scholarly journals Infectious Endocarditis in Sub-Saharan Africa: Epidemic-Clinical Aspects, Evolutionary and Prognostic: Multicentre Study on 81 Cases Followed Over 1 Year in Lomé (Togo)

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Baragou Soodougoua ◽  
Baragou Soodougoua ◽  
S Pessinaba ◽  
MF Simwetare ◽  
EN Oloude-Kakpovi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multicentre Study ◽  
Heart Surgery ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Infectious Endocarditis ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Rheumatic Valve Disease ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Evolutionary Aspects ◽  
Very High ◽  
Heavy Mortality

Introduction: Infectious endocarditis remains a relatively common, serious pathology and suffering heavy mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Purpose: The objective of this study was to describe the epidemic-clinical, evolutionary aspects patients hospitalized for infectious endocarditis and assess their prognosis. Methods: This is a prospective, 5-year, multicentre study of 81 hospitalized patients and treated for infectious endocarditis. These patients were followed for at least a year. Results: We observed that in our sub-Saharan context, patients who suffer from infectious endocarditis are often young, with an average age of 30 years. Rheumatic valve disease and congenital heart disease underlying the most frequent. Blood cultures are often negative, making it difficult the choice of appropriate antibiotic therapy. Surgical treatment (heart surgery) is difficult to access (2% in our study). As a result, the mortality is very high (63% at 1 year), with a survival rate of only 37% at 1 year. Conclusion: Our study shows that despite progress in diagnosis and therapeutic management, infectious endocarditis remains a pathology serious with heavy mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. It is important to highlight the importance of prevention, early diagnosis of infectious endocarditis, and especially the need for early medical-surgical management of these patients to improve their prognosis.

scholarly journals Production And Use Of A Shelf-Stable Bovine Blood Powder For Food Fortification As A Food-Based Strategy To Combat Iron Deficiency Anaemia In Sub-Saharan Africa

2005 ◽  
Vol 05 (01) ◽  
pp. 01-18
Author(s):  
JK Kikafunda ◽  
◽  
P Sserumaga ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Iron Deficiency Anaemia ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Bovine Blood ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Deficiency Anaemia ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Shelf Stable ◽  
Very High

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is the most widespread micro-nutrient deficiency disease world-wide, particularly in developing countries. Although there are several strategies to combat IDA, food-based strategies are the most sustainable and yet little research has been carried out in this area. The study aimed at developing a technology for processing and preserving bovine blood into a shelf-stable powder, which would easily be utilised in fortifying commonly consumed food items, as a food-based strategy in the fight against iron deficiency anaemia. A shelf-stable powder was processed from fresh bovine blood and the physical, chemical, microbiological and shelf-life characteristics assessed using conventional methods. The results of the chemical analysis showed that bovine blood powder has a very high concentration of haeme iron at 195.46 mg/100g of powder. This is more than ten times the level of iron in bovine liver, one of the most commonly used food source of haeme iron whose iron content is only 17 mg/100gm of liver. Although microbiological tests carried out on the freshly processed blood powder and on the same powder after one and three months of storage at room temperature found a significant rise in yeast, mould and total plate counts, these values were low and within safe limits. The blood powder was used to fortify a bean sauce. Sensory analysis panellists considered the fortified bean sauce moderately acceptable with a mean score of 4.667 (like slightly) compared to a mean score of 2.333 (like very much) for the non-fortified sauce, on a nine point Hedonic scale. These findings show that processed bovine blood powder has very high levels of haeme iron and thus has great potential as a food-based strategy to combat iron-deficiency anaemia in resource-poor developing countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa. However, more research is needed to improve the microbiological and sensory characteristics of the blood powder.

