Current beliefs and attitudes regarding epilepsy in Mali.

Purpose: In Mali, epilepsy affects 15 individuals per thousand. Perceptions and attitudes have not seemingly evolved with advancing medical knowledge. The objective of this study was to assess parental beliefs and attitudes in families with and without affected children.

Increased pulmonary pressures and myocardial wall stress in children with severe malaria.

Background: Chronic intravascular hemolysis leads to nitric oxide (NO) depletion and pulmonary hypertension in sickle cell disease. To test whether this pathophysiology occurs in malaria, we examined in Mali 53 children who were admitted to the hospital with severe malaria (excluding cerebral malaria) and 31 age-matched controls.

Methods: Severity of hemolysis was assessed from plasma levels of free hemoglobin and arginase-1.

Management of malnutrition in rural Mali.

In Mali, according to DHS III (Demographic and Health Survey) in 2001, the global rate of malnutrition (weight for age <2 sd) among under-five children was 38%. The purpose of this study was to assess the management of malnutrition in children (0-59 months old) by the professionals in the intervention areas of 'Strategy for Accelerated Child Survival and Growth', according to IMCI guidelines. We carried out a cross-sectional survey in three randomly selected health districts (Kolokani, Niono and Koro) and involved 27 health centres, 180 children and 180 mothers.