Search

Malaria remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Burkina Faso, which utilizes artemether-lumefantrine as the principal therapy to treat uncomplicated malaria and seasonal malaria chemoprevention with monthly sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine in children during the transmission season. Monitoring the activities of available antimalarial drugs is a high priority. We assessed the ex vivo susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to 11 drugs in isolates from patients presenting with uncomplicated malaria in Bobo-Dioulasso in 2021 and 2022. IC50 values were derived using a standard 72 h growth inhibition assay. Parasite DNA was sequenced to characterize known drug resistance-mediating polymorphisms. Isolates were generally susceptible, with IC50 values in the low-nM range, to chloroquine (median IC5010 nM, IQR 7.9-24), monodesethylamodiaquine (22, 14-46) piperaquine (6.1, 3.6-9.2), pyronaridine (3.0, 1.3-5.5), quinine (50, 30-75), mefloquine (7.1, 3.7-10), lumefantrine (7.1, 4.5-12), dihydroartemisinin (3.7, 2.2-5.5), and atovaquone (0.2, 0.1-0.3) and mostly resistant to cycloguanil (850, 543-1,290) and pyrimethamine (33,200, 18,400-54,200), although a small number of outliers were seen. Considering genetic markers of resistance to aminoquinolines, most samples had wild-type PfCRT K76T (87%) and PfMDR1 N86Y (95%) sequences. For markers of resistance to antifolates, established PfDHFR and PfDHPS mutations were highly prevalent, the PfDHPS A613S mutation was seen in 19% of samples, and key markers of high-level resistance (PfDHFR I164L; PfDHPS K540E) were absent or rare (A581G). Mutations in the PfK13 propeller domain known to mediate artemisinin partial resistance were not detected. Overall, our results suggest excellent susceptibilities to drugs now used to treat malaria and moderate, but stable, resistance to antifolates used to prevent malaria.

Abstract Background Economic growth in Rwanda is associated with significant changes in food systems, access to health and other services, lifestyle, and nutritional transitions. Nevertheless, our knowledge of dietary patterns in Rwanda remains limited. The present study aimed to identify the dietary habits of young adult population in Rwanda and to assess associated factors. Methods A developed and validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire covering a one-year period was used to collect data on food intake of 1,218 participants (18–35 years old) from end of January to April 2023 in a cross-sectional study. Dietary habits were assessed using two indicators: the Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) and dietary patterns. The latest was developed using exploratory factor analysis. Results Rwandan adults had a mean GDQS of 24.1; 64.4% had high GDQS, especially urban, and educated respondents. The Southern province led at 77.4%. Three dietary patterns were identified: “Modern” (high in processed foods and drinks), “Traditional” (rich in cereals, roots, and plant-based proteins), and “low variety” (low in diverse foods but high in sugar and salt). Dietary patterns significantly varied by residency, province, sex, age, social category, asset, and education level. Conclusion This study identified distinct dietary patterns among adult population of Rwanda, suggesting a nutritional transition associated with urbanization. The findings highlight the need for further research into the relationships between diet, obesity, and metabolic syndrome in Rwandan population.

BACKGROUND: Despite scale-up of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine (SP-AQ) in children 3-59 months of age in Burkina Faso, malaria incidence remains high, raising concerns regarding SMC effectiveness and selection of drug resistance. Using a case-control design, we determined associations between SMC drug levels, drug resistance markers, and presentation with malaria. METHODS: We enrolled 310 children presenting at health facilities in Bobo-Dioulasso. Cases were SMC-eligible children 6-59 months of age diagnosed with malaria. Two controls were enrolled per case: SMC-eligible children without malaria; and older (5-10 years old), SMC-ineligible children with malaria. We measured SP-AQ drug levels among SMC-eligible children and SP-AQ resistance markers among parasitemic children. Conditional logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (ORs) comparing drug levels between cases and controls. RESULTS: Compared to SMC-eligible controls, children with malaria were less likely to have any detectable SP or AQ (OR, 0.33 [95% confidence interval, .16-.67]; P = .002) and have lower drug levels (P < .05). Prevalences of mutations mediating high-level SP resistance were rare (0%-1%) and similar between cases and SMC-ineligible controls (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Incident malaria among SMC-eligible children was likely due to suboptimal levels of SP-AQ, resulting from missed cycles rather than increased antimalarial resistance to SP-AQ.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that promotes normal growth, development and immune function. In the context of persistent dietary zinc inadequacies, large-scale food fortification can help fill the gap between intake and requirements. Burkina Faso mandates wheat flour fortification with iron and folic acid. We used activity-based cost modelling to estimate the cost of adding zinc to the country's wheat flour fortification standard assuming (1) no change in compliance with the national standard, and (2) a substantial improvement in compliance. We used household food consumption data to model effective coverage, that is, the number of women of reproductive age (WRA) predicted to achieve adequate zinc density (zinc intake/1000 kcal) with the addition of fortification to diets. Without interventions, the prevalence of inadequate dietary zinc density was ~35.5%. With no change in compliance, the annual average incremental cost of adding zinc to fortified wheat flour was $10,347, which would effectively cover

