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International audience; This cross-sectional study aims at analyzing the perceptions of mothers, community leaders, and nutrition/health care workers (NHCWs) about using videos in nutrition and health programs compared to posters. In total, we recruited 42 mothers, 39 community leaders, and 30 NHCWs from villages and local organizations in two rural districts in South Benin, Bopa, and Houéyogbé. Learning sessions on Dietary diversity and Hygiene and deworming were organized using posters and videos. Participants' opinions on pros and cons of videos and posters were collected using individual semi-structured interviews with NHCWs and focus group discussions with mothers and community leaders, then analyzed thematically. Results showed that videos were perceived as more adapted to rural communities than posters because they were in local languages, self-explanatory, appealing, and captivating. Videos also enabled the dissemination of standardized messages. Globally, participants better-understood messages from videos than from posters, especially when dealing with dynamic processes. However, the speed of video sequences allowed limited time for self-reflection and assimilation of certain messages. The absence of electricity and lack of equipment to play videos in villages are also major constraints on the use of videos in such settings. While videos are innovant communication tools that should be promoted to improve motivation and compliance in learnings, they should be preferably used as complements to traditional posters for optimized assimilation of messages.

Observées le plus souvent sous l'angle de l'accès à l'école primaire et/ou secondaire, les inégalités scolaires entre filles et garçons en Afrique ont fait l'objet de nombreuses recherches depuis les années 1970. Plus qu'une distinction filles/garçons, cet article propose une lecture à partir du genre du quotidien des enfants dans deux écoles primaires de Cotonou. Adossé à des observations et des entretiens avec des instituteurs, il montre comment l'entrée en classe, le placement des enfants sur les bancs, les interactions entre élèves et enseignants, la distribution des tâches sont régis par les représentations que les instituteurs se font des qualités et attributions des filles versus des garçons. Il apparaît alors que l'école n'est pas un lieu de changements, mais plutôt de maintien des normes de genre en vigueur à l'extérieur dans la société environnante.

International audience

International audience; Du 1er au 12 août 2018 se tenait au Bénin l’exposition « Minɔ : Amazones du Dahomey ». Installée à Cotonou sur la Place du souvenir, elle entendait rendre hommage aux agoodijé, ce corps féminin de l’armée du royaume du Danxomè engagé contre les troupes françaises entre 1889 et 1892. Ces guerrières, surnommées les « amazones » par leurs vainqueurs après la conquête coloniale, sont devenues des figures exemplaires d’un exotisme de la sauvagerie. L’exposition Minɔ s’est caractérisée par un usage commémoratif particulier consistant à transformer le mythe des « amazones », hérité du discours colonial, en une noble ascendance précoloniale. Cet article s’attache à retracer la généalogie d’une telle transformation significative de stratégies identitaires contemporaines et démêler l’enchevêtrement de registres mémoriels a priori antagonistes : une mémoire populaire et une instrumentalisation étatique à visée nationaliste.

This thesis interrogates how Pentecostalism articulates with the quest for a better life in rural and rur-urban settings in southwest Benin. Based on a thirteen-months of ethnographic fieldwork (2015-2016), it investigates the relationship between Pentecostalism and individual and collective mobilities and temporalities. The 'good' life is characterised by a particular temporal experience: that of a moving present. It is described and perceived locally through spatial metaphors, as a forward movement (yi nukɔn, literally “to move forward”). This thesis develops the concept of temporal movement, to capture both the actualisation of a present directed towards the future, and the aspiration for mobility, whether spatial, social or existential. The thesis aims to contextualise Pentecostalism in relation to the other areas of believers’ lives, constituted by their homes, fields and markets, and inhabited by spirits and communities. It explores various Pentecostal practices that provide new possibilities for individual or collective mobility, and that shape a 'good' mobility towards the future, ranging from prayer to the material construction of churches. The thesis also considers the performative, creative and moral dimensions of Pentecostalism. The aspirations of Pentecostals are, for the most part, not so different from those of their non-Pentecostal neighbours: to get rich, to build their own house, and to develop one's own village. However, they have specific ways of projecting themselves in time and of working on the temporal aspects of their lives: the past, the future, uncertainties, aspirations, and frustrations. Believers cultivate a particular form of discipline and a set of social attitudes that shape understandings and practices of failure and waiting, implying particular ways of governing time.; Cette thèse interroge la façon dont le pentecôtisme s’articule avec la quête d’une vie meilleure, dans des milieux ruraux et rur-bains du sud-ouest du Bénin. Fondée sur une enquête ethnographique de treize mois (2015-2016), elle étudie la relation du pentecôtisme avec les mobilités et les temporalités individuelles et collectives. La vie “bonne” et “digne” est caractérisée par une expérience temporelle particulière, celle d’un présent mouvant, et décrite et perçue localement à travers des métaphores spatiales : comme un mouvement vers l’avant (yi nukɔn, littéralement « aller de l’avant »). La thèse développe l’idée de mouvement temporel, pour saisir à la fois l’actualisation d’un présent dirigé vers le futur et l’aspiration à une expérience de mobilité, soit-elle spatiale, sociale ou existentielle. Il s’agit ainsi de contextualiser le pentecôtisme par rapport aux autres sphères de la vie des fidèles, constituées par leurs maisons, champs et marchés, habités par des esprits et des communautés. Cette thèse explore différents « chantiers » pentecôtistes, de la prière à la construction matérielle d’une église, qui visent à fournir de nouvelles possibilités de mobilité individuelle ou collective et façonner une « bonne » mobilité vers l’avenir. Dans ces analyses, on considère la dimension performative, créative et morale du pentecôtisme. Si les aspirations des pentecôtistes ne sont pas tellement différentes de celles de leurs voisins – s’enrichir, construire sa propre maison, développer son village –, ils ont des manières spécifiques de se projeter dans le temps et de travailler les aspects temporels de leur vie : passés, futurs, incertitudes, aspirations, frustrations. Ainsi, la discipline et les attitudes sociales qu'ils développent modèlent différemment l'attente et les échecs, et constituent autant de façons singulières de régir le temps.

Pangolins are on the top of conservation priority due mainly to their unprecedented level of harvesting. The four African species are under great gap of baseline data that hampers the set up of a well-designed, evidence-based strategy for tackling their alarming conservation status. My PhD dissertation focused on the biogeographically delineated Dahomey Gap region (West Africa) using the white-bellied pangolin as a case study to: (i) assess the geographic distribution and population trends of pangolin species across Benin, (ii) Model pangolin population extirpation rates using validated local ecological knowledge, (iii) assess the ethnozoological and commercial values of pangolins in Benin, (iv) investigate the population genetics of the white-bellied pangolin and set up the molecular tracing of their fine scale trade across the Dahomey Gap, and (v) assess the precise dietary composition of the white-bellied pangolin in Benin through eDNA metabarcoding. Local Ecological Knowledge revealed a 31 and 93 % contraction of the occurrence areas of the white-bellied and giant pangolins respectively, and highlighted habitat degradation and overexploitation as the main drivers of population decline for both species. Generalized linear model revealed that, abundance in 1998, distances from main roads and protected areas to villages, land use changes and deforestation over time were factors that significantly explained the current persistence of pangolins in Benin. Prediction models suggested decreasing trends for the white-bellied pangolin over the next two decades and a total extirpation of the giant pangolin whatever the scenario considered (deforestation versus no deforestation). Pangolins are valuable animals for local people and it occurs a regional trade network that involved Chinese diasporas. Pangolins in rural areas and traditional medicine markets are relatively cheaper in Benin compared to other countries in West and central Africa, but their price is 3-8 times higher when clients are from the Chinese diaspora. Microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA-based analyses suggested low genetic diversity, inbred populations, absence of clear geographic subdivision. Phylogenetic analysis suggested an endemic trade within the Dahomey Gap affecting the Dahomey Gap lineage of white-bellied pangolins and microsatellite markers pinpointed a long-distance trade within and between countries in the Dahomey Gap. The white-bellied pangolin preys mainly on ants and termites but also other insect taxa. The diversity of detected prey items was significantly higher (p

