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This study investigates the lack of African representation in the literature related to diseases on the continent. It argues that this is largely due to the country's low research funding. The results of this analysis indicate that African representation in the literature supporting COVID-19 is not sufficient. Most of the studies analyzed were focused on providing clinical advice and system response advice. Only a small portion of the world's population lives in Africa, yet only a few studies related to COVID-19 are being published in the top medical journals. Integranate policies are needed to accelerate the improvement of the representation of local population groups in medical literature. Although the majority of COVID-19-related articles in the world are published by international publishers, the lack of African representation in these articles undermines the continent's role in global health research. Beyond investigating the reasons for the underrepresentation of women and minorities in global health research, this review should also be looked into to establish the coloniality of the research conducted in this field. The responsibility for ensuring that cultural and contextual input is taken by the researchers and institutions falls on their shoulders.

ObjectivesExisting electronic data capture options are often financially unfeasible in resource-poor settings or difficult to support technically in the field. To help facilitate large-scale multicenter studies in sub-Saharan Africa, the African Partnership for Chronic Disease Research (APCDR) has developed an open-source electronic questionnaire (EQ).Study Design and SettingTo assess its relative validity, we compared the EQ against traditional pen-and-paper methods using 200 randomized interviews conducted in an ongoing type 2 diabetes case–control study in South Africa.ResultsDuring its 3-month validation, the EQ had a lower frequency of errors (EQ, 0.17 errors per 100 questions; paper, 0.73 errors per 100 questions; P-value ≤0.001), and a lower monetary cost per correctly entered question, compared with the pen-and-paper method. We found no marked difference in the average duration of the interview between methods (EQ, 5.4 minutes; paper, 5.6 minutes).ConclusionThis validation study suggests that the EQ may offer increased accuracy, similar interview duration, and increased cost-effectiveness compared with paper-based data collection methods. The APCDR EQ software is freely available (https://github.com/apcdr/questionnaire).

OURSUS (Our Sustainable Cities) is a flagship IGU project. The OURSUS approach and findings will be discussed in two sessions during the 33rd International Geographical Congress in Beijing: one session about 'Chinese and International Experiences' and one about 'The Way Forward'. This paper contributes to the first session: exploring international experiences. It examines the evidence in Africa regarding the intentions of municipalities and their leadership to develop more sustainable cities, and to mobilise business and popular support for more sustainable futures in a continent that is likely to have the fastest urbanization trends in the decades ahead. The paper also compares the approaches of various sustainable city networks in Africa with the OURSUS approach, and it looks at the input of geographers.

In tropical countries the diagnosis of viral infections of humans or animals is often hampered by the lack of suitable clinical material and the necessity to maintain a cold chain for sample preservation up to the laboratory. This study describes the use of filter papers for rapid sample collection, and the molecular detection and genotyping of viruses when stored over long periods at elevated temperatures. Infected blood was collected on filter papers, dried and stored at different temperatures (22, 32 and 37 °C) for various periods (up to 9 months). Two animal viruses, African swine fever, a large double-stranded DNA virus and Peste des Petits Ruminants, a negative single-stranded RNA virus, were used to validate the method. Filter papers with dried blood containing virus or control plasmid DNA were cut in small 5 mm2 pieces and added directly to the PCR tube for conventional PCR. Nucleic acid from both viruses could still be detected after 3 months at 32 °C. Moreover, the DNA virus could be detected at least 9 months after conservation at 37 °C. PCR products obtained from the filter papers were sequenced and phylogenetic analysis carried out. The results were consistent with published sequences, demonstrating that this method can be used for virus genotyping. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

