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• Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), febrile illnesses remain a major public health problem in children. However, the persistence of hrp2 antigen and the low sensitivity of pLDH RDT negatively affect antimalarials and antibiotics prescription practices. These limitations lead to poor management of febrile diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). To improve the diagnosis of these febrile diseases and subsequent prescription of antimicrobials, it is hypothesized that the implementation of an algorithm including a two-step malaria RDT PfHRP2/pLDH supported by point-of-care (PoC) tests for bacterial infections could significantly improve the management of febrile diseases and thereby tackling AMR.• Methods: To assess the value of the proposed algorithm, an open-label randomized controlled trial with three arms, enrolling febrile children from 6 to 59 months is proposed.- In the control arm, febrile children will be managed according to the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI), which is part of the standard of care in Burkina Faso. Treatment will be done according to national guidelines.- In RDTs decisional algorithm (RDT-DA) arm (intervention), the clinical examination based on IMIC will be supported by a two-step malaria RDT and bacterial infections RDTs. Prescription will be left to the discretion of the healthcare workers based on clinical examination and PoC test results- In e-algorithm arm (intervention), artificial intelligence integrating multiple layers of clinical information such as clinical examination, signs/symptoms and medical history, and biological information such as biomarkers (CRP and WBC) and pathogen specific PoC tests, and oximetry will be developed. The e-algorithm will serve to guide the diagnostic and management of febrile infections in children.In the 3 arms, the case report forms will be digitalized. A final follow-up visit (day 7) will be scheduled for all participants. Patients will be asked to come back to the health facilities before the scheduled visit if the symptoms persist or in case of health condition worsening.• Discussion: If successful, this study could contribute to improve the management of febrile diseases and reduce inappropriate use of antimicrobials. • Trial registration: The trial is registered at ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT05285657. Enrolment started on 4th March 2022 with long term outcome being assessed completely by 2023

BackgroundThe WHO recommends use of the RTS,S/AS01E(RTS,S) malaria vaccine for young children living in areas of moderate to highPlasmodium falciparummalaria transmission and suggests countries consider seasonal vaccination in areas with highly seasonal malaria. Seasonal vaccination is uncommon and may require adaptations with potential cost consequences. This study prospectively estimates cost of seasonal malaria vaccine delivery in Mali and Burkina Faso.MethodsThree scenarios for seasonal vaccine delivery are costed (1) mass campaign only, (2) routine Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and (3) mixed delivery (mass campaign and routine EPI)), from the government’s perspective. Resource use data are informed by previous new vaccine introductions, supplemented with primary data from a sample of health facilities and administrative units.FindingsAt an assumed vaccine price of US $5 per dose, the economic cost per dose administered ranges between $7.73 and $8.68 (mass campaign), $7.04 and $7.38 (routine EPI) and $7.26 and $7.93 (mixed delivery). Excluding commodities, the cost ranges between $1.17 and $2.12 (mass campaign), $0.48 and $0.82 (routine EPI) and $0.70 and $1.37 (mixed delivery). The financial non-commodity cost per dose administered ranges between $0.99 and $1.99 (mass campaign), $0.39 and $0.76 (routine EPI) and $0.58 and $1.28 (mixed delivery). Excluding commodity costs, service delivery is the main cost driver under the mass campaign scenario, accounting for 36% to 55% of the financial cost. Service delivery accounts for 2%–8% and 12%–23% of the total financial cost under routine EPI and mixed delivery scenarios, respectively.ConclusionVaccine delivery using the mass campaign approach is most costly followed by mixed delivery and routine EPI delivery approaches, in both countries. Our cost estimates provide useful insights for decisions regarding delivery approaches, as countries plan the malaria vaccine rollout.

Summary Background The intermittent administration of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is recommended to prevent malaria among children aged 3–59 months in areas of the Sahel subregion in Africa. However, the cost-effectiveness and cost savings of SMC have not previously been evaluated in large-scale studies. Methods We did a cost-effectiveness and cost-savings analysis of a large-scale, multi-country SMC campaign with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine for children younger than 5 years in seven countries in the Sahel subregion (Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and The Gambia) in 2016. The financial and economic costs were analysed from the programmatic perspective and are reported in 2016 US$ for each country. The estimated numbers of averted malaria cases, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were based on numbers of SMC treatments administered and modelled malaria transmission. Cost savings were calculated from a programmatic perspective corresponding to the diagnostic and treatment costs for malaria cases averted. Findings The total cost of SMC for all seven countries was $22·8 million, and the weighted average economic cost of administering four monthly SMC cycles was $3·63 per child (ranging from $2·71 in Niger to $8·20 in The Gambia). Based on 80% modelled effectiveness of SMC, the incremental economic cost per malaria case averted ranged from $2·91 in Niger to $30·73 in The Gambia; the cost per severe case averted ranged from $119·63 in Niger to $506·00 in The Gambia; the cost per death averted ranged from $533·56 in Niger to $2256·92 in The Gambia; and the cost per DALY averted (discounted by 3%) ranged from $18·66 in Niger to $78·91 in The Gambia. The estimated total economic cost savings to the health systems in all seven countries were US$66·0 million and the total net economic cost savings were US$43·2 million. Interpretation SMC is a low-cost and highly cost-effective intervention that contributes to substantial cost savings by reducing malaria diagnostic and treatment costs among children. Funding Unitaid.

