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The paper analyses the normative and empirical capacity of elections to function as a peace mechanism in the early stages of the recovery period. Accordingly, the analysis is based on a theoretical framework that draws attention to the timing of elections in postconflict societies. Moreover, in order to operationalize such theoretical aspects, the paper focuses on two relevant case studies: the 1997 elections in Liberia (perceived as postconflict) and the 2020-2021 elections in The Central African Republic (early peace process - not void of conflict). Accordingly, the paper poses the following research questions: How was the prospect of organizing these rounds of election received by the parties involved in the conflict? How did these rounds of election relate to the peace process? Do elections represent an adequate mechanism to achieve positive peace in post-conflict societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Central African Republic (CAR) has been a theater of hostilities for decades, in- cluding the Seleka rebellion in December 2012, which caused religious-based discrimination, especially between the Muslim minority and Christian majority. Opportunistic political leaders and armed groups have misused religion for political and egocentric gains in the CAR. The pur- pose of this qualitative content analysis research is to investigate the use of religion for political motives in the CAR and how such actions impact conflict and sectarian divides in the so-called phantom state. The paper recommends ways to mitigate political influence and the misuse of religion by political and armed group actors in the CAR. Very little or no literature on conflict in the CAR has specifically addressed the influence of politics on religion and how it contributes to fueling conflict in the country. This study fills the gaps in the literature by investigating the historical narratives of the CAR conflict while highlighting instances of political abuse of religion. A review of existing literature on the political manipulation of religion establishes the basis for a critical analysis of the influence of politics on religion in the CAR and its impact on conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"What explains the feeling of being disempowered? The literature on aspirations suggests subjectively deprived people may feel disempowered because they consider that any improvement to their lot is simply out of their reach. The present paper provides original and robust evidence that, alongside the well-known objective capabilities related to skills, assets and opportunities, psychological capabilities linked to aspirations also matter. Based on a Central African household survey and tackling endogeneity issues, we show that: (i) feeling subjectively more deprived decreases the probability of reporting a high level of empowerment, defined as power from within, that is the power to change one's life; (ii) the probability of reporting empowerment decreases with the size of the aspirations gap, defined as the negative gap between one's level of subjective wealth and the locality's mean level; (iii) the capability framework is a relevant one to address the complex links between aspirations and empowerment." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the uneven geography of foreign direct investment in Africa, this article examines political, demographic and infrastructural factors that have led six countries – Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, the Gambia, Guinea Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe – to be the least attractive territories to the external capital. This paper investigates the extent to which political stability, qualification of labor, potential consumer market, regional integration, and infrastructure play a central role in attracting investments. It also debates Geography's role in investigating African countries' particularities to avoid common generalizations, which are still disseminated by Afro-Optimism and Afro-Pessimist perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How do public procurement practices influence effective public financial management (PFM) in Africa? Notwithstanding the several public procurement reforms to improve PFM in Africa, outcomes have not been sustainable. Prior studies have failed to explain this phenomenon. With a descriptive case study design based on comprehensive datasets, this paper explains this situation with three key factors underlying the public procurement environment in three African countries: Ethiopia, Central African Republic, and Ghana. From the agency theory lenses, these factors affect the agency cost in public administrative systems necessary for addressing the agency problems in public procurement management towards desired PFM outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the geochemistry of bulk rock and infers the petrogenesis of ultramafic rocks in the Boali Precambrian terrane in Mbi Valley, in the North of the Central African Republic (CAR). The studied rocks comprise coarse primary olivine and orthopyroxene relics (dominant phase), magnesio-hornblende, magnetite, and antigorite. Whole-rock analysis indicates low SiO2 (average of 43.14 wt%) and high MgO (19.84–26.98 wt%) contents and their Mg number (Mg#) ranges from 74 to 82. They display high Ni (526–865 ppm), Cr (1500–3680 ppm) contents. AFM (Na2O-K2O)-FeO-MgO) and ACM (Al2O3-CaO-MgO) ternary diagrams have revealed that the studied samples correspond to arc-related ultramafic cumulates. Chondrite-normalized REE plots display an increasing trend from La to Sm (CeN/SmN: 0.74–1.81), weak negative to no Eu (Eu/Eu* = 0.72–1.05) and strong negative Ce (Ce/Ce* = 0.33–0.98) anomalies. Primitive mantle normalized of multi-element diagrams exhibit LREE enrichment and large ion lithophile elements (LILE) relative to high field strength elements (HFSE), and notable negative anomalies in Nb. This suggests the generation of the parent melt by slab dehydration and wedge melting processes. In addition, incompatible trace element composition and ratios assumed that the source magma had an enhanced mantle source associated with a prominent influence of continental crust. Metasomatism of mantle wedge by plate-dehydrated, LILE-rich fluids and the incorporation of sediments derived from subduction explain the enhancement of the source. Integrated major and trace element compositions jointly with the tectonic reconstruction of this region and LA-ICP-MS U–Pb data on zircon constrain the emplacement age at ca. 2099 Ma in a continental margin arc setting involving subduction of an oceanic plate beneath the continental lithosphere, dehydration of the slab and mantle wedge melting. This result intimate that the remnants of Paleoproterozoic oceanic crust or subduction event and subsequent basins closure extended from the Congo craton in Cameroon to CAR and NE Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annales UMCS, Sectio K (Politologia) is the property of Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Politique Africaine is the property of Karthala Editions Diffusion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

