boston, MA, USA. 9-12 September 201

Flambée des prix alimentaires internationaux : opportunité ou désastre pour les populations les plus pauvres ?

This article suggests a conceptual framework for analyzing the consequences of the recent prices increase on the poorest people in the world. The complexity of mechanisms at work is demonstrated. At the global level, the analysis points out that Sub Saharan Africa exhibits the worst situation but a high diversity exists between nations. Three countries were chosen for an analysis of local markets and households impacts (Cameroon, Mali and Senegal). In Senegal prices transmission on local markets is important and negative impacts on poor households are observed. By contrast domestic prices exhibit very few changes in Mali. Cameroon exhibits an intermediate situation between these two cases. ...French Abstract : Cet article propose et applique un cadre d'analyse pour l'étude des conséquences de la flambée des prix des denrées alimentaires sur les populations pauvres des pays du Sud. Il met en évidence la complexité des mécanismes à l'oeuvre et la diversité des cas. Parmi les grands ensembles régionaux, l'Afrique Sub-saharienne apparaît particulièrement exposée à des impacts négatifs, mais les situations sont contrastées d'une nation à l'autre. Trois pays sont retenus pour une analyse au niveau des marchés locaux et des ménages (Cameroun, Mali, Sénégal). Au Sénégal, la contagion aux prix alimentaires intérieurs est la plus importante, elle a des conséquences négatives sur les ménages, en particulier les plus pauvres. Au Mali par contre, on note très peu d'impacts sur les marchés domestiques. Le Cameroun illustre une situation intermédiaire entre ces deux extrêmes.FOOD PRICES INCREASE; PRICES TRANSMISSION; FOOD TRADE; POVERTY; FLAMBEE DES PRIX ALIMENTAIRES; CONNEXION DES MARCHES NATIONAUX ET INTERNATIONAUX; COMMERCE ALIMENTAIRE; PAUVRETE

Changement climatique, mécanisme actuel de prévention et de gestion des conflits entre agriculteurs et éleveurs en zone agro pastorale de production cotonnière au nord Bénin : Cas de la commune de banikoara

Conflicts between farmers and breeders have always been marked by various losses with management methods are mostly inappropriate. Thus, in a context of climate change, this study aims to understand the currentmechanism for preventing and managing conflicts between farmers and breeders in agropastoral areas of cotton production in Northern part of Benin. For this purpose, semi-structured individual interviews were  conducted with 694 breeders (Peulhs) and farmers (Bariba) randomly selected, followed by direct observations in the field. The results obtained show that there has been a decrease of conflicts. The establishment of a local committee of conflict management, a proper monitoring of animals, breeders awareness, and crackdown of defendants are the most important adaptation strategies developed in the district. These actions have  provided the plinth for additional measures to maintain the dynamic of conflicts prevention and its management. These actions are easy to apply in the current context of decentralization and climate change.Key Words: Adaptation, agro-pastoral conflicts, Banikoara, Benin, climate change Les conflits entre agriculteurs et éleveurs ont toujours été marqués par des pertes diverses avec des modes de gestion, pour la plupart inappropriés. Ainsi, dans un contexte des changements climatiques, cette étude vise àmieux comprendre le mécanisme actuel de prévention et de gestion des conflits entre agriculteurs et éleveurs, en zone agropastorale de production cotonnière dans la commune de Banikoara au Nord-Bénin. Pour ce faire, des entretiens individuels semi-structurés ont été conduits avec 694 éleveurs (Peulh) et agriculteurs (Bariba) aléatoirement sélectionnés, suivis des observations directes de terrain. Les résultats obtenus indiquent qu’il y a eu une nette diminution des conflits. Les stratégies d’adaptation développées sont principalement : la mise en place d’un comité communal de pilotage des conflits, le bon suivi des animaux, la sensibilisation des bouviers et la répression des prévenus. Ces mesures ont servi de base à la proposition des mesures additionnelles pour maintenir la dynamique de prévention et surtout de gestion des conflits entre agriculteurs et éleveurs. Elles sont faciles d’application dans le contexte actuel de décentralisation et de changement climatique.Mots Clés: Adaptations, Banikoara, Bénin, changement climatique, conflits agro-pastorau