To explore the development of family medicine postgraduate training in countries with varying levels of resources at different stages of development of the discipline.Since 2012, the College of Family Physicians of Canada has hosted the Besrour Conferences to reflect on its role in advancing the discipline of family medicine globally. The Besrour Narrative Working Group was conceived in 2012 at the first Besrour Conference. Their mandate was to use narrative and appreciative inquiry to gather stories of family medicine worldwide. The working group comprised members of various academic departments of family medicine in Canada and abroad who attended the conferences.A consultation process with our partners from lower-middle-income countries was undertaken from 2012 to 2014. Stories were sought from each global partner institute with ties to Canadian family medicine departments. An appreciative inquiry approach was chosen to elicit narratives. Thematic analysis was used to search for common threads and important elements of success that could serve to inform other initiatives in other nations and, in turn, offer hope for greater effect.Sixteen narrative stories have been collected so far. These stories highlight insightful solutions, foresight, perseverance, and ultimately a steadfast belief that family medicine will improve the health system and the care provided to the citizens of each nation. Seventeen themes were elucidated by 3 independent Canadian readers. At a subsequent workshop, these themes were validated by Besrour Centre members from Canada and elsewhere. The linkage between the thematic analysis and the experiences of various schools helps to illustrate both the robustness and the usefulness of the narratives in exploring generalizable observations and the features supporting success in each institute.If we are to understand, and contribute to, the development of family medicine throughout the world (a key objective of the Besrour Centre), we must begin to hear each others' stories and search for ways in which our collective story can advance the discipline.

A bibliography is given of the malacological oeuvre of Paul Pallary (1869-1942), who carried out extensive systematic research on the molluscs from northern African and the Middle East during five decades.

This book is a research study that outlines briefly the different opportunities for Islamic finance in Africa for Islamic finance investors and the financial system in Africa and its economic development. This study treats also the challenges facing the development of Islamic finance in Africa.

Research is an important tool in the discovery of new events and inevitable in the advancement of our understanding of new phenomena. However, the process of carrying out a research will be incomplete and irrelevant if the results are not published. While the process of carrying out a research is a challenging experience for many researchers, an even more daunting exercise is publishing the research findings. Thus, writing scientific paper requires skill and experience. A scientific paper should have a clear purpose, be organized systematically and target a specific audience. It is important that before planning to write out a scientific paper certain questions regarding the message of the paper and its worthiness, the format, target audience for the message and the journal for that audience, are addressed. These issues are crucial and determine how well written a paper is and its acceptability for publication.

Die Migration vieler nigerianischer junger Frauen nach Europa ist durch den Wunsch motiviert, ihre Familien zu Hause zu unterstützen. Für diejenigen, die über den Landweg nach Europa fahren, bedeutet das eine monate- gar jahrelange Reise. In dieser Übergangssituation kommen viele neue, oft sehr provisorische Beziehungen zustande und viele Migrantinnen werden schwanger. Obwohl ihre (ungeborene) Kinder oft weder geplant gewesen noch durch einen gegenseitigen Konsens auf die Welt gekommen sind, spielen sie eine entscheidende Rolle hinsichtlich der Fortsetzung der beabsichtigten Reise: Sie stellen eine Art Schutz für ihre Mütter dar und reduzieren das Risiko, dass sie ausweisen werden. Als alleinstehende Mütter profitieren sie zweifach von dieser Situation: Einerseits werden ihre Kinder in den Europäischen Gesellschaften versorgt. Andererseits werden durch die Hilfeleistungen des Gastlandes die Verwandten in der Heimat unterstützt. Im Kontext der Analyse des Migrationsverlaufs untersucht die Verfasserin die im Entstehen begriffenen neue Familienstrukturen in Nigeria. (ICFÜbers) "Many young Nigerian women's main reason for migrating to Europe lies in the desire to support their families back home in Nigeria. For those who travel to Europe overland it means being on the road for months or even several years. In this transitional stage, new relationships - often highly provisional - develop, and many migrants get pregnant. Although their (unborn) children are often not the result of relationships based on mutual consent nor planned, they nonetheless may play a crucial role in being able to continue the journey: These days they represent a kind of protection and 'papers' and, thereby, reduce the risk for their mothers of being deported. Being mostly single mothers, soon after reaching Europe the young women take on the role of double breadwinners: On the one hand, they have to provide for their children who were born on the road or in the country of destination, on the other hand, they have to support their families in Nigeria. In analyzing these new forms of family relationships that span from the country of origin to the transit country and the (provisional) destination country, the author also contributes to research on the dynamics of family structures in the context of migration." (author's abstract)

Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt die Ergebnisse eines Projektes vor, in dem es zum einen um die Beziehung zwischen Migration und Entwicklung aus Entwicklungsländerperspektive geht und zum anderen um die Minimierung der negativen Effekte dieser Beziehung. Dabei stehen die Länder Afrikas südlich der Sahara im Mittelpunkt des Interesses. Zunächst erfolgt ein kurzer überblick über die Inhalte und Methoden des Projektes. Anschließend werden die Ergebnisse vorgestellt, wobei zunächst eine Typisierung der internationalen Arbeitsmigration nach Zielländern erfolgt. Im Anschluss daran werden die unterschiedlichen Migrationswege und -arten untersucht. Danach widmen sich die Autoren den Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschieden in den Herkunftsländern. Abschließend erfolgt ein Überblick über politische Initiativen in einzelnen Ländern sowie über die Diasporagemeinden in den Niederlanden. (ICD) Contents: Acknowledgement; 0. Background; 1. Summary of project results; 1. Introduction; 2. The characteristics of international labour migration: towards a typology; 3. Migration routes from sub-Saharan Africa and recent trends; 4. Viewpoints in the areas of origin: common issues; 5. Issues on the policy agenda: a country overview; 6. A summary of concrete policy initiatives; 7. Intermezzo: African diaspora organisations in the Netherlands and development; 8. Final reflections, recommendations and suggestions for follow up; Appendix 1: Suggestions for follow-up research (in line with the policy recommendations); 1. Migration hubs and transit migration; 2. Migration as a booming business; 3. The image and reputation of various EU-countries as areas of destination; 4. Migrants as competitors and rivals; 5. Embassies, diplomatic relations and the institutionalisation of migration; 6. International migration, land speculation/ foreign-fundia and land titling; 7. Migrant and diaspora organisations (in relation to civil society); Appendix 2: Ideas for PhD projects; Project 1: International Migration and European Borders; Project 2: Migration and Home: settlement and removal in the EU; Project 3: Migration and Transnational Networks: diasporas within the EU, new networks and the impact for development.

A bibliography is given of the malacological oeuvre of Paul Pallary (1869-1942), who carried out extensive systematic research on the molluscs from northern African and the Middle East during five decades.

Der Beitrag präsentiert und diskutiert den methodologischen Rahmen eines Forschungsprojektes zur Untersuchung der Verhandlung von Entwicklungskonzepten und -visionen in Südostasien sowie Ost- und Westafrika, die einen unterschiedlichen Grad des Islamisierungsprozesses aufweisen. Im Mittelpunkt stehen dabei der Kontext translokaler geschlechter-orientierter Räume der muslimischen Gesellschaften und die dort auftretenden Verbindungen bzw. Interaktionen zwischen den kulturellen Kategorien der muslimischen und der westlichen Welt. Das Aufeinandertreffen unterschiedlicher kultureller Ausrichtungen umfasst translokale Netzwerke von NGOs, Frauenbewegungen sowie -netzwerke, internationale Entwicklungsorganisationen bzw. -gruppen und deren Entwicklungskonzepte zu Menschenrechten, Armutsbekämpfung oder Geschlechtergleichheit. Die Ausführungen gliedern sich in die Erörterung der drei maßgeblichen methodologischen Vorgehensweisen zur Untersuchung der Lokalisation globaler Entwicklungskonzepte, die schließlich die Konstitution translokaler Räume in muslimischen Gesellschaften bewirken: (1) die soziologische Perspektive bei der empirischen Betrachtung der Verhandlung, (2) die wissenschaftliche Herangehensweise an den Forschungsgegenstand der Islamisierung durch eine translokal erzeugte Perspektive sowie (3) die Konstitution des Raumes im Kontext der Translokalität. (ICG)

This paper reviews some early interim and full PRSPs for countries with which the authors worked during 1999-2000 (Uganda, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Mozambique, Mali and The Gambia). The purpose of the review is to compare and contrast how the PRSP process was established there. It finds that rapid progress was made in implementing the initiative in all the countries, increasing commitment to poverty reduction amongst government and donors and encouraging broader participation in the policy dialogue. However, there was considerable variation between the cases, reflecting different local contexts and capacities.