While preventive maintenance services have emerged as promising interventions to improve the continuity of water service delivery, the operational and contextual requirements for sustained functionality within maintenance models are not well understood. This paper uses data analysis to better understand factors influencing the success of rural water service delivery within the circuit rider maintenance model in fragile contexts. Incorporating operational data from a large scale circuit rider hand-pump maintenance program in the Central African Republic, mixed-effect logistic regression models were used to identify determinants of water point functionality and payment compliance. Models were informed by data from over 16,000 maintenance visits across nine years. Faster response time, proximity to urban centers, and proximity to other hand-pumps emerged as significant factors for improving water point functionality, while proximity to maintenance program headquarters, pump functionality, and frequency of maintenance visits significantly influenced payment compliance. The observed high functionality rates of hand-pumps serviced by the maintenance program indicates the potential benefits of professionalized maintenance through the circuit rider model at promoting water system reliability in fragile contexts. Despite adaptability and resilience in implementation of the circuit rider model, insecurity and conflict remain barriers to sustaining service delivery in the Central African Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

This paper examines how innovative skills and knowledge are transmitted and acquired among adolescents in two hunter-gatherer communities, the Aka of southern Central African Republic and the Chabu of southwestern Ethiopia. Modes of transmission and processes of social learning are addressed. Innovation as well as social learning have been hypothesized to be key features of human cumulative culture, enhancing the fitness and survival of individuals in diverse environments. The innovation literature indicates adult males are more innovative than children and female adults and therefore predicts that adolescents will seek out adult males. Further, the mode of transmission should be oblique (i.e., learning from adults other than parents). Thus, learning of innovations should be oblique or horizontal rather than vertical, with adolescents paying particular attention to "successful" innovative individuals (prestige bias). The social learning literature indicates that complex skills or knowledge is likely to be learned through teaching, and therefore that teaching will be an important process in the transmission of innovations. In-depth and semi-structured interviews, informal observations, and systematic free-listing were used to evaluate these hypotheses. The study found that (1) cultural context patterned whether or not adolescents sought out adult male or female innovators; (2) oblique modes of transmission were mentioned with greater frequency than horizontal or vertical modes; (3) knowledge and skill bias was notable and explicitly linked by the adolescents to reproductive effort; and (4) teaching was biased toward same-sex individuals and was an important but not an exclusive means of transmitting complex skills and social knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hungarian Geophysics / Magyar Geofizika is the property of Association of Hungarian Geophysicists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between capital flight, diamond exports and political governance crisis in the Central African Republic. To achieve this, use is made of multiple correspondence analysis to construct a political governance crisis index, and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model and Bound test for co‐integration are employed to establish short‐run and long‐run relationships. The short‐run results show political governance crisis and diamond exports have a significant and negative effect on capital flight. The interaction term between diamonds exports and political governance crisis is found to be positively related to capital flight in the short run. The long‐run equilibrium shows a significant and negative relationship between political governance crisis, diamond exports, and gross domestic product growth even though the interaction between political governance crisis and diamond exports show a positive and significant relationship. The total natural resource rent is found to be positively related to capital flight but not statistically significant. It is then recommended that a combination of stable political governance associated with reducing corruption in public affairs and promoting transparency in the management of the diamond sector be strengthened to effectively reduce the flight of capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Never has the doctrine of command responsibility been shaken as when the Appeal Chamber of the International Criminal Court issued the Bemba Appeal Judgment. The latter solely addresses whether the defendant – Jean-Pierre Bemba, former Commander-in-chief of the Mouvement de libération du Congo – took reasonable and necessary measures to prevent or punish his subordinates' crimes perpetrated in the Central African Republic. Yet, the various dissenting, separate and concurring opinions advocate opposing positions on the scope, elements and nature of this notorious doctrine. This paper relocates the 'sharp disagreements' that surfaced during the Bemba Appeal Judgment within the broader phenomena of the individualisation of war. Through an in-depth examination of the interpretation offered by the appellate judges, it designs a model of command responsibility that properly individualises Article 28 Rome Statute, and, by the same token, respect the fundamental rights of military commanders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper postulates that highly educated leaders matter in economic growth and development and that this is one of the fundamental causes of the differences in income between countries. To verify this assertion, we examine Central African Republic and Singapore within the neoclassical growth model that incorporates educational attainments of leaders as the functionally relevant explanatory variable. We found the mean years of schooling of educated leaders to be statistically and significantly different in both countries, but more importantly, educational attainments of leaders have a positive and statistically significant effect on economic growth in Singapore, but negative in Central African Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the ways in which the nomadic Mbororo's claim to grazing land in the territorial margins of the Central African Republic (CAR) has shifted under the influence of increased competition. It unpacks the ambiguities of a nomadic lifestyle that requires navigation between acquired political inclusion, and increasing social exclusion. The paper explores how the Mbororo adapted their strategies under the influence of changing political and security situations since their arrival in the country around a century ago. The Mbororo's initial strategy to keep a low profile and occupy the largely empty pastures came under pressure due to increased competition from various armed groups over the territorial margins. Rebel groups, transhumance, poachers, and highway bandits now occupy the same territories for their political and economic projects. The country's recent and ongoing crisis has imposed unprecedented new challenges. The Mbororo adapted their strategies to uphold their claims to land and belonging: the majority temporarily sought exile, while some others have resorted to joining armed groups. Meanwhile, their political and economic inclusion weakened and their cattle became one of the main sources financing the conflict economy. The paper argues that increasing social and political marginality combined with the violence in the territorial margins will make it hard for the Mbororo to reclaim the Central African pastures that are the heart of their lives and livelihoods. [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]

