Malaria in the Republic of Guinea 2022-2023: costs associated with the care pathway from the patient's perspective.

Background: Access to safe, financial affordable health care is a key factor in reducing health disparities. The malaria is a major public health issue, with significant economic implications in Guinea where the free malaria care services were introduced in 2010. This paper analyzes the costs associated with the care pathway for malaria patients in the Republic of Guinea.

Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants in West Africa: Insights into genomic surveillance in resource-constrained settings.

SARS-CoV-2 geno-surveillance has been challenging in West Africa. Despite the multiple challenges encountered, particularly in West Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts were made to circumscribe the spread of the disease and to provide methods and resources for surveillance. We aim to describe the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 variants and highlight the efforts made in genomic surveillance in West Africa.

Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies among Children attending the Pediatric Hospital in Bamako, Mali (BamaCoV-Kids Study).

Background: This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among children attending pediatric consultations in Bamako, Mali, using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) on fingertip or venous blood samples.

Methods: A single-center, prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from May to September 2022 at the Pediatric Hospital in Bamako, Mali. Children aged 1 to 15 years underwent phlebotomy or fingertip blood sampling for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing using the Abbott Panbio COVID-19 IgG/IgM Test.

Analysis of care-seeking pathways and factors influencing early and appropriate care-seeking for malaria patients in the Republic of Guinea: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Malaria is a major public health issue in Guinea and care-seeking behaviour is dominated by self-medication and delayed access to appropriate care. However early and appropriate care-seeking are essential to control and reduce complicate forms and mortality, particularly for the most vulnerable. This study was conducted to analyse the diagnostic pathway, and the factors associated with early and appropriate care-seeking for malaria patients in the Republic of Guinea.

Mixed influence of COVID-19 on primary maternal and child health services in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected the provision of and demand for routine health services in the world. The objective of this scoping review was to synthesize the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary maternal and child health (MCH) services in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: The studies searched original studies reporting on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary MCH services.

Stakeholder engagement in the development of genetically modified mosquitoes for malaria control in West Africa: lessons learned from 10 years of Target Malaria's work in Mali.

From 2012 to 2023, the Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), based out of the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), was part of the Target Malaria research consortium working towards developing novel gene drive-based tools for controlling populations of malaria vector mosquitoes. As part of this work, Target Malaria Mali has undertaken a range of in-depth engagement activities with the communities where their research is conducted and with other stakeholders nationally. These activities were meant to ensure that the project's activities took place with the agreement of those communities, and that those communities were able to play a role in shaping the project's approach to ensure that its eventual outcomes were in line with their needs and concerns.

[Internally displaced persons in Mali facing the COVID 19 pandemic: A qualitative study].

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already existing security crisis leading to massive population displacements that have been taking place since 2012.

Purpose Of Research: This study aims to explore the representations of internally displaced persons (IDPs) about the existence of COVID-19 and their knowledge about its signs, symptoms, modes of transmission and prevention measures.

Methods: The study was qualitative and exploratory.

Evaluating the effects of an intervention to improve the health environment for mothers and children in health centres (BECEYA) in Mali: a qualitative study.

Introduction: an intervention aiming to improve the maternal and children environment in healthcare facilities (BECEYA) was launched in three regions of Mali. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and experiences of patients and their companions, community actors, and healthcare facilities staff on the effects of the BECEYA intervention in two regions of Mali.

Methods: we conducted a qualitative study using an empirical phenomenological approach.

Effectiveness of Acute Malnutrition Treatment at Health Center and Community Levels with a Simplified, Combined Protocol in Mali: An Observational Cohort Study.

A simplified, combined protocol was created that admits children with a mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) of <125 mm or edema to malnutrition treatment with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) that involves prescribing two daily RUTF sachets to children with MUAC < 115 mm or edema and one daily sachet to those with 115 mm ≤ MUAC < 125 mm. This treatment was previously shown to result in non-inferior programmatic outcomes compared with standard treatment. We aimed at observing its effectiveness in a routine setting at scale, including via delivery by community health workers (CHWs).

[Do West African cardiologists adhere to the guidelines for the management of heart failure ?].