Accepted manuscript; International audience; Background - Malaria in pregnancy (MiP) contributes significantly to infant mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa and has consequences on survivors, such as preterm birth and low birth weight. However, its impact on long-term neurocognitive development in children remains unknown. Methods - Our prospective cohort included pregnant women and their live-born singletons from the Malaria in Pregnancy Preventive Alternative Drugs clinical trial. MiP was assessed using microscopy and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Neurocognitive development in children was assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (KABC-II), at 1 and 6 years of age, respectively. Results - Of 493 pregnant women, 196 (40%) were infected with malaria at least once: 121 (31%) with placental malaria diagnosed by qPCR. Multiple linear regression B-coefficients showed that impaired gross motor scores were associated with MiP at least once (−2.55; confidence interval [95% CI]: −5.15, 0.05), placental malaria by qPCR (−4.95; 95% CI: −7.65, −2.24), and high parasite density at delivery (−1.92; 95% CI: −3.86, 0.02) after adjustment. Malaria and high parasite density at the second antenatal care visit were associated with lower KABC-II Non-Verbal Index scores at 6 years (−2.57 [95% CI: −4.86, −0.28] and −1.91 [−3.51, −0.32]), respectively. Conclusions This prospective cohort study provides evidence that MiP, particularly late term, could have important negative consequences on child development at 1 and 6 years of age. Mechanisms behind this association must be further investigated and diagnostic methods in low-income countries should be strengthened to provide adequate treatment. Clinical Trials Registration NCT00811421.

Background While malaria morbidity and mortality have declined since 2000, viral central nervous system infections appear to be an important, underestimated cause of coma in malaria-endemic Eastern Africa. We aimed to describe the etiology of non-traumatic comas in young children in Benin, as well as their management and early outcomes, and to identify factors associated with death. Methods From March to November 2018, we enrolled all HIV-negative children aged between 2 and 6 years, with a Blantyre Coma Score ≤ 2, in this prospective observational study. Children were screened for malaria severity signs and assessed using a systematic diagnostic protocol, including blood cultures, malaria diagnostics, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis using multiplex PCR. To determine factors associated with death, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. Results From 3244 admissions, 84 children were included: malaria was diagnosed in 78, eight of whom had a viral or bacterial co-infection. Six children had a non-malarial infection or no identified cause. The mortality rate was 29.8% (25/84), with 20 children dying in the first 24 h. Co-infected children appeared to have a poorer prognosis. Of the 76 children who consulted a healthcare professional before admission, only 5 were prescribed adequate antimalarial oral therapy. Predictors of early death were jaundice or increased bilirubin [odd ratio (OR)= 8.6; 95% confidential interval (CI): 2.03–36.1] and lactate > 5 mmol/L (OR = 5.1; 95% CI: 1.49–17.30). Antibiotic use before admission (OR = 0.1; 95% CI: 0.02–0.85) and vaccination against yellow fever (OR = 0.2, 95% CI: 0.05–0.79) protected against mortality. Conclusions Infections were found in all children who died, and cerebral malaria was by far the most common cause of non-traumatic coma. Missed opportunities to receive early effective antimalarial treatment were common. Other central nervous system infections must be considered in their management. Some factors that proved to be protective against early death were unexpected.

Dans les pays du Sud, l'accès à la terre et à ses ressources, son contrôle et ses usages représentent des questions cruciales. Au coeur des défis de la construction de l'État, du développement agricole, de la sécurité alimentaire et de la durabilité environnementale, le foncier est aussi un marqueur identitaire et une source récurrente de conflits. Depuis vingt ans, de nombreuses recherches ont renouvelé les savoirs sur ces questions. Dans une approche processuelle et pluridisciplinaire, cet ouvrage propose un état des lieux sur les dynamiques foncières rurales au Sud. S'appuyant sur une très riche bibliographie internationale, il traite des principaux thèmes liés aux questions foncières : depuis les pratiques et dynamiques locales (évolution des droits sur la terre, marchés fonciers, conflits...) jusqu'aux politiques publiques (réformes agraires, programmes de formalisation des droits sur la terre), en passant par les enjeux de méthode et d'expertise foncière. Chaque chapitre propose une mise en dialogue critique entre les questionnements, les catégories d'analyse et les résultats de la recherche. Somme sans équivalent sur le sujet, cet ouvrage constitue un outil de référence pour tous ceux qui, étudiants, chercheurs ou praticiens du développement, souhaitent approfondir leur compréhension des dynamiques foncières dans les mondes ruraux contemporains.

Cet article, porte sur les représentations des familles à Cotonou, capitale économique du Bénin, à partir de dessins réalisés par les élèves de deux écoles primaires de quartiers de la ville au profil socio-économique contrasté. Cette approche, innovante en démographie, rend compte de la manière dont les enfants pensent symboliquement la famille dans laquelle ils évoluent au quotidien mais aussi celle dans laquelle ils se projettent dans leur vie future, à l’âge adulte. Les dessins sont analysés non pas tant comme le reflet de réalités sociales que comme l’expression de normes (en l’occurrence familiales) et de leur plasticité dans le temps et l’espace. Ils soulignent les modèles familiaux dominants et montrent leurs variations selon l’appartenance socio-économique. Au-delà des différences, quelle que soit leur origine sociale, les productions graphiques des enfants reflètent leur engouement pour les modèles de vie inspirés des élites urbaines, marqués par la réussite financière et matérielle. L’analyse de ces dessins collectés en 2012 est l’occasion d’interroger les modes de transmission et de reproduction des familles. Dans cette société mondialisée les vecteurs de normes et de valeurs sont multiples et sont autant de prétextes aux ruptures normatives. This paper focuses on family representations in Cotonou, Benin’s economic capital, based on drawings made by pupils of two primary schools located in contrasted socio-economic neighbourhoods. This innovative approach in demography accounts for how children symbolically think about the family in which they evolve on a daily basis, but also the one in which they project themselves in their future life, as adults. The drawings are not analysed as a reflection of social realities but as an expression of norms (in this case family norms) and their plasticity in time and space. They underline the dominant family patterns and show their variations according to socio-economic background. Beyond the differences, irrespective of their social origin, children's graphic productions reflect their passion for ways of life inspired by urban elites which are characterized by financial and material success. The analysis of these drawings collected in 2012 enables to explore the patterns of family transmission and reproduction. In this globalized society, vectors of norms and values are multiple and consist into opportunities for normative breaks.

Chaetophilharmostes filippii sp. nov. is described from São Tomé (São Tomé e Principe, Guinea Gulf) on the basis of two specimens collected in two localities in the northern portion of the island. Some remarks on the validity of the genus of Chaetophilharmostes Paulian, 1977 are provided. Chaetophilharmostes chevalieri (Paulian, 1937) is reported for the first time for Benin and an undescribed species of Chaetophilharmostes from Gabon is shortly discussed. A key to species is provided., Chaetophilharmostes filippii sp. nov. est décrit de São Tomé (São Tomé et Principe, Golfe de Guinée) sur la base de deux spécimens collectés dans deux localités de la partie nord de l'île. Quelques remarques sur le statut douteux du genre Chaetophilharmostes Paulian, 1977 sont fournies. Chaetophilharmostes chevalieri (Paulian, 1937) est signalé pour la première fois au Bénin et une autre espèce non décrite de Chaetophilharmostes du Gabon est brièvement discutée. Une clé des espèces est fournie.

