Areas Of sub-Saharan Africa Research Articles

Short-term health system responses to epidemics across hard to reach areas in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review protocol.

Epidemics and Pandemics (disease outbreaks) are the occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would be normally expected. Epidemic-prone diseases, including emerging and re-emerging diseases, constitute the greatest threat to public health security and disruption of social and economic development. When outbreaks are diagnosed in specific areas, an outbreak response is triggered to stop the spread rapidly. In the past 20 years, the sub-Saharan region has witnessed a marked increase in the number of outbreaks in pandemics, such as cholera, dengue, A/H5N 1 influenza among others. While efforts toward containment have been individually studied, we have no recent studies that examine them collectively in order to draw appropriate comparisons, no recent studies that have especially focused on hard-to-reach areas, and none that have applied a health systems lens. This study thus details a scoping review of short-term health system responses to epidemics across hard-to-reach areas in sub-Saharan Africa. The scoping review will be undertaken following PRISMA guidelines. A modified Donabedian framework will be used to understand the different approaches used while responding to epidemics. The review will focus on published and unpublished studies that report short-term health systems responses to epidemics in hard to reach areas. These will be gleaned from PubMed, google scholar and Cochrane, supplemented by a Google advanced search. In addition, manual searches will be carried out through related articles and websites. Data will be charted, coded, and narratively synthesized. our exclusion criteria will include; protocols, book chapters and countries not identified as hard to reach areas in SSA. We anticipate developing a document that will show the different approaches health systems in different countries used when responding to epidemics. The information generated will contribute to strengthening future epidemic responses by identifying best practices and innovative ideas as well as highlighting knowledge gaps.

ANALYSE DE L’INFLUENCE DES PARAMETRES METEOROLOGIQUES SUR LA PLUVIOMETRIE A KINSHASA

The understanding of meteorological parameters influencing rainfall is essential to effectively address environmental challenges and anticipate the consequences of extreme weather events. In this study, we analyze meteorological data provided by the Airways Authority of Kinshasa (RVA), covering the period from 1992 to 2019. This in-depth statistical analysis aims to better understand the factors that influence precipitation in the region and to identify relevant climate trends for anticipating future environmental changes. We used logistic regression to assess the impact of various climatic factors such as temperature (daily extremes), relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure on precipitation. The results indicate that minimum temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure show a strong correlation with rainfall in Kinshasa, highlighting their significant influence on the likelihood of precipitation. In contrast, maximum temperature has a limited impact, making it a less reliable indicator of rainfall in the city. The conclusions of this study provide valuable tools for local authorities in developing effective strategies for managing climate variations and predicting weather phenomena. These insights enable precise modeling of the impacts of meteorological fluctuations on ecosystems and urban infrastructure. Furthermore, the results of this research can guide local farmers in optimizing their agricultural practices by adjusting planting and harvesting schedules based on detailed weather forecasts, thereby minimizing economic losses and enhancing crop resilience to climate variations. Finally, this study provides climatologists with robust data for in-depth analysis of the effects of climate change on meteorological phenomena in Kinshasa. This knowledge is crucial for refining regional climate models and developing specific adaptation strategies for other urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa.

Characteristics of the Western Province, Zambia, trial site for evaluation of attractive targeted sugar baits for malaria vector control

