High unmet needs for cervical cancer screening among women living with HIV in six African countries: A population-based study.

Background: Cisgender women living with HIV (WLWH) are disproportionately impacted by cervical cancer. Nevertheless, disparities in uptake and implementation of cervical cancer services persist in sub-Saharan Africa, where population-level estimates of screening coverage remain scarce.

Methods: We pooled data from nationally representative Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) surveys conducted in Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (2015-2019).

How norms-shifting interventions foster community-level social and behavior change: new insights from a synthesis of realist evaluations of community-level interventions.

Social norms, the informal rules that influence behavior, play essential roles in shaping people's behavior. Community-based norms-shifting interventions (NSIs) identify gender and other social norms linked to unhealthy behaviors and implement activities to promote collective change by encouraging communities to reflect on and question these norms. Though NSIs are gaining international traction in social and behavior change programming for health promotion, how change occurs needs to be clearly understood in African and other contexts.

Cost-effectiveness of decentralising acute malnutrition treatment with a standard or simplified treatment protocol: an economic evaluation in the region of Gao, Mali.

Background: Acute malnutrition treatment coverage remains low worldwide, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Decentralisation of treatment to Community Health Worker (CHW) sites has shown to be an effective strategy to improve access and increase coverage, but evidence on the cost and cost-effectiveness of this approach as well the use of simplified treatment protocols in conflict settings is lacking. The objective of this study was to determine cost per child treated as well as the cost-effectiveness of the hybrid model of treatment delivery (where treatment is provided at both health facilities and CHW sites) using either a standard protocol (Intervention 1) or simplified protocol (Intervention 2) compared to standard treatment at health facilities only (Control) in the conflict affected region of Gao in Northern Mali.

Improvement of Iron and β-Carotene Bioaccessibility in Complementary Foods: Biofortification of Local Crops With Organic Residual Products and Microorganisms.

Micronutrient deficiencies remain a great public health challenge worldwide with iron, zinc, and vitamin A being the most problematic. It has been shown that biofortification through agronomic strategies can increase their micronutrient content, but data on the bioavailability remain limited. In Senegal, consumption of cereals and legumes is high, and orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), rich in β-carotene, has been introduced a decade ago.

Association of gross domestic product with equitable access to childhood vaccines in 195 countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Gross domestic product (GDP) has been shown to affect government spending on various budget heads including healthcare and the purchase and distribution of vaccines. This vulnerable situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted and exposed the fragile nature of equitable access to vaccines for childhood immunisation globally. A systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association of country income status and GDP with vaccination coverage of vaccines for childhood immunisation and other major infectious diseases around the globe will inform global and national policy on equity in living standards and vaccine uptake.

Costs analysis of integrating group interpersonal therapy into HIV care services in Senegal.

Introduction: Group Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), an evidence-based treatment of depression recommended by the WHO mhGAP Intervention Guide, was implemented through a task-shifting approach in Senegal, as a treatment for depressed people living with HIV (PLWH). Since a description of the resources used and the implementation costs incurred is necessary to inform policymakers better, this study aimed to estimate the costs associated with its implementation.

Methods: Intervention costs were analyzed using an "ingredients-based costing approach" from the provider's perspective.

Molecular epidemiology of Hepatitis E virus among humans in the Niger Republic, 2017-2023.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis, responsible for large outbreaks in resource limited countries. The virus belongs to the genus Orthohepevirus which is subdivided into eight distinct genotypes (HEV-1 to HEV-8). Human disease transmission is mostly through the faecal-oral route.

Antiparasitic Activities of Plants from the Traditional Senegalese Pharmacopoeia: Isolation of Antitrypanosomal and Antileishmanial ellagic acid derivatives from Terminalia avicennioides.