Technology-enabled approaches to conducting 24-h dietary recalls (24HR) may reduce dietary assessment bottlenecks in low-resource settings. However, few studies have assessed their performance relative to conventional pen-and-paper interview (PAPI) approaches and none have validated performance against a benchmark (e.g. weighed food record (WFR)) in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC). This study assessed relative accuracy and cost-effectiveness of INDDEX24, a technology-enabled approach to conducting 24HR, compared with a PAPI approach and against an observer WFR. Women aged 18-49 years from northern Viet Nam (n 234) were randomly assigned to be interviewed using INDDEX24 or PAPI 24HR following a WFR. The two one-sided t test approach assessed the equivalence of each recall modality to the benchmark. Difference-in-differences analysis compared the recall-benchmark results across modalities. Cost per percentage point of accuracy for INDDEX24 and PAPI was derived from accuracy results and the cost to conduct the 24HR. The PAPI and INDDEX24 24HR were statistically equivalent to the WFR for all nutrients except vitamin A. INDDEX24 diverged significantly less than PAPI from the WFR for Fe (0·9 v. -1·3 mg) and PAPI diverged less for protein (-3·7 v. 7·9 g). At the individual level, 26 % of PAPI and 32 % of INDDEX24 respondents had energy intakes within +/- 10 % of the WFR. INDDEX24 cost $111 004 and the PAPI cost $120 483 (USD 2019), making INDDEX24 more cost-effective across most indicators. INDDEX24 was an accurate and cost-effective method for assessing dietary intake in the study context and represents a preferred alternative to PAPI 24HR in Viet Nam and other LMIC.

A bstract Background Anopheles mosquitoes are ectothermic and involved in numerous pathogen transmissions. Their life history traits are influenced by several environmental factors such as temperature, relative humidity and photoperiodicity. Despite extensive investigations of these environmental conditions on vector population ecology, their impact on the different life stages of Anopheles at different seasons in the year remains poorly explored. This study reports the potential impact of these abiotic factors on the immature and adult stages of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato during different seasons. Methods Environmental conditions were simulated in the laboratory using incubators to mimic the environmental conditions of two important periods of the year in Burkina Faso: the peak of rainy season (August) and the onset of dry season (December). Eggs from wild An. coluzzii and An. gambiae s.l. were reared separately under each environmental condition. For Anopheles coluzzii or An. gambiae s.l., eggs were equally divided into two groups assigned to the two experimental conditions. Four replicates were carried out for this experiment. Then, egg hatching rate, pupation rate, larval development time, larva-to-pupae development time, adult emergence dynamics and longevity of Anopheles were evaluated. Also, pupae-to-adult development time from wild L3 and L4 Anopheles larvae was estimated under semi-field conditions in December. Results A better egg hatching rate was recorded overall with conditions mimicking the onset of the dry season compared to the peak of the rainy season. Larval development time and longevity of An. gambiae s.l. female were significantly longer at the onset of the dry season compared than at the peak of the rainy season. Adult emergence was spread over 48 and 96 h at the peak of the rainy season and onset of dry season conditions respectively. This 96h duration in the controlled conditions of December was also observed in the semi-field conditions in December. Conclusions The impact of temperature and relative humidity on immature stages and longevity of An. gambiae s.l. adult females differed under both conditions. These findings contribute to a better understanding of vector population dynamics throughout different seasons of the year and may facilitate tailoring of control strategies. Graphical Abstract