The paper analyses the process of formalizing land rights in rural Benin, with regard to the delivering of the so-called customary ownership attestation (ADC). The discussion is proposed in the light of socio-anthropological debates about the place of papers in securing land tenure in rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Our aims are to identity the categories of rural people who appropriate written documents, to determine the uses rural-dweller make of the papers and the representation they have of the written documents as land security supports. Fieldwork was conducted in rural districts of Sinende, N'Dali and in the peri-urban area of the city of Parakou in North-Eastern Benin. The case study revealed that the problem of opportunistic land acquisition by the elite was not yet perceptible in the current context of land relations in these localities. Similarly, the tendency of land markets to accentuate class and wealth differentiation was still latent. Land certificate and the ADC conferred a feeling of security to the applicant, because of the participatory approach and the mobilization of various land claimants and institutions. The mobilization of the latter was considered as sufficient enough to land owners seeking a land security. The conception of paper as a support for access to investment and agricultural productivity is not the central concern in the local representations of the process of land rights formalization., L'article analyse le processus de la formalisation des droits fonciers en milieu rural béninois, au regard de la délivrance de l'attestation de détention coutumière (ADC) et de la réforme qui l'a précédée sous l'ère des plans fonciers ruraux. La discussion est proposée à la lumière des débats socioanthropologiques sur le rôle du papier dans la sécurisation foncière en milieu rural en Afrique au sud du Sahara, sur l'identité des catégories de ruraux qui approprient les documents écrits, sur l'usage qu'ils en font et sur la représentation qu'ils ont du papier. Les travaux de terrain ont été conduits dans les communes de Sinendé, de N'Dali et dans la zone périurbaine de la ville de Parakou au nord-est du Bénin. L'étude de cas révèle que le problème d'acquisition opportuniste de terres par l'élite n'est pas encore perceptible dans le contexte actuel des rapports fonciers dans ces localités. De même, la tendance des marchés fonciers à accentuer la différenciation de classes et de richesse est encore latente. Le certificat foncier et l'ADC confèrent un sentiment de sécurité, à cause de la démarche participative mobilisatrice de personnes et d'institutions diverses que les populations considèrent comme des témoins d'une sécurité foncière recherchée. La conception du papier comme support pour accéder à l'investissement et à la productivité agricole n'est pas l'élément central dans les représentations locales.

The thesis deals with the commitment of Beninese women in literature in the contemporary era and emphasizes the contribution of their works to the socio-political functioning of the country. Beninese authors take part in feminine literary traditions, addressing themes related to the status of women, like their colleagues - Mariama Bâ, Aminata Sow Fall, Simone Kaya, Nafissatou Diallo Niang, Aminata Maiga-Ka - who have built the African feminine literary tradition. Women's writing in Benin is fairly new, but already rich because it draws from two sources, on the one hand the oral tradition and on the other hand the lived experiences of its writers: the results are discernable at the level of the authorities of consecration, such as schools - through the inclusion of works in secondary education programs - as well as the results of the various literary prizes. It is therefore a feminine writing linked to the political role that literature must play within society. Women writers in Benin aim for symbolic capital according to the field established by Pierre Bourdieu who establishes four positions of writers, distinguished by their degree of politicization.Because of the generally very high rate of illiteracy in Africa, particularly in Benin, Beninese women authors convey orally to illiterate women the feminist message contained in their literary works. They have also created collective works to reinforce the message they want to convey. This collaboration makes it possible to have an increasingly strong impact on the status of women, thanks to literary support. The publication of the collective works of women writers from Benin marks a high point in the social commitment of these women in literature. By giving their point of view on the condition of women and by recounting their personal experiences, in what is original and common, the Beninese authors reach a readership that is both disparate and impactful. All thanks to the generic variety of their writings. Like their ancestors, the Amazon women, Beninese writers fight for their cause by writing resolutely and committed to social combat. The writers of the new generation have taken hold of the novelistic genre, the success of which is part of a quantitative increase in literary production. The novelistic genre allows Beninese women authors to express their analysis of societal problems in which the reality of the world is veiled. Another field of investment for women authors is children's literature, a field in which the traditional role of women as educators is deeply engrained.The women writers of Benin seize the French language to tell what they cannot express in their languages of origin. French becomes the language of combat, denunciation, affirmation, and commitment for Beninese authors. Women's writing in Benin is therefore committed, and it guides the fight led by national and international organizations who fight for the women's rights., La thèse traite de l'engagement des femmes béninoises en littérature à l'époque contemporaine, et met l'accent sur la contribution de leurs œuvres aux fonctionnements sociopolitiques du pays. Les auteures béninoises s'inscrivent dans une tradition littéraire au féminin, en abordant des thèmes liés à la condition féminine, à l'image de leurs consœurs - Mariama Bâ, Aminata Sow Fall, Simone Kaya, Nafissatou Diallo Niang, Aminata Maiga-Ka - qui ont construit la tradition littéraire africaine au féminin. L'écriture féminine au Bénin est jeune, mais déjà riche parce qu'elle puise à deux sources, d'une part la tradition orale et d'autre part l'expérience vécue par ses écrivaines : les résultats sont perceptibles au niveau des instances de consécration, telles que les écoles - à travers la prise en compte des œuvres dans les programmes d'enseignement secondaire - ainsi que les résultats des différents prix littéraires. Il s'agit donc d'une écriture féminine liée au rôle politique que doit jouer la littérature au sein de la société. Les femmes écrivaines du Bénin visent le capital symbolique selon le champ établi par Pierre Bourdieu qui fixe quatre positions d'écrivains, se distinguant par leur degré de politisation.En raison du taux d'analphabétisme généralement très élevé en Afrique, particulièrement au Bénin, les auteures béninoises portent oralement aux femmes analphabètes le message féministe contenu dans leurs œuvres littéraires. Elles ont aussi créé des ouvrages collectifs pour renforcer le message qu'elles veulent faire passer. Cette collaboration permet d'avoir un impact de plus en plus important sur la condition de la femme, et ce, grâce au support littéraire. La parution des ouvrages collectifs de femmes écrivaines du Bénin marque un temps fort dans l'engagement social de ces femmes en littérature. En donnant chacune son point de vue sur la condition de la femme et aussi en racontant leur expérience personnelle, dans ce qu'elle a d'original et de commun, les auteures béninoises atteignent un lectorat à la fois disparate et plus important, le tout, grâce également à la variété générique de leurs écrits. À l'image de leurs ancêtres, les femmes amazones, les écrivaines béninoises se battent pour leur cause par une écriture résolument engagée dans le combat social. Les écrivaines de la nouvelle génération se sont emparées du genre romanesque dont le succès s'inscrit dans une progression quantitative de la production littéraire. Le genre romanesque permet aux femmes auteures béninoises d'exprimer leurs analyses des problèmes sociétaux dans lesquels le réel est voilé. Un autre domaine d'investissement des auteures est la littérature pour la jeunesse, un domaine dans lequel le rôle traditionnel de la femme comme éducatrice trouve toute sa dimension. Les femmes écrivaines du Bénin s'emparent de la langue française pour raconter ce qu'elles ne peuvent pas exprimer dans leurs langues d'origine. Le français devient la langue de combat, de dénonciation, d'affirmation et d'engagement pour les auteures béninoises. L'écriture féminine au Bénin est donc une écriture engagée qui rejoint d'emblée le combat que mènent les organismes nationaux et internationaux au service de la cause de la femme.