Background: Chronic renal failure is a serious pathology requiring renal dialysis. The number of patients under dialysis has increased considerably in the world and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Dialysis is a very expensive care. This is the reason why this study on the costs of dialysis management was initiated in Burkina Faso. The study objective is to determine the direct medical and non-medical costs of managing chronic renal failure among patients undergoing dialysis in Ouagadougou in 2020.Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected in the hemodialysis department of three public university hospitals in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. All dialysis patients with chronic renal failure were included in the study. Linear regression was used to investigate the determinants of the direct medical and non-medical cost of hemodialysis. Results: A total of 290 patients participated in this study, including children, adults, and the elderly with extremes of 12 and 82 years. Almost half of the patients (47.5%) had no income. The average monthly total direct cost across all patients was 75842 CFA or US$134.41.The average direct medical cost was 51315 CFA or US$90.94 and the average direct non-medical cost was 24 527 CFA or US$43.47. Most of the patients (45.2%) funded their hemodialysis by their own source. The multivariate analysis showed that the presence of an accompanying person during treatment, residing in a rural area, ambulatory care, use of personal cars, and treatment at the dialysis center of Yalgado Teaching Hospital were associated with higher direct costs.Conclusion: The average cost of dialysis services borne by the patient and his/her family is very high in Burkina Faso since itis 2.1 times higher than the inter-professional minimum wage in the country (34664 CFA or 61.4 $US). It appears that the precariousness of the means of subsistence strongly increases with the occurrence of chronic renal failure requiring dialysis. Thus, to alleviate the expenses borne by patients undergoing dialysis, it would be important to extend the state subsidy package to the costs of drugs and to promote health insurance to ensure equitable care for these patients.

Background Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major public health concern in sub-Sahara Africa. Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) with amodiaquine + sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine is one of the most important preventive interventions. Despite its implementation, the burden of malaria is still very high in children under five years old in Burkina Faso, suggesting that the expected impact of this promising strategy might not be attained. Development of innovative strategies to improve the efficacy of these existing malaria control measures is essential. In such context, we postulate that screening and treatment of malaria in household members of children receiving SMC could greatly improve the impact of SMC intervention and reduce malaria transmission in endemic settings. Methods This randomized superiority trial will be carried out in the Nanoro health district, Burkina Faso. The unit of randomisation will be the household and all eligible children from a household will be allocated to the same study group. Households with 3–59 months old children will be assigned to either (i) control group (SMC alone) or (ii) intervention (SMC+ screening of household members with standard Histidin Rich Protein Rapid Diagnostic Test (HRP2-RDT) and treatment if positive). The sample size will be 526 isolated households per arm, i.e., around 1052 children under SMC coverage and an expected 1315 household members. Included children will be followed-up for 24 months to fully cover two consecutive malaria transmission seasons and two SMC cycles. Children will be actively followed-up during the malaria transmission seasons while in the dry seasons the follow-up will be passive. Conclusion The study will respond to a major public health concern by providing evidence of the efficacy of an innovative strategy to boost the impact of SMC intervention.

