Assessment of the financial gaps in cardiothoracic surgery in Africa.

Objectives: This study identified the challenges to financing cardiothoracic surgical care in Africa, highlighting the present state of funding and proffering probable solutions to adequate and effective funding in the region.

Methods: In a literature review, the authors elaborated key points, such as areas of financial funding in cardiothoracic surgery; barriers to appropriate allocation of financial resources for cardiothoracic surgery in Africa; and the needs and available resources for cardiothoracic surgery in Africa. Multiple search engines and databases were used, including but not limited to PubMed, Medline, Cochrane, Scopus and Google Scholar.

An African perspective to biodiversity conservation in the twenty-first century.

Africa boasts high biodiversity while also being home to some of the largest and fastest-growing human populations. Although the current environmental footprint of Africa is low compared to other continents, the population of Africa is estimated at around 1.5 billion inhabitants, representing nearly 18% of the world's total population.

Sociodemographic factors associated with trajectories of depression among urban refugee youth in Kampala, Uganda: A longitudinal cohort study.

Background: There is a high prevalence of depression among refugee youth in low- and middle-income countries, yet depression trajectories are understudied. This study examined depression trajectories, and factors associated with trajectories, among urban refugee youth in Kampala, Uganda.

Methods: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study with refugee youth aged 16-24 in Kampala, Uganda.

Machine learning and molecular docking prediction of potential inhibitors against dengue virus.

Introduction: Dengue Fever continues to pose a global threat due to the widespread distribution of its vector mosquitoes, and . While the WHO-approved vaccine, Dengvaxia, and antiviral treatments like Balapiravir and Celgosivir are available, challenges such as drug resistance, reduced efficacy, and high treatment costs persist. This study aims to identify novel potential inhibitors of the Dengue virus (DENV) using an integrative drug discovery approach encompassing machine learning and molecular docking techniques.

Enhancing the power quality in radial electrical systems using optimal sizing and selective allocation of distributed generations.

Optimizing energy resources is a major priority these days. Increasing household energy demand often leads to the deterioration of poorly sized distribution networks. This paper presents a method for energy compensation and optimization in radial distribution systems (ORDS).

Contraceptive experience and factors associated with desire for postpartum family planning among pregnant women of the nkongsamba health district, Littoral Region, Cameroon.

Background: The postpartum period remains a very important period during which contraceptive needs can be met and a significant reduction of maternal and foetal morbi-mortality achieved. This study aimed to evaluate past contraceptive experience and identify factors associated with the desire for postpartum family planning among women in late pregnancy.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey from September 2020 to December 2021 in four major health facilities of the Nkongsamba Health District, Cameroon, and consecutively included all pregnant women in late pregnancy, who came for antenatal follow-up in these health facilities.

Predictive Efficacy of Dual Therapies Combining Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitors with Second-Generation Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Following HIV-1 Treatment Failure in Cameroon: Implications for the Use of a Long-Acting Therapeutic Strategy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Dual therapies (DT) combining integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) with second-generation non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (2nd-Gen-NNRTIs) offer new possibilities for HIV treatment to improve adherence. However, drug resistance associated mutations (RAMs) to prior antiretrovirals may jeopardize the efficacy of DT. We herein describe the predicted efficacy of DT combining INSTIs + 2nd-Gen-NNRTI following treatment failure among Cameroonian patients.

Improving Childhood Immunization Service Delivery in Cameroon: A Synthesis of Caregiver Experiences and Recommendations.

Background/objectives: A "people-centered" approach is one of the core principles of the Immunization Agenda (IA) 2030 and emphasizes the need for services to be organized around the needs and expectations of individuals and the community. A better understanding of the immunization experience from the client's perspective is key to guiding the design of policies and interventions aimed at improving immunization delivery and coverage. This study provides a synthesis of the immunization experiences of children's caregivers in Cameroon, highlighting potential barriers for timely and complete immunization.

Magnetic Composite Carbon from Microcrystalline Cellulose to Tackle Paracetamol Contamination: Kinetics, Mass Transfer, Equilibrium, and Thermodynamic Studies.

This study reported a one-spot preparation of magnetic composite carbon (MCC@Fe) from microcrystalline cellulose (MC). The pure cellulose was impregnated in iron (III) chloride solution and carbonized at 650 °C. The MCC@Fe composite adsorbent underwent various characterization techniques.

The Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Methanolic Extract, Fractions, and Isolated Compounds from Baker f. (Fabaceae).

