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This paper studies the association between caregiver--child interactions and early childhood development in literacy and numeracy in West and Central Africa. Data comes from Multiple Cluster Indicator Surveys (MICS) conducted in Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Togo between 2017 and 2020. A multilevel logistic regression is used to estimate the likelihood of being developmentally on track for 35,752 children aged 3-4 years. The results indicate that cognitively stimulating interactions with caregivers such as reading and telling stories are correlated with a higher likelihood of being developmentally on track. Interactions with mothers are associated with significantly higher odds of being developmentally on track but not interactions with fathers.

In this paper we present a cross-cultural study of toddler interactions with other juveniles (1-15 years of age) in two small-scale societies, the Bofi farmers and foragers of Central Africa. This paper provides a unique perspective because child development studies have predominantly been conducted in Western industrialized settings. Most studies of juvenile interactions among non-Western small-scale cultures have focused either on sibling caretaking or the functional value of juvenile play-groups, while little attention has been given to various types of juvenile interactions. In this study we utilized naturalistic observations of 21 Bofi farmer and 22 Bofi forager toddlers to examine the role of cultural group and age in how toddlers interact with other juveniles, specifically with respect to caretaking, social, and conflict interactions. Toddler-juvenile caretaking interactions were quite similar among the Bofi foragers and farmers despite differing parental ethno-theories about juvenile caretaking, and age effects were apparent only among the farmers. Toddler-juvenile social interactions were predicted by both age and cultural group: Toddlers engaged socially with juveniles more as they grew older in both groups, but farmer toddlers interacted with juveniles more than did forager toddlers overall. Bofi farmer and forager toddler conflicts appeared quite infrequent by Western standards, although cultural group differences were apparent: Farmer toddler engaged in more conflict with juveniles than forager toddlers did. Lastly, the topics of conflicts varied according to cultural group, but not age: Farmer toddler conflicts were more often related to disagreements over objects and responses to physical aggression than were forager toddler conflicts.

Objectives: With a fourth of all under-five children affected, stunting remains one of the biggest health challenges worldwide. Even though the main underlying factors are known, the exact pathways to stunting varying in affected regions, and interventions thus need to be tailored to the local contexts. This study aimed assessing and comparing factors associated with stunting in two understudied sub-Saharan urban contexts with some of the highest stunting prevalence globally: Bangui, Central African Republic (~ 36%) and Antananarivo, Madagascar (42%). Methods: We performed a case–control study on 175 + 194 stunted and 237 + 230 non-stunted control children aged 2–5 years and matched for age, gender and district of residency. Factors associated with stunting were identified using a standardized, paper questionnaire delivered by trained interviewers. Statistical analysis was done using logistic regression modelling. Results: In both sites, formal maternal education lowered the risk of being stunted and restricted access to soap, suffering of anaemia and low birth weight were associated with higher risk of stunting. Short maternal stature, household head different from parents, diarrhoea and coughing were associated with an increased risk and continuing breastfeeding was associated with a lower risk of stunting in Antananarivo. Previous severe undernutrition and dermatitis/ fungal skin infections were associated with higher and changes in diet during pregnancy with lower risk of stunting in Bangui. Conclusions: Our results suggest maternal education, antenatal care, iron supplementation and simple WASH interventions such as using soap and infection control as general and breastfeeding (Antananarivo) or better nutrition (Bangui) as area-specified interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of acute malnutrition requires novel approaches to improve coverage, reduce costs and improve the efficiency of standard protocols that separate the management of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The use of simplified, combined protocols to treat both MAM and SAM has drawn research and policy interest among global, regional and national stakeholders. However, the perspectives of local communities and health care workers regarding the use of protocols to treat acute malnutrition in a routine health care system are generally lacking. This was a cross‐sectional mixed‐methods study aimed at assessing the perceptions of different stakeholders on the use of a simplified, combined protocol in two districts in the Central African Republic. Most of the respondents preferred the simplified, combined protocol over the standard protocol. They generally agreed that the protocol was easy to