Genetic analysis of grain yield and related traits of extra-early orange maize inbred lines and their hybrids under drought and rain-fed conditions.

Background: Orange maize genotypes are sources of provitamin A (PVA) carotenoids, which are precursors of vitamin A. PVA deficiency and drought constitute major challenges causing increasing food and nutritional insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Breeding of drought-tolerant provitamin A hybrid maize can mitigate these challenges.

Green synthesis of Brassica carinata microgreen silver nanoparticles, characterization, safety assessment, and antimicrobial activities.

Nanotechnology has been a central focus of scientific investigation over the past decades owing to its versatile applications. The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through plant secondary metabolites is a cost-effective and eco-friendly approach. The present study employed Brassica carinata microgreen extracts (BCME) to promote the reduction of silver nitrate (AgNO) salt into Brassica carinata microgreen silver nanoparticles (BCM-AgNPs).

Comparative phytochemical profile and biological activity of three species as alternative antimicrobial therapies.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Medicinal plants can help combat antibiotic resistance by providing novel, active molecules. Three plant species of the genus are widely used in traditional medicine in the Mouhoun region for the treatment of cutaneous and respiratory diseases. Therefore, it is important to determine the ethnopharmacological potential of bark extracts from the trunks of these three species.

Impact of Wastewater Use for Irrigation and Contamination of Lettuce by Enteric Viruses: Case of Ouagadougou Market Gardening Sites, Burkina Faso.

Raw vegetables irrigated with polluted water that may contain enteric viruses can be associated with foodborne viral disease outbreaks. The objective of this study is to investigate the possible transmission of enteric viruses from irrigation water to lettuce. Therefore, we performed a commercial multiplex real-time PCR assay to monitor the occurrence of enteric viruses in irrigation water samples and in raw vegetables that were cultivated at market gardening sites in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Seroprevalence of Viral Hepatitis B and Occult Hepatitis B Among Blood Donors in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) Infection remains a public health problem and a threat to blood transfusion safety. The aim of this study was to summarise the scientific literature on the seroprevalence of HBV and occult HBV among blood donors in Africa. Searches were carried out in PubMed, Science Direct, Global Index Medicus and African Journals Online from 2012 to 2022.

Contribution of Ethnomedical Use Data to the Marketing Authorization of Traditional Herbal Medicines in Mali.

Background: To improve the supply of health care and health care products, traditional herbal medicines that are safe, effective, and of good quality need marketing authorizations. This study aims to determine the contribution of ethnomedical evidence to the marketing of traditional herbal medicines in Mali.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from December 2023 to March 2024 supplemented by a literature review of the legislative and regulatory provisions relating to traditional medicine and the requirements for marketing authorization of traditional herbal medicines in Mali and the West African sub-region.

Link between pregnancy planning and antenatal care utilization in sub-Saharan Africa: An analysis of DHS data (2010-2023).

This study aims to analyse the relationship between pregnancy planning and antenatal care in sub-Saharan Africa and to identify which categories of mothers are most likely to make inadequate use of antenatal care in the event of a mistimed or unwanted pregnancy. The latest data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 32 countries were analysed using bivariate and multivariate descriptive methods. The results show that compared with planned births, mistimed and unwanted births are respectively 27% (OR=0.

Towards a Chatbot for Medical Diagnosis Based on Patient Symptoms.

The advent of artificial intelligence has positively transformed many areas of our lives, including the medical field. In this article, we propose the development of a medical diagnosis chatbot based on patients' symptoms, using artificial intelligence as an innovative solution. The aim of this tool is to provide doctors with a preliminary diagnosis based on the symptoms presented by patients.

A qualitative exploration to inform an oral health training for disability care workers in Burkina Faso.

Aim: To explore enablers and barriers to the creation of an oral health training for care workers at specialized centres for children with disabilities in Ouagadougou.

Design: This was a formative study informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework using qualitative methods.

Methods: Qualitative observations and 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with care workers from six specialized centres for disability.

Hyperimmune malarial splenomegaly in a malaria-endemic area of southwest Burkina Faso: case of Bobo-Dioulasso.