The INDDEX24 Dietary Assessment Platform (INDDEX24) was developed to facilitate the collection of 24-h dietary recall (24HR) data. Alongside validation studies in Viet Nam and Burkina Faso in 2019-2020, we conducted activity-based costing studies to estimate the cost of conducting a 24HR among women of reproductive age using INDDEX24 compared with the pen-and-paper interview (PAPI) approach. We also modelled alternative scenarios in which: (1) 25-75 % of dietary reference data were borrowed from the INDDEX24 Global Food Matters Database (FMDB); (2) all study personnel were locally based and (3) national-scale surveys. In the primary analysis, in Viet Nam, the 24HR cost US $111 004 ($755/respondent, n 147) using INDDEX24 and $120 483 ($820/respondent, n 147) using PAPI. In Burkina Faso, the 24HR cost $78 105 ($539/respondent, n 145) using INDDEX24 and $79 465 ($544/respondent, n 146) using PAPI. In modelled scenarios, borrowing dietary reference data from the FMDB decreased the cost of INDDEX24 by 17-34 % (Viet Nam) and 5-15 % (Burkina Faso). With all locally based personnel, INDDEX24 cost more than PAPI ($498 v. $448 per respondent in Viet Nam and $456 v. $410 in Burkina Faso). However, at national scales (n 4376, Viet Nam; n 6500, Burkina Faso) using all locally based personnel, INDDEX24 was more cost-efficient ($109 v. $137 per respondent in Viet Nam and $123 v. $148 in Burkina Faso). In two countries and under most circumstances, INDDEX24 was less expensive than PAPI. Higher INDDEX24 survey preparation costs (including purchasing equipment) were more than offset by higher PAPI data entry, cleaning and processing costs. INDDEX24 may facilitate cost-efficient dietary data collection.

Background: Community screening could be an effective strategy for identifying people with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in low-income countries. Aim: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed T2DM and its risk factors. Setting: This study was conducted in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, including consenting population (≥ 18 years). Data were collected from 11 November 2020 to 16 November 2020, in five fix sites after a 10-day information campaign on T2DM. The SD CodeFreeTM glucose analyser was used to diagnose T2DM. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the associate factors. Results: A total of 1200 (95%) volunteered out of 1330 people were enrolled, which included 667 (52.27%) women. The mean age was 34.16 years (standard deviation: 12.42). Overall, 40.28% were abdominally obese and 31.43% hypertensive. The prevalence of T2DM was 10.74% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 9.15; 12.56). In multivariate analysis, being aged or greater than 35 years (adjusted odds ratio [ORa]: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.42; 3.72), having a family history of diabetes (ORa = 1.55; 95% CI: 1.006; 2.40), being overweight (ORa = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.09; 2.62), being obese (ORa = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.08; 3.00), being a known hypertensive (ORa = 2.92 95% CI: 1.64; 5.19) and having high blood pressure on the day of the survey (ORa = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.22; 2.85) increased significantly the probability to present T2DM. Conclusion: Community screening is useful to identify T2DM. A national programme to control diabetes mellitus and its associated risk factors is urgently needed in Burkina Faso. Contribution: This study will enable early detection of diabetes mellitus and its management in order to prevent or delay the onset of complications.

PURPOSE: Public health interventions to address stunting and wasting should be evaluated for possibly contributing to obesity risk. The present study tested the hypothesis that small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) might increase fat deposition, and that additional zinc provided via SQ-LNS or in the form of dispersible tablets would increase fat-free mass (FFM) accretion. METHODS: Using a two-stage, cluster-randomized trial design, 34 communities were randomly assigned to the intervention cohort (IC) or non-intervention cohort (NIC), and family compounds within the IC were randomly assigned to receive different amounts of zinc (0, 5 or 10 mg zinc) incorporated in SQ-LNS or 5 mg zinc in the form of dispersible tablets along with treatment for diarrhea, malaria and fever. Body composition was assessed in a subset of IC (n = 201) and NIC (n = 74) children at 9 and 18 months using the deuterium dilution method. A mixed linear model was used to examine average change in FFM and % fat mass (%FM) among intervention groups and by cohort. RESULTS: Children in the IC had significantly greater change in FFM (Mean (95% Confidence Interval)) (1.57 (1.49, 1.64) kg) compared to the NIC (1.35 (1.23, 1.46) kg; p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in the change in %FM between the NIC and IC or among the intervention groups. CONCLUSION: SQ-LNS, along with morbidity treatment increased weight gain and FFM in young children from 9 to 18 months of age without increasing FM deposition. Additional zinc supplementation did not affect changes in FFM or %FM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered as a clinical trial with the US National Institute of Health ( www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov ; NCT00944281).