Introduction This study estimated the costs and incremental cost per case detected of screening strategies for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) in women living with HIV (WLHIV) attending HIV clinics in Burkina Faso. Methods The direct healthcare provider costs of screening tests (visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), VIA combined visual inspection with Lugol’s iodine (VIA/VILI), cytology and a rapid HPV DNA test (careHPV)) and confirmatory tests (colposcopy, directed biopsy and systematic four-quadrant (4Q) biopsy) were collected alongside the HPV in Africa Research Partnership (HARP) study. A model was developed for a hypothetical cohort of 1000 WLHIV using data on CIN2+ prevalence and the sensitivity of the screening tests. Costs are reported in USD (2019). Results The study enrolled 554 WLHIV with median age 36 years (inter-quartile range, 31–41) and CIN2+ prevalence of 5.8%. The average cost per screening test ranged from US$3.2 for VIA to US$24.8 for cytology. Compared to VIA alone, the incremental cost per CIN2+ case detected was US$48 for VIA/VILI and US$814 for careHPV. Despite higher costs, careHPV was more sensitive for CIN2+ cases detected compared to VIA/VILI (97% and 56%, respectively). The cost of colposcopy was US$6.6 per person while directed biopsy was US$33.0 and 4Q biopsy was US$48.0. Conclusion Depending on the willingness to pay for the detection of a case of cervical cancer, decision makers in Burkina Faso can consider a variety of cervical cancer screening strategies for WLHIV. While careHPV is more costly, it has the potential to be cost-effective depending on the willingness to pay threshold. Future research should explore the lifetime costs and benefits of cervical cancer screening to enable comparisons with interventions for other diseases.

Background. The World Health Organization has recommended pilot implementation of a candidate vaccine against malaria (RTS,S/AS01) in selected sub-Saharan African countries. This exploratory study aimed to estimate the costs of implementing RTS,S in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Methods. Key informants of the expanded program on immunization at all levels in each country were interviewed on the resources required for implementing RTS,S for routine vaccination. Unit prices were derived from the same sources or from international price lists. Incremental costs in 2015 US dollars were aggregated per fully vaccinated child (FVC). It was assumed the four vaccine doses were either all delivered at health facilities or the fourth dose was delivered in an outreach setting. Results. The costs per FVC ranged from US$25 (Burkina Faso) to US$37 (Kenya) assuming a vaccine price of US$5 per dose. Across countries, recurrent costs represented the largest share dominated by vaccines (including wastage) and supply costs. Non-recurrent costs varied substantially across countries, mainly because of differences in needs for hiring personnel, in wages, in cold-room space, and equipment. Recent vaccine introductions in the countries may have had an impact on resource availability for a new vaccine implementation. Delivering the fourth dose in outreach settings raised the costs, mostly fuel, per FVC by less than US$1 regardless of the country. Conclusions. This study provides relevant information for donors and decision makers about the cost of implementing RTS,S. Variations within and across countries are important and the unknown future price per dose and wastage rate for this candidate vaccine adds substantially to the uncertainty about the actual costs of implementation.

Algorithm pre-eclampsia. (PDF 192 kb)

Algorithm eclampsia. (PDF 132 kb)

Approval of Research Ethics Committee of University of Montreal. (PDF 44 kb)

Algorithm prolonged labor. (PDF 90 kb)

Algorithm fetal distress. (PDF 90 kb)

This paper maps the health care burden of households in rural Burkina Faso. More specifically we investigate the financial burden of health shocks and the manner in which households respond. Our data allows us to differentiate the burden of chronic illness and handicap, more frequent and recurring illnesses and episodes of severe illness, accident and mortality. We find that the burden of health shocks and health spending is high, ranging from one third of monthly non-medical consumption for the treatment of common infectious illnesses to almost three times the monthly non-medical spending in case of death of a household member. To cope, households deplete savings, sell livestock or reduce consumption. In case of severe shocks they are also heavily reliant on transfers from outside. Looking at the economic consequences of health shocks we find that illness of whichever type – severe, chronic or more common – reduces household consumption. Furthermore, households which suffered from a severe illness show significantly lower livestock holdings. Many of the health insurance schemes implemented in developing countries are not yet taking note of the burden of severe and chronic illness. However, in light of the universal health insurance coverage objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) it should be considered an area for future expansion. Keywords: Community based health insurance, Coping, Illness, Shocks, Burkina Faso