La notion d’« environnement » couvre un champ de réflexion et d’action extrêmement large, puisqu’elle englobe les impacts des activités humaines sur les milieux biophysiques à tous les échelons, du micro-local à la planète, et en retour les effets de ces changements sur les différentes sphères de l’existence. L’environnement ne désigne pas un objet matériel circonscrit, mais signale l’interface entre « nature » et « société ». C’est ...

Depuis les années 1970, des mouvements militants internationaux dénoncent une approche médico- et techno-centrée de la naissance. En réponse à cette « techno-bio-médicalisation », le concept d’« accouchement humanisé » a émergé dans les années 1990 en Amérique latine puis s’est globalisé. Cet article propose d’analyser l’échec d’un projet japonais d’accouchement humanisé dans une maternité au Bénin. Sur la base d’observations participantes et d’entretiens, nous montrons que la proposition des actrices et acteurs du développement japonais se heurte à une forte incorporation de la « science obstétricale » par les soignant·e·s, et plus particulièrement par les sages-femmes béninoises. Plus précisément, en interdisant la présence d’un·e accompagnant·e auprès de la femme qui accouche et en refusant que celle-ci adopte une position autre que la position gynécologique, les sages-femmes reproduisent le modèle obstétrical dominant au détriment du confort et du bien-être des femmes. Since the 1970s, international activist movements have denounced a medical and techno-centric approach to birth. In response to this “techno-bio-medicalization” of birth, the concept of humanized childbirth emerged in the 1990s in Latin America and then became global. This article proposes to analyse the failure of a Japanese project of humanized childbirth in a maternity hospital in Benin. On the basis of participant observations and interviews, we show that the proposal of Japanese development actors came up against a strong incorporation of obstetrical science by the health workers and more particularly by the Beninese midwives. More specifically, by forbidding the presence of an attendant near the woman giving birth and by refusing to accept a position other than the gynaecological one, the midwives reproduce the dominant model of biomedicalization of childbirth to the detriment of women's comfort and psychological and social well-being.

Depuis soixante ans, les marchés pharmaceutiques ont connu de profonds bouleversements : la construction dans la période post-coloniale d'une industrie pharmaceutique dans les Suds ; les nouvelles trajectoires marchandes Sud-Sud dans les années 1970 ; puis, dans les années 2000, l'émergence de la Global Health et le déploiement de ses marchés de 'donateurs globaux'. Une hiérarchie nouvelle et une compétition accrue entre médicaments nord-américains, européens et asiatiques sont désormais installées. Tout en faisant leur part aux héritages coloniaux, cet ouvrage décortique de manière inédite ces bouleversements, prenant en compte de manière intégrée l'ensemble de la chaîne pharmaceutique, toutes les catégories d'acteurs qui s'y déploient, ainsi que les différents modes de régulation impliqués (administratives, professionnelles, industrielles, marchandes, de la santé globale et populaires). Prenant comme porte d'entrée les combinaisons thérapeutiques à base d'artémisinine (CTA) recommandées dans le traitement du paludisme, le collectif d'auteurs analyse les conséquences sanitaires, économiques et politiques de ces changements à partir de trois pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest et d'un pays d'Asie du Sud-Est. Entre exigences de santé publique et intérêts économiques, entre velléités de soins et imaginaires de consommation, ce livre met en évidence les dualités inhérentes au médicament et propose in fine réflexions et outils pour gouverner les marchés pharmaceutiques dans l'intérêt de la santé publique, privilégiant la sûreté des produits, leur utilité thérapeutique et leur accessibilité. Un ouvrage indispensable pour la compréhension globale des enjeux qui animent aujourd'hui les marchés du médicament dans les Suds.

Ce numéro spécial offre à lire (mais aussi à entendre) toutes les facettes et l'importance de l'oeuvre accomplie par Sandrine Musso, anthropologue de la santé disparue beaucoup trop tôt, en 2021. Par son engagement scientifique et politique, mais aussi par son attention à l'autre dans ses recherches et avec ses étudiant·e·s, Sandrine a construit une oeuvre originale, irriguée par une pensée incisive et indissociable de sa posture. Elle était en effet une chercheuse impliquée dans la transmission des savoirs, engagée dans la dénonciation des 'impensés' de nos sociétés contemporaines et des injustices sociales qui en résultent. Avec ce numéro, c'est le caractère exemplaire de cette posture épistémologique, politique et pédagogique que nous voulons souligner afin de conserver, pour les futur·e·s (et aussi actuel·le·s) chercheur·e·s et enseignant·e·s-chercheur·e·s, les traces d'un modèle à suivre.

International audience; Why and how organic agriculture has been developing in Africa is under-studied, especially from a political stance. We explore two contrasting empirical case studies of national organic trajectories: Uganda and Benin. In both countries, organic agriculture emerged in the 1980s around food security stakes and spread in the 1990s through certified export value chains, with a faster development in Uganda than in Benin. From a theoretical perspective, this paper proposes an original analytical grid to study national trajectories of institutionalization of organic farming in Africa, based on three main variables: the policy regime in place in the country (including socio-economic and agrifood dimensions); the relative interest of public and private foreign actors in organic agriculture; and the strength of the national organic agriculture movement. Our results show that the degree of institutionalization of the Green Revolution paradigm in the country is of capital importance for explaining developments in organic farming, particularly its materialization through the increasing use of synthetic inputs: institutionalizing organic farming means deinstitutionalizing agrochemicals. We also show that the high level of extraversion of organic agriculture development in Africa through its focus on certified export value chains raises long-term questions of farmers' empowerment and of local consumers/citizens' access to local organic food. Finally, national organic agriculture movements can play a crucial role by politicizing certain issues in national public debate, such as pesticides' impacts on human and environmental health, and by advising governments in organic policy framing and implementation. Applying the proposed socio-political analytical grid to new national or regional African case studies will help to further enrich the empirical knowledge on organic food and farming in Africa.

International audience; Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that is caused by spirochete bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Around the world, one million people each year are infected, leading to 60,000 deaths. Infection occurs through contact with environmental pathogens excreted by mammals (notably rodents). Data on Leptospira and leptospirosis in Africa are rather scarce, especially in urban habitats though these appear to be favourable environments for the pathogen circulation and human contamination. Using qPCR, DNA sequencing as well as MST/VNTR approaches, we examined Leptospira occurrence and genetic diversity in 779 commensal small mammals that were sampled over 2 years in the city centre of Cotonou, Benin, from three neighbourhoods with contrasting socio-environmental conditions. Overall prevalence reached 9.1%. However, very marked variations in both space and time were observed, with local peaks of high prevalence but no clear seasonal pattern. In most sites that could be regularly sampled, Leptospira-positive rodents were found at least once, thus confirming the widespread circulation of the pathogen within small mammal communities of Cotonou. Interestingly, an unusual diversity of small mammal-borne Leptospira species and genotypes was retrieved, with up to four species and three different genovars within the same neighbourhood, and even instances of two species and two genovars identified simultaneously within the same household. To our knowledge, such a high genetic diversity has never been described at such a fine scale, a fortiori in Africa and, more generally, within an urban environment. Altogether, our results underline that much remains unknown about leptospirosis as well as the associated infectious risk in African cities where the disease may be massively over-looked.