This article elaborates a significant archival acquisition that supplement the collection documents related to the life and work of Stanley George Browne held at the Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine in London, specifically his work in the Belgian Congo (from 1936 to 1959), at Uzuakoli in Nigeria (1959 to 1966), in London with the Leprosy Study Centre (1966-1980), and also in his international capacity as leprosy consultant. It also briefly refers to an endangered collection of documents, photographs, files and correspondence held in a small museum in Culion Sanatorium, The Philippines. This research is part of the International Leprosy Association Global Project on the History of Leprosy. Its results can be accessed at the site http://www.leprosyhistory.org

The sustainable development goal #2 aims at ending hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Given the numbers of food insecure and malnourished people on the rise, the heterogeneity of nutritional statuses and needs, and the even worse context of COVID-19 pandemic, this has become an urgent challenge for food-related policies. This paper provides a comprehensive microsimulation approach to evaluate economic policies on food access, sufficiency (energy) and adequacy (protein, fat, carbohydrate) at household level. The improvement in market access conditions in Kenya is simulated as an application case of this method, using original insights from households’ surveys and biochemical and nutritional information by food item. Simulation’s results suggest that improving market access increases food purchasing power overall the country, with a pro-poor impact in rural areas. The daily energy consumption per capita and macronutrients intakes per capita increase at the national level, being the households with at least one stunted child under 5 years old, and poor households living areas outside Mombasa and Nairobi, those which benefit the most. The developed method and its Kenya's application contribute to the discussion on how to evaluate nutrition-sensitive policies, and how to cover most households suffering food insecurity and nutrition deficiencies in any given country. Fil: Ramos, Maria Priscila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas. Instituto Interdisciplinario de Economía Política de Buenos Aires; Argentina Fil: Custodio, Estefanía. Instituto de Salud Carlos Iii (isciii); España Fil: Jiménez, Sofía. Universidad de Zaragoza; España Fil: Mainar Causapé, Alfredo J.. Universidad de Sevilla; España Fil: Boulanger, Pierre. No especifíca; Fil: Ferrari, Emanuele. No especifíca

Sauti ya Vijana is a mental health and life skills intervention delivered by young adult group leaders for the improvement of HIV outcomes in young people living with HIV in Tanzania. This pilot randomized controlled trial estimated exploratory intervention effectiveness compared to standard of care. YPLWH (N = 105) were randomized to receive intervention or SOC. The mean age of participants was 18.1 years and 53% were female. Mean scores on mental health measures (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9], Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire [SDQ], UCLA Trauma) were asymptomatic to mild in both study arms through 30-month follow-up with a non-significant fluctuation of 1–2 points. The mean self-reported adherence was higher in the intervention arm across all time points (but the confidence interval contained the null at all time points except 6 months). Risk ratio of virologic suppression (HIV RNA

Cosmocercid nematodes have been documented with much criticism due to the numerous inaccurate descriptions, redescriptions and synonymisation of found species. This is due to indistinguishable characters of females and the lack of male specimens found. Consequently, the species C. ornata is the most commonly found species worldwide and the only species of the genus reported in South Africa. In the present study, we found Cosmocerca in three different amphibian species, namely Cacosternum boettgeri, Kassina senegalensis and Phrynomantis bifasciatus. Based on differences in the shape of the gubernaculum and number of papillae, the found nematodes were assigned to three new species namely C. daly n. sp., C. monicae n. sp. and C. makhadoensis n. sp. Descriptions of species are followed by pairwise and phylogenetic analysis of partial ITS-28S sequences. All three species were found only in their host types from distant localities. Therefore, we hypothesise that host specificity of Cosmocerca from South African amphibians might be rather high and that the presence of C. ornata throughout South Africa is rather doubtful.

Background The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has catalysed a widespread humanitarian crisis in many low- and middle-income countries around the world, with many African nations significantly impacted. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the planning and provision of international reconstructive collaborations in Africa. Methods An anonymous, 14-question, multiple choice questionnaire was sent to 27 non-governmental organisations who regularly perform reconstructive surgery in Africa. The survey was open to responses for four weeks, closing on the 7th of March 2021. A single reminder was sent out at 2 weeks. The survey covered four key domains: (1) NGO demographics;(2) the impact of COVID-19 on patient follow-up;(3) barriers to the safe provision of international surgical collaborations during COVID-19;(4) the impact of COVID-19 on NGO funding. Results A total of ten reconstructive NGOs completed the survey (response rate, 37%). Ethiopia (n = 5) and Tanzania (n = 4) were the countries where most collaborations took place. Plastic, reconstructive and burns surgery was the most common sub-speciality (n = 7). For NGOs that did not have a year-round presence in country (n = 8), only one NGO was able to perform reconstructive surgery in Africa during the pandemic. The most common barrier identified was travel restrictions (within country, n = 8 or country entry-exit, n = 7). Pre-pandemic, 1547 to ≥ 1800 patients received reconstructive surgery on international surgical collaborations. After the outbreak, 70% of NGOs surveyed had treated no patients, with approximately 1405 to ≥ 1640 patients left untreated over the last year. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has placed huge pressures on health services and their delivery across the globe. This theme has extended into international surgical collaborations leading to increased unmet surgical needs in low- and middle-income countries. Level of evidence: Not gradable. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00238-021-01892-4.

