Les Associations Pastorales et la Gestion des Ressources Naturelles

Les politiques de développement pastoral en Afrique sahélienne et plus particulièrement au Niger , ont beaucoup évolué au cours des vingt dernières années. Elles ont également montré leurs limites et influencé sinon infléchi de ce fait la perception des organes de développement et des bailleurs de fonds quant aux performances des systèmes traditionnels de production dans leurs rapports avec les conditions de gestion de l'espace dans un environnement de plus en plus dégradé. Ainsi, il est aujourd'hui admis que les systèmes traditionnels de production pastorale constituaient la forme la mieux adaptée aux conditions d'exploitation et de gestion du milieu

Representations sociales de la consommation de tramadol au Niger, perceptions et connaissances des communautes : enjeux pour les actions de lutte

Full article is FrenchLe chlorhydrate de Tramadol est un antalgique de palier II sur la classification de l’OMS des médicaments anti douleurs. Son trafic illicite et utilisation détournée et abusive sont devenus un problème social au Niger. L’objectif de cette étude était de décrire les représentations sociales du tramadol évaluées à travers les connaissances et les attitudes des communautés - représentées par les élus locaux, les vendeurs ambulants de produits pharmaceutiques et les administrateurs - et de mettre ces représentations en lien avec les pratiques de sa consommation. L’étude était qualitative, transversale et descriptive. Il ressort une dualité dans la dynamique représentationnelle du Tramadol passant du «Tramadol-médicament» au «Tramadol-drogue» responsable respectivement d’une consommation naïve et d’une consommation abusive et dépendante. Toute mesure de lutte contre ce phénomène doit promouvoir des connaissances et attitudes communautaires en lien avec les conséquences sociales et sanitaires de la consommation de cette substance.Mots clés: Représentations sociales, Tramadol, drogue, médicament, préventionTramadol hydrochloride is a Level II analgesic on the WHO classification of anti-pain medications. Its smuggling, diversion and abuse have become a social problem in Niger. The objective of this study was to describe the social representations of tramadol evaluated through the knowledge and attitudes of communities -- represented by the local officials, vendors of pharmaceuticals and administrators -- and to these representations in connection with practices of consumption. The study was qualitative, cross-sectional and descriptive. It follows a duality in the representational  dynamics of Tramadol from the “Tramadol-medication” to “Tramadol-drug” responsible for respectively naive consumption and abuse/dependent consumption. Any control measures against this phenomenon must promote community knowledge and attitudes in relation to the social and health consequences of the use of this substance.Key words: Social representations, Tramadol, drug, preventio

Comparing Visions and Voices of Child Narrators in Kotia-Nima I and Allah is Not Obliged

This essay is a comparative study of two texts that are separated by a generation, which marks a historical shift in the representation of the African child.  If there is a dimension that Boubou Hama and Ahmadou Kourouma reveal in Kotia-Nima I (1968) and Allah n'est pas obligé (2000) respectively, it is indeed that of childhood, they diverge considerably in how they stage the main events in the lives of the children.  This article proposes to explore and compare the representation of children during the early postcolonial and more recent post-independence periods in West Africa.Cet essai est une étude comparée de deux textes qui démontrent un changement de paradigme dans la représentation de l'enfant africain selon leur époque et leur génération. Si les auteurs respectifs de Kotia-Nima I et Allah n'est pas obligé, Boubou Hama et Ahmadou Kourouma, révèlent tous deux une dimension, celle de l'enfance, ils divergent considérablement dans leurs romans quant à la mise en scène des événements principaux de la vie des enfants. Cet article propose d'explorer et de comparer la représentation et l'expérience des enfants dans la période postcoloniale et postindépendance en Afrique de l'Ouest

Field evaluation of two rapid diagnostic tests for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A during the 2006 outbreak in Niger.