understand, allowed more children to receive treatment and was effective in treating acute malnutrition. The protocol modifications were well received, including the expanded admission criteria, use of mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC) only for admission and discharge criteria and reduced and simplified ready‐to‐use therapeutic food quantity to treat MAM and SAM. Some caregivers expressed concern with the use of MUAC only to declare recovery, flagging that underlying illnesses could still be present. The caregivers recommended the provision of other food basket interventions to improve the treatment. The support by caregivers and health care workers on the idea of training community health volunteers to treat acute malnutrition points to the potential of scaling up decentralized treatment to increase coverage in remote areas. Key messages: The use of the simplified, combined protocol to treat acute malnutrition received overwhelming support from most stakeholders involved in implementation.Stakeholders were supportive of the use of the protocol to provide care for both severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) children with a shorter length of stay in treatment.Most stakeholders supported the use of mid‐upper arm circumference only for the admission and discharge of children.The majority of stakeholders reported that the ready‐to‐use therapeutic food given for MAM and SAM was sufficient for the child's recovery.The idea of training and equipping community health volunteers to treat acute malnutrition was well supported by caregivers and health care workers and should be explored further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simplified, combined protocol admitting children with a mid‐upper‐arm circumference (MUAC) of <125 mm or oedema to malnutrition treatment with ready‐to‐use therapeutic food (RUTF) uses two sachets of RUTF per day of those with MUAC < 115 mm and/or oedema and one sachet of RUTF per day for those with MUAC 115–<125 mm. This treatment previously demonstrated noninferior programmatic outcomes compared with standard treatment and high recovery in a routine setting. We aimed to observe the protocol's effectiveness in a routine setting at scale, in two health districts of the Central African Republic through an observational cohort study. The pilot enrolled children for 1 year in consortium by the Ministry of Health and nongovernmental partners. A total of 7909 children were admitted to the simplified, combined treatment. Treatment resulted in an 81.2% overall recovery, with a mean length of stay (LOS) of 38.7 days and a mean RUTF consumption of 43.4 sachets per child treated. Among children admitted with MUAC < 115 mm or oedema, 67.9% recovered with a mean LOS of 48.1 days and consumed an average of 70.9 RUTF sachets. Programme performance differed between the two districts, with an overall defaulting rate of 31.1% in the Kouango‐Grimari health district, compared to 8.2% in Kemo. Response to treatment by children admitted with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) by MUAC and SAM by oedema was similar. The simplified, combined protocol resulted in a satisfactory overall recovery and low RUTF consumption per child treated, with further need to understand defaulting in the context. Key messages: The simplified, combined protocol with a mid‐upper‐arm circumference (MUAC)‐based ready‐to‐use therapeutic food (RUTF) resulted in a recovery rate that reached SPHERE standards, low length of stay and low RUTF consumption per child among all children treated.Response to treatment was similar among children admitted with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) by oedema and those admitted SAM by MUAC.Contextual factors such as insecurity and stockouts in treatment products affect programme outcomes by increasing defaulting and decreasing recovery rates.The simplified, combined protocol might present an opportunity to treat more children with less product; decentralised delivery should continue to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there were anecdotal reports of a high number of persons with epilepsy, including children with nodding seizures in the Landja Mboko area located about 9 km from the capital city Bangui, Central African Republic. We suspected the area to be endemic for onchocerciasis, and that the alleged increase in the number of epilepsy cases was due to ongoing Onchocerca volvulus transmission. However, ivermectin mass drug distribution (MDA) had never been implemented in the area. Therefore we performed an Ov16 antibody prevalence study among children, aged 6–9 years, using the biplex rapid diagnostic test (SD Bioline Oncho/LF biplex IgG4 RDT). The overall Ov16 seroprevalence was 8.9%, and that of lymphatic filariasis (LF) was 1.9%. Ov16 seropositivity was highest in Kodjo (20.0%), a village close to rapids on the river. Our study shows that there is ongoing O. volvulus transmission in the Landja Mboko area. We recommend that the extent of this onchocerciasis focus should be mapped, and the introduction of ivermectin MDA should be considered in these communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a report released by the United Nations which deals with continued recruitment of children by armed groups in Central African Republic.