Introduction: Hyperreactive malarial splenomegaly (HMS) is one of the main causes of massive splenomegaly in malaria-endemic zones. Diagnosis is often challenging in Bobo-Dioulasso. This study aimed to describe the clinical and socio-demographic profile, and the reasons for delay in the diagnosis of HMS cases recorded in the Medicine and Medical Specialties wards of Souro Sanou Teaching hospital.

Care-seeking for difficulties conceiving in sub-Saharan Africa: findings from population-based surveys in eight geographies.

Study Question: What is the nature of women's care-seeking for difficulties conceiving in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including the correlates of seeking biomedical infertility care at a health facility?

Summary Answer: Care-seeking for difficulties getting pregnant was low, much of which involved traditional or religious sources of care, with evidence of sociodemographic disparities in receipt of biomedical care.

What Is Known Already: Nearly all research on infertility care-seeking patterns in SSA is limited to clinic-based studies among the minority of people in these settings who obtain facility-based services. In the absence of population-based data on infertility care-seeking, we are unable to determine the demand for services and disparities in the use of more effective biomedical sources of care.

A review of the safety profile, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and bronchorelaxant activities of Linn (Malvaceae): A potential antiasthmatic phytomedicine.

Introduction: Linn (Malvaceae) is a widely distributed plant in West Africa. It is commonly used in Burkina Faso to treat inflammation-related diseases, including asthma. Previous reviews have focused on the ethnobotanical, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of .

Research on Moringa ( Lam.) in Africa.

While Lam. is gaining importance in Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, it is unclear whether research is following the quick pace of its development on the continent. Therefore, this article analyzes the landscape of research dealing with moringa in Africa.

Associated factors of dietary diversity among schoolchildren in Plateau Central region of Burkina Faso: a cross-sectional study.

Context: School-age is a dynamic period of growth and development, leading to good health and a productive adult life. Adequate dietary intake provides essential nutrients for growth, health and cognition. However, the practices of adequate nutrition is still not a matter of course for schoolchildren in many countries.

Unusual Intra-Thyroid Migration of Ingested Fish Bone: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Trans-esophageal migration of foreign bodies is a rare but serious complication of vulnerable foreign bodies. This clinical case is about a 37-year-old female patient, with a history of foreign body ingestion eight (08) months ago, received for anterior cervical swelling evolving since about seven (07) months ago. The diagnosis of thyroid nodule was evoked on clinical examination and explored by neck ultrasound which confirmed the thyroid nodule and highlighted the presence of an intra-thyroid fish bone.

Management of abdominal textilomas: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Textilomas are an infrequent but well-known surgical complication. The authors report a series of cases to describe the frequency of abdominal textilomas, the circumstances in which they occur, their clinical and morphological characteristics, and their management, to contextualise these data, which may serve as a basis for preventive measures.

Setting And Method: This was a monocentric, retrospective, descriptive study conducted over 10 years at a tertiary hospital.

Factors associated with COVID-19 in children aged 0 to 15 in Niger, 2020.

On January 30, 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 a global health emergency. Children were affected in less severe forms. Niger had implemented measures in a context where children were a source of contamination.

Epidemiology and diagnosis of gout in sub-saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Background: The episodic nature of gout and diagnostic uncertainty in the absence of microcrystal evidence make it particularly difficult to estimate the frequency of gout. Our aim was to review the literature on the epidemiological and diagnostic aspects of gout in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: This literature review was conducted using the MEDLINE database (via PUBMED), Google Scholar, and conference abstracts.

Trends in and Correlates of Short-Acting Contraceptive Stock-Outs: Multicountry Analysis of Performance Monitoring for Action Agile Platform Data.

Understanding trends in contraceptive stock-outs, as well as their structural and demand-side correlates, is critical for policymakers and program managers to identify strategies to further anticipate, reduce, and prevent stock-outs. We analyzed trends as well as supply- and demand-side correlates of short-acting contraceptive method stock-outs by using data from multiple rounds of Performance Monitoring for Action Agile surveys. These data longitudinally measured contraceptive availability over 2 years (between November 2017 and January 2020) across 2,134 public and private service delivery points (SDPs) from urban areas of 5 countries (Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], India, Kenya, and Nigeria).