scholarly journals Initial Experience with Open Heart Surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges in Mali with Minimum Standards for Practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 09 (09) ◽  
pp. 108-118
Author(s):  
Seydou Togo ◽  
Moussa Abdoulaye Ouattara ◽  
Abdoul Aziz Maïga ◽  
Moussa Bazongo ◽  
Issa Boubacar Maïga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Surgery ◽  
Open Heart Surgery ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Initial Experience ◽  
Open Heart ◽  
Minimum Standards ◽  
Sub Saharan

scholarly journals Atopic dermatitis in adults from sub-Saharan Africa: epidemiological and clinical patterns, severity, and quality of life

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Armand Kouotou
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Atopic Dermatitis ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sub Saharan

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory dermatitis often associated with other atopic manifestations, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological and clinical aspects of AD and to assess the quality of life (QoL) of patients suffering from AD in our setting. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from February through April 2017 in seven hospitals in Cameroon. The study included patients above 18 who presented themselves to a dermatology consultation, were diagnosed with AD, and gave their consent. To assess the severity of AD and evaluate the QoL of the patients, standardized scales, such as SCORAD and QoLIAD, were employed. Results: The study enrolled 46 patients between 18 and 69 years of age with a mean age of 31 ± 12 years and the prevalence of AD at 1.5%. Most of the participants were females, with a sex ratio of 0.4:1, living in urban areas (93.5%). Food (34.8%) and cosmetic products (21.7%) were found as the main risk factors in the occurrence of AD. Upon physical examination, the upper and lower limbs were found to be the most affected in 84.8% and 54.3% of cases, respectively; in addition to cutaneous xerosis (45.7%), lichenification (43.5%), and excoriations (37%). Of the 46 patients, 9 (20%) had severe AD, 32 (70%) had moderate AD, and 5 (10%) had mild AD. QoL was impaired in 43 of the 46 patients (93.5%). Conclusion: Atopic dermatitis is a pathology that impacts the QoL of adults. A QoL assessment is, therefore, an important step in the management of AD.

scholarly journals Public health-relevant consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Katharina Heuschen ◽  
Guangyu Lu ◽  
Oliver Razum ◽  
Alhassan Abdul-Mumin ◽  
Osman Sankoh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Malaria Prevention ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Malaria Burden ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented challenges to health systems worldwide, including the control of non-COVID-19 diseases. Malaria cases and deaths may increase due to the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic in malaria-endemic countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This scoping review aims to summarize information on public health-relevant effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the malaria situation in SSA. Methods Review of publications and manuscripts on preprint servers, in peer-reviewed journals and in grey literature documents from 1 December, 2019 to 9 June, 2021. A structured search was conducted on different databases using predefined eligibility criteria for the selection of articles. Results A total of 51 papers have been included in the analysis. Modelling papers have predicted a significant increase in malaria cases and malaria deaths in SSA due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many papers provided potential explanations for expected COVID-19 effects on the malaria burden; these ranged from relevant diagnostical and clinical aspects to reduced access to health care services, impaired availability of curative and preventive commodities and medications, and effects on malaria prevention campaigns. Compared to previous years, fewer country reports provided data on the actual number of malaria cases and deaths in 2020, with mixed results. While highly endemic countries reported evidence of decreased malaria cases in health facilities, low endemic countries reported overall higher numbers of malaria cases and deaths in 2020. Conclusions The findings from this review provide evidence for a significant but diverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on malaria in SSA. There is the need to further investigate the public health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the malaria burden. Protocol registered on Open Science Framework: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/STQ9D

scholarly journals Prevalence of dementia in Colombian populations

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efraín Amaya Vargas ◽  
Ángela Magnolia Ríos Gallardo ◽  
Guillermo González Manrrique ◽  
Lina M. Murcia-Paredes ◽  
María Consuelo Angarita Riaño ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gradual Increase ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
High Rate ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The City ◽  
Very High ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Prevalence Of Dementia