Background: The use of medical abortion using either a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, or misoprostol alone has contributed to increased safety and decreased mortality and morbidity. The availability of quality medical abortion medicines is an essential component in the provision of quality abortion care. Understanding the factors that influence the availability of medical abortion medicines is important to help in-country policymakers, program planners, and providers improve availability and use of medical abortion. Methods: Using a national assessment protocol and an availability framework, we assessed the availability of medical abortion medicines across five elements (Registration & Quality Assurance, Policy & Financing, Procurement & Distribution, Provider Knowledge, and End-user Knowledge) in eight countries: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Uganda between November 2020 and November 2021. The assessment included an online desk review and virtual or telephone-based key informant interviews. Results: Registration of medical abortion medicines—misoprostol or co-packaged mifepristone and misoprostol products (combi-pack)—was established in all countries, except the Central African Republic. In Lesotho and Eswatini, the national regulatory agency is still in development and importation of Cytotec™ misoprostol is permitted for off-label use in obstetrics/gynecology. Misoprostol was included in all countries' essential medicines lists, except Botswana. Burkina Faso and Democratic Republic of the Congo also include mifepristone on their essential medicines list and medical abortion regimens in national abortion care service and delivery guidelines. Additionally, guidelines clarified health worker roles in the provision of abortion care specific to the legal context of each country and permitted task-shifting of abortion service provision. Where guidelines did not exist, medical abortion medicines and their use were not well integrated into the public health care system. Community awareness activities on abortion rights and services have been limited in scope across the countries assessed, however, end-users' awareness of misoprostol as a medical abortion medicine was reported. Conclusion: The national landscape assessments identified several cross-cutting opportunities to improve availability of medical abortion medicines, including importing quality-assured medical abortion medicines; developing nationally approved abortion service and delivery guidelines that optimize healthcare worker roles; and expanding communication strategies to reach end-users and pharmacists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the efficiency of public spending in the education and health sectors of Cameroon, Chad and Central African Republic. It also examines the institution and economic factors influencing spending efficiency in these sectors in the countries selected for the period 2000-2012. The public sector efficiency scores are estimated in the first stage by using the non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach while in the second stage, the panel data Tobit and the Fractional Logit regression techniques are used to determine the effect of institutional and economic factors on public spending efficiency in the education and health sectors. The results from the estimation show that Cameroon is more efficient than Chad and Central African Republic in its public spending in education and health. Chad is least efficient in public spending in education, although it spends more on education as compared to the other countries in the study. The results also indicate that the quality of budgetary and financial management has a positive and statistically significant influence on efficiency while corruption has a negative and significant influence on public spending efficiency in the education and health sectors. The results put together recommend that efforts should be put in place to curb corruption and improve on the quality of budgetary and financial management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of 'stability' and the practice of 'stability operations' experienced a revival in the last decade. The paper shows how different actors (UN, NATO, US and European countries) have been using the concept 'stability' in their recent doctrines. It then shows how as a multi-faceted notion stability can benefit from methodological pluralism, how actors adopt different and even conflicting meanings across a range of different cases and stability operations seem to carry troubling political and normative implications. In sum, this introductory essay specifies how the present collection contributes to the literature and the ongoing policy debate by dissecting the notions of stability and stability operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous sites attributed to Early Stone Age (ESA), the emergence and diversification of lithic industries in Central African Republic is still challenging for discussion. Among all these sites, those located near Baboungué village have been reported by Roger de Bayle des Hermens in the late 1960s, and provided artifacts from two localities, namely Baboungué 1 and Baboungué 2. Both sites are situated around 800 meters from Baboungué village within the Sangha River alluvial deposits. Nowadays, the lithic assemblages from Baboungué are stored at the Institut de Paléontologie Humaine , Paris, France. In this paper, we reappraise a selection of 90 pieces from both localities (Baboungué 1 = 26 and Baboungué 2 = 74), which have already been identified and classified by R. de Bayle des Hermens in " Recherches préhistoriques en République centrafricaine " (1975). He used a morphological and typological approach. We decided to apply a new technological approach on these collections. Reduction strategies (flaking and shaping) and techno-functional analysis were applied with a focus on the shaped tools and pebble tools. Even though, the classification made by R. de Bayle des Hermens is taken into consideration in our study. We introduced several new categories such as Large Flake Tools, and Trifacial Shaped Tools. We expose the unexpected diversity of Baboungué shaped tools and pebble tools both in terms of production and techno-function (structural specificities). This paper also describes for the first time the trifacial shaping strategies for Central African ESA, whereas traditional ESA bifacial shaping is absent. Finally, we question the techno-cultural and functional significance of these collections marked by robust to massive stone tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper is based on living material belonging to the genus Euphaedra, collected over the last 10 years in Bangui, as well as a neighbouring South West area in Central African Republic (CAR). There are four rare species of Euphaedra confirmed in CAR, and three others are reported for the first time in this country. Some comments are included relating to species abundance and distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mortality from physical inactivity-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is projected to surpass deaths from communicable diseases by 2030 in Africa. Monitoring physical activity (PA) is important for planning public health interventions addressing NCDS and planetary health, but there is a dearth of evidence on PA trends in Africa. This study explored the secular trends in overall and domains of PA (leisure, occupation, and transport), and examined the gender, age, and education disparities in PA trends across African countries. Methods: We utilized data from the STEPwise approach to NCDs risk factor surveillance in eleven African countries (Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Eritrea, Eswatini, Malawi, Mali, Central Africa Republic, Sao Tome and Principe, and Zambia) with at least two surveys conducted between 2003/2010 (first-wave) and 2010/2020 (second-waves). A total of 29,282 and 40,147 adults (18–69 years) in the first and second waves, respectively, completed PA interviews using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Gender, age, and education status were self-reported. Weighted individual-country PA prevalence and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were obtained. Random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to assess pooled estimates of PA trends across countries. Gender, age, and education disparities in PA trends were also investigated. Results: Country-specific results showed significant upward trends in total PA in eight countries. Seven countries showed significant increasing trends in some leisure-time PA (2.0% − 13.9% increase) and ≥ 150 min/week transport PA (4.0% − 24.5% increase), while five countries recorded significant increasing trends in occupational PA (6.6% − 56.9% increase). Gender, age and education disparities in meeting the WHO PA guidelines remained relatively stable over time, but disparities in leisure, transport and occupational PA increased in most countries. Conclusions: The prevalence of overall PA among African adults has marginally increased over 17 years. There are still many adults, especially women and people with lower education, not doing well in domain specific PA. Policy and environmental interventions are needed to improve PA and to reduce gender, age, and education disparities in leisure, transport, and occupational PA in African countries. [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]