Parasitic diseases such as trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis pose significant health challenges in Africa. The Senegalese Pharmacopoeia, known for its many medicinal plants with anti-infectious properties, can be a source of antiparasitic natural products. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antiparasitic activities of 33 methanolic extracts from 24 ethnopharmacologically selected plants against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Leishmania mexicana mexicana, as well as their cytotoxic activities on WI-38 cells.

Current and potential contributions of large-scale food fortification to meeting micronutrient requirements in Senegal: a modelling study using household food consumption data.

Introduction: Micronutrient deficiencies are common among women of reproductive age (WRA) and children in Senegal. Large-scale food fortification (LSFF) can help fill gaps in dietary intakes.

Methods: We used household food consumption data to model the contributions of existing LSFF programs (vitamin A-fortified refined oil and iron and folic acid-fortified wheat flour) and the potential contributions of expanding these programs to meeting the micronutrient requirements of WRA (15-49 years) and children (6-59 months).

From stroke to depression: The need for systematic screening for post-stroke depression.

Background: Post-stroke depression (PSD) negatively impacts the physical and mental well-being of stroke survivors. However, data on the prevalence and risk factors of PSD in African countries such as Cameroon are limited.

Aim: This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with PSD among stroke survivors at a hospital in Cameroon and inform clinical practice.

A never-ending story: updated 3D cyber-taxonomic revision of the ant genus Wheeler (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) for the Afrotropical region.

The ant genus are fascinating ants due to their distinctive morphology, ecology, and rarity. In this study, a comprehensive revision of in the Afrotropical region is presented, through a combination of morphological examination under the light microscope and three-dimensional (3D) cyber-taxonomy based on microtomography (micro-CT). Micro-CT based 3D surface models of all species were used for virtual morphological visualisation and examination.

Correction: Ex-ante impact of pest des petits ruminant control on micro and macro socioeconomic indicators in Senegal: A system dynamics modelling approach.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Promotion of Cardiovascular Health in Africa: The Alliance for Medical Research in Africa (AMedRA) Expert Panel.

This proposed scientific statement is focused on providing new insights regarding challenges and opportunities for cardiovascular health (CVH) promotion in Africa. The statement includes an overview of the current state of CVH in Africa, with a particular interest in the cardiometabolic risk factors and their evaluation through metrics. The statement also explains the main principles of primordial prevention, its relevance in reducing noncommunicable disease and the different strategies that have been effective worldwide.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and tick-borne diseases in Cameroon: Current understanding and future directions for more comprehensive surveillance.

Despite the high burden of human and animal infectious diseases in Cameroon, implementing integrative approaches to managing and controlling arthropods and their pathogens remains challenging. Surveillance should be designed to detect diseases and provide relevant field-based data for developing and implementing effective control measures to prevent outbreaks before significant public and animal health consequences can occur. Nowadays, ticks are considered the primary vectors of animal diseases in the world, and the second vector of human diseases after mosquitoes.

Impact of seasonal malaria chemoprevention timing on clinical malaria incidence dynamics in the Kedougou region, Senegal.

Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine is recommended by the World Health Organization since 2012 for clinical malaria prevention in children in the Sahelian region of Africa. In Senegal, SMC implementation began in 2013 and is given to children under 10 years old. This study aimed to describe clinical malaria incidence in the general population during routine SMC implementation and to analyse how SMC timing impacted clinical malaria dynamics in eligible children.

Exploring the equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties of a cooperative trinuclear spin-crossover chain: The role of elastic frustration.

Among the large family of spin-crossover (SCO) solids, recent investigations focused on polynuclear SCO materials, whose specific molecular configurations allow the presence of multi-step transitions and elastic frustration. In this contribution, we develop the first elastic modeling of thermal and dynamical properties of trinuclear SCO solids. For that, we study a finite SCO open chain constituted of successive elastically coupled trinuclear (A=B=C) blocks, in which each site (A, B, and C) may occupy two electronic configurations, namely, low-spin (LS) and high-spin (HS) states, accompanied with structural changes.