Introduction: Adherence to guidelines for the management of heart failure (HF) has been shown to be a strong predictor of reduced hospitalisations. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the adherence of West African cardiologists to guidelines for the management of HF.

Methodology: This was a prospective cross-sectional multicentric study (Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Burkina-Faso).

Human Herpesvirus 8 seroprevalence among blood donors in Mali.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is endemic but with disparities between regions and population studied. Although the virus remains mostly latent, there is some evidence that blood transfusion may represents one of the transmission way for this virus. Here, we evaluated HHV-8 seroprevalence among blood donors in Mali.

Challenges and difficulties in implementing and adopting isolation and quarantine measures among internally displaced people during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mali (161/250).

Introduction: Isolation and quarantine are among the key measures that protect internally displaced people (IDPs) against COVID-19. This study aims to identify the challenges encountered by humanitarian actors, and health, political, and administrative stakeholders in implementing these measures. It also describes the difficulties faced by IDPs when adopting them, and the local initiatives developed to overcome those difficulties.

Concordance of vaccination status and associated factors with incomplete vaccination: a household survey in the health district of Segou, Mali, 2019.

Introduction: the region of Segou recorded 36.8% of children were incompletely vaccinated in 2018. In 2019, the district of Segou was one of the districts with the lowest vaccination coverage in the region, with 85.

Challenges to the implementation and adoption of physical distancing measures against COVID-19 by internally displaced people in Mali: a qualitative study.

Background: For almost a decade now, Mali has been facing a security crisis that led to the displacement of thousands of people within the country. Since March 2020, a health crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic also surfaced. To overcome this health crisis, the government implemented some physical distancing measures but their adoption proved difficult, particularly among internally displaced people (IDPs).

Analysis of viromes and microbiomes from pig fecal samples reveals that phages and prophages rarely carry antibiotic resistance genes.

Understanding the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is critical for human health. For this, it is necessary to identify which type of mobile genetic elements is able to spread them from animal reservoirs into human pathogens. Previous research suggests that in pig feces, ARGs may be encoded by bacteriophages.

Prevalence of cervical HPV infection, sexually transmitted infections and associated antimicrobial resistance in women attending cervical cancer screening in Mali.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), antimicrobial resistance and cervical lesions among women from Sikasso, Mali.

Methods: Women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (n=44) and HIV-negative women (n=96) attending cervical cancer screening were included. Screening for human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) was performed using polymerase chain reaction assays, and herpes simplex virus (HSV-1/2) serological status was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Co-developing a common glossary with stakeholders for engagement on new genetic approaches for malaria control in a local African setting.

Stakeholder engagement is an essential pillar for the development of innovative public health interventions, including genetic approaches for malaria vector control. Scientific terminologies are mainly lacking in local languages, yet when research activities involve international partnership, the question of technical jargon and its translation is crucial for effective and meaningful communication with stakeholders. Target Malaria, a not-for-profit research consortium developing innovative genetic approaches to malaria vector control, carried out a linguistic exercise in Mali, Burkina Faso and Uganda to establish the appropriate translation of its key terminology to local languages of sites where the teams operate.

Evaluation of Two HIV Rapid Diagnostic Tests in a Context of Strains' Genetic Diversity in Mali.

The rapid diagnostic tests used in most resource-limited countries offer little specificity in the differentiation of HIV-1, HIV-2, and HIV-1 + 2. World Health Organization (WHO) does periodically evaluate rapid tests in use in the South Countries. Despite the prequalification from WHO, it is necessary at local level to conduct comparative studies between the available tests.

Epidemiology of migraine among students in Mali.

Migraine is a debilitating but benign disease that can affect the quality of life of patients, disrupt the emotional relationships and impact on educational and vocational activities. The aim of our work was to study the epidemiology and impact of migraine in schools in the urban district of GAO in Mali. This is a cross-sectional study among students in the city of Gao.

Implementing visual cervical cancer screening in Senegal: a cross-sectional study of risk factors and prevalence highlighting service utilization barriers.

Background: Senegal ranks 15th in the world in incidence of cervical cancer, the number one cause of cancer mortality among women in this country. The estimated participation rate for cervical cancer screening throughout Senegal is very low (6.9% of women 18-69 years old), especially in rural areas and among older age groups (only 1.