Background: Ongoing conflict between multiple armed groups, including pastoralist herders in the Central African Republic (CAR) causes frequent population displacements, food insecurity and scarcity of healthcare services. The inaccessibility and insecurity of many areas of CAR limit data collection and assessments from national nutritional surveys. Community health workers (CHWs) trained by an international non-governmental organisation, The MENTOR Initiative, deliver basic healthcare to children under 5 years old living in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected areas in eight subprefectures of north-west CAR. Their nutritional status and its associations with geography, malaria, season and conflict are unknown. Methods: CHW monthly records (October 2015–August 2021), Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project conflict data and The World Bank Group meteorological data for eight subprefectures of north-west CAR were analysed. Associations between counts of global acute malnutrition (GAM) assessed by mid-upper arm circumference and malaria, season and conflict were investigated using negative binomial regression. Results: Of the 457,325 consultations with children aged 6–59 months, 6.2% and 0.4% were classified as moderately or severely malnourished, respectively. The negative binomial model demonstrated differences in counts of GAM by subprefecture. Counts of GAM were positively associated with the case rate of severe malaria (IRR = 1.045; 95% CI: 1.04–1.06) and the rainy season (July–September) (IRR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.03–1.17). Conflict events coded as Battles in ACLED were associated with lower counts of GAM (IRR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.62–0.97). Conclusions: This analysis shows geographical differences in levels of malnutrition in north-west CAR and demonstrates clear associations between malnutrition, season and malaria. It provides evidence that levels of GAM may be underestimated in north-west CAR in areas experiencing conflict. These findings highlight the need for targeted nutritional support to reach children most at risk of malnutrition. CHWs are a proven effective means of delivering essential primary healthcare services in hard-to-reach, conflict-affected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the declining importance of political parties in the Central African Republic (CAR). The country can be considered an extreme example of the lack of viability of a state in general, and democracy in particular. However, the quality of elections has exceeded the average in the sub-region over a substantial time-span. Hopes for a democratic future only faded in recent years. The paper hypothesises that both political parties and rebel movements are failing to adequately represent (ethnoregional) interests, but that parties are suffering more in the course of the enduring war and the peace process. Patterns of elite behaviour are presented as the main explanation for the resulting crisis of representation, with international actors' preference for inclusionary power-sharing deals seen as the main aggravating factor. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the major cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The global epidemiological scenario of HBV infection has been changing rapidly over the last two decades due to an effective immunization programme initiated by the World Health Organization. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of HBV in apparently healthy young people and to identify the risk factors of transmission of the HBV among this population in Bangui. Methods: Dried blood Spots from 801 adolescent high school and young adult university students were prepared by spotting a drop of whole blood (4 spots) from the same fingerprick onto Whatman filter paper. A blood sample aliquot eluted from DBS was then processed with commercial ELISA tests (Abbott Murex, Dartfort, UK) to detect HBsAg antigen, Anti-HBc and Anti-HBs antibodies). Results: The overall prevalence was 42.3% for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen, 15.5% for HBsAg of which 1.3% of HBsAg alone. HBV familial antecedents, sexual activity and socioeconomic conditions were the main risk factors of HBV infection encountered in the adolescents and young adults. Conclusion: These results show for the first time the high prevalence of HBV in apparently healthy young people in Bangui. This high prevalence is age- and sex-independent. Transmission risk factors were a familial antecedent of HBV, no utilisation of condoms and public scholarship. To lower HBV prevalence, an adequate program of active screening and vaccination for adolescents and young adults should be implemented, along with a universal immunization program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing population of young people in the world today makes them an indispensable factor in international, regional, national and local development today. The UN World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) and the African Union's African Youth Charter all attest to the concern development stakeholders pay to youth development. This paper analysis youth policy within 9 member states of the Central African Sub region, showcasing the vital, yet significant role that polities are creating in fostering an enabling environment for youth participation. It explores the tenets of youth policy within this sub region by depicting how the participation of youths in societal activities and decision making instances should be an asset and a prerequisite for sustainable economic growth and social development. It also expresses abysmal concern about the magnitude of youth unemployment and underemployment throughout in Africa and its profound implications for the future of our societies, particularly those residing in the Central African sub region. The study is descriptive and applies a qualitative approach based on expert interviews and desk research. It employs the explanatory case study approach, and the combined anthropological research techniques through the use of key informant interview, written records and non-participant observations. The authors also conducted research in major databases like google scholar, PUB Med with the search phrase being youth policies, participation and youth governance. The 2016 Youth Development Index Report indicates that all 9 Central African countries have a low index, and 4 of the 9 countries are ranked in the bottom 10 of the classification. The findings also reveal that conflicts, underdevelopment and lack of political willingness are customarily accountable for the lagging of this Sub region in youth policy matters. The paper also proposes indicators to monitor and evaluate Youth Policies in the Central African Sub region, using the model proposed by Tanya BASARAB, develop initiatives to promote youth participation, and encourage networking among youth organizations and institutions with the Central African Sub region.