Objectives To estimate observed and relative survival of prostate cancer patients in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and to examine the influence of age, stage at diagnosis and the Human Development Index (HDI). Patients and methods In this comparative registry study, we selected a random sample of 1752 incident cases of malign prostatic neoplasm from 12 population-based cancer registries from 10 SSA countries, registered between 2005 and 2015. We analyzed the data using Kaplan-Meier and Ederer II methods to obtain outcome estimates and flexible Poisson regression modeling to calculate the excess hazards of death Results For the 1406 patients included in the survival analyses, 763 deaths occurred during 3614 person-years of observation. Of patients with known stage, 45.2% had stage IV disease, 31.2% stage III and only 23.6% stage I and II. The 1 and 5-year relative survival for the entire cohort was 78.0% (75.4–80.7) and 60.0% (55.7–64.6), while varying between the registries. Late presentation was associated with increased excess hazards and a 0.1 increase in the HDI was associated with a 20% lower excess hazard of death, while for age at diagnosis no association was found. Conclusions We found poor survival of SSA prostatic tumor patients, as well as high proportions of late stage presentation, which are associated with inferior outcome. This calls for investment in health-care systems and action regarding projects to raise awareness among the population to achieve earlier diagnosis and improve survival.

Background Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) are the most important group of pollinators with about 20,507 known species worldwide. Despite the critical role of bees in providing pollination services, studies aiming at understanding which species are present across disturbance gradients are scarce. Limited taxononomic information for the existing and unidentified bee species in Tanzania make their conservation haphazard. Here, we present a dataset of bee species records obtained from a survey in nothern Tanzania i.e. Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Manyara regions. Our findings serve as baseline data necessary for understanding the diversity and distribution of bees in the northern parts of the country, which is a critical step in devising robust conservation and monitoring strategies for their populations. New information In this paper, we present information on 45 bee species belonging to 20 genera and four families sampled using a combination of sweep-netting and pan trap methods. Most species (27, ~ 60%) belong to the family Halictidae followed by 16 species (35.5%) from the family Apidae. Megachilidae and Andrenidae were the least represented, each with only one species (2.2%). Additional species of Apidae and Megachilidae sampled during this survey are not yet published on Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), once they will be available on GBIF, they will be published in a subsequent paper. From a total of 953 occurrences, highest numbers were recorded in Kilimanjaro Region (n = 511), followed by Arusha (n = 410) and Manyara (n = 32), but this pattern reflects the sampling efforts of the research project rather than real bias in the distributions of bee species in northern Tanzania.

The diagnostic accuracy of the electrocardiogram for left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is limited. Recently, Peguero and collaborators proposed a novel voltage criterion for its detection with reportedly higher accuracy than the commonly used Cornell and Sokolow‐Lyon criteria. While studies done in various populations have confirmed it, there are no available data from black African populations. We conducted a cross‐sectional study in a population from Cameroon to compare the Peguero‐Lo Presti criterion to the older Cornell, Sokolow‐Lyon, and Cornell product criteria, pertaining to their sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), with echocardiography as the reference standard. The study population consisted of 238 participants (54.2% female) with a mean age of 58 (SD 13) years. On echocardiography, the prevalence of LVH was 45.3% (n = 108). The sensitivity was 48.14%, 63.89%, 63.89%, and 67.29% for the Sokolow‐Lyon, Peguero‐Lo Presti, Cornell, and Cornell product criteria, respectively. The specificity was 73.84%, 75.97%, 79.23%, and 82.31% for the Peguero‐Lo Presti, Cornell product, Cornell, and Sokolow‐Lyon criteria, respectively. The overall accuracy of the Peguero‐Lo Presti (AUC = 0.689) was not significantly different from that of the Cornell (AUC = 0.714), the Cornell product (AUC = 0.717), and the Sokolow‐Lyon (AUC = 0.652) (all p ˃ .05). Hypertension and gender influenced the agreement between ECG criteria and echocardiography in the detection of LVH. In conclusion, in this black African population, Peguero‐Lo Presti was not significantly more or less accurate than Cornell or Sokolow‐Lyon., Our study shows that the accuracy of the Peguero‐Lo Presti criterion was not significant different from that of the Cornell, Cornell Product, and Sokolow‐Lyon criteria. In males, Peguero‐Lo Presti was better than Sokolow‐Lyon only. The agreement between ECG criteria and echocardiography in the detection of LVH was influenced by hypertension (for Peguero‐Lo Presti) and gender (for Sokolow Lyon, Cornell and the Cornell product), but not by age and obesity status.