BackgroundThe attractive targeted sugar bait (ATSB) is a novel malaria vector control tool designed to attract and kill mosquitoes using a sugar-based bait, laced with oral toxicant. Western Province, Zambia, was one of three countries selected for a series of phase III cluster randomized controlled trials of the Westham ATSB Sarabi version 1.2. The trial sites in Kenya, Mali, and Zambia were selected to represent a range of different ecologies and malaria transmission settings across sub-Saharan Africa. This case study describes the key characteristics of the ATSB Zambia trial site to allow for interpretation of the results relative to the Kenya and Mali sites.MethodsThis study site characterization incorporates data from the trial baseline epidemiological and mosquito sugar feeding surveys conducted in 2021, as well as relevant literature on the study area.Results: Characterization of the trial siteThe trial site in Zambia was comprised of 70 trial-designed clusters in Kaoma, Nkeyema, and Luampa districts. Population settlements in the trial site were dispersed across a large geographic area with sparsely populated villages. The overall population density in the 70 study clusters was 65.7 people per square kilometre with a total site population of 122,023 people living in a geographic area that covered 1858 square kilometres. However, the study clusters were distributed over a total area of approximately 11,728 square kilometres. The region was tropical with intense and seasonal malaria transmission. An abundance of trees and other plants in the trial site were potential sources of sugar meals for malaria vectors. Fourteen Anopheles species were endemic in the site and Anopheles funestus was the dominant vector, likely accounting for around 95% of all Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections. Despite high coverage of indoor residual spraying and insecticide-treated nets, the baseline malaria prevalence during the peak malaria transmission season was 50% among people ages six months and older.ConclusionMalaria transmission remains high in Western Province, Zambia, despite coverage with vector control tools. New strategies are needed to address the drivers of malaria transmission in this region and other malaria-endemic areas in sub-Saharan Africa.

"He'll come with some sugar." A qualitative study exploring the drivers and consequences of schoolgirls transactional sex behaviours.

Transactional sex (TS) is common in areas of sub-Saharan Africa, motivated by reasons beyond financial support. Through this qualitative study we sought to understand the motivation driving TS among adolescent schoolgirls in rural western Kenya where rates are reportedly high. Identifying and understanding drivers within the local context is necessary for implementation of successful public health policy and programming to reduce the associated harms impacting health and wellbeing. To understand the drivers of sexual behaviors, individual views, and socio-cultural norms, we spoke with schoolgirls, male peers, parents and teachers. The three latter groups may influence, encourage, and shape girls' views and behaviors and thus contribute to the perpetuation of cultural and societal norms. One hundred and ninety-nine participants took part across 20 FGDs; 8 comprised of schoolgirl groups, and 4 each of schoolboy, parent or teacher groups. Through thematic analysis, poverty emerged as the key driver of TS and a normative behaviour amongst secondary school girls. Subthemes including parental influence, need for menstrual pads, pressure from boda boda drivers, peer pressure, and blame were part of a complex relationship linking poverty with TS. We conclude that whilst TS is perceived as inevitable, normal and acceptable it is not really a choice for many girls. Exploring ways to encourage communication between families, including around menstruation, may help enable girls to ask for help in acquiring essential items. In addition, education at a community level may shift social norms over time and decrease the prevalence of age-disparate TS among schoolgirls and older, wealthier men in the community.

Potential of low-cost PM monitoring sensors to fill monitoring gaps in areas of Sub-Saharan Africa

Recent advances in low-cost (LC) sensor technology fostered their deployment in low-income and undersampled countries such as Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regions, affected by the highest particulate matter (PM) concentrations and population exposure. The present study is the first addressed in Niamey, Niger, and focuses on assessing LC sensor data and global reanalysis products. Three LC PM2.5 and PM10 monitoring stations were deployed and successfully operated across ∼8 months at different (urban, suburban and rural) locations.Observed PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations revealed consistent patterns, higher during the dry Harmattan season, while appreciably lower during the humid monsoon season. In Niamey, PM2.5 mean concentrations (6.1–20.1 μg/m3) were similar to those observed over higher-income countries, confirming the hypothesis of strictly depending on urbanisation, and thus on anthropogenic activities. Conversely, PM10 concentrations (55.3–142.8 μg/m3) were remarkably higher than most of those measured elsewhere worldwide, and predominantly constituted (81–89%) by coarse fraction. PM10 origin, inferred by backtrajectory analysis, was mainly natural (Saharan dust) during the Harmattan season, and both natural and anthropogenic during the monsoon season.Low-resolution gridded estimations by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) were not capable of adequately resolving the spatial variability of PM2.5 and PM10 observations in Niamey, further highlighting the importance of sensor network data to improve air quality knowledge. To tackle the harmful effects of Saharan dust on population, and create robust datasets integrated with gridded products in this challenging region, effort should be put toward creation of trans-national integrated monitoring networks based on LC sensors across SSA.