Background Although the advantages of introducing point of care testing for syphilis in antenatal care (ANC) are well documented, there is little evidence on how to address structural issues within health systems. A better understanding of how these interventions work in a range of settings and contexts is needed in order to overcome bottlenecks at health system level. To better understand the relationships between implementation and context we developed and implemented an intervention focused on integrating a rapid screening test for syphilis in ANC services in rural primary health care facilities in Burkina Faso. This manuscript describes the intervention and reports on feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, the facilitators and barriers to the implementation of this intervention and the likelihood that point of care test for syphilis will become routinely incorporated in practice. Methods In Kaya Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Kaya HDSS), all 7 primary healthcare facilities were selected for intervention in 2013. A participatory approach was used to design and implement an antenatal syphilis screening intervention. The Normalization Process Model (NPM) proposed by May et al. was adapted in order to identify barriers and facilitators and to explore the likelihood to become routinely incorporated in practice. Registers, Observations (n = 14 ANC 1) of interactions between patients and health workers during ANC and interviews with health workers (n = 14) were our data sources. Results An intervention that included onsite training, provision of supplies and medicines, quality control and supervision was implemented in 7 health facilities in 2013. Rapid syphilis test and treatment were delivered during ANC within the examination room with no specific additional mechanism regarding staff organization. The perceived barriers were lack of training of all staff, workload, stock-outs of consumables and lack of motivation of staff. Key facilitators included political environment, ease of use of test and acceptability to pregnant women. Conclusions Onsite testing for antenatal syphilis is a feasible and acceptable intervention in ANC at primary health facility in Burkina Faso. The point-of care test for syphilis is more likely to be acceptable by health workers as routine service and incorporated as a normal practice. Trial registration The study was retrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under the Trial Registration Number NCT03156751 .

Background and objective : Little information is available on the rapid diagnostic testing for syphilis in Burkina Faso. The objectives of the study were (i) to assess the sensitivity and specificity of four on site rapid tests in comparison with Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay (TPHA) as a gold standard and (ii) to evaluate the operational characteristics of those tests among health workers in a maternity unit. Methods : Four rapid syphilis tests commercially available in Burkina Faso were evaluated using archived serum samples and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) as the gold standard. Blood samples were collected between November 2011 and June 2012 from blood donors at the Regional Blood Transfusion Center of Ouagadougou. The sensitivity and specificity of the tests were calculated. Evaluation of operational characteristics such as clarity of pamphlet, complexity of technique, duration, was conducted in a first-level healthcare center with health workers in maternity unit. Results : Alere DetermineTM Syphilis was the most sensitive of the four rapid syphilis tests evaluated. It was followed by SD Bioline Syphilis 3.0, Cypress Diagnostics Syphilis Quick test and Accu-Tell ® Rapid Anti-TP, which was the least sensitive. The four tests demonstrated a good diagnostic specificity for syphilis (95–98%), and healthcare workers found them easy to use. Conclusions : The study allowed confirming the good performance of three of four rapid syphilis tests in Burkina Faso. More research will be conducted to assess the feasibility of introducing selected rapid tests for syphilis in antenatal care services. Keywords : syphilis, rapid test, performance, Burkina Faso

Background The lack of motivation of health workers to practice in rural areas remains a crucial problem for decision-makers, as it deprives the majority of access to health care. To solve the problem, many countries have implemented health worker retention strategies. However, the development of such strategies requires an understanding of the preferences of health workers. The objective of the study was to identify a package for attracting and retaining health workers in underserved areas. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted in three health regions of Burkina Faso in 2012. A discrete choice experiment was used to investigate preferences for incentive packages among health workers recruited under the regionalized policy. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions with health workers currently working in the East and Sahel regions and policy makers, and a literature review on attraction and retention in low income countries, were performed to identify the attributes and levels. These attributes were: the regionalized recruitment policy, health insurance, work equipment, housing, and specific incentive compensation. The final design resulted in 16 choice sets. A multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics on choice of a given option. A probit logistic regression model was then used to analyze the effect of these difference variables on choice, to identify the incentive package best suited to health workers. In total, questionnaires were administered to 315 regional health workers. Results For all participants, choice of package was strongly influenced by length of commitment under the policy and provision of housing. Sex, number of years in profession, and location also influenced the choice of package. Women are twice more likely to choose a package with free housing and the cancellation of the policy. Conclusion It is important that governments consider health worker preferences in crafting policies to address attraction and retention in underserved areas. In addition, the methodology of discrete choice experiment has been particularly useful, not only for better understanding the factors explaining the reluctance of health workers to work in underserved areas, but also to provide practical advice to the government, to improve its retention policy.

Background: The provision of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) is widely accepted in Burkina Faso thanks to large-scale national distribution campaigns. However, household also use other methods of prevention. Thus far, there is little knowledge about the expenditures of these malaria prevention methods, particularly in combination with the national interventions. This paper presents the utilization levels and expenditures of malaria prevention tools in Burkina Faso and explores the potential inequality in ownership. Methods: The analysis is based on a cross-sectional survey, conducted during the 2010 high transmission season from July to September in the Nanoro Health and Demographic Surveillance Site. Following a systematic sampling technique, the survey covers 500 households with children under 5 years of age from 24 villages. In the survey, households were asked about expenditures on malaria prevention methods in the month preceding the survey. This includes expenditure on coils, indoor spraying, aerosols, repellents, herbs, cleaning of the environment and clearing of the vegetation. The data analysis was conducted with SPSS taking into account the socio-economic status (SES) of the household to examine any differences in the utilization of the prevention method and expenditure quintiles. An asset-based index, created through principal components analysis (PCA), was used to categorize the households into quintiles. Findings: Of the households surveyed, 45% used one preventive measure in the past month; 29% used two measures; and 25% used three or more measures. A significant association was found between the number of prevention measures and the SES of the household (p

