Expanding the human gut microbiome atlas of Africa.

Population studies provide insights into the interplay between the gut microbiome and geographical, lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors. However, low- and middle-income countries, in which approximately 84% of the world's population lives, are not equitably represented in large-scale gut microbiome research. Here we present the AWI-Gen 2 Microbiome Project, a cross-sectional gut microbiome study sampling 1,801 women from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

Near-infrared spectroscopy discriminates mass-reared sterile and wild tsetse flies.

Background: Monitoring the efficacy of the sterile insect technique (SIT) programs, it is desirable to discriminate between wild and sterile tsetse males captured in monitoring traps. Currently, this is primarily achieved by marking sterile males with fluorescent dye powder before release, and identifying them using a fluorescence camera and/or microscope. However, the accuracy of this method is limited due to defective marking and wild flies contaminated with a few dye particles in the monitoring traps.

HIV-1 resistance mutations and genetic diversity among children failing antiretroviral treatment in five healthcare facilities in Benin, West Africa.

Background: Antiretroviral treatment increases the risk of accumulation of resistance mutations that negatively impact the possibilities of future treatment. This study aimed to present the frequency of HIV-1 antiretroviral resistance mutations and the genetic diversity among children with virological failure in five pediatric care facilities in Benin.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from November 20, 2020, to November 30, 2022, in children under 15 years of age who failed ongoing antiretroviral treatment at five facilities care in Benin (VL > 3log10 on two consecutive realizations three months apart).

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and of seasonal variations on the innate immune inflammatory response.

Introduction: The innate immune response is an important first checkpoint in the evolution of an infection. Although adaptive immunity is generally considered the immune component that retains antigenic memory, innate immune responses can also be affected by previous stimulations. This study evaluated the impact of vaccination on innate cell activation by TLR7/8 agonist R848, as well as seasonal variations.

Longitudinal impact of past-year reproductive coercion on contraceptive use dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from eight population-based cohorts.

Background: Reproductive coercion (RC) is a type of abuse where a partner intentionally attempts to interfere with fertility through deception or violence, often by manipulating one's contraceptive use or reproductive decision-making. Cross-sectional studies on the magnitude of RC across sub-Saharan Africa have noted associations with contraceptive use. No studies have longitudinally examined RC experiences as related to future contraceptive dynamics, including discontinuation or forgoing use altogether.

A successful initial management of a penetrating head trauma in a rural district hospital: Case report.

Penetrating head trauma is the most fatal form of head injury. Although many cases of penetrating head trauma have been reported in the literature, its management remains complex, requiring a multidisciplinary team, which makes it a challenge in district hospitals where human resources and technical equipment are limited. We aim to present a successful initial management of a case of penetrating head trauma in a rural district hospital before a transfer to a first category hospital.

From macro to micro: De novo genomes of Aedes mosquitoes enable comparative genomics among close and distant relatives.

The yellow fever mosquito () is an organism of high medical importance because it is the primary vector for diseases such as yellow fever, Zika, dengue, and chikungunya. Its medical importance has made it a subject of numerous efforts to understand their biology. One such effort, was the development of a high-quality reference genome (AaegL5).

Comparison of good review practices of seven countries participating in the ECOWAS medicines regulatory harmonisation initiative: identifying opportunities for improvement.

Introduction: When implemented by national and regional regulatory agencies good review practices (GRevPs) support the timely high-quality review of medicines for enhanced patients' availability to safe, quality and efficacious innovative and generic products. It is important that all aspects of GRevPs are continuously evaluated and updated to promote the continuous improvement of regulatory systems at national and regional levels. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the GRevPs of the national medicines regulatory agencies (NMRAs) of Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, who are active participants of the ECOWASMRH initiative to identify opportunities for improvement.

Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of the Invaplex Vaccine Co-Administered with the dmLT Adjuvant in Dutch and Zambian Adults: Study Protocol for a Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Escalation Phase Ia/b Clinical Trial.

Background: Shigella infections remain endemic in places with poor sanitation and are a leading cause of diarrheal mortality globally, as well as a major contributor to gut enteropathy and stunting. There are currently no licensed vaccines for shigellosis but it has been estimated that an effective vaccine could avert 590,000 deaths over a 20-year period. A challenge to effective Shigella vaccine development has been the low immunogenicity and protective efficacy of candidate Shigella vaccines in infants and young children.

Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility of Five Cycles of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention in Côte d'Ivoire.

Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is a strategy recommended by the World Health Organization for children aged 3-59 months in the Sahel and sub-Sahel regions where malaria transmission is seasonal. In Côte d'Ivoire, malaria remains a high priority and accounts for the majority of consultations and deaths in children under five. The recent revision of the criteria for the introduction of seasonal malaria chemoprevention has made the north of Côte d'Ivoire, where malaria transmission is seasonal, eligible for the SMC.

Fecal carriage of carbapenemase and AmpC-β-lactamase producers among extended spectrum β-Lactamase-producing E. coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates in patients attending hospitals.

Background: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE), particularly Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, have been consistently associated with treatment failure, high mortality and morbidity. The emergence of carbapenem resistance among ESBL-PE strains exacerbates the antimicrobial resistance. However, data are very limited in developing countries as Burkina Faso.