Effective nutrition policies require timely, accurate individual dietary consumption data; collection of such information has been hampered by cost and complexity of dietary surveys and lag in producing results. The objective of this work was to assess accuracy and cost-effectiveness of a streamlined, tablet-based dietary data collection platform for 24-hour individual dietary recalls (24HR) administered using INDDEX24 platform v. a pen-and-paper interview(PAPI) questionnaire, with weighed food record (WFR) as a benchmark. This cross-sectional comparative study included women 18-49 years old from rural Burkina Faso (n 116 INDDEX24; n 115 PAPI). A WFR was conducted; the following day, a 24HR was administered by different interviewers. Food consumption data were converted into nutrient intakes. Validity of 24HR estimates of nutrient and food group consumption was based on comparison with WFR using equivalence tests (group level) and percentages of participants within ranges of percentage error (individual level). Both modalities performed comparably estimating consumption of macro- and micronutrients, food groups and quantities (modalities' divergence from WFR not significantly different). Accuracy of both modalities was acceptable (equivalence to WFR significant at P < 0·05) at group level for macronutrients, less so for micronutrients and individual-level consumption (percentage within ±20 % for WFR, 17-45 % for macronutrients, 5-17 % for micronutrients). INDDEX24 was more cost-effective than PAPI based on superior accuracy of a composite nutrient intake measure (but not gram amount or item count) due to lower time and personnel costs. INDDEX24 for 24HR dietary surveys linked to dietary reference data shows comparable accuracy to PAPI at lower cost.

Abstract Background The coronavirus pandemic again highlighted the need for robust health care facility infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes. WHO guidelines on the core components (CCs) of IPC programmes provides guidance for facilities, but their implementation can be difficult to achieve in resource-limited settings. We aimed to gather evidence on an initial WHO IPC implementation experience using a mixed methods approach. Methods A five-day training on the WHO IPC CCs was conducted at two reference acute health care facilities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso. This was accompanied by a three-part mixed-methods evaluation consisting of a: (1) baseline and follow-up survey of participants’ knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP), (2) qualitative assessment of plenary discussion transcripts and (3) deployment of the WHO IPC assessment framework (IPCAF) tool. Results were analysed descriptively and with a qualitative inductive thematic approach. Results Twenty-two and twenty-four participants were trained at each facility, respectively. Baseline and follow-up KAP results suggested increases in knowledge related to the necessity of a dedicated IPC focal person and annual evaluations of IPC training although lack of recognition on the importance of including hospital leadership in IPC training and hand hygiene monitoring recommendations remained. Most participants reported rarely attending IPC meetings or participating in IPC action planning although attitudes shifted towards stronger agreement with the feeling of IPC responsibility and importance of an IPC team. A reocurring theme in plenary discussions was related to limited resources as a barrier to IPC implementation, namely lack of reliable water access. However, participants recognised the importance of IPC improvement efforts such as practical IPC training methods or the use of data to improve quality of care. The facilities’ IPCAF scores reflected a ‘basic/intermediate’ IPC implementation level. Conclusions The training and mixed methods evaluation revealed initial IPC implementation experiences that could be used to inform stepwise approaches to facility IPC improvement in resource-limited settings. Implementation strategies should consider both global standards such as the WHO IPC CCs and specific local contexts. The early involvement of all relevant stakeholders and parallel efforts to advocate for sufficient resources and health system infrastructure are critical.

Background: The school presents an ideal environment to positively impact the long-term health and nutrition outcomes of early adolescents, who are at risk of obesity and anemia. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, we described differences in weight and anemia by sociodemographic, diet and physical activity indicators among 1059 students aged 11 to 15 years from 22 junior secondary schools in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Weight was based on body mass index (BMI) z-scores according to the WHO reference and anemia status was defined by standardized hemoglobin (Hb) measure cut-offs. We calculated dietary diversity scores (DDS) from a 24-hour dietary recall and a global diet quality score (GDQS) from a 7-day dietary recall. Results: The prevalence of obesity (5%) and anemia (50%) was relatively high among the students, which differed significantly between gender, household wealth and school grade, but not age groups. Eighteen percent of the female adolescents were overweight or obese and 22% were moderately anemic compared to 13% and 16% of the male adolescents. Dietary diversity was significantly different between weight categories, but not anemia status. For physical activity, those taking transportation to school were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese. In adjusted multivariable Poisson regression analyses, only the DDS was significantly associated with thinness and both thinness and anemia, while taking transportation to school was significantly associated with overweight among adolescents. Conclusion: We encourage the promotion of school-based interventions and provision of a curriculum on health and healthy eating in order to reduce obesity, anemia, and its comorbidities.

