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This paper examines three interrelated factors outside of formal provision of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in sub-Saharan Africa that have undermined TVET systems. The first is the process, pace, and levels of industrialisation, which has had a direct effect on TVET provision: low numbers of well-paying jobs requiring technical expertise. This has an indirect effect, which is the second crucial factor: lack of economic development and change in labour markets. There are very few jobs that would be considered 'middle class' or 'mid-level' in wealthy countries. Most people are in survivalist work. An international consensus since the 2000s on palliative approaches to development which address the effects but not the causes of the lack of economic development in Africa has resulted in mass poor quality provision of education--the third factor. Education systems are rapidly expanding and achievement levels rising, in the context of very little possibility of labour market rewards for most people, and substantial labour market rewards confined mainly to graduates. This reinforces deeply embedded cultural preferences for general education, which originate in the type of education systems established by colonial powers, as well as the relationships between educational credentials and elite jobs.

Following an outbreak of Rift Valley fever (RVF) in south-eastern Mauritania during 1998, entomological investigations were conducted for 2 years in the affected parts of Senegal and Mauritania, spanning the Sénégal River basin. A total of 92 787 mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), belonging to 10 genera and 41 species, were captured in light traps. In Senegal,Culex poicilipes(41%) andMansonia uniformis(39%) were the most abundant species caught, whereasAedes vexans(77%) andCx. poicilipes(15%) predominated in Mauritania. RVF virus was isolated from 63 pools ofCx.poicilipes: 36 from Senegal in 1998 and 27 from Mauritania in 1999. These results are the first field evidence ofCx. poicilipesnaturally infected with RVFV, and the first isolations of this virus from mosquitoes in Mauritania– the main West African epidemic and epizootic area. Additional arbovirus isolates comprised 25 strains of Bagaza (BAG) fromAedes fowleri,Culex neaveiandCx. poicilipes; 67 Sanar (ArD 66707) fromCx. poicilipes; 51 Wesselsbron (WSL) fromAe. vexansand 30 strains of West Nile (WN) fromMa. uniformis, showing differential specific virus–vector associations in the circulation activity of these five arboviruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a study of hemoglobin in 700 blood donors attending the Centre Hospitalier National de Nouakchott in Mauritania. We detected 116 cases of anomalies corresponding to a global prevalence of 16.6%. The analysis of the samples studied showed that 72.3 % of the donors were Blacks and 28.7 % were White Maurs (Maures blancs). In the Black population the prevalence of hemoglobinopathies is 21.44% whereas among the White Maurs it is 4.47%. In this study, the six ethnic groups that constitute the Mauritanian population were also represented in the sample, but with different numbers.We noted some differences in the repartition of anomalies among these groups. The hemoglobin anomalies that were found are sickle cell anemia, β-thalassemia, and δ-variant, all in heterozygous form. Geographical repartition revealed that the hemoglobin abnormalities are mostly encountered in the Southeast and the Southwestern parts of the country, which could be considered areas of high risk for hemoglobinopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]