Youth as a category that informs international interventions in conflict-affected settings has gained currency in the past decade. This article traces the rising rhetoric of youth in UN Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) discourse and demonstrates how changes in its dominant representations have implications beyond the matter of semantics. Drawing on post-structuralist traditions, the article highlights how the DDR discourse delineates problems through particular framings that call forth certain solutions, which in turn reinforce the very (mis)understandings that underlie the interventions. A case study from the Central African Republic illustrates how the hegemonic representation of youth-as-troublemakers in UN documents, together with a compelling narrative that naturalized the link between youth, unemployment and violence, made possible and conferred legitimacy to the proliferation of projects with an overwhelming economic focus. The article discusses how the resource landscape, such as opportunities to unlock earmarked funding, incentivizes the reproduction of certain constructions of youth that align with today's policy panic around violent extremism. In so doing, it puts into question the instrumental approach towards discourse by pointing to surprising ways in which discourses become appropriated by both international peacebuilders and the 'subjects' of these interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) initiated three cycles of dihydroartemisin-piperaquine (DHA-PQ) mass drug administration (MDA) for children aged three months to 15 years within Bossangoa sub-prefecture, Central African Republic. Coverage, clinical impact, and community members perspectives were evaluated to inform the use of MDAs in humanitarian emergencies. Methods: A household survey was undertaken after the MDA focusing on participation, recent illness among eligible children, and household satisfaction. Using routine surveillance data, the reduction during the MDA period compared to the same period of preceding two years in consultations, malaria diagnoses, malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) positivity in three MSF community healthcare facilities (HFs), and the reduction in severe malaria admissions at the regional hospital were estimated. Twenty-seven focus groups discussions (FGDs) with community members were conducted. Results: Overall coverage based on the MDA card or verbal report was 94.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): 86.3–97.8%). Among participants of the household survey, 2.6% (95% CI 1.6–40.3%) of round 3 MDA participants experienced illness in the preceding four weeks compared to 30.6% (95% CI 22.1–40.8%) of MDA non-participants. One community HF experienced a 54.5% (95% CI 50.8–57.9) reduction in consultations, a 73.7% (95% CI 70.5–76.5) reduction in malaria diagnoses, and 42.9% (95% CI 36.0–49.0) reduction in the proportion of positive RDTs among children under five. A second community HF experienced an increase in consultations (+ 15.1% (− 23.3 to 7.5)) and stable malaria diagnoses (4.2% (3.9–11.6)). A third community HF experienced an increase in consultations (+ 41.1% (95% CI 51.2–31.8) and malaria diagnoses (+ 37.3% (95% CI 47.4–27.9)). There were a 25.2% (95% CI 2.0–42.8) reduction in hospital admissions with severe malaria among children under five from the MDA area. FGDs revealed community members perceived less illness among children because of the MDA, as well as fewer hospitalizations. Other indirect benefits such as reduced household expenditure on healthcare were also described. Conclusion: The MDA achieved high coverage and community acceptance. While some positive health impact was observed, it was resource intensive, particularly in this rural context. The priority for malaria control in humanitarian contexts should remain diagnosis and treatment. MDA may be additional tool where the context supports its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease commonly reported in humans in parts of Central and West Africa. This protocol is for an Expanded Access Programme (EAP) to be implemented in the Central African Republic, where Clade I monkeypox virus diseases is primarily responsible for most monkeypox infections. The objective of the programme is to provide patients with confirmed monkeypox with access to tecovirimat, a novel antiviral targeting orthopoxviruses, and collect data on clinical and virological outcomes of patients to inform future research. Methods: The study will be conducted at participating hospitals in the Central African Republic. All patients who provide informed consent to enrol in the programme will receive tecovirimat. Patients will remain in hospital for the duration of treatment. Data on clinical signs and symptoms will be collected every day while the patient is hospitalised. Blood, throat and lesion samples will be collected at baseline and then on days 4, 8, 14 and 28. Patient outcomes will be assessed on Day 14 –end of treatment–and at Day 28. Adverse event and serious adverse event data will be collected from the point of consent until Day 28. Discussion: This EAP is the first protocolised treatment programme in Clade I MPXV. The data generated under this protocol aims to describe the use of tecovirimat for Clade I disease in a monkeypox endemic region of Central Africa. It is hoped that this data can inform the definition of outcome measures used in future research and contribute to the academic literature around the use of tecovirimat for the treatment of monkeypox. The EAP also aims to bolster research capacity in the region in order for robust randomised controlled trials to take place for monkeypox and other diseases. Trial registration: {2a & 2b}: ISRCTN43307947. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The paper deals with an operation of Italian engineers in Central African Republic (CAR). The aim of the operation was to construct the temporary bridge. This operation was supported by 15th Engineering Regiment and the University of Defence. Two soldiers from the 15th Engineering Regiment were sent to CAR to help Italian engineers. During this operation REACH-BACK concept between University of Defence and 15th Engineer Regiment was used. Communication and cooperation between these units was supported by Information Portal of Engineer Corps. The portal works as a support element for REACH-BACK concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the transition in the Central African Republic (CAR) after its first multiparty election in 1993. With the election of Faustin-Archange Touadéra on March 1, 2016, reflecting on the past twenty years is relevant to understand the challenges the new president faces. This article focuses on the insecurity of elites as having no ontological core to explain why the governing elite in the CAR relies on a neopatrimonial style of governing. Consequently, as the elite's insecurity increases, neopatrimonialism moves towards a narrower clientelism in which resources only reach an increasingly small circle of cronies. The article concludes that insecurity is linked to the exclusionist policies that have prevented the democratic transition in the CAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning in 2013, the Central African Republic has been engulfed in a civil war pitting successive governments against a substantial number of armed groups who also compete against each other for control over territory, population and resources. Some of these groups are claiming to be defenders of religious groups in the country, with