The elimination of human African trypanosomiasis: Monitoring progress towards the 2021-2030 WHO road map targets.

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a neglected tropical disease that usually occurs in rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa. It caused devastating epidemics during the 20th century. Sustained, coordinated efforts by different stakeholders working with national sleeping sickness control programmes (NSSCPs) succeeded in controlling the disease and reducing the number of cases to historically low levels. In 2012, WHO targeted the elimination of the disease as a public health problem by 2020. This goal has been reached and a new ambitious target was stated in the WHO road map for NTDs 2021-2030 and endorsed by the 73rd World Health Assembly: the elimination of gambiense HAT transmission (i.e. reducing the number of reported cases to zero). The interruption of transmission was not considered as an achievable goal for rhodesiense HAT, as it would require vast veterinary interventions rather than actions at the public health level. Data reported to WHO by NSSCPs were harmonized, verified, georeferenced and included in the atlas of HAT. A total of 802 cases were reported in 2021 and 837 in 2022. This is below the target for elimination as a public health problem at the global level (< 2000 HAT cases/year); 94% of the cases were caused by infection with T. b. gambiense. The areas reporting ≥ 1 HAT case/10 000 inhabitants/year in 2018-2022 cover a surface of 73 134 km2, with only 3013 km2 at very high or high risk. This represents a reduction of 90% from the baseline figure for 2000-2004, the target set for the elimination of HAT as a public health problem. For the surveillance of the disease, 4.5 million people were screened for gambiense HAT with serological tests in 2021-2022, 3.6 million through active screening and 0.9 million by passive screening. In 2021 and 2022 the elimination of HAT as a public health problem was validated in Benin, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea and Ghana for gambiense HAT and in Rwanda for rhodesiense HAT. To reach the next goal of elimination of transmission of gambiense HAT, countries have to report zero cases of human infection with T. b. gambiense for a period of at least 5 consecutive years. The criteria and procedures to verify elimination of transmission have been recently published by WHO. HAT elimination as a public health problem has been reached at global level, with seven countries already validated as having reached this goal. This achievement was made possible by the work of NSSCPs, supported by different public and private partners, and coordinated by WHO. The new challenging goal now is to reach zero cases by 2030. To reach this goal is crucial to maintain the engagement and support of donors and stakeholders and to keep the involvement and coordination of all partners. Along with the focus on elimination of transmission of gambiense HAT, it is important not to neglect rhodesiense HAT, which is targeted for elimination as a public health problem in the WHO road map for NTDs 2021-2030.

Household milk production, milk purchase and child nutrition:Panel data evidence from rural Uganda

The burden of low-quality diets and childhood undernutrition is widespread in rural areas in SubSaharan Africa, where households rely mostly on agriculture. Various empirical studies have shown the relative importance of the market, and hence food purchases, compared with farm diversification in raising dietary diversity. But are these findings applicable to all food markets? In the case of highly perishable milk, which characterises its production in rural Africa, and the low community ownership of cows, an important research question is whether milk is available in markets and whether milk purchases contribute to the nutrition of children in smallholder households. Using panel data from rural Uganda, we estimate conditional mixed-process models and find positive effects of both household milk production and milk purchases on height-for-age z-scores. We find that milk purchases and milk production are complements, and therefore a strategy combining increases in milk productivity, dairy market development and social protection programmes to increase economic access to milk markets could improve child nutrition.

