L’intégration des Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication dans les programmes d’alphabétisation des femmes au Sénégal : mythe ou réalité

Le sujet de l’alphabétisation a fait l’objet de nombreuses études depuis plusieurs décennies en Sciences Sociales et Humaines. Plusieurs spécialistes de l’éducation ont longuement discuté et traité ce sujet à travers différentes définitions, approches et contenus. Dans le cadre de ce travail, nous avons essayé de développer une réflexion critique et objective sur l’éducation des femmes en mettant d’une part l’accent sur les enjeux de l’alphabétisation, d’autre part sur les opportunités qu’offrent les nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication dans les programmes d’alphabétisation des femmes au Sénégal. Les différences d’indicateurs sociaux entre les sexes constituent en elles-mêmes des obstacles au développement socio économiques des pays en développement. Bien que les preneurs de décisions politiques soient conscients de l’importance de l’alphabétisation des femmes, ils l’ont rarement érigée en priorité. La participation des femmes sénégalaises à l’éducation formelle ainsi que les bénéfices sociaux qu’elles en tirent se maintiennent à un niveau inférieur à celle des hommes, à l’image de ce qui se passe dans le monde. L’écart entre les sexes persiste dans la réalité quotidienne des femmes sénégalaises même si le droit à l’éducation est assuré, proclamé par tous par la loi fondamentale du pays et par la déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme. Cette recherche, basée sur une démarche compréhensive pour analyser les opportunités qu’offrent les nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication dans les programmes d’alphabétisation en prenant comme exemple de programme Alf@net mis en oeuvre par l’ONG ANAFA, a consisté à montrer les résultats encore trop faibles 10 ans après Jomtien pour résoudre le problème de l’analphabétisme des femmes. Elle a aussi montré que des défis liés aux facteurs politique, économique, technologique, humain et culturel sont à relever si l’on veut réussir l’intégration pédagogique des nouvelles technologies dans les programmes d’alphabétisation des femmes au Sénégal

Évolution des terres salées dans le nord de l’estuaire du Saloum (Sénégal)

Le milieu d’étude, au Sénégal, est caractérisé par une forte salinisation des terres. Il est compris entre la lagune de Joal-Fadiouth et la limite de la rive droite de la ria du Saloum entre les latitudes 13°97’ et 14°32’ Nord et les longitudes 16°39’ et 16°20’ Ouest. Ces terres salées existent depuis le Quaternaire récent, mais leur évolution actuelle est amplifiée par la variabilité climatique au cours de ces dernières décennies et l’action de l’homme. L’objectif de cette recherche est d’analyser la dynamique des terres salées dans le nord de l’estuaire du Saloum. La démarche méthodologique adoptée est basée sur le traitement des images satellitaires Landsat MSS de 1973, TM de 1984, 1992, ETM+ de 2006 et OLI et TIRS de 2014. La classification supervisée par maximum de vraisemblance validée par des vérifications de terrain, par détermination des matrices de confusion et du calcul des indices de Kappa, a permis de caractériser la dynamique des terres salées. Les résultats obtenus par la classification ont montré une forte avancée des terres salées durant ces deux dernières décennies. De 1994 à 2014, les terres salées ont augmenté de 21 000 ha. Les terres salées gagnent chaque année 1 000 ha en moyenne depuis 1994.The study area is characterized by a high salinity of its land. This space is between the Joal-Fadiouth lagoon and the right bank boundary of the Saloum estuary between latitudes 13°97 'and 14°32' North and longitudes 16°39 'and 16°20' West. These salted lands have existed since the recent Quaternary, but their current evolution is amplified by the climatic variability over the last decades and by the human activities. The objective of this research is to analyse dynamics of soil salinity in the northern Saloum estuary. The methodological approach adopted is based on satellite images processing. It processes Landsat MSS satellite images from 1973, TM from 1984, 1992, ETM + 2006, OLI and TIRS from 2014. The classification of maximum likelihood validated by field truths, by determination of the matrices of confusion and calculation of Kappa indices enabled characterizing the dynamics of salty lands. Results from the classification showed a strong advance of the salty lands during the last two decades. From 1994 to 2014, salty land increased of 21 000 ha. The annual average increase of salt affected area is estimated at 1 000 ha since 1994