Groups of diffeomorphisms and geometric loops of manifolds over ultra-normed fields

The article is devoted to the investigation of groups of diffeomorphisms and loops of manifolds over ultra-metric fields of zero and positive characteristics. Different types of topologies are considered on groups of loops and diffeomorphisms relative to which they are generalized Lie groups or topological groups. Among such topologies pairwise incomparable are found as well. Topological perfectness of the diffeomorphism group relative to certain topologies is studied. There are proved theorems about projective limit decompositions of these groups and their compactifications for compact manifolds. Moreover, an existence of one-parameter local subgroups of diffeomorphism groups is investigated.Comment: Some corrections excluding misprints in the article were mad

Evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex lineages and their role in an emerging threat of multidrug resistant tuberculosis in Bamako, Mali

In recent years Bamako has been faced with an emerging threat from multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB). Whole genome sequence analysis was performed on a subset of 76 isolates from a total of 208 isolates recovered from tuberculosis patients in Bamako, Mali between 2006 and 2012. Among the 76 patients, 61(80.3%) new cases and 15(19.7%) retreatment cases, 12 (16%) were infected by MDR-TB. The dominant lineage was the Euro-American lineage, Lineage 4. Within Lineage 4, the Cameroon genotype was the most prevalent genotype (n=20, 26%), followed by the Ghana genotype (n=16, 21%). A sub-clade of the Cameroon genotype, which emerged ~22 years ago was likely to be involved in community transmission. A sub-clade of the Ghana genotype that arose approximately 30 years ago was an important cause of MDR-TB in Bamako. The Ghana genotype isolates appeared more likely to be MDR than other genotypes after controlling for treatment history. We identifed a clade of four related Beijing isolates that included one MDR-TB isolate. It is a major concern to fnd the Cameroon and Ghana genotypes involved in community transmission and MDR-TB respectively. The presence of the Beijing genotype in Bamako remains worrying, given its high transmissibility and virulence

Seasonal performance of a malaria rapid diagnosis test at community health clinics in a malaria-hyperendemic region of Burkina Faso

BACKGOUND: Treatment of confirmed malaria patients with Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) at remote areas is the goal of many anti-malaria programs. Introduction of effective and affordable malaria Rapid Diagnosis Test (RDT) in remote areas could be an alternative tool for malaria case management. This study aimed to assess performance of the OptiMAL dipstick for rapid malaria diagnosis in children under five. METHODS: Malaria symptomatic and asymptomatic children were recruited in a passive manner in two community clinics (CCs). Malaria diagnosis by microscopy and RDT were performed. Performance of the tests was determined. RESULTS: RDT showed similar ability (61.2%) to accurately diagnose malaria as microscopy (61.1%). OptiMAL showed a high level of sensitivity and specificity, compared with microscopy, during both transmission seasons (high & low), with a sensitivity of 92.9% vs. 74.9% and a specificity of 77.2% vs. 87.5%. CONCLUSION: By improving the performance of the test through accurate and continuous quality control of the device in the field, OptiMAL could be suitable for use at CCs for the management and control of malaria

Village Baseline Study: Site Analysis Report for Segou – Cinzana, Mali (MA0109)

The village baseline study of Tongo village in the CCAFS benchmark site of Cinzana, Mali took place from 12 to 14 July 2011. Focus group discussions were conducted separately for men and women. The village has an abundance of natural resources such as savannah, grassland, ponds, farmlands and several kinds of socio-economic infrastructure. Some of the natural resources, however, are in a state of progressive degradation due to increase in human population; indiscriminate felling of trees; clearing of forests and deforestation; lack of rainfall; drought; and animal pressure