Access to plasma viral load in people living with HIV under treatment in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

Objectives: Less than 25% of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) achieved plasma viral load (PVL) in 2020 in Burkina Faso. This study aimed to identify factors associated with access to PVL in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among PLWHIV in Burkina Faso between April 15 and August 8, 2022.

Impact of IYCF practices, as measured by national nutrition surveys from 2018 to 2022, on stunting and under-5 survival in Burkina Faso: a LiST analysis.

Introduction: Burkina Faso is facing a serious public health problem of chronic malnutrition and mortality in children under the age of 5. To tackle this situation, a number of child nutrition interventions have been implemented. This study aims to assess the impact of these interventions on the nutritional status of children aged 0-5 years between 2018 and 2022.

Adoption intensity of soil and water conservation techniques in Burkina Faso is influenced by farmers' preferences for their attributes.

Soil degradation is a major cause of agricultural productivity decrease in sub-Saharan Africa. In Burkina Faso, efforts to reduce this environmental issue has emerged since several decades. However, most of the techniques developed are rarely adopted by farmers.

Examination of adolescent and youth modern contraceptive users' perceptions on how religion influences contraceptive use and their rationale and circumstances of use: qualitative evidence from Burkina Faso, Kenya and Niger.

While religion is a key determining factor of contraceptive use, few studies examine how religion influences adolescent and youth contraceptive attitudes, beliefs, and use. We use recently collected (August-November 2022) qualitative data from Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Niger among young users of modern contraception who practice Christianity or Islam. In-depth interviews with married and unmarried young women ages 18-24 years were conducted in two sites in each country to obtain a mix of religions and method users.

[Factors associated with venous thromboembolism in tuberculosis patients in Burkina Faso: A case control study].

Introduction: The mortality caused by tuberculosis is partially explained by co-morbidities such as venous thromboembolic disease. Our study was aimed at identifying the factors associated with venous thromboembolism in tuberculosis patients.

Methods: This was a case-control study of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with or without venous thromboembolic disease.

Urinary incontinence (UI) in older women in low- and middle-income countries: a rapid review and case study from Burkina Faso.

The prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) in older women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is not well understood. We conducted a rapid literature review to assess the burden of UI in this population and contextualize findings from a household survey of women aged 40 and older in Nouna, in northwestern Burkina Faso. The rapid review included 21 survey articles.

Insecticide resistant Anopheles from Ethiopia but not Burkina Faso show a microbiota composition shift upon insecticide exposure.

Background: Malaria remains a key contributor to mortality and morbidity across Africa, with the highest burden in children under 5. Insecticide-based vector control tools, which target the adult Anopheles mosquitoes, are the most efficacious tool in disease prevention. Due to the widespread use of these interventions, insecticide resistance to the most used classes of insecticides is now pervasive across Africa.

Factors associated with the discontinuation of modern contraceptive methods among lactating women in nine West African high-fertility countries: findings of the most recent demographic and health surveys.

Introduction: Contraception discontinuation is a concern, especially if it occurs in breastfeeding women, thereby exposing them to a high risk of close and unwanted pregnancies. Our study aimed to measure the prevalence and identify the individual and community-level factors associated with the discontinuation of modern contraceptives among breastfeeding women.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of retrospective data of the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data from nine high-fertility rate countries, conducted mostly between 2018-2021.

Assessing customer satisfaction: the case of test prescribers at the clinical biology laboratory of Centre Muraz/ Institut National de Santé Publique, Burkina Faso.

Context: Assessing customer satisfaction with a product or service is one technique for evaluating the quality of a product or service given by a company. One of the instruments used to gauge customer satisfaction is the satisfaction survey. The Clinical Biology Laboratory of Centre Muraz employed this method to determine how satisfied its test prescribers were to improve.

The Health and Health Insurance Implications of Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Narrative Review.

Objectives: This paper aims to provide a narrative review of the implications of climate change on health and health insurance in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: A comprehensive research was employed to carry out a complete narrative study on the subject. Thus, since September 2022 we searched for literature on the relationships between climate change, health, and health insurance on PubMed over an unbounded period.

Molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases-producing Shigella in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The treatment of Shigella infections has become a major challenge due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant Shigella. There is however insufficient knowledge regarding the molecular epidemiology of Shigella strains producing beta-lactamases in Africa. This systematic review investigated the scientific literature on the molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemases producing Shigella in Africa.

Spatial analysis and risk mapping of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Sub-saharan Africa.

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a re-emerging tick-borne zoonosis that is caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV). The geographical distribution of the disease and factors that influence its occurrence are poorly known. We analysed historical records on its outbreaks in various countries across the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to identify hotspots and determine socioecological and demographicfactors associated with these outbreaks.

Household food insecurity, living conditions, and individual sense of security: A cross-sectional survey among Burkina Faso refugees in Ghana.

Food insecurity and achieving adequate nutrition is a major global challenge, especially in vulnerable groups such as refugee communities. In West Africa, thousands of Burkina Faso refugees have crossed the border into northern Ghana due to conflict and instability in their home country. We conducted a one-off cross-sectional survey to assess household food insecurity, living conditions, and sense of security among Burkina Faso refugees currently residing in the Upper East region of Ghana.