the Séléka militias fighting for the Muslim communities and the anti-Balaka groups claiming Christian roots and inclinations. Other religiously inspired armed groups such as the Lord's Resistance Army are also present in the country. The following study is an attempt to understand how the "religious" label can be applied to such armed groups and whether it can influence their behavior, thus bringing into light a valuable, albeit lesser known example on how AGs and religion are connected in contemporary Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central African Republic is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries, suffering from chronic poverty, violent conflicts and weak disaster resilience. In collaboration with Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), this study presents a novel approach to collect information about socio-economic vulnerabilities related to malnutrition, access to resources and coping capacities. The first technical test was carried out in the North of the country (sub-prefecture Kabo) in May 2015. All activities were aimed at the investigation of technical feasibility, not at operational data collection, which requires a random sampling strategy. At the core of the study is an open-source Android application named SATIDA COLLECT that facilitates rapid and simple data collection. All assessments were carried out by local MSF staff after they had been trained for one day. Once a mobile network is available, all assessments can easily be uploaded to a database for further processing and trend analysis via MSF in-house software. On one hand, regularly updated food security assessments can complement traditional large-scale surveys, whose completion can take up to eight months. Ideally, this leads to a gain in time for disaster logistics. On the other hand, recording the location of every assessment via the smart phones’ GPS receiver helps to analyze and display the coupling between drought risk and impacts over many years. Although the current situation in the Central African Republic is mostly related to violent conflict it is necessary to consider information about drought risk, because climatic shocks can further disrupt the already vulnerable system. SATIDA COLLECT can easily be adapted to local conditions or other applications, such as the evaluation of vaccination campaigns. Most importantly, it facilitates the standardized collection of information without pen and paper, as well as straightforward sharing of collected data with the MSF headquarters or other aid organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present research explores a progressive repurposing of Virtual Reality technology, Virtual Immersive Contact (VIC), in a real-world setting to; explore viability to reduce prejudice and investigate the role of empathy in motivating prosocial behavior. The study employed a between-subjects repeated-measures experimental design of a randomized sample (n = 113) split into two conditions to reduce prejudice and discrimination in the active conflict area of the Central African Republic (CAR). In line with the study's hypotheses, VIC produced a significant increase in empathic concern for the Muslim outgroup and intentions to donate to a Muslim family, while also showing that the relationship between empathy and helping behaviours was mostly explained by confounding variables. This research provides both the first evidence of its kind that VIC could be a new form of fostering positive intergroup contact in an active conflict setting, crating a new facet of intergroup contact theory, and further evolving the literature on the empathy, prosocial behaviour relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations are increasingly deployed during ongoing violent conflict, they are also increasingly staffed with civilian personnel tasked with peacebuilding at the local level. How does violent conflict affect civilian peacekeepers' peacebuilding efforts locally? Shifting the research focus from military to civilian peacekeepers, we argue that the latter have various incentives and the capacity to concentrate their local-level peacebuilding efforts in violence-affected areas. We test our argument using novel, georeferenced data on peacebuilding by "Civil Affairs" personnel of the peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic. Consistent with our expectation, violence positively correlates with civilian peacekeepers' peacebuilding interventions both within and across localities. Furthermore, mediation analyses suggest that this correlation is not merely due to greater UN military deployments in violence-affected areas. Instrumental variable regression supports a causal interpretation: violence leads to more efforts by civilian peacekeepers. These findings inform expectations and assessments of peacekeeping effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the employment of religious differences in escalating political crises in the Central African Republic (CAR) with threats of separatism in the country based on this. When Michel Am Nondroko Djotodia seized power through the Séléka rebellion in March 2013 and then abdicated the 'hot potato,' the crises during and after his abdication became intensely religious and on a scale unknown in the history of the country. From then on, there have been repeated threats of separation of Muslims from the predominantly Christian population. The Séléka rebels and fighters who also have some non-Muslims have been associated with Islam, and the anti-balaka is constituted of mainly Christian and non-Christian militias. The tussle for leadership and control of the CAR between the Séléka and anti-balaka rival movements has been motivated by religion. This has contributed in making the CAR a failed state with recurrent scenes of violence, killings, and displacements. Through a content analysis of the literature on the religious dimension of the crisis, we will examine the reasons for and threats of a split in a country with xenophobic religious differences and political volatility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hookworms are important pathogens of humans. To date, Necator americanus is the sole, known species of the genus Necator infecting humans. In contrast, several Necator species have been described in African great apes and other primates. It has not yet been determined whether primate-originating Necator species are also parasitic in humans. Methodology/Principal Findings: The infective larvae of Necator spp. were developed using modified Harada-Mori filter-paper cultures from faeces of humans and great apes inhabiting Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic. The first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1 and ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA and partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene of mtDNA obtained from the hookworm larvae were sequenced and compared. Three sequence types (I–III) were recognized in the ITS region, and 34 cox1 haplotypes represented three phylogenetic groups (A–C). The combinations determined were I-A, II-B, II-C, III-B and III-C. Combination I-A, corresponding to N. americanus, was demonstrated in humans and western lowland gorillas; II-B and II-C were observed in humans, western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees; III-B and III-C were found only in humans. Pairwise nucleotide difference in the cox1 haplotypes between the groups was more than 8%, while the difference within each group was less than 2.1%. Conclusions/Significance: The distinctness