The Impact of Village Savings and Loan Associations as a Financial and Climate Resilience Strategy for Mitigating Food Insecurity in Northern Ghana

In semi-arid Northern Ghana, smallholder farmers face food insecurity and financial risk due to climate change. In response, the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) model, a community-led microfinance model, has emerged as a promising finance and climate resilience strategy. VSLAs offer savings, loans, and other financial services to help smallholder farmers cope with climate risks. In northern Ghana, where formal financial banking is limited, VSLAs serve as vital financial resources for smallholder farmers. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how VSLAs can bridge financial inclusion and climate resilience strategies to address food insecurity. From a sustainable livelihoods framework (SLF) perspective, we utilized data from a cross-sectional survey of 517 smallholder farmers in northern Ghana’s Upper West Region to investigate how VSLAs relate to food insecurity. Results from an ordered logistic regression show that households with membership in a VSLA were less likely to experience severe food insecurity (OR = 0.437, p &lt; 0.01). In addition, households that reported good resilience, owned land, had higher wealth, were female-headed, and made financial decisions jointly were less likely to experience severe food insecurity. Also, spending time accessing the market increases the risk of severe food insecurity. Despite the challenges of the VSLA model, these findings highlight VSLAs’ potential to mitigate food insecurity and serve as a financially resilient and climate-resilient strategy in resource-poor contexts like the UWR and similar areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. VSLAs could contribute to achieving SDG2, zero hunger, and SDG13, climate action. However, policy interventions are necessary to support and scale VSLAs as a sustainable development and food security strategy in vulnerable regions.

The Silent Suffering: Obstetric Fistula in Ethiopia

Obstetric fistula is a maternal morbidity that accounts for 6% of all maternal deaths worldwide. This condition occurs most commonly in areas of sub-Saharan Africa and rural south Asia where access to medical care and maternal education is not readily available. During prolonged or obstructed labor, a fistula can form connecting the rectum or urinary tract with the vagina. The condition is more common in young mothers who are pressured by their community, culture, or partner to have children early. This has severe and devastating potentially lifelong consequences. Women living with obstetric fistula experience chronic incontinence and associated odors, social and psychological isolation, and severe pain. Despite the condition being preventable and treatable with surgery, there is still a high prevalence in low-income countries. Although the incidences of obstetric fistula are difficult to document due to the lack of medical reporting, this analysis will focus on the effects of the disease in Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Climate finance and women-hunger alleviation in the global south: Is the Sub-Saharan Africa case any different?

To unearth the influence of climate finance (CF) on women-hunger alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the study used unbalanced panel data for 43 SSA countries for the period 2006-2018. Data was analysed using system-GMM to deal with the endogeneity problem inherent in the model, among other panel regression estimators. Also, the sensitivity of the estimates was carried out using panel fixed effect quantile regression. The findings showed that CF and its components have a significant effect on women-hunger alleviation in SSA, apart from FDI. Further, control of corruption also showed a significant women-hunger alleviation impact. For the climate variables, areas in SSA with higher temperature are more likely to experience worsened women-hunger. Based on the findings, the study recommends that SSA countries need to strengthen their fight against corruption. More so, donors should extend CF as financial aid or support to government budget, due to their potential of alleviating women-hunger.

Sickle Cell Disease Update: New Treatments and Challenging Nutritional Interventions.