Background In 2014, Terre des Hommes (Tdh) together with the Ministry of Health (MoH) launched the Integrated electronic Diagnosis Approach (IeDA) intervention in two regions of Burkina Faso consisting of supplying every health centre with a digital algorithm. A realistic evaluation was conducted to understand the implementation process, the mechanisms by which the IeDA intervention lead to change.Methods Data collection took place between January 2016 and October 2017. Direct observation in health centres were conducted. In-depth interviews were conducted with 154 individuals including 92 healthcare workers (HCW) from health centres, 16 officers from district health authorities, 6 members of health centre management committees. In addition, 5 focus groups were organised with carers. The initial coding was based on a preliminary list of codes inspired by the middle-range theory (MRT).Results Our results showed that the adoption of the electronic protocol depended on a multiplicity of management practices including role distribution, team work, problem solving approach, task monitoring, training, supervision, support and recognition. Such changes lead to reorganising the health team and redistributing roles before and during consultation, and positive atmosphere that included recognition of each team member, organisational commitment and sense of belonging. Conditions for such management changes to be effective included open dialog at all levels of the system, a minimum of resources to cover the support services and supervision and regular discussions focusing on solving problems faced by health centre teams.Conclusion This project reinforces the point that in a successful diffusion of IeDA, it is necessary to combine the introduction of technology with support and management mechanisms. It also important to highlight that managers’ attitude plays a great place in the success of the intervention: open dialog and respect are crucial dimensions. This is aligned with the findings from other studies.

Only a few count smoothers are available for the widespread use of discrete associated kernel estimators, and their constructions lack systematic approaches. This paper proposes the mean dispersion technique for building count kernels. It is only applicable to count distributions that exhibit the underdispersion property, which ensures the convergence of the corresponding estimators. In addition to the well-known binomial and recent CoM-Poisson kernels, we introduce two new ones such the double Poisson and gamma-count kernels. Despite the challenging problem of obtaining explicit expressions, these kernels effectively smooth densities. Their good performances are pointed out from both numerical and comparative analyses, particularly for small and moderate sample sizes. The optimal tuning parameter is here investigated by integrated squared errors. Also, the added advantage of faster computation times is really very interesting. Thus, the overall accuracy of two newly suggested kernels appears to be between the two old ones. Finally, an application including a tail probability estimation on a real count data and some concluding remarks are given.

Abstract Background Evidence on sociodemographic determinants and spatial variations in the fruit and/or vegetable (FV) consumption was reported. This study aimed to explore geographical and sociodemographic disparities in the level of FV consumption among adults in Burkina Faso, using the national baseline data. Methods This was a cross-sectional secondary study of primary data obtained by the 2013 (September to October) World Health Organization Stepwise Approach to Surveillance survey conducted in Burkina Faso. The participants were 4402 women and men aged 25–64 years and living in all 13 Burkinabè Regions. Descriptive and analytical analyses were performed using Student’s t test, ANOVA, the chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test and logistic regressions. Results The prevalence of a typical daily consumption of at least three servings was 4.1% (95% CI: 3.6–4.8) for fruits and 6.6% (95% CI: 5.9–7.3) for vegetables. The national prevalence of adequate FV intake was 5.1% (95% CI: 4.4–5.8), and for two Regions (“Centre-Ouest” and “Nord”) the pooled prevalence was 22.4%, while in the other eleven Regions its was significantly lower, 2.4% (p = 0.0001). Using quartiles derived from the national level of consumption, each of these two Regions had a higher proportion (about 50%) of their participants in the fourth quartile (the higher level). The associated sociodemographic factors with the adequate intake were being rural residents (aOR = 1.7, p = 0.011) and women (aOR = 1.3; p = 0.03). Conclusion Except for the Regions of “Centre-Ouest” and “Nord” of Burkina Faso, the prevalence of adequate consumption of FV was very low in its other eleven Regions. Measures to increase consumption in urban people are urgent while women should be the key actor in the family-based approaches implementation and the nutrition education promoting FV consumption.

Abstract Background Serum retinol (SR) and retinol-binding protein (RBP) are commonly used indicators, but they are affected by infections and inflammation. This study aimed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of VA indicators to detect vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in 36–59-month-old children living in a rural area in Burkina Faso. Methods In a community-based study, two cross-sectional surveys were carried out from November 2016 to September 2017 in the health district of Dandé in Burkina Faso. The surveys included 115 children 36–59 months old. Indicators of VA and inflammation assessed in all children included SR, RBP and total liver VA reserves (TLR) estimated by retinol isotope dilution, and inflammation markers (C-reactive protein (CRP) and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP)). We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. In addition, the effects of inflammation, helminth infection, and season on sensitivity and specificity were assessed. Results The prevalence of VAD assessed by SR ( 5.0 mg/L) and AGP (> 1.0 g/L) were detected in 1.9% and 28.6% of children, respectively. The adjustment of VA indicators for inflammation improved SR’s specificity to 75.9% and decreased RBP’s specificity to 67.8%. Conclusion No cases of VAD were identified by TLR. However, (inflammation-adjusted) SR and RBP had varying accuracy in the estimation of VAD. Trial registration The study was registered, retrospectively, on 22 March 2018 as a clinical trial with the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry under the number Cochrane South Africa; PACTR201803002999356.