International audience; After its independence, this West African country kept french as its official language, which is still the language of administration, law and diplomacy. It enjoys a privileged status which is the consequence of the role it played in the past and the functions it fulfills in the present. On the other hand, the so-called national languages are numerous, more deeply rooted and widely spoken by the Beninese population. How do they coexist? To echo the perspective of the dialogue between law and languages that is the focus of this scientific event, how do legal texts influence the evolution of the national sociolinguistic context? Between a codified French language that is well anchored in the school system, vigorous but poorly written local languages, and recurrent questioning by civil society actors about the status of these different languages, how might this context evolve in the coming years? These are some of the questions we want to answer in this article.; À son accès à l’indépendance ce pays d’Afrique de l’ouest a conservé comme langue officielle le français qui, aujourd’hui encore, demeure la langue de l’administration, du droit et de la diplomatie. Il jouit d’un statut privilégié qui est la conséquence du rôle qu’il a joué par le passé et des fonctions qu’il remplit dans l’actualité. De l’autre côté les langues dites nationales sont nombreuses, plus enracinées et largement parlées par la population béninoise. Comment cohabitent-elles ? Pour faire écho à la perspective du dialogue entre droit et langues qui est celle de cette journée d’étude, comment les textes de loi influencent-ils l’évolution du contexte sociolinguistique national ? Entre une langue française codifiée et bien ancrée dans le système scolaire, des langues autochtones vigoureuses mais peu écrites, un questionnement récurrent des acteurs de la société civile au sujet du statut de ces différentes langues, quelle pourrait être l’évolution de ce contexte au cours des prochaines années ? C’est, entre autres, à ces questions que cet article se propose de répondre.

Objective Sperm ageing has major evolutionary implications but has received comparatively little attention. Ageing in sperm and other cells is driven largely by oxidative damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the mitochondria. Rates of organismal ageing differ across species and are theorized to be linked to somatic ROS levels. However, it is unknown whether sperm ageing rates are correlated with organismal ageing rates. Here, we investigate this question by comparing sperm ROS production in four lines of Drosophila melanogaster that have previously been shown to differ in somatic mitochondrial ROS production, including two commonly used wild-type lines and two lines with genetic modifications standardly used in ageing research. Results Somatic ROS production was previously shown to be lower in wild-type Oregon-R than in wild-type Dahomey flies; decreased by the expression of alternative oxidase (AOX), a protein that shortens the electron transport chain; and increased by a loss-of-function mutation in dj-1β, a gene involved in ROS scavenging. Contrary to predictions, we found no differences among these four lines in the rate of sperm ROS production. We discuss the implications of our results, the limitations of our study, and possible directions for future research. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13104-021-05550-7.

International audience; Évoquer la route sonore de l’esclave du Bénin aux Antilles revient à passer en revue l’histoire de la traite négrière transatlantique en Afrique et au Bénin avant de restreindre le champ d’analyse aux expressions musicales des esclaves du Danxomè (ancien nom du Dahomey, autrement dit du Bénin actuel) dans les plantations de canne à sucre, de café et de coton aux Amériques et dans la Caraïbe, plus particulièrement aux Antilles françaises. De quelles expressions sonores s’agit-il? Qui sont les auteurs de ces musiques? Quelle est leur histoire? Quelles traces reste-t-il des influences de ces musiques sur les arts traditionnels des Antilles et sur les musiques actuelles de la diaspora béninoise? Une telle analysepermettra également de mieux cerner l’apport de Béninois à la musique antillaise. Sans prétendre à l’exhaustivité, cet article est un panorama exploratoire de travaux à réaliser pour motiver et développer des recherches relatives à la Route sonore de l’Esclave, depuis le port de Ouidah et sa région jusqu’aux Antilles et au-delà.

International audience; Background - Iron deficiency is a common nutritional deficiency that impacts maternal health and fetal development and is also associated with increased uptake of toxic metals. Women in sub-Saharan Africa are highly exposed to both iron deficiency and metals in the environment. As research on the developmental origins of health and disease increasingly shows impacts of pre-conception maternal health on pregnancy and fetal health, these environmental exposures are of concern. Objectives - This study investigated the association between iron status pre-pregnancy and blood metal concentrations in the first trimester of pregnancy with potential implications for iron supplementation. Methods - Pre-conception and first trimester blood samples taken from 262 Beninese women were tested for serum ferritin, inflammation markers, manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper, zinc, selenium, mercury and arsenic. Associations between serum ferritin adjusted for inflammation and metal concentrations were analyzed using multivariate linear regression. Results - Women with iron deficiency before conception (13%) were more likely to remain iron deficient in the first trimester (4%) (adjusted OR = 41.2, 95%CI 6.2; 275.0) even within the context of routine iron supplementation during pregnancy. Lower pre-pregnancy serum ferritin concentrations were significantly related to higher concentrations of Mn, Cd and Pb in the first trimester. Every 1% increase in serum ferritin concentration was associated with a 0.13% decrease in Mn (adjusted β = -0.13, 95%CI -0.18; -0.07), a 0.22% decrease in Cd (adjusted β = -0.22, 95%CI -0.28; -0.15) and a 0.06% decrease in Pb concentration (adjusted β = -0.06, 95%CI -0.12; -0.006). Discussion - These results suggest that increasing iron stores prior to pregnancy may prevent excessive uptake of toxic concentrations of the metals Mn, Cd and Pb and argue in favour of testing the effects of iron supplementation prior to pregnancy on metal concentrations.

Hypertension and inter-arm blood pressure difference are blood pressure disorders associated with a high risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Data on the epidemiology of these risk factors and their consequences are scarce in sub-Sahara Africa, particularly in Benin. This thesis aimed to study the importance of blood pressure disorders, their consequences and their management in the rural population of Benin. This thesis was based on data from the TAnve HEalth Study cohort. This is a cardiovascular cohort set up in the villages of Tanve and Dekanme in southern Benin since 2015. It includes adults from both villages who gave their consent to participate in the study. The prevalences of abnormal kidney function and inter-arm blood pressure difference were estimated as well as the associated factors. The use of care was assessed in the cohort participants with severe hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of inter-arm blood pressure difference was estimated to be 19% and that of abnormal renal function 16%. Hypertension and diabetes were the main factors associated with inter-arm blood pressure difference and abnormal kidney function. We observed a low rate of care seeking among the cohort participants referred for severe chronic diseases. Blood pressure disorders are common in our study population with significant impact; this supports the need for effective interventions to control hypertension as a modifiable risk factor., L’hypertension artérielle et l’asymétrie tensionnelles sont des troubles de la tension artérielle associés à un risque élevé de morbidité et de mortalité cardiovasculaire. Les données sur l’épidémiologie de ces facteurs de risques et leurs retentissements sont rares en ASS en particulier au Bénin. L’objectif de cette thèse était d’étudier l’importance des troubles tensionnels, leurs retentissements et leurs prises en charge en population rurale au Bénin. Cette thèse s’est appuyée sur les données de la cohorte TAnve HEalth Study. Il s’agit d’une cohorte cardiovasculaire mise en place dans les villages de Tanvè et Dékanmè au sud du Bénin depuis 2015. Elle inclut les adultes des deux villages ayant donné leur consentement pour participer à l’étude. Les prévalences de la fonction rénale anormale et de l’asymétrie tensionnelle ont été estimées. Les facteurs associés à ces troubles ont également été identifiés. Le recours aux soins a été évalué chez les personnes souffrant d’hypertension artérielle sévère ou autres maladies cardiovasculaires dans la cohorte. La prévalence de l’asymétrie tensionnelle a été estimée à 19% et celle de la fonction rénale anormale à 16%. L’hypertension artérielle et le diabète étaient les principaux facteurs associés à l’asymétrie tensionnelle et à la fonction rénale anormale. Nous avons observé un faible taux de recours aux soins chez les participants à la cohorte référés pour des maladies chroniques sévères. Ces résultats nous ont incités à élaborer un protocole interventionnel visant à améliorer le contrôle de l’hypertension artérielle chez les participants à la cohorte. Les troubles tensionnels sont fréquents dans notre population d’étude avec d’importants retentissements ; ceci conforte la nécessité de mettre en place des interventions efficaces pour contrôler l’hypertension artérielle qui est un facteur de risque modifiable.