The Pastorex((R)) (BioRad) rapid agglutination test is one of the main rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for meningococcal disease currently in use in the "meningitis belt". Earlier evaluations, performed after heating and centrifugation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, under good laboratory conditions, showed high sensitivity and specificity. However, during an epidemic, the test may be used without prior sample preparation. Recently a new, easy-to-use dipstick RDT for meningococcal disease detection on CSF was developed by the Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire in Niger and the Pasteur Institute in France. We estimate diagnostic accuracy in the field during the 2006 outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A in Maradi, Niger, for the dipstick RDT and Pastorex((R)) on unprepared CSF, (a) by comparing each test's sensitivity and specificity with previously reported values; and (b) by comparing results for each test on paired samples, using McNemar's test. We also (c) estimate diagnostic accuracy of the dipstick RDT on diluted whole blood. We tested unprepared CSF and diluted whole blood from 126 patients with suspected meningococcal disease presenting at four health posts. (a) Pastorex((R)) sensitivity (69%; 95%CI 57-79) was significantly lower than found previously for prepared CSF samples [87% (81-91); or 88% (85-91)], as was specificity [81% (95%CI 68-91) vs 93% (90-95); or 93% (87-96)]. Sensitivity of the dipstick RDT [89% (95%CI 80-95)] was similar to previously reported values for ideal laboratory conditions [89% (84-93) and 94% (90-96)]. Specificity, at 62% (95%CI 48-75), was significantly lower than found previously [94% (92-96) and 97% (94-99)]. (b) McNemar's test for the dipstick RDT vs Pastorex((R)) was statistically significant (p<0.001). (c) The dipstick RDT did not perform satisfactorily on diluted whole blood (sensitivity 73%; specificity 57%).Sensitivity and specificity of Pastorex((R)) without prior CSF preparation were poorer than previously reported results from prepared samples; therefore we caution against using this test during an epidemic if sample preparation is not possible. For the dipstick RDT, sensitivity was similar to, while specificity was not as high as previously reported during a more stable context. Further studies are needed to evaluate its field performance, especially for different populations and other serogroups

Mesusage du tramadol par les adolescents et jeunes adultes en situation de rue

L’objectif de cette étude transversale et descriptive était de décrire quelques caractéristiques de l’addiction au Tramadol chez les adolescents et jeunes adultes en situation de rue, rattachés aux centres d’écoute du Service Educatif, Judiciaire et préventif (SEJUP) de Niamey. Le recueil des données a porté sur les variables sociodémographiques et la consommation de tramadol. L’analyse des données a calculé les moyennes, minima, maxima et écarts types. Les résultats indiquent que : trois centres d’écoute sur huit participaient à l’étude. L’échantillon constituait 61 adolescents et jeunes adultes dont l’âge moyen était de 17,49 ans. L’analyse indique que 47 adolescents et jeunes adultes de toutes les catégories sociodémographiques (sexe, niveau d’instruction, provenance familiale ; région de provenance ; antécdents médicaux; antécédents judiciaires) étaient usagers du Tramadol. 46 étaient dépendants du Tramadol. La quantité moyenne consommée était de 1455,31 ± 901,4mg. Le mésusage du tramadol par les jeunes en situation de rue est probablement une des conséquences de la vente illicite et libre des médicaments, dont il est urgent de préciser les données médicales et sociales.Pan African Medical Journal 2012; 13:5

Impacts of sowing delay on summer corn in a Mediterranean sandy soil: Biomass production, nutrients uptake and nutritive value

Corn is a major forage in intensive dairy systems. In northern Morocco, the production of summer corn after spring corn became a common practice. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of sowing delay on the productivity, nutrient uptake, and forage quality of summer corn. An experiment was conducted during the summer of 2019. Four sowing dates (July 14, July 24, August 3, and August 13) were tested in a randomized complete block design with five replications. All the sowing dates were supplied with the same amount of nutrients. At harvest, the sowing delay induced a significant decline in biomass production for August 13 (-46%) compared to July 24. In addition, the highest stem height and stem diameter were recorded for the July 14 and July 24 sowing dates. The plant nutrients contents were similar for all the sowing dates. However, the N, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn uptake were significantly affected by the sowing dates. The lowest amount of N, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn uptake were recorded for the August 13 sowing date. Late summer sown corn appeared to use N and K less efficiently than earlier summer corn. This study can help producers to determine the appropriate sowing window for summer silage corn in the southern Mediterranean region especially in Loukkos region of Morocco. Keywords: N, P, K, nutrient use efficiency, biomass yield, sowing date, forage qualit