of ITS sequence variants and high number of pairwise nucleotide differences among cox1 variants indicate the possible presence of several species of Necator in both humans and great apes. We conclude that Necator hookworms are shared by humans and great apes co-habiting the same tropical forest ecosystems. Author Summary: We conducted analyses of DNA sequences obtained from the infective larvae of Necator spp. from humans and great apes inhabiting Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic. Three sequence types (I–III) were recognized in the in the ITS region, and 34 cox1 haplotypes represented three phylogenetic groups (A–C). I-A, II-B, II-C, III-B, III-C combinations were determined. Combination I-A, corresponding to Necator americanus, was demonstrated in humans and western lowland gorillas; II-B and II-C were observed in humans (local inhabitants and researchers), western lowland gorillas and chimpanzees; III-B and III-C were found only in humans. Pairwise nucleotide difference in the cox1 haplotypes between the groups was more than 8%, while the difference within each group was less than 2.1%, suggesting that each type represents a distinct species. This is the first molecular evidence that Necator species found in great apes can infect humans and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the fringes of the unprecedented medication scale-up in the treatment of HIV, many African countries have experienced dramatic antiretroviral drug stock-outs. Usually considered the result of irrational decisions on behalf of local politicians, programme managers and even patients (who are stigmatised as immoral), these problems seem not to be so exceptional. However, ethnographic attention to the social consequences of the presence and absence of antiretroviral drugs in the Central African Republic (CAR) suggests that these stock-outs entail far more than logistical failures. In 2010 and 2011 in the CAR, major antiretroviral treatment (ARV) stock-outs resulted in the renewal of ‘therapeutic’ social ties and also significant social resistance and defiance. While this paper explores reasons for the shortage, its focus is on subsequent popular reactions to it, particularly among people who are HIV-positive and dependent on ARVs. The exceptional and ambiguous consequences of these drug stock-outs raise new concerns relevant to the politics of global public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the three-way relationship between the Government of Chad, humanitarians, and the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) from 2004 until June 2011. Chad was never comfortable with the international presence of either humanitarians or peacekeepers and asserted its sovereignty increasingly during this period. MINURCAT was deployed in 2008 to protect humanitarian workers and to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance in eastern Chad. This association between the UN mission and humanitarian agencies contributed to making the latter the target of repressive practices by the government, such as the imposition of armed escorts. Facing a steep learning curve, Chad and its state officials gradually appropriated the discourse of the humanitarian and international community and ultimately, in 2010, requested the departure of MINURCAT, claiming that they could meet the protection needs of vulnerable populations in eastern Chad on their own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the declining HIV/AIDS prevalence globally, nearly half of all new HIV infections still occur among youth, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. While determinants of risky sexual behaviour have received copious attention in the literature, we still lack multi-country studies that track regional changes in sexual risk among youth in sub-Saharan Africa. This study seeks to fill part of this gap by identifying the determinants of risky sexual behaviours among adolescents in Ghana, Central African Republic (CAR) and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). We used nationally representative sample data from the Multi Indicator Cluster survey, round four (MICS4). Results of the descriptive analysis show that overall consistent condom use is still extremely low in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ghana, only 8.5% of male youth and 7% of female youth consistently use condoms. In CAR this figure is 8% and 4% in male youth and female youth respectively. In Eswatini, with one of highest HIV prevalence in the world, the prevalence of consistent condom use is at 29% in males and 20% in females, higher than both in Ghana and CAR. Results of hierarchical models show that age at first sex does not predict risky sexual behaviour in Ghana, but it does predict risky sexual behaviour in CAR although only among young males. In Swaziland, age at first sex predicts risky sexual behaviour in both male and female youth but the relationship is not in the expected direction. Low socio-economic status predicts inconsistent condom use in all the three countries, but only among young females. This paper provides relevant policy lessons and recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A randomized controlled trial in South Africa found a beneficial effect of acyclovir on genital ulcer healing, but no effect was seen in trials in Ghana, Central African Republic and Malawi. The aim of this paper is to assess whether the variation in impact of acyclovir on ulcer healing in these trials can be explained by differences in the characteristics of the study populations. Methodology/Principal Findings: Pooled data were analysed to estimate the impact of acyclovir on the proportion of ulcers healed seven days after randomisation by HIV/CD4 status, ulcer aetiology, size and duration before presentation; and impact on lesional HIV-1. Risk ratios (RR) were estimated using Poisson regression with robust standard errors. Of 1478 patients with genital ulcer, most (63%) had herpetic ulcers (16% first episode HSV-2 ulcers), and a further 3% chancroid, 2% syphilis, 0.7% lymphogranuloma venereum and 31% undetermined aetiology. Over half (58%) of patients were HIV-1 seropositive. The median duration of symptoms before presentation was 6 days. Patients on acyclovir were more likely to have a healed ulcer on day 7 (63% vs 57%, RR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.98-1.18), shorter time to healing (p = 0.04) and less lesional HIV-1 RNA (p = 0.03). Small ulcers (<50 mm2), HSV-2 ulcers, first episode HSV-2 ulcers, and ulcers in HIV-1 seropositive individuals responded best but the better effectiveness in South Africa was not explained by differences in these factors. Conclusions/Significance: There may be slight benefit in adding acyclovir to syndromic management in settings where most ulcers are genital herpes. The stronger effect among HIV-1 infected individuals suggests that acyclovir may be beneficial for GUD/HIV-1 co-infected patients. The high prevalence in this population highlights that genital ulceration in patients with unknown HIV status provides a potential entry point for provider-initiated HIV testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We sought to evaluate the relationship between onchocerciasis prevalence and that of epilepsy using available data collected at community level. Design: We conducted a systematic review and meta-regression of available data. Data Sources: Electronic and paper records on subject area ever produced up to February 2008. Review Methods: We searched for population-based studies reporting on the prevalence