Sexuality of adolescent girls born with HIV in Senegal: an anthropological analysis

Objectives: In Senegal, the dominant social norm upholds virginity before marriage and edifies abstinence for adolescents as a cardinal moral value. Currently, sex outside of marriage remains socially condemned. The onset of sex for adolescent girls born with HIV in Senegal brings up several challenges. In Dakar, initiatives, especially through digital applications, are being developed to support these young people. These programs are much rarer in rural settings. A study conducted in 2021 explored how adolescent girls born with HIV who live outside of Dakar experience sexuality, what socio-health constraints they face, and what support they receive from the healthcare system. Method: An anthropological study titled ‘Treatment Failure among Children and Adolescents Living with HIV in Senegal, Outside Dakar’ (ETEA-VIH, ANRS 12421) was conducted in 2021 in 14 regional hospitals and health centers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 87 HIV-positive children and adolescents, 95 parents/guardians, and 47 health care workers. Adolescent girls’ onset of sexuality was specifically analyzed for 40 adolescent girls age 12–19 years old. Results: Generally, parents feign oblivion about their children’s sexual lives. Mothers dread a pregnancy out of marriage because they are responsible for overseeing sex education and would be ‘blamed’ for the transgression. The occurrence of an unintended pregnancy can lead to exclusion from the family and a risk of transmitting HIV to the child due to the lack of medical and social support. HIV remains a stigmatizing disease that families keep secret. The risk of disclosure is a major concern. Despite sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programs, most healthcare workers are reluctant to discuss sexuality or to offer contraception to adolescent girls. Information spaces have been set up in some regional hospitals by associations trained in SRH. They are rarer in health centers. Accessibility to digital applications and discussion forums is limited due to the lack of smartphones and Internet access. Conclusion: In rural settings, HIV-positive adolescent girls are confronted with the silence that surrounds sexuality and HIV. An individualized approach and confidential access to contraception should be prioritized to support them with assistance from PLHIV associations

Inactive hepatitis B carriers: outcomes of patients followed at hôpital principal de Dakar, Senegal

The evolutive profile of inactive HBV carriers is variable. Patients can remain inactive, or may evolve into chronic active hepatitis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Aim: to describe the long-term outcome of chronic hepatitis B inactive carriers followed at Hôpital Principal de Dakar. This is a retrospective study including all inactive HBV carriers, followed since 2001, and with regular monitoring of at least 5 years. Transaminases, viral load and screening for hepatocellular carcinoma were performed every 6 to 12 months. We included 52 patients. The mean follow-up was 76.2 months (60-162), the mean age 36 years (13-62 years) and the sex ratio 0.93 (25 men, 27 women). Four patients (7.7%) had an ALT above the normal. Eleven patients (21.1%) had persistently elevated viral load greater than 2000 IU/ml, while in three cases (5.8%), this increase was transient. Twenty-six patients (50%) had a detectable viral load, but still below 2000 IU/ml. Twelve patients (23.1%) had an undetectable viral load for the duration of monitoring. Eleven patients (21.2%) underwent liver biopsy. The activity or fibrosis were minimal in all cases (A or F = 1) or absent (A or F = 0). Only four patients (7.7%), had HBs seroconversion after a follow-up of six, seven and ten years. There was no focal lesion or cirrhosis detected during the follow-up. After a follow-up of at least 5 years, inactive HBV carriers remain inactive in 92.3% of cases. Their evolutive profile is characterized by an absence of elevated liver enzymes but with fluctuations of the viral load. HBs seroconversion rate is low and the risk of progression to hepatocellular carcinoma almost nil

Evidence of non-Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection in Kédougou, Sénégal