With the gradual increase in the life expectancy of the population due to scientific progress and public health at the service of society, the prevalence of dementia has been increasing at different rates worldwide. Currently, the prevalence rates range between 5% and 7% (6.4% in the U.S. and up to 8.5 % in Latin America) in subjects older than 60 years. The lowest prevalence rate (2.1%) has been reported from sub-Saharan Africa, probably due to selective mortality under 60 years of age. By contrast, a very high prevalence of dementia (23.6% dementia in individuals ≥60 years) was observed in the city of Neiva, Southern Colombia. We believe that this high rate could be explained by the presence of several risk factors such as very low schooling, low socio-economic strata, chronic diseases, the inclusion of geriatric homes among others, and additional unknown factors.

scholarly journals New Insights into HIV/AIDS-Associated Cryptococcosis

ISRN AIDS ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spinello Antinori
Keyword(s):  
Cryptococcal Meningitis ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Inflammatory Syndrome ◽  
Therapy Programme

Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic fungal infection in both HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients. According to the most recent taxonomy, the responsible fungus is classified into a complex that contains two species (Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii), with eight major molecular types. HIV infection is recognized worldwide as the main underlying disease responsible for the development of cryptococcal meningitis (accounting for 80–90% of cases). In several areas of sub-Saharan Africa with the highest HIV prevalence despite the recent expansion of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy programme, cryptococcal meningitis is the leading cause of community-acquired meningitis with a high mortality burden. Although cryptococcal meningitis should be considered a neglected disease, a large body of knowledge has been developed by several studies performed in recent years. This paper will focus especially on new clinical aspects such as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, advances on management, and strategies for the prevention of clinical disease.

scholarly journals Using mobile phone data to reveal risk flow networks underlying the HIV epidemic in Namibia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugenio Valdano ◽  
Justin T. Okano ◽  
Vittoria Colizza ◽  
Honore K. Mitonga ◽  
Sally Blower
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Mobile Phone Data ◽  
Mathematical Framework ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Administrative Units ◽  
Large Scale Networks ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Very High

AbstractTwenty-six million people are living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa; epidemics are widely dispersed, due to high levels of mobility. However, global elimination strategies do not consider mobility. We use Call Detail Records from 9 billion calls/texts to model mobility in Namibia; we quantify the epidemic-level impact by using a mathematical framework based on spatial networks. We find complex networks of risk flows dispersed risk countrywide: increasing the risk of acquiring HIV in some areas, decreasing it in others. Overall, 40% of risk was mobility-driven. Networks contained multiple risk hubs. All constituencies (administrative units) imported and exported risk, to varying degrees. A few exported very high levels of risk: their residents infected many residents of other constituencies. Notably, prevalence in the constituency exporting the most risk was below average. Large-scale networks of mobility-driven risk flows underlie generalized HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to eliminate HIV, it is likely to become increasingly important to implement innovative control strategies that focus on disrupting risk flows.

scholarly journals Immigrant Children and the Internet in Spain: Uses, Opportunities, and Risks

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Angel Casado ◽  
Carmelo Garitaonandia ◽  
Gorka Moreno ◽  
Estefania Jimenez
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Immigrant Children ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
High Rate ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Smartphone Use ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Very High

This article describes the use made of the Internet by immigrant children living in Spain and the opportunities and risks it involves. Specifically, it deals with children from the Maghreb, Ecuador, and Sub-Saharan Africa, three regions which account for a quarter of Spain’s foreign-born population. A qualitative methodology was used, based on in-depth interviews with 52 children from these countries and educators from their support centres. Immigrant minors usually access the Internet via their smartphones rather than via computers. They have a very high rate of smartphone use and access the Internet over public Wi-Fi networks. However, they make little use of computers and tablets, the devices most closely associated with education and accessing information. Internet usage is fairly similar among immigrant and Spanish teens, although the former receive more support and mediation from their schools and institutions than from their parents. The Internet helps them to communicate with their families in their countries of origin. As one educator puts it, “they have gone from sending photos in letters to speaking to their families every day on Skype”. Some teens, particularly Maghrebis, sometimes suffer from hate messages on social networks.

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