Enteric viruses are a diverse group of human pathogens which are primarily transmitted by the faecal-oral route and are a major cause of non-bacterial diarrhoeal disease in both developed and developing countries. Because they are shed in high numbers by infected individuals and can persist for a long time in the environment, they pose a serious threat to human health globally. Enteric viruses end up in the environment mainly through discharge or leakage of raw or inadequately treated sewage into water sources such as springs, rivers, dams, or marine estuaries. Human exposure then follows when contaminated water is used for drinking, cooking, or recreation and, importantly, when filter-feeding bivalve shellfish are consumed. The human health hazard posed by enteric viruses is particularly serious in Africa where rapid urbanisation in a relatively short period of time has led to the expansion of informal settlements with poor sanitation and failing or non-existent wastewater treatment infrastructure, and where rural communities with limited or no access to municipal water are dependent on nearby open water sources for their subsistence. The role of sewage-contaminated water and bivalve shellfish as vehicles for transmission of enteric viruses is well documented but, to our knowledge, has not been comprehensively reviewed in the African context. Here we provide an overview of enteric viruses and then review the growing body of research where these viruses have been detected in association with sewage-contaminated water or food in several African countries. These studies highlight the need for more research into the prevalence, molecular epidemiology and circulation of these viruses in Africa, as well as for development and application of innovative wastewater treatment approaches to reduce environmental pollution and its impact on human health on the continent.

Cet article propose une analyse de la ponctuation effectuée par les acteurs institutionnels dans le cadre de communication domotique des crises, dans une problématique qui articule information, confiance et résilience, à partir d’une approche comparative avec le cadrage médiatique. Il examine également la ponctuation par l’image en tant que médiatisation caractéristique du positionnement de nouveaux appareillages médiatiques numériques, notamment la plateforme YouTube. Il montre enfin la pertinence de la ponctuation en tant qu’opérateur communicationnel de confiance et de résilience domotique en temps de crise ainsi que de fiducies numériques d’usage et d’images de l’information. Este artículo propone un análisis de la puntuación que realizan los actores institucionales en la comunicación de crisis interna, en un enfoque comparativo con el encuadre mediático basado en la interconexión entre información, confianza y resiliencia. Este artículo estudia igualmente la puntuación por imágenes como mediatización característica de los nuevos dispositivos digitales de información, en particular de la plataforma YouTube. Muestra finalmente la pertinencia del concepto de puntuación como operador comunicacional de confianza y resiliencia en crisis internas, con fiduciarios digitales de imágenes de información.

Radiotherapy is life-saving treatment which ought to be guaranteed for all cancer patients who are indicated. While this is so, it is incumbent on the management of radiotherapy centres to ensure that patients, patient care-givers and radiotherapy personnel are at all times safe within the radiotherapy facility. Cancer patients are known to have increased risk for respiratory viruses like Covid-19 due to the compromised immune state of such persons. It is thus important to institute adequate safety measures in radiotherapy centres to prevent infection of cancer patients during the global Covid-19 pandemic. A survey conducted in 12 radiotherapy centres in 8 African countries has highlighted key measures needing implementation to ensure safety against Covid-19 infections. The safety measures were indexed on a 16-point questionnaire covering 5 main areas of staffing, radiotherapy environment, equipment and treatment protocols, patient condition and scheduling, and education/sensitization. The study shows that use of personal protective equipment, provision of hand washing and sanitizing facilities, social distance observance, restrictions for patient care-givers, provision of isolation unit meant for holding suspected Covid-19 cases, existence of working protocols, and Covid-19 safety education for staff are fully complied with by the surveyed radiotherapy centres. A greater portion of the centres, are however, without radiotherapy facilities solely dedicated for suspicious and confirmed Covid-19 cases. Strict adherence of the safety measures is highly essential to contain the spread and prevent infection of the disease to patients, care-givers and staff of the radiotherapy departments.