Background: Expanded malaria control efforts in Sénégal have resulted in increased use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) to identify the primary disease-causing Plasmodium species, Plasmodium falciparum. However, the type of RDT utilized in Sénégal does not detect other malaria-causing species such as Plasmodium ovale spp., Plasmodium malariae, or Plasmodium vivax. Consequently, there is a lack of information about the frequency and types of malaria infections occurring in Sénégal. This study set out to better determine whether species other than P. falciparum were evident among patients evaluated for possible malaria infection in Kédougou, Sénégal. Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction speciation assays for P. vivax, P. ovale spp., and P. malariae were developed and validated by sequencing and DNA extracted from 475 Plasmodium falciparum-specific HRP2-based RDT collected between 2013 and 2014 from a facility-based sample of symptomatic patients from two health clinics in Kédougou, a hyper-endemic region in southeastern Sénégal, were analysed. Results: Plasmodium malariae (n = 3) and P. ovale wallikeri (n = 2) were observed as co-infections with P. falciparum among patients with positive RDT results (n = 187), including one patient positive for all three species. Among 288 negative RDT samples, samples positive for P. falciparum (n = 24), P. ovale curtisi (n = 3), P. ovale wallikeri (n = 1), and P. malariae (n = 3) were identified, corresponding to a non-falciparum positivity rate of 2.5%. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the limitations of the RDT used for malaria diagnosis and demonstrate that non-P. falciparum malaria infections occur in Sénégal. Current RDT used for routine clinical diagnosis do not necessarily provide an accurate reflection of malaria transmission in Kédougou, Sénégal, and more sensitive and specific methods are required for diagnosis and patient care, as well as surveillance and elimination activities. These findings have implications for other malaria endemic settings where species besides P. falciparum may be transmitted and overlooked by control or elimination activities. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1661-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Genetic variants of RNASE3 (ECP) and susceptibility to severe malaria in Senegalese population

Abstract Background Severe forms of malaria (SM) are an outcome of Plasmodium falciparum infection and can cause death especially in children under 4 years of age. RNASE3 (ECP) has been identified as an inhibitor of Plasmodium parasites growth in vitro, and genetic analysis in hospitalized Ghanaian subjects has revealed the RNASE3 +371G/C (rs2073342) polymorphism as a susceptibility factor for cerebral malaria. The +371 C allele results in an Arg/Thr mutation that abolishes the cytotoxic activity of the ECP protein. The present study aims to investigate RNASE3 gene polymorphisms and their putative link to severe malaria in a malaria cohort from Senegal. Methods/results Patients enrolled from hospitals were classified as having either uncomplicated (UM) or severe malaria (SM). The analysis of the RNASE3 gene polymorphisms was performed in 241 subjects: 178 falciparum infected (96 SM, 82 UM) and 63 non-infected subjects as population control group (CTR). Six frequent SNPs (MAF > 3%) were identified, and one SNP was associated with malaria severity by performing a logistic regression analysis SM vs.UM: RNASE3 +499G/C (rs2233860) under age, sex as covariates and HbS/HbC polymorphisms adjustment (p = 0.003, OR 0.43, CI 95% 0.20–0.92). The polymorphisms: +371G/C (rs2073342), +499G/C (rs2233860) and +577A/T (rs8019343) defined a haplotype risk (G-G-T) for malaria severity (Fisher exact test, p = 0.03) (OR 4.1, IC 95% (1.1–14.9). Conclusion In addition to the previously described association of +371G/C polymorphism in Ghanaians cohort, the RNASE3 +499G/C polymorphism was associated with susceptibility to SM in a Senegalese population. The haplotype +371G/+499G/+577T defined by RNASE3 polymorphisms was associated with severity. The genetic association identified independently in the Senegalese population provide additional evidence of a role of RNASE3 (ECP) in malaria severity

Lack of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum in northwest Benin after 10 years of use of artemisinin-based combination therapy

Aim: In Benin, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) has been recommended as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria since 2004. The emergence in Southeast Asia of parasites that are resistant to artemisinins poses a serious threat to global control of this disease. The presence of artemisinin resistance genotypes in parasite populations in Benin is currently unknown. The present study investigated the prevalence of relevant K13-propeller gene polymorphisms in parasite isolates from the north-western region of Benin. Method: Plasmodium falciparum isolates were collected from children with a confirmed diagnosis of malaria aged 6 months to 5 years in two towns, Cobly and Djougou, in the north-western part of Benin. The study was conducted during the rainy season from July to November 2014 in local health facilities. The K13-propeller gene was amplified in parasite isolates using nested PCR and subsequently sequenced. Results: A total of 108 children were recruited into the study. The efficiency of amplification reactions was 72% (78/108). The propeller domain of the K13 gene was successfully sequenced in 78 P. falciparum isolates; all of them were wild type with no polymorphisms detectable. Conclusion: The absence of mutations in the K13 gene indicates that P. falciparum parasite populations in the study area are still fully susceptible to artemisinins