Field and laboratory work was conducted under the research agreement between the Republic of Benin and the French Institute of Research for Sustainable Development (September 30, 2010) and the Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement (July 3, 2019) between the University of Abomey-Calavi and the Institut de Recherche et de Développement. The collection and use of tissue samples (spleen, lung, kidney, brain, dried blood spots) and genetic data was authorized under the Access and Benefit Sharing, Nagoya protocol (permit no. 608/DGEFC/DCPRNF/PF-APA/SA) (December 2019).; International audience; Seoul virus is a zoonotic pathogen carried by the brown rat Rattus norvegicus. Information on its circulation in Africa is limited. In this study, the virus was detected in 37.5% of brown rats captured in the Autonomous Port of Cotonou, Benin. Phylogenetic analyses place this virus in Seoul virus lineage 7.

Access to electricity is a crucial issue in the cities of the South. As demand increases, conventional networks are failing, insufficient and sometimes absent, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. To satisfy their various needs, city dwellers turn to other solutions, giving rise to various socio-technical assemblages that vary according to the city, the neighbourhood and the household, depending on the conditions of (dys)functioning of the networked service and the modalities of appropriation of the technologies available locally. At the scale of each city, the result is an urban electrical configuration that is perpetually reshaped by the interactions of its constituent parts, in symbiosis with the urban environment. Borrowing its theoretical frameworks from science and technology studies and the social sciences, the research aims to understand the dynamic stability of the configurations and the implications of their incremental transition on urban functioning, particularly in terms of socio-spatial inequalities. In a multiscalar comparative approach, extensive empirical work was carried out in 2017 and 2018 with 160 households in a selection of neighbourhoods reflecting urban diversity in Ibadan in Nigeria and Cotonou in Benin. Mapping, at the heart of the analysis, reveals the distribution and diversity of accommodations between socio-technical assemblages, inequalities of access and differentiated urban integration.The research shows that urban practices, which are both open to new opportunities for bricolage, constrained by individually mobilisable access mechanisms and shaped by power relations, stabilise regimes of access to electricity and fuel processes of transition through hybridisation that are extremely sensitive to multi-level political and institutional dynamics, to the various channels of market globalisation and to local networks of solidarity and influence. The regularities observed make it possible to define three regimes in these fields: the combination of intermittencies, makeshift bricolage and satisfaction through accumulation. Their analysis shows that the improvement of the quality and continuity of the service depends on ambivalent market and social logics that do not allow the most vulnerable city dwellers to escape from poverty traps and that, in the absence of an overall regulation at the scale of the configuration, the functional interdependencies between different modes of access to electricity generate uncontrolled negative externalities that limit the benefits expected from the generalisation of the conventional network. Finally, this work demonstrates that the urban electricity transition requires going beyond the reference of the single and uniform conventional network, to think about the contours of a socio-technically heterogeneous urban service, articulated to the diversity of urban living conditions; L’accès à l’électricité est un enjeu crucial dans les villes du Sud. Alors que la demande augmente, les réseaux conventionnels sont défaillants, insuffisants et parfois absents, en particulier en Afrique subsaharienne. Pour satisfaire leurs différents besoins, les citadins se tournent alors vers d’autres solutions, donnant lieu à divers assemblages sociotechniques qui varient selon la ville, le quartier, le ménage en fonction des conditions de (dys)fonctionnement du service en réseau et des modalités d’appropriation des technologies disponibles localement. À l’échelle de chaque ville, il en résulte une configuration électrique urbaine perpétuellement remodelée par les interactions de ses parties constituantes et ce, en symbiose avec l’environnement urbain. Empruntant ses cadres théoriques aux études des sciences et technologies et aux sciences sociales, la recherche vise à comprendre la stabilité dynamique des configurations et les implications de leur transition incrémentale sur le fonctionnement urbain, notamment en termes d’inégalités socio-spatiales. Dans une démarche comparative multiscalaire, un travail empirique étendu a été réalisé en 2017 et 2018 auprès de 160 ménages sur une sélection de quartiers reflétant la diversité urbaine à Ibadan au Nigéria et Cotonou au Bénin. La cartographie, au cœur de l’analyse, révèle la distribution et la diversité des accommodements entre assemblages sociotechniques, inégalités d’accès et intégration urbaine différenciée. La recherche démontre que les pratiques citadines, à la fois ouvertes à toutes nouvelles opportunités de bricolage, contraintes par les mécanismes d’accès mobilisables individuellement et modelées par des rapports de pouvoir, stabilisent des régimes d’accès à l’électricité et alimentent des processus de transition par hybridation extrêmement sensibles aux dynamiques politico-institutionnelles multiniveaux, aux différentes filières de la mondialisation marchande et aux réseaux d’entraide et d’influence locaux. Les régularités observées permettent de définir trois régimes sur ces terrains : la combinaison d’intermittences, le bricolage de fortune et la satisfaction par accumulation. Il ressort de leur analyse que l’amélioration de la qualité et de la continuité du service dépend de logiques marchandes et sociales ambivalentes qui ne permettent pas de sortir les citadins les plus vulnérables des trappes de la pauvreté et que, faute d’une régulation d’ensemble à l’échelle de la configuration, les interdépendances fonctionnelles entre différents modes d’accès à l’électricité génèrent des externalités négatives incontrôlées limitant les bénéfices attendus d’une généralisation du réseau conventionnel. Finalement, ce travail démontre que la transition électrique urbaine nécessite d’aller au-delà du référentiel du réseau conventionnel unique et uniforme, pour penser les contours d’un service urbain socio-techniquement hétérogène, articulé à la diversité des conditions de vie urbaine

Resume Objectif Decrire les representations sociales des maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV) dans la cohorte TAHES au Benin. Methode Des entretiens individuels et de groupes ont ete realises avec des enregistrements audios et des prises de notes. L'analyse des donnees a permis d'identifier les principales constructions intellectuelles sous-jacentes aux attitudes et pratiques de soins. Resultats Dix-neuf (19) sujets (11 femmes) ont participe a 2 focus groups et 17 (5 femmes) aux entretiens individuels. L’etymologie des denominations en langue locale Fon des MCV evoque soit les symptomes (exemple : ‘’tesisi glo mɛ’’ [il ne peut pas se lever]), les etiologies supposees (exemple : ‘’kuvito zɔn’’ [maladie des revenants]) ou l'adaptation locale d'une denomination biomedicale (exemple : ‘’a'tension’’ [de hypertension arterielle]), pour citer l'exemple de l'accident vasculaire cerebral. Les croyances ont permis de distinguer des maladies ‘’simples’’ ou ‘’organiques’’ (‘’azɔn yaya’’) et des maladies surnaturelles ou provoquees liees au ‘’aze’’ [sorcellerie immaterielle] ou au ‘’bo’’ [envoutement materiel]. Les maladies chroniques ou recidivantes finissent le plus souvent dans la categorie ‘’surnaturelles’’ et induisent la consultation du ‘’bokɔnɔ’’ (devin) ou autres religieux pour le diagnostic. Le recours aux soins est diversifie et se fait d'une part vers la medecine moderne, et d'autres parts vers la medecine traditionnelle avec le ‘’amanɔn’’ (soins a base de feuilles), le ‘’bokɔnɔ’’, des religieux traditionnels (rites divers) et chretiens (prieres). Conclusion Les representations sociales des MCV sont basees sur les croyances locales, mais influencees aussi par la biomedecine. Leur prise en compte permettra d'ameliorer l'adequation des soins.