Sickle cell disease (SCD), a distinctive and often overlooked illness in the 21st century, is a congenital blood disorder characterized by considerable phenotypic diversity. It comprises a group of disorders, with sickle cell anemia (SCA) being the most prevalent and serious genotype. Although there have been some systematic reviews of global data, worldwide statistics regarding SCD prevalence, morbidity, and mortality remain scarce. In developed countries with a lower number of sickle cell patients, cutting-edge technologies have led to the development of new treatments. However, in developing settings where sickle cell disease (SCD) is more prevalent, medical management, rather than a cure, still relies on the use of hydroxyurea, blood transfusions, and analgesics. This is a disease that affects red blood cells, consequently affecting most organs in diverse manners. We discuss its etiology and the advent of new technologies, but the aim of this study is to understand the various types of nutrition-related studies involving individuals suffering from SCD, particularly in Africa. The interplay of the environment, food, gut microbiota, along with their respective genomes collectively known as the gut microbiome, and host metabolism is responsible for mediating host metabolic phenotypes and modulating gut microbiota. In addition, it serves the purpose of providing essential nutrients. Moreover, it engages in direct interactions with host homeostasis and the immune system, as well as indirect interactions via metabolites. Nutrition interventions and nutritional care are mechanisms for addressing increased nutrient expenditures and are important aspects of supportive management for patients with SCD. Underprivileged areas in Sub-Saharan Africa should be accompanied by efforts to define and promote of the nutritional aspects of SCD. Their importance is key to maintaining well-being and quality of life, especially because new technologies and products remain limited, while the use of native medicinal plant resources is acknowledged.

Characterizing the association between child malnutrition and protected areas in sub-Saharan Africa using unsupervised clustering

Characterizing the association between child malnutrition and protected areas in sub-Saharan Africa using unsupervised clustering

Utilization of Insecticide Treated Nets Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Selected Hospitals in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area- Enugu State- South-East, Nigeria

Background: Malaria infection in pregnancy complicates about 32 million pregnancies each year in endemic areas in sub-Saharan Africa and can be life-threatening for both the mother and child (World Health Organization (WHO), 2017). The severe burden of disease has led to a global fight to control malaria. The World Malaria Report states that by the end of 2010, adequate insecticide-treated mosquito nets would have been delivered to sub-Saharan Africa to protect about 580 million people. This would protect 76% of the population at risk. More than 75 million people have received protection from indoor residual spray (WHO, 2017). Malaria increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes for mothers, fetuses, and newborns. Aim: The study aimed to assess the utilization of insecticide treated nets among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in some selected hospitals in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State. Method: This study adopted a cross sectional study design. The sample consists of Two hundred (200) pregnant women who attended antenatal clinics in the selected health centres of Igbo Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State and were selected through a convenient sampling technique. The instruments for data collection were a self-structured questionnaire and an interview guide for those who could not read and write. Findings: Results showed high ownership of ITN with a poor level of utilization; no significant relationship between the pregnant women’s age, parity, and utilization of insecticide-treated net. Conclusions: The study concluded that high ownership of ITN does not translate to a good utilization level. It recommended a combination of subsidy and mass education campaigns to boost utilization.

Characterising sources of PM2·5 exposure for school children with asthma: a personal exposure study across six cities in sub-Saharan Africa