Evaluation de l’utilisation du pepsinogène sanguin comme biomarqueur de l’intégrité de la muqueuse gastrique chez le porc. 2. Méthodes de dosage et intérêt en pathologie porcine

Pepsinogen is one component of the gastric juice which participes in the digestion. This macromolecule enters the blood circulation in a small measurable quantities in healthy subjects. Therefore, blood pepsinogen is claimed to be an indicator of the integrity of the gastric mucosa. This paper was written to review the use of porcine in the diagnostic of stomach ulcers and Hyostrongylus rubidus infection. The methods of measurement of blood pepsinogen and the diagnostic values are discussed.Le pepsinogène est une composante du suc gastrique qui participe à la digestion des protéines alimentaires. Il est aussi parmi les macromolécules qui entrent dans la circulation sanguine en faibles quantités mesurables chez des sujets normaux. Son dosage est utilisé dans la mise en évidence de certaines pathologies gastriques chez le porc. Cette synthèse décrit les méthodes de dosage et des valeurs sériques ou plasmatiques du pepsinogène en relation avec des ulcères ou les infestations parasitaires à Hyostrongylus rubidus chez le por

Toxicity and persistence of Boscia senegalensis Lam. (Ex Poir.) (Capparaceae) leaves on Callosobruchus maculatus Fab. (Coleoptera:Bruchidae)

In this study, we examined the toxicity and persistence of ground fresh leaves of B. senegalensis on the development of Callosobruchus maculatus, major insect pest of cowpea (V. unguiculata) in the sahelian area. The effect of the product has been evaluated over the three developmental stages (egg, larvae and adult) of C. maculatus. At high concentration (4 g/l of ground leaves), 100 % of adults were killed within 24 h of exposure to the leaf extract, and the development of newly laid eggs and neonate larvae was also inhibited. However, the ground leaves of B. senegalensis have a variable efficacy against the bruchid instars larva. The 2nd larvae stage (L2) of C. maculatus developing inside the seeds have proved to be highly susceptible while the 4th larval stage was relatively tolerant. The study of the toxicity persistence of the leaves of B. senegalensis showed that whatever its concentration, the efficacy of crushed leaves of B. senegalensis decreased with the storage time. At a concentration of 20 g/l, the effect of B. seneglensis can persist up to 7 days.Keywords: Biopesticides, Bruchids, cowpea, pest control, Nige

Cost-Effectiveness of Alternative Uses of Polyvalent Meningococcal Vaccines in Niger: An Agent-Based Transmission Modeling Study.

Background. Despite the introduction of an effective serogroup A conjugate vaccine (MenAfriVac™), sporadic epidemics of other Neisseria meningitidis serogroups remain a concern in Africa. Polyvalent meningococcal conjugate (PMC) vaccines may offer alternatives to current strategies that rely on routine infant vaccination with MenAfriVac plus, in the event of an epidemic, district-specific reactive campaigns using polyvalent meningococcal polysaccharide (PMP) vaccines. Methods. We developed an agent-based transmission model of N. meningitidis in Niger to compare the health effects and costs of current vaccination practice and 3 alternatives. Each alternative replaces MenAfriVac in the infant vaccination series with PMC and either replaces PMP with PMC for reactive campaigns or implements a one-time catch up campaign with PMC for children and young adults. Results. Over a 28-year period, replacement of MenAfriVac with PMC in the infant immunization series and of PMP in reactive campaigns would avert 63% of expected cases (95% prediction interval 49%-75%) if elimination of serogroup A is not followed by serogroup replacement. At a PMC price of $4/dose, this would cost$1412 ($81-$3510) per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted. If serogroup replacement occurs, the cost-effectiveness of this strategy improves to $662 (cost-saving,$2473) per DALY averted. Sensitivity analyses accounting for incomplete laboratory confirmation suggest that a catch-up PMC campaign would also meet standard cost-effectiveness thresholds. Limitations. The assumption that polyvalent vaccines offer similar protection against all serogroups is simplifying. Conclusions. The use of PMC vaccines to replace MenAfriVac in routine infant immunization and in district-specific reactive campaigns would have important health benefits and is likely to be cost-effective in Niger. An additional PMC catch-up campaign would also be cost-effective if we account for incomplete laboratory reporting.PAT