The increasing severity of Striga gesnerioides attacks on cowpea across West Africa has been related to its prolificity, seed mobility and longevity, and adaptation to aridity, in a context of agricultural intensification. To understand this fast extension, we analyzed (1) the distributions of the crop and the witchweed with ecological niche modeling and multivariate climate analysis, and (2) the chronological information available from collections and the literature. The ecoclimatic envelope of S. gesnerioides attacks on cowpea is the same as on wild hosts. Consistently, the modeled distribution of cowpea infestations is closely similar to the simple superposition of the parasite model (involving all hosts) and the crop model. Striga gesnerioides infestations are restricted to the driest component of the cultivated cowpea ecoclimatic niche, corresponding to the Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian belts and the Dahomey gap. Thus, the parasite distribution, determined by its own requirements, does not constrain cowpea cultivation under Guinean climates. The spatial and temporal distributions of S. gesnerioides field infestations are consistent with an earlier impact on cowpea production in eastern West Africa, related itself to a similar trend in cowpea cultivation intensification from Niger, Nigeria and Benin to Burkina Faso and Ghana. Mali and Senegal were affected later, and literature reports of Senegalese strains of S. gesnerioides from the wild developing virulence on cowpea offer a model for the diffusion of witchweed parasitism by multilocal evolution, through host-driven selection, instead of epidemic diffusion. A contrario, in Côte d’Ivoire, cowpea is much less widespread, so the parasite has remained confined to the wild compartment. Thus, both historical and ecogeographic analyses refute the vision of S. gesnerioides as an invader. Instead, they point to the increasing importance and intensification of the crop, and the consequent loss of biodiversity, as the main drivers of the extension and diversification of its crop-specific strains.

Background Rice (Oryza spp) is one of the most consumed cereals in the Republic of Benin. However, rice production is threatened by various pests, which lead to important yield losses. For the development of integrated management strategies responding to the farmers' realities, it is important to document their perceptions, knowledge, and management of rice pests. Surveys involving 418 rice farmers to 21 ethnic groups through 39 villages were performed using rural appraisal tools. Results Farmers perceived birds, specifically weavers as the most important rice pests. The surveyed farmers also identified the variegated grasshopper, Zonocerus variegatus L. and rice brown leaf spots (Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Boedijn) as the main pests in the northern region, while it is the pink stem borer, Sesamia calamistis Hampson and rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea (Hebert) Barr) in the southern region, and Z. variegatus and rice yellow mottle virus (genus Sobemovirus) in central Benin. The most important rice storage constraint was the rodent attacks and the surveyed farmers proposed thirteen key solutions to minimize constraints related to rice storage. Among various pest control methods recorded, farmers used mainly synthetic chemical pesticides. However, the Beninese National Pesticide Management Committee (CNGP) does not recommend for the rice protection (prohibited pesticides or intended for the protection of other crops) most of pesticides used by farmers. Farming experience, family size, region, and number of observed pests have significantly influenced farmers' decision to use pesticides. Conclusion The rice pests perceived by farmers as important vary significantly across regions. These results suggest that IPM programs that target rice pests accounting for these regional differences will be more effective. The identified variables that influence the use of pesticides must be taken in account in the development of strategies to encourage farmers to use eco-friendly pest management. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

International audience; Au Bénin, les déchets issus de la transformation du bois sont très insuffisamment valorisés dans une perspective de réutilisation par l’industrie du bois. Les technologies de transformation de ces produits connexes, économiquement accessibles aux populations des pays en développement, constituent un domaine très peu abordé dans la littérature internationale. Dans le présent travail, un matériau constitué d’un mélange de sciure de bois de teck et de pâte de polystyrène recyclés, suivant une technologie simple à mettre en œuvre et de type low-tech, a été caractérisé. Les résultats obtenus ont montré que les propriétés du composite varient significativement avec la granulométrie de la sciure utilisée. La masse volumique apparente du matériau est comprise entre 686 à 826 kg/m3, son taux d’absorption d’eau est inférieur à 15 % et son taux de gonflement en épaisseur est inférieur à 5 % après 24 heures d’immersion. Une corrélation élevée a été observée entre ses propriétés physiques et sa porosité qui varie de 34 et 43 % suivant la granulométrie des sciures de bois utilisées. Le composite présente un module d’élasticité en traction compris entre 582 à 1 057 MPa, une résistance en traction comprise entre 2 et 3 MPa et un coefficient de Poisson variant de 0,14 à 0,24. En compression, son module d’élasticité varie entre 270 à 470 MPa et sa résistance entre 6 à 9 MPa. Une mise en œuvre du composite ainsi élaboré peut être envisagée en substitution du bois pour des éléments faiblement chargés comme des pièces de coffrage de construction légère.

International audience; This article discusses governance within village savings and loans associations (VSLAs), based on an examination of one such structure in northern Benin. The author is particularly interested in existing oversight mechanisms and how they interact. To guide her analysis, she relies on Charreaux’s (1997) interpretive framework for associations, with a stakeholder-centered approach that borrows from psychological and social contract theory to establish the values and principles of cooperatives. The analysis shows that specific and spontaneous mechanisms (trust, peer pressure, etc.) are most effective. These associations are not only viable alternatives, but they can also act as catalysts for strengthening social capital, leadership roles for women, and the economic and social development of communities.; Cet article traite de la gouvernance des associations villageoises d’épargne et de crédit (Avec), à partir de l’étude d’une structure de ce type située au nord du Bénin. L’auteure s’intéresse particulièrement aux mécanismes de contrôle en présence ainsi qu’à leurs interactions. Elle s’appuie pour cela sur la grille de lecture de Charreaux (1997) adaptée aux associations, avec une approche orientée sur les parties prenantes empruntant les principes et les valeurs de la coopération des théories du contrat psychologique et social. L’analyse montre que les mécanismes spontanés et spécifiques (confiance, pression par les pairs, etc.) sont les plus importants. Ces associations sont non seulement des alternatives viables, mais aussi des catalyseurs pour le renforcement du capital social, le leadership des femmes et le développement communautaire économique et social.

Doughnuts made from cowpea, a highly nutritious pulse, are frequently consumed in West Africa. As processing may affect their nutritional composition, cowpea processing into two doughnut types (ata and ata-doco) was characterized, and samples collected from 12 producers in Cotonou, Benin. Proximate composition, folate, mineral, phytate, and alpha-galacto-oligosaccharide contents were determined in the raw material, intermediate products, and doughnuts. Mass balance was assessed during ata production to monitor folate and alpha-galacto-oligosaccharides distribution, and to determine what steps most influenced their concentration. Ata was prepared with dehulled-soaked seeds, and ata-doco with whole or partially dehulled, non-soaked and dry-milled seeds. After both types of doughnuts production, lipid content increased by 11–33 times compared with raw seeds, due to oil absorption during deep-frying. Milling led to an increase of iron content by 50–57 % (ata) and 21–75 % (ata-doco production). Alpha-galacto-oligosaccharide contents decreased by 22–57 % after whipping during ata-doco, but not during ata production. The mass balance assessment showed significant reductions of folate (-50 %) and alpha-galacto-oligosaccharides (-33 %) after dehulled seed washing and soaking during ata production. This study showed that the impact of traditional processing on the nutritional value of cowpea-based doughnuts is strong, but highly variable depending on the doughnut type and producers’ practices.