Introduction Despite advances in treatment and management, syphilis remains a major public health problem in Burkina Faso. Syphilis in pregnancy poses major health risks for the mother and the fetus and also increases the risk for HIV transmission. Despite its potential benefits, antenatal syphilis screening is often poorly implemented in many sub-Saharan African countries. The purpose of the study is to identify and understand barriers affecting health system performance for syphilis screening among pregnant women in Burkina Faso. Methods We conducted in-depth interviews and observations in the Kaya health district, Burkina Faso. Participants were purposively selected to capture a range of perspectives across different actors with different roles and responsibilities. Seventy-five interviews were conducted with health providers, district managers, facility managers, traditional healers, pregnant women, community health workers, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) managers. Interviews were transcribed and organized into codes and categories using NVivo software. Results Participants identified multiple barriers at health providers and community levels. Key barriers at provider level included fragmentation of services, poor communication, low motivation for prescription, and low awareness of syphilis burden. Cost of testing, distance to laboratory and lack of knowledge about syphilis were identified as barriers at community level. Conclusion The study highlights barriers such as distance, cost of testing, and knowledge about syphilis. The introduction of point of care testing for syphilis could be an entry point for improving coverage of antenatal syphilis screening.

The Kaya Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Kaya HDSS) is located in the North Central region of Burkina Faso in the Kaya health district. The main purposes of the Kaya HDSS are to study demographic, infectious and chronic disease indicators in the district, to observe changes in health over time, evaluate health programmes and to provide a basis for policy decisions and capacity building in order to enhance the health of the community. Kaya HDSS was established in late 2007 following a baseline census of the population of the HDSS area. Homes were visited every 6 months to collect demographic information and data on morbidity and mortality. A verbal autopsy questionnaire is used to collect information on the causes of death. The Kaya HDSS reached 64,480 residents in 10,587 households by the end of 2011, with an average of 6.1 ± 4.3 persons per household. The site is 70% urban and 30% rural. The population is 51.8% female. Over 55% of deaths occur outside health facilities. Malaria is the leading cause of death, primarily affecting children under 5 years of age (44%) and those 5 to 14 years old (36%). The Kaya HDSS data can be obtained by sending a request via the HDSS website (http://kaya-hdss.org/).

SMS-based reminders. (DOC 32 kb)

The relevant references. (DOC 32 kb)

Algorithm vaginal birth after caesarean section. (PDF 138 kb)

Algorithm vaginal birth after caesarean section. (PDF 138 kb)

The relevant references. (DOC 32 kb)

List of experts. (DOC 26 kb)

Background While the impact of task shifting on quality of care and clinical outcomes has been demonstrated in several studies, evidence on its impact on the health system as a whole is limited. This study has two main objectives. The first is to conceptualize the wider range of effects of task shifting through a systems thinking lens. The second is to explore these effects using task shifting for HIV in Burkina Faso as a case study. Methods We used a case study approach, using qualitative research methods. Data sources included document reviews, reviews of available data and records, as well as interviews with key informants and health workers. Results In addition to the traditional measures of impact of task shifting on health outcomes, our study identified 20 possible effects of the strategy on the system as a whole. Moreover, our analysis highlighted the importance of differentiating between two types of health systems effects. The first are effects inherent to the task shifting strategy itself, such as job satisfaction or better access to health services. The second are effects due to health system barriers, for example the unavailability of medicines and supplies, generating a series of effects on the various components of the health system, e.g., staff frustration. Among the health systems effects that we found are positive, mostly unintended, effects and synergies such as increased health workers' sense of responsibility and worthiness, increased satisfaction due to using the newly acquired skills in other non-HIV tasks, as well as improved patient-provider relationships. Among the negative unintended effects are staff frustration due to lack of medicines and supplies or lack of the necessary infrastructure to be able to perform the new tasks. Conclusion Our analysis highlights the importance of adopting a systems thinking approach in designing, implementing and evaluating health policies to mitigate some of the design issues or system bottle-necks that may impede their successful implementation or risk to present an incomplete or misleading picture of their impact.

List of experts. (DOC 26 kb)