of epilepsy in communities for which onchocerciasis prevalence was available or could be estimated. Two authors independently assessed eligibility and study quality and extracted data. The estimation of point prevalence of onchocerciasis was standardized across studies using appropriate correction factors. Variation in epilepsy prevalence was then analyzed as a function of onchocerciasis endemicity using random-effect logistic models. Results: Eight studies from west (Benin and Nigeria), central (Cameroon and Central African Republic) and east Africa (Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi) met the criteria for inclusion and analysis. Ninety-one communities with a total population of 79,270 individuals screened for epilepsy were included in the analysis. The prevalence of epilepsy ranged from 0 to 8.7% whereas that of onchocerciasis ranged from 5.2 to 100%. Variation in epilepsy prevalence was consistent with a logistic function of onchocerciasis prevalence, with epilepsy prevalence being increased, on average, by 0.4% for each 10% increase in onchocerciasis prevalence. Conclusion: These results give further evidence that onchocerciasis is associated with epilepsy and that the disease burden of onchocerciasis might have to be re-estimated by taking into account this relationship. Author Summary: Epilepsy is particularly common in tropical areas. One main reason is that many endemic infections have neurological consequences. In addition, the medical, social and demographic burden of epilepsy remains substantial in these countries where it is often seen as a contagious condition and where the aetiology is often undetermined. For several decades, field researchers had reported some overlapping between the geographical distributions of epilepsy and onchocerciasis, a parasitic disease caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus which afflicts some 40 million persons worldwide. Here, we conducted a statistical analysis of all the data available on the relationship between the two conditions to determine whether the proportion of people suffering from epilepsy in a community could be related to the frequency of onchocerciasis. The combined results of the eight studies carried out in west, central and east Africa indicate a close epidemiological association between the two diseases. Should a causative relationship be demonstrated, onchocerciasis, which is known as "river blindness" because of its most serious sequela and the distribution of its vectors, could thus also be called "river epilepsy". More research is needed to determine the mechanisms explaining this association and to assess the burden of onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the ridde constitutes a game that challenges the intellectual adroitness of the riddler's peers, it is a metaphor that confronts the apparently impossible with what is. If Harold Scheub is correct in affirming in his book The Poem in the Story (Madison: U of Wisconsin P, 2002) that the riddle is ‘a model for all oral art,’ then the dynamics of riddle change are significant for the entire gamut of literary art. This paper presents the Gbaya riddle of Cameroon and the Central African Republic in its historical context with mutation, replacement, and creation of new riddles. By remembering and retaining from the past, borrowing from the present, and creating anew in the midst of constant change, the Gbaya riddle maintains its life of entertainment and instruction. The vicissitudes of change are made friendly through the metaphor of the riddle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While “Pygmy” hunter-gatherers have generally been assumed to be the original inhabitants of the central African rainforest, recent studies dispute the viability of subsistence in tropical rainforests through foraging alone. There are, however, few studies that are based on sound data of actual long-term foraging. This paper examines the viability of “pure” foraging in tropical rainforests, based on data from participant observation of a long-term foraging expedition among the Baka in the northwestern Congo Basin. The group was observed to subsist solely on wild food resources, particularly wild yams, for two-and-half months. The study was carried out during the dry season when food resources are generally thought to be scarce in tropical rainforests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the analyses of data obtained from eight permanent 20 km transects to determine the relative effect of local human populations and ecological factors on the distribution of large mammals within the Dzanga sector of the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park and the adjacent area of the Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Special Reserve in south-west Central African Republic. Principal component analysis indicated that human activities significantly influence the distribution of large mammals, even within this protected area. Distance from the village and the main road as well as the distance from secondary roads appeared to have the greatest influence. Elephants in particular were significantly less common in areas related to human use. Our study showed that poachers use roads, both primary and secondary, to penetrate into the National Park. Thus increasing anti-poaching efforts along these roads could be an effective protection measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the intracultural variability of parental and alloparental caregiving among the Aka foragers of the Central African Republic. It has been suggested that maternal kin offer higher frequencies of allocare than paternal kin and that maternal investment in infants will decrease when alloparental assistance is provided. Behavioral observations were conducted on 15 eight- to twelve-month-old infants. The practice of brideservice and the flexibility of Aka residence patterns offered a means to test the effect of maternal residence on parental and alloparental investment. There was a significant variation in the frequency of investment and who supplied care to infants depending on whether mothers resided with their kin or their husbands' kin. However, in spite of the variation in allocare, when all categories of caregivers were examined collectively, infants received similar overall levels of care.

Background The objectives of this study were to determine the association between the vulnerability factors linked to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infection among the young women who sell sex (YWSS) group (15–24 years) and adult sex workers, engaged in consensual sex for money (AFSW). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among AFSW involved in commercial sex transactions. Prevalence ratios (PR) analysis was carried out using log-binomial regression model. Results The prevalence of HIV-1 was 29.4% among YWSS compared to 19.6% among female sex worker (PR = 1.43 [1.07–1.91]). Consistent condoms use last 3 months were very low at 22.3% and 41.2%, respectively (PR = 0.52 [0.37–0.74]), the low education level among YWSS versus AFSW (PR = 0.55 [0.40–0.76]); YWSS having been a victim of sexual violence in the last 12 months (PR = 2.00 [1.52–2.63]), were also more likely to be HIV positive. Conclusions The YWSS had a high prevalence of HIV, experienced other socioeconomic vulnerabilities and remain a key population for comprehensive HIV programs. To reach all YWSS, programs need to consider many outreach programs and address the shared determinants of HIV risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]