Child soldiers have been heavily involved in contemporary African warfare. Since the 1990s, the ‘child soldier crisis’ has become a major humanitarian and human rights project. The figure of the child soldier has often been taken as evidence of the ‘barbarism’, dehumanization and trauma generated by modern warfare, but such images can obscure the complex reality of children’s experiences of being part of armed groups during conflict. This article uses the published memoirs of former child soldiers from Sierra Leone, Sudan, Uganda, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to explore the instrumental and discursive nexus between child soldiers, memory, violence and humanitarianism. It assesses how (former-) children combatants remember and recount their experiences of war, and how these narratives can be shaped by humanitarian, literary and/or therapeutic framings. The article argues that these memoirs’ significance lies in their affective truths and what they reveal about children’s experience, and narrations, of war. Former child soldiers engage with, but also challenge, dominant contemporary humanitarian discourses surrounding childhood and violence to develop a ‘victim, savage, saviour, campaigner’ framework for their narratives. The article historically contextualizes the emergence of the ‘child soldier memoir’, before analysing the narratives of recruitment, indoctrination, and violence recounted by these former child soldiers, and their attempts to rework their identities in a post-conflict environment. It explores how former child soldiers narrate suffering and deploy discourses of trauma in their memoirs: some seeking to process wartime traumas, others leveraging their own suffering to position themselves as campaigners for those children still caught in conflict.

This study aimed to assess the association between suicidal ideation among mothers living with HIV in Zimbabwe and the cognitive development of their children. Participants were mother–child dyads recruited from two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Data were collected at baseline and 12 months follow-up. Suicidal ideation was assessed using item-10 from the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to assess the association of child cognitive outcomes at follow-up (using the Mullen scales of early learning) with maternal suicidal ideation. Mothers with suicidal ideation at baseline (n = 171) tended to be younger, unmarried, experienced moderate to severe hunger, had elevated parental stress and depression symptoms compared with non-suicidal mothers (n = 391). At follow-up, emerging maternal suicidal ideation was associated with poorer child cognitive outcomes (adjusted mean difference − 6.1; 95% CI − 10.3 to − 1.8; p = 0.03). Suicidal ideation affects child cognitive development and should be addressed, particularly in HIV positive mothers.

Clinical research is important in establishing the effects of health-care interventions. Vaccine clinical trials are to examine the effectiveness and safety of vaccines for the prevention of diseases. Africa has a high burden of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and Ebola virus disease. Here we report a database surveillance study of vaccine-related clinical trials conducted in Africa. An objective is to address and profile vaccine clinical trials conducted in Africa. Data were extracted from the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform on 22 July 2018 and updated on 05 September 2019. We found that 61% of the 377 clinical trials were registered prospectively and 35% registered retrospectively. About 72% of the trials were single-country studies and within the country, most trials (86%) were single-center studies. The proportion of trials involving multiple African countries was 11% and that of trials involving countries outside of Africa was 16%. The biggest funder of the vaccine trials (34%) was industry, followed by governments (25%) and universities (21%). The most studied diseases were malaria (20%), HIV/AIDS (15%), tuberculosis (7%), and Ebola virus disease (6%). Most of the vaccine trials were conducted in adults (42%). The trials ranged from phase I to phase IV, with most of the trials being in phase I (18%) and phase III (18%). The conduct of vaccine clinical trials in Africa seeks to address the disease epidemics faced by the continent. There is a need for more investments from governmental bodies toward vaccine research in Africa. Further, African country collaborations are needed in efforts to find African solutions to the current infectious disease threats faced by the continent.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Objective: To estimate national and geography-based variations in blood pressure and burden of hypertension in Cameroon, generally called ‘miniature Africa’. Methods: PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CINHAL, Web of Science, Popline, Scopus and BDSP were searched through November 2018, for hypertension studies among Cameroonians aged at least 18 years. Hypertension was measured as SBP at least 140 mmHg or DBP at least 90 mmHg. Random-effects meta-analysis was used. Results: Twenty studies involving 46 491 participants met inclusion criteria. Overall hypertension prevalence was 30.9% [95% confidence interval (CI) 27.0–34.8]: 29.6% (24.1–35.1) and 32.1% (27.2–37.1) in 1994–2010 and 2011–2018, respectively. Of hypertensive participants, only 24.4% (18.9–30.0) – 31.6% (21.0–42.3) and 20.8% (14.0–27.7) in 1994–2010 and 2011–2018, respectively – were aware of their status, 15.1% (10.6–19.6) were taking antihypertensive medications and 8.8% (5.7–11.9) – 10.4% (7.5–13.3) and 8.3% (4.4–12.3) in 1994–2010 and 2011–2018, respectively – were controlled. Hypertension prevalence varied by sex: 34.3% (30.0–38.6) for men and 31.3% (26.5–36.1) for women; ethnicity: from 3.3% (0.4–6.2) among Pygmies to 56.6% (49.4–63.8) among Bamileke; urbanity: 25.4% (17.1–33.7) for rural and 31.4% (27.3–35.5) for urban dwellers; agroecological zone: from 35.1% (28.9–41.3) in Tropical highlands to 28% (20.1–35.9) in Guinea-Savannah; and subnational region: from 36.3% (27.8–44.9) in the West to 17.1% (9.9–44.2) in the South. Conclusion: Cameroon's hypertension prevalence is high and increasing whereas awareness, treatment and control are low and declining. Emerging patterns call urgently for effective campaigns to raise hypertension awareness alongside strategies for hypertension prevention and BP control.