Air pollution is the second largest risk to health in Africa, and children with asthma are particularly susceptible to its effects. Yet, there is a scarcity of air pollution exposure data from cities in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to identify potential exposure reduction strategies for school children with asthma living in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. This personal exposure study was part of the Achieving Control of Asthma in Children in Africa (ACACIA) project. Personal exposure to particulate matter (PM) was monitored in school children in six cities in sub-Saharan Africa (Blantyre, Malawi; Durban, South Africa; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kumasi, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; and Moshi, Tanzania). Participants were selected if they were aged 12-16 years and had symptoms of asthma. Monitoring was conducted between June 21, and Nov 26, 2021, from Monday morning (approximately 1000 h) to Friday morning (approximately 1000 h), by use of a bespoke backpack with a small air pollution monitoring unit with an inbuilt Global Positioning System (GPS) data logger. Children filled in a questionnaire detailing potential sources of air pollution during monitoring and exposures were tagged into three different microenvironments (school, commute, and home) with GPS coordinates. Mixed-effects models were used to identify the most important determinants of children's PM2·5 (PM <2·5 μm in diameter) exposure. 330 children were recruited across 43 schools; of these, 297 had valid monitoring data, and 1109 days of valid data were analysed. Only 227 (20%) of 1109 days monitored were lower than the current WHO 24 h PM2·5 exposure health guideline of 15 μg/m3. Children in Blantyre had the highest PM2·5 exposure (median 41·8 μg/m3), whereas children in Durban (16·0 μg/m3) and Kumasi (17·9 μg/m3) recorded the lowest exposures. Children had significantly higher PM2·5 exposures at school than at home in Kumasi (median 19·6 μg/m3vs 14·2 μg/m3), Lagos (32·0 μg/m3vs 18·0 μg/m3), and Moshi (33·1 μg/m3vs 23·6 μg/m3), while children in the other three cities monitored had significantly higher PM2·5 exposures at home and while commuting than at school (median 48·0 μg/m3 and 43·2 μg/m3vs 32·3 μg/m3 in Blantyre, 20·9 μg/m3 and 16·3 μg/m3vs 11·9 μg/m3 in Durban, and 22·7 μg/m3 and 25·4 μg/m3vs 16·4 μg/m3 in Harare). The mixed-effects model highlighted the following determinants for higher PM2·5 exposure: presence of smokers at home (23·0% higher exposure, 95% CI 10·8-36·4), use of coal or wood for cooking (27·1%, 3·9-56·3), and kerosene lamps for lighting (30·2%, 9·1-55·2). By contrast, 37·2% (95% CI 22·9-48·2) lower PM2·5 exposures were found for children who went to schools with paved grounds compared with those whose school grounds were covered with loose dirt. Our study suggests that the most effective changes to reduce PM2·5 exposures in these cities would be to provide paving in school grounds, increase the use of clean fuel for cooking and light in homes, and discourage smoking within homes. The most efficient way to improve air quality in these cities would require tailored interventions to prioritise different exposure-reduction policies in different cities. UK National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Rural-urban differentials in the association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution in sub-Saharan Africa.

Marital dissolution, which refers to being divorced or separated, is considered one of the most dramatic demographic events that significantly disrupt families. Unearthing the factors predicting marital dissolution would support actions to reduce the incidence of this phenomenon. The present study sought to examine the association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution segregated by place of residence. Data for the study were extracted from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Percentages were used to summarise the proportion of marital dissolution among women in sub-Saharan Africa. Binary logistic regression models were fitted to examine the association between sex preference for children and marital dissolution per place of residence. Results of the regression analysis were presented using adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with their respective 95% confidence interval (CI). The overall prevalence of marital dissolution was 5.92% (95% CI: 5.83-6.00), and this ranged from 1.63% (95% CI: 1.41-1.85) in Burkina Faso to 15.62% (95% CI: 14.70-16.54) in Mozambique. In urban sub-Saharan Africa, the overall prevalence of marital dissolution was 8.88% (95% CI:8.78-8.99), with the lowest prevalence in Mali (3.30%; 95% CI: 2.91-3.69) and the highest in Uganda (18.60%; 95% CI: 17.95-19.25). For rural sub-Saharan Africa, the pooled prevalence was 4.11% (95% CI: 4.03-4.18), with the lowest (0.80%; 95% CI: 0.65-0.95) and highest (14.40%; 95% CI: 13.51-15.29) prevalences in Burkina Faso and Mozambique, respectively. Compared to women with no sex preference, the preference for boys was less likely to result in marital dissolution (aOR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.83-0.90) in both urban and rural areas, whereas the preference for girls was more likely to result in marital dissolution (aOR = 1.06; 95%CI = 1.02-1.10). When the results were disaggregated by place of residence, in both urban (aOR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.80-0.95) and rural areas (aOR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.82-0.92), women who preferred boys were less likely to experience marital dissolution compared to those who had no preference. However, the preference for girls showed no statistically significant association with marital dissolution. Our study has shown that sex preference for children has a significant association with marital dissolution in both rural and urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Whereas the preference for male children serves as a protective factor against marital dissolution, the preferences for females was found to increase the likelihood of marital dissolution. Thus, underscoring a need for anti-marital dissolution campaigns and initiatives to prioritise the sensitisation of society about the value of female children. Religious groups and leaders can leverage their platform to quell sex preferences and dissuade marital dissolution. Policies and programmes aimed at reducing the risk of marital dissolution in sub-Saharan Africa must also focus on enlightening the population on intimate partner violence prevention.