Head-mounted camera as a debriefing tool for surgical simulation-based training: a randomized controlled study in Senegal.

Introduction: Video feedback, particularly with a head-mounted camera, has previously been described as a useful debriefing tool in well-funded health systems but has never been performed in a low-resource environment. The purpose of this randomized, intervention-controlled study is to evaluate the feasibility of using video feedback with a head-mounted camera during intestinal anastomosis simulation training in a low-resource setting.

Methodology: This study recruited 14 first-year surgery residents in Senegal, who were randomized into control and camera groups.

Sexual Networks and Behavioral Characteristics of HIV-Positive Male Military Members, Female Sex Workers, and Male Civilians.

Military members and female sex workers (FSWs) may be more likely to acquire or transmit HIV. Mapping HIV transmission across these high-risk populations and identifying behaviors associated with sexual network clustering are needed for effective HIV prevention approaches. A cross-sectional study recruited participants newly diagnosed with HIV among militaries, civilians, and FSWs in Zambia, Senegal, and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Multifaceted barriers associated with clinical breast examination in sub-Saharan Africa: A multilevel analytical approach.

Objectives: Clinical breast examination (CBE) open the pathway to early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. This study examined barriers to CBE uptake in seven sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.

Methods: Data from the most current Demographic and Health Surveys of Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Kenya Mozambique, Senegal and Tanzania was used.

Antihypertrophic effects of the seed ethanolic extract of Gagnep. (Zingiberaceae) against isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy in male Wistar rat.

The seeds of are popularly used in the management of cardiovascular conditions. This study was undertaken to evaluate the capacity of the seed ethanolic extract of (EE) to prevent the development of cardiac hypertrophy in rats. Isoproterenol (0.

Genetic analysis of L 1758 (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Pinnidae) in the Northwest Cabo Verde Islands (Central-East Atlantic).

The rough pen shell Linnaeus, 1758 (family Pinnidae) is a mollusc with an Atlantic-Mediterranean distribution, typically inhabiting coarse sandy substrates. Habitat degradation is considered the primary cause of population decline, leading to the designation 'Vulnerable' in certain regions. In this study, we conducted a genetic analysis of populations of from Cabo Verde and compared them with populations from the Mediterranean and Macaronesia.

Changes in Cardiovascular Health at Midlife and Subsequent Cardiovascular Outcomes in Individuals With Diabetes.

Background: Whether improvements in cardiovascular health (CVH) in midlife mitigate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in patients with diabetes remains underexplored.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine the relationships between changes in CVH during midlife and subsequent risks of CVD events and all-cause mortality among individuals with and without diabetes.

Methods: The study utilized data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Effect of mass drug administration on malaria incidence in southeast Senegal during 2020-22: a two-arm, open-label, cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Background: In Africa, the scale-up of malaria-control interventions has reduced malaria burden, but progress towards elimination has stalled. Mass drug administration (MDA) is promising as a transmission-reducing strategy, but evidence from low-to-moderate transmission settings is needed. We aimed to assess the safety, coverage, and effect of three cycles of MDA with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine plus single, low-dose primaquine on Plasmodium falciparum incidence and prevalence in southeast Senegal.

Global perspectives in acute and emergency general surgery in low and middle-income countries: a WSES project protocol for scoping review on global surgery.

Background: Around five billion people globally lack access to safe, timely, and affordable surgical facilities and care in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Global initiatives have been launched, including efforts led by organizations. Also, regional efforts have shed light on the unique challenges faced by different areas within LMICs.

[Coronarography and etiologies of heart failure with impaired left ventricular ejection fraction in Senegal].

Introduction: Heart failure is a major public health problem because of the number and duration of hospitalizations. Patients with heart failure may have mixed etiologies that are not mutually exclusive, and etiologies vary between high-income and developing countries. The aim of our work was to study the contribution of coronary angiography in the etiological investigation of heart failure with impaired LVEF in the cardiology department of HPD.