International audience

Through international trades, Europe, Africa and South America share a long history of exchanges, potentially of pathogens. We used the worldwide parasite Toxoplasma gondii to test the hypothesis of a historical influence on pathogen genetic diversity in Benin, a West African country with a longstanding sea trade history. In Africa, T. gondii spatial structure is still non-uniformly studied and very few articles have reported strain genetic diversity in fauna and clinical forms of human toxoplasmosis so far, even in African diaspora. Sera from 758 domestic animals (mainly poultry) in two coastal areas (Cotonou and Ouidah) and two inland areas (Parakou and Natitingou) were tested for T. gondii antibodies using a Modified Agglutination Test (MAT). The hearts and brains of 69 seropositive animals were collected for parasite isolation in a mouse bioassay. Forty-five strains were obtained and 39 genotypes could be described via 15-microsatellite genotyping, with a predominance of the autochthonous African lineage Africa 1 (36/39). The remaining genotypes were Africa 4 variant TUB2 (1/39) and two identical isolates (clone) of Type III (2/39). No difference in terms of genotype distribution between inland and coastal sampling sites was found. In particular, contrarily to what has been described in Senegal, no type II (mostly present in Europe) was isolated in poultry from coastal cities. This result seems to refute a possible role of European maritime trade in Benin despite it was one of the most important hubs during the slave trade period. However, the presence of the Africa 1 genotype in Brazil, predominant in Benin, and genetic analyses suggest that the triangular trade was a route for the intercontinental dissemination of genetic strains from Africa to South America. This supports the possibility of contamination in humans and animals with potentially imported virulent strains., Author summary The parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide-distributed pathogen, able to infect all warm-blooded animals. There are important differences in the clinical expression of the infection in direct relation with the parasite genetic profile. In some regions, the geographical structuration of its genetic diversity points towards a crucial role of human activities in some lineages introduction or sorting. Benin is a West African country with a history of extensive transcontinental exchanges. Our genetic study of Toxoplasma in Benin shows a surprisingly homogeneous and autochthonous diversity, which contrasts with previous studies from other West and Central African countries. In Benin, the absence of European Toxoplasma lineages may be explained by the extreme rarity of the house mouse (Mus musculus), a host species that was previously described as highly susceptible to the mouse-virulent African strains. Might Benin be the origin region for the Africa 1 lineage, our results suggest that Guinean Gulf coasts may be a starting point of this lineage towards South America, especially Brazil, during the slave trade. As a whole, the present study provides further insights into the recent evolutionary history of Toxoplasma gondii and its consequences on human and animal health.

International audience; This article aims to revisit the special relationship Guillaume Apollinaire had with African sculptures, both in the public space and in the private space. The poet and critic is approached here as one of the first theorists of the history of African art.; Cet article propose de revenir sur la relation particulière qu’entretenait Guillaume Apollinaire avec les sculptures africaines, dans l’espace public comme dans l’espace privé. Le poète et critique est abordé ici comme l’un des premiers théoriciens de l’histoire de l’art africain.

International audience; Leptospirosis is a waterborne zoonosis (60,000 infections and 1 million deaths annually). Knowledge about the disease in the urban context is surprisingly rare, especially in Africa. Here, we provide the first study of leptospires in waters within an African city. A simple centrifugation-based method was developed to screen waterborne leptospires from remote or poorly areas. Major ions, trace elements, stable isotopes and pathogenic Leptospira were then seasonally investigated in 193 water samples from three neighborhoods of Cotonou (Benin) with different socio-environmental and hydrographic characteristics. Firstly, no leptospire was detected in tap waters. Secondly, although surface contamination cannot be excluded, one groundwater well was found leptospire positive. Thirdly, pathogenic Leptospira mainly contaminated surface waters of temporary and permanent ponds (9.5% and 27.3% of total prevalence, respectively). Isotopic signatures suggest that leptospires occurred in pond waters formed at the beginning of the rainy season following low to moderate rainfall events. Nevertheless, Leptospira-containing waters possess physico-chemical characteristics that are similar to the spectrum of waters sampled throughout the three sites, thus suggesting that Cotonou waters are widely compatible with Leptospira survival. The frequent contact with water exposes Cotonou inhabitants to the risk of leptospirosis which deserves more attention from public health authorities.

Cercarial emission of schistosomes is a determinant in the transmission to the definitive host and constitutes a good marker to identify which definitive host is responsible for transmission, mainly in introgressive hybridization situations. Our goal was to test the hypothesis that micro-mammals play a role inSchistosoma haematobium,S.bovis, and/orS.haematobiumxS.bovistransmission. Small mammal sampling was conducted in seven semi-lacustrine villages of southern Benin. Among the 62 animals trapped, 50 individuals were investigated forSchistosomaadults and eggs: 37Rattus rattus, 3Rattus norvegicus, 9Mastomys natalensis, and 1Crocidura olivieri.Schistosomaadults were found in fourR. rattusand twoM. natalensis, with a local prevalence reaching 80% and 50%, respectively.Two cercarial chronotypes were found fromBulinus globosusexperimentally infected with miracidia extracted from naturally infectedM. natalensis: a late diurnal and nocturnal chronotype, and an early diurnal, late diurnal, and nocturnal chronotype. The cytochrome C oxidase subunit I mtDNA gene of the collected schistosomes (adults, miracidia, and cercariae) belonged to theS.bovisclade. Eleven internal transcribed spacer rDNA profiles were found; four belonged toS.bovisand seven toS.haematobiumxS.bovis. These molecular results together with the observed multi-peak chronotypes addM. natalensisas a new host implicated inS.haematobiumxS.bovistransmission. We discuss the origin of the new chronotypes which have become more complex with the appearance of several peaks in a 24-h day. We also discuss how the new populations of offspring may optimize intra-host ecological niche, host spectrum, and transmission time period.

Cotonou is one of African cities, considered today as the moving plate of the informal entrepreunariat. With the phenomenon of "Mamas-Benz", this city knows nowadays a "boom" of the feminine informal activities which show of the vitality and the dynamics of cities African entrepreunariales. Our contribution suggests analyzing from the point of view of the sociology, two neuralgic spaces of the entrepreunariat in Cotonou, namely: the Dantokpa market and the port(bearing) of Cotonou. Two places and two spaces which testify of the entrepreunariat of a city situated in the heart of western Africa. Economic and harbour city, Cotonou concentrates numerous commercial and harbour activities. Ler weight of the informal in the feminine activities, shows that more than somewhere else the inhabitants of Cotonou begin(undertake), exchange and create. This city also has a peculiarity, it is "zémidjans" (motorcycles-taxis) which show that the inhabitants of this city understood that you should not expect for everything from the Welfare state. "Zémidjans" is young graduates of the university for the greater part and who wanted to bypass the unemployment by the informal entrepreunariat which becomes in Benin a supplier of long-lasting(sustainable) employment(use) since the frost(gel) of the recruitments in the Central Administration. Cotonou is finally, a city which knows at present an unprecedented development of the micro-credits thanks to the formal and informal structures of the microcomputing finances.

Le plastique a revolutionne l’industrie et les comportements des consommateurs ces dernieres decennies. Or, les caracteristiques qui ont fait sa force se revelent aujourd’hui constituer une menace pour les ecosystemes. L’analyse interroge les effets des textes juridiques adoptes en Afrique atlantique sur la quantite et la nocivite des sacs plastique disponibles. Cette methode est novatrice en droit de l’environnement en developpant une approche numerique. L’analyse des mesures restreignant l’usage des sacs plastique montre que les Etats africains de cette etude se sont attaques a cette pollution. Le defi complexe de l’interdiction du plastique reste pregnant en Afrique atlantique. Classification JEL : K32, C80