Inflammation is a natural body's defense mechanism against harmful stimuli such as pathogens, chemicals, or irradiation. But when the inflammatory response becomes permanent, it can lead to serious health problems. In the present study, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials of the methanolic extract (EMME), as well as its isolated fractions (FA-FJ) and compounds (-), were evaluated by using in vitro and cellular models.

Malaria Prevention for Pregnant Women and Under-Five Children in 10 Sub-Saharan Africa Countries: Socioeconomic and Temporal Inequality Analysis.

Background: Malaria remains a public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite gains from strategies like Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and Intermittent Preventive Treatment during pregnancy (IPTp), significant socioeconomic inequalities persist, particularly among pregnant women and children under five. This study analyzed temporal and socioeconomic inequalities in malaria prevention in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

The Impact of , , and in Diarrheal Infections in Central Africa (1998-2022): A Systematic Review.

Background: Gastric diseases caused, in particular, by , non-typhoidal , and resulting from food and/or water problems, are a disproportionately distributed burden in developing countries in Central Africa. The aim of this work was to compile a list of studies establishing the prevalence of the involvement of these bacterial genera in diarrheal syndromes in Central Africa from 1998 to 2022.

Methods: The Preferred Reporting Articles for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, six (6) database (Pubmed, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, Freefullpdf, and Scinapse) were perused for research on the role of , and diarrheal infections in humans and animals, in 9 country of Central Africa over from 1998 to 2022.

Metabolite profiling of Artemisia afra and Artemisia annua extracts reveals divergent effects on Plasmodium falciparum.

Background: Artemisia spp. have been used for millennia in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments, including malaria. Extracts of Artemisia afra and A.

Genomic diversity of the African malaria vector .

s.s. is a formidable human malaria vector across sub-Saharan Africa.

Atrial fibrillation screening and clinical outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Recommendations on atrial fibrillation (AF) screening by various scientific societies are inconsistent due to uncertainty about its benefit. This study aimed to summarize data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the impact of AF screening on thromboembolism, major bleeding, and mortality.

Methods: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase to identify studies providing relevant data through September 05, 2024.

Land grabbing, CSR, and the (de)mobilization of resistance.

As large-scale agricultural investment has been rising, scholars have much investigated the factors that shape contestations against land grabbing. This literature, however, has hardly focused on the role of investing agricultural companies and their corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices so far. Vice versa, there is extensive research on the CSR-contention nexus for mining and other sectors, albeit with contested findings.

The influence of jittering DHS cluster locations on geostatistical model-based estimates of malaria risk in Cameroon.

Background: In low-and-middle income countries, national representative household surveys such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and the Malaria Indicator Surveys (MIS) are routinely carried out to assess the malaria risk and the coverage of related interventions. A two-stage sampling design was used to identify clusters and households within each cluster. To ensure confidentiality, DHS made the data available after jittering (displacement) of the geographical coordinates of the clusters, shifting their original locations within a radius of 10 km.

A Cameroon Western Regions high-fat diet (MACAPOS 2) induces visceral obesity in rat.

The prevalence of obesity increases yearly in the world. The traditional local diet of the Western Regions of Cameroon was suspected to be the main contributor to the high prevalence of obesity in these Regions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Cameroon-comparable fat diet on visceral obesity in rats.

Impact of extraction methods on the properties of Carica papaya pseudostem fibers from Cameroon used as reinforcement in biocomposites.

Carica papaya pseudostems are widely available as biomass waste in Cameroon. These agricultural wastes can be effectively used as natural fibers in the manufacture of biocomposites. In this study Carica papaya fibers were extracted from papaya pseudostems by retting with water and an alkaline sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution at different concentrations (2.

Routine malaria vaccination in Africa: a step toward malaria eradication?

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, with nearly half of the world's population at risk of infection. In 2022 alone, malaria claimed approximately 608,000 lives, with 76% of these fatalities occurring in children under the age of five, underscoring the disease's disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations. Africa bears the highest burden, accounting for 94% of global malaria cases.

Determinants of anemia in school-going adolescents: a case study in Douala, Cameroon.

Context: Anemia is a medical condition resulting from a reduction in the number of red blood cells below the reference range. It is a major public health problem, particularly among adolescents, as it can have negative effects on cognitive performance, growth and reproduction. This study aims to assess the determinants of anemia among adolescents in schools in the city of Douala.