When I receive the SMS, it is a sign of love: Symbolic Connotations of SMS messages for People living with HIV in Burkina Faso

Mobile health (mHealth) has gained considerable interest recently due to its potential to improve health outcomes in developing countries with high outreach yet low costs. Several studies have explored the use of short message service (SMS) reminders to improve antiretroviral (ARV) retention and adherence, with mixed results. The majority of these studies has a quantitative nature and employs randomized designs, which do not provide further qualitative insights about other possible impacts of the messages. Based on the qualitative assessment of an SMS intervention in Burkina Faso, which complemented a (quantitative) Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), we show that beyond the functional role of improving ARV retention and adherence, SMS messages can also play important symbolic roles in offering psychosocial support to people living with HIV (PLHIV) and improving their perception of life. Concomitantly, we show that sufficient (ICT) literacy skills cannot be taken for granted in resource-poor settings. Yet, regardless of (ICT) literacy skills, the symbolism of care was perceived. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of complementing quantitative evidence of mHealth interventions with qualitative assessments

Adaptation and biomedical transition of people living with HIV to antiretroviral treatment in Burkina Faso

This article examines the adaptation and biomedical transition of people living with HIV (PLHIV) to antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Burkina Faso. The study employs a representat

A Systematic Review of Mobile Phone Interventions (SMS/IVR/Calls) to Improve Adherence and Retention to Antiretroviral Treatment in Low-and Mid

The use of mobile health technologies (mHealth) to ameliorate HIV care has considerably risen in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) since 2010. Yet, the discrepancies in the results of accompanying studies warrant an updated and systematic consolidation of all available evidence. We report a systematic review of studies testing whether text/image messages, interactive voice response reminders, or calls promote adherence and retention to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in LMICs. We systematically compiled studies published in English until June 2018 from PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, WHO database, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, and manual search. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2009 and used frequency analysis to assess reported findings. In total, we compiled 35 published articles: 27 completed studies and 8 protocols. Among the main 27 studies, 17 examine adherence, 5 retention, and 5 both measures. Results indicate that 56% report positive and statistically significantly impacts of mHealth on primary outcomes, the remaining 44% report insignificant results. While 41% of studies found a positive and significant effect for adherence, only 12% improved retention. The evidence shows ambiguous results (with high variability) about the effectiveness of mobile phone-assisted mHealth interventions to boost adherence and retention to ART. The literature also points to short follow-up periods, small samples, and limited geographical coverage. Hence, future research should focus on evaluating longer interventions with more patients spread across wider areas to address whether mHealth can be effectively used in LMICs

Food tree species consumed during periods of food shortage in Burkina Faso and their threats

Aim of study: Edible products from tree species were identified in Burkina Faso and their contribution to the diet in the lean season was assessed. The main threats affecting most consumed food tree species were also documented.Area of study: Six villages across two phytogeographic regions of Burkina FasoMaterial and methods: Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, including a 7-day dietary intake recall targeting women; semi-structured interviews targeting key male informants.Main results: The number of edible tree products consumed was found to vary according to phytogeographic region and ethnic group. A few tree species played a disproportionally greater role in the diet and were characterized by very high frequency of consumption by the majority of households in both phytogeographic regions and across ethnicities: Adansonia digitata, Parkia biglobosa and Vitellaria paradoxa. These species are not critically endangered at country level but they are perceived as scarcely available at local level. Considering that the main threats on priority tree species (fires, drought, pest and diseases) vary across regions, to maintain sustainable sources of nutrients in the landscape, mitigation measures should be diversified and adapted to local pressures.Research highlights: Priorities for conservation are emerging clearly, but research efforts should also target underutilized tree species for their potential to diversify nutrient-poor diets

Spatio-temporal dynamics of land use / land cover in the commune of Dori

Land use / land cover is a fundamental variable for the sustainable management of resources as well as for the study and understanding of environmental phenomena. Nowadays, it has become essential in most mapping and monitoring inventories of environmental phenomena. This study aims to assess the changes affecting land use / land cover in the municipality of Dori. The methodological approach is based on the interpretation of Landsat images from three periods (1995, 2006 and 2015). Cartographic data analysis revealed a decrease in the area of natural formations by 16.86% and an increase in anthropized areas by 80%. The matrix of changes made it possible to observe that the tree steppe underwent a more marked transformation of 6.45% into shrub and grassy steppe; 1.42% in rainfed crops. The conversion of shrub / grassy steppes into mosaics of fields is notably observed with a conversion of 13.77%. The study found that human activities are the main drivers of observed changes in land use and occupation in the study area, but variability in rainfall likely also contributed to these observed changes. The results of this study therefore constitute fundamental elements that will help decision-makers in decision-making for the sustainable management of natural resources

Anticoincidence (left) and Null-anticoincidence (right) of wind power density, at 50 m.

<p>Units indicate the number of grid points in a ∼1000×1000 km box surrounding the gridpoint in question which are anticoincident to the central gridpoint, which is when the hourly time series of WPD is greater than 200 W m-2 at one of the two points, but not both, for 50% of the total length of the time series.</p

Local communities demand for food tree species and the potentialities of their landscapes in two ecological zones of Burkina Faso.

We examined demand and supply of Food Tree Species (FTS) products in Burkina Faso. The hypotheses were: 1) demand for FTS products by local communities exceeds what can be sustainably extracted, and 2) local communities of the Sudanian zone have access to more diverse FTS products compared to Sahelian zone. Surveys were conducted in 300 households and 360 quadrats in landscapes surrounding 6 villages to determine the diversity, richness and availability of FTS.The results indicate that local communities tend to exploit FTS which are rare to find or absent in the landscape surrounding their village. While the range of FTS largely exploited tends to coincide across the two ecological zones, the diversity and density of the preferred FTS are discordant between the two zones. The results of the present study further support the need for conservation and restoration strategies to sustain the local communities demand for FTS products.201