Water Source Management in the Peri-Urban Area in Subsaharan Africa: Environmental and Health Impacts Assessment in Yaounde-Cameroon

This study was carried out in the outskirts of the Yaoundé VII district had the main objective of assessing the social and environmental impacts of water management in the outskirts of Yaoundé VII.&#x0D; This work was carried out from December 2021 to March 2022, followed by an appropriate methodology to meet the outlined objectives:(1) in-situ evaluation of physicochemical parameters of well water; (2) laboratory studies of groundwater samples for bacteria and heavy metals; and (3) questionnaire surveys to acquire water consumption demographics were all part of our study. It consisted of under taking site visits, take pictures, and make household surveys and direct observations, analysis at several water points.&#x0D; The results show that the villages in the surrounding area of the district of Yaoundé VII obtain water through alternative resources such as wells at 60 %, sources 30 %, drillings, 7 %, rivers and others at 3 %, due to lack of Camwater network. Analysis at the water points has revealed that the physico-chemical parameters such as COD, BOD5, TSS, NO3, PO3, have average percentages respectively 83 mg/L, 35 mg/L, 14 mg/L, 0,33 mg/l and the biological parameters such as faecal coliforms faecal streptococci and total coliforms have percentages of 329,25 (UFC/100 ml), 115,5(UFC/100 ml), 835 (UFC/100 ml), These parameters in their majority do not meet with the MINEPDED environmental standards. This can be explained due to anthropogenic activities (fields, brick, factories, etc), that impact on the quality of water from different points of water villages covered. However, 10 positive and 02 negative impacts were identified. Alternative water resources in the villages do not meet certain environmental standards and human anthropogenic activities are a source of negative impacts such as poor well maintenance, which can cause many water borne diseases like typhoid fever.&#x0D; More supply in water like boreholes should be built, or establish the Camwater network for better water management by the populations of the peripheral zone of the district of Yaoundé VII.

Evaluation of a point-of-care test for the diagnosis of Taenia solium neurocysticercosis in rural southern Tanzania: a diagnostic accuracy study

Neurocysticercosis is a common cause of epilepsy in Taenia solium-endemic areas in sub-Saharan Africa but is often undiagnosed because of an absence of affordable diagnostic tools. This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a T solium cysticercosis antibody-detecting lateral-flow point-of-care assay (TS POC test) for the neuroimaging-based diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Patients with epileptic seizures or severe progressive headache were recruited consecutively from three hospitals in southern Tanzania. All patients were tested with the TS POC test. All patients positive for cysticercosis on the TS POC test and every tenth patient who was negative for cysticercosis received a brain CT examination and underwent reference testing for T solium cysticercosis (ie, rT24H-EITB, LLGP-EITB, and antigen ELISA). The primary outcome of the study was the sensitivity of the TS POC test for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. Of the 601 recruited participants, 102 (17%) tested positive for cysticercosis with the TS POC test. Overall, 48 (62%) of the 77 patients positive for cysticercosis and five (17%) of the 29 patients negative for cysticercosis on the TS POC test had CT-confirmed neurocysticercosis. The TS POC test yielded a sensitivity of 49% (uncertainty interval [UI] 41-58) for neurocysticercosis. Sensitivity was similar to that of the rT24H-EITB (44%, UI 37-51) and the antigen ELISA (50%, 43-56). For the subset of neurocysticercosis cases with at least one active (ie, vesicular) lesion, sensitivity was above 98% for the TS POC test, the rT24H-ETIB, and the antigen ELISA. The TS POC test showed promising results for the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis in patients with vesicular lesions, which need to be confirmed in a larger study. This test could be considered to support policies on screening patients with suspected neurocysticercosis in clinical settings, which would allow appropriate referral for neuroimaging and early treatment. German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership. For the Swahili translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Sustainability and affordability of Chinese-funded renewable energy project in sub-Saharan Africa: a hybridized solid oxide fuel cell, temperature sensors, and lithium-based solar system approach.

Renewable energy projects are at the crux of all Chinese-funded investment in sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for some 56% of all Chinese-led investments globally. However, the prevailing problem is that about 568 million people were still without electricity access in 2019 across urban and rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa, which does not commensurate with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG7) of ensuring affordable and clean energy for all. Previous studies have assessed and improved the efficiency of integrated power generation systems often combined on three levels, power plant, solar panel, and fuel cells, and integrated into national grids or off-grid systems for a sustainable supply of power. This study has included a lithium-ion storage system as a key component in a hybridized renewable energy generation system for the first time that has proven to be efficient and investment worthy. The study also examines the operational parameters of Chinese-funded power plant projects in sub-Saharan Africa and their effectiveness in achieving SDG-7. The novelty of this study is evident in the proposed integrated multi-level hybrid technology model of solid oxide fuel cells, temperature point sensors, and lithium batteries powered by a solar system and embedded in thermal power plants as an alternative electrical energy system for domestic and industrial use in sub-Saharan Africa. Performance analysis of the proposed power generation model indicates its complementary capacity of generating additional energy output with thermodynamics energy and exergy efficiencies of 88.2% and 67.0% respectively. The outcome of this study draws the attention of Chinese investors, governments in sub-Saharan African countries, and top industry players to the following: to consider refocusing their energy sector policy initiatives and strategies towards exploring the lithium resource base in Africa, optimizing energy generation cost, recouping optimal profit from their renewable energy technology investments, and making electricity supply clean, sustainable, and affordable for use in sub-Saharan Africa.

Is Mobile Money Changing Rural Africa? Evidence from a Field Experiment

Abstract Rural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa are typically underserved by financial services. Mobile money brings a substantial reduction in the transaction costs of remittances. We follow the introduction of mobile money for the first time in rural villages of Mozambique using a randomized field experiment. We find that mobile money increased migration out of these villages, where we observe lower agricultural activity and investment. At the same time, remittances received and welfare of rural households increased, particularly when facing geo-referenced village-level floods and household-level idiosyncratic shocks. Our work suggests that mobile money can accelerate urbanization and structural change in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Portable Water Shortages on Households in Bomaka in the Buea Municipality, South West Region of Cameroon: Challenges and Coping Strategies

Today, in most urban areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, dwellers are facing difficulties in adequately accessing potable water in sufficient quantity and quality for their daily needs and uses. Analogously, there have been fledgling challenges triggered by portable water Shortage in Bomaka. This study aims to assess the problem of potable water accessibility in Bomaka in the Buea Municipality and the coping strategies developed by dwellers to meet their needs. The study used exploratory, inferential and descriptive research approaches. In this light, the cross-sectional research design was adopted to address the overall problem. A preliminary reconnaissance survey was accomplished whereby questionnaire and interview guides were administered. A total of 200 households were selected and investigated based on purposive and systematic random sampling, particularly around the water points. Secondary information was sought from published and unpublished materials. Results reveal that in Bomaka 100% of the households sourced their water from alternative sources (boreholes, wells, streams and springs) without any pre-treatment. Most of these sources do not flow regularly because of siltation or a drop in the volume of flow, especially in the dry season. The Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation (CAMWATER) is absent in this locality. Results also revealed that water sources were located at reasonable distances. This study records that the major causes of portable water shortages were population increase, poor planning and water pollution. The implications of irregular and portable water shortages are increased health risks, poor hygienic condition, disruption of economic activities and domestic routines. The study concludes that water remains the yard stick and a panacea to many countries and households. Thus, adequate planning, undivided attention and holistic measures should be implemented in order to sustain its accessibility.