Background: The burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension is rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income countries, this is evident not only in adults, but also in children, but recent estimates of prevalence in children are lacking. The association between hypertension and increased body mass index is well known. With rapidly increasing childhood overweight and obesity, updated estimates are important. As such, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide updated estimates of paediatric hypertension in Africa. Methods: We searched PubMed and EBSCO to identify articles published from January 2017 to November 2020. Studies were assessed for quality. We combined results for meta-analyses using a random effects model following the Freeman-Tukey arcsine transformation to stabilize the variance. Heterogeneity was quantified using the I2 statistic. Findings: We included 53 studies in narrative synthesis and 41 in meta-analysis reporting pooled data of 52918 participants 3-19 years from 10 countries. Publication bias was low for 23 studies, moderate for 15, with no high-risk studies. Hypertension prevalence ranged substantially across studies (0·2%-38·9%). The pooled prevalence for hypertension (systolic or diastolic blood pressure (BP) ≥95th percentile) was 7·45% (95%CI 5·30-9·92), elevated BP (systolic or diastolic BP ≥90th percentile and

The systematic study of migration in Africa is relatively recent, and migration studies are of interest to a wide range of disciplines. The pioneers, mostly social anthropologists in Central, West, East and South Africa have laid the foundation for understanding the sociology of migration in Africa. The causes and rationalization of migrations have been elaborated upon by geographers and economists in relation to agricultural, industrial development and urbanization. In compiling this source work, an attempt has been made to group the work into five major topics. It must be emphasized that no neat classification is assured. Most works do not only merge into others and are without clear-cut boundaries but also have their tentacles in other areas. Being a vast field of study the classification adopted here can be further broken down into other moulds. Section I includes works, methods and theories specific to African migrations including analytical models and techniques. Section 2 in?

Species data from the Museum collections have been shown to be of great value as a tool for prioritising conservation actions in Africa (Fjeldsa and Tushabe 2005). The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) have an entomology collection, housed in 4,000 drawers in cabinets that contain over 1.5 million specimens, including the largest butterfly collection in Africa (Arnett et al. 1997). Lampe and Striebing (2005) demonstrated how to digitise large insect collections in order to make their associated label data into databases that can be used for functions, such as creating distribution maps. The NMK’s swallowtail butterflies' collection had not been digitised and thus there was a need to capture the label data to create a database that can be used for mapping the distribution of the species in Kenya and elsewhere. These data have addressed one of the most significant challenges to insect conservation i.e. the lack of baseline information concerning species diversity and distribution (Summerville and Crist 2003). These data have provided key historic papilionid species diversity and distribution data that can be used to monitor their populations, as butterflies are declining due to changes in land use, intensive agriculture and pestcide use, diseases and pest and climate change (Potts et al. 2016; Bongaarts 2019). The publication of the occurrence data records in GBIF has been undertaken, thus making the data available to a wider audience and promoting availability for use. The swallowtail butterflies collection at the National Museums of Kenya was digitised from 2017–2019 and this paper presents details of the Papilionid collection at the Zoology Department, NMK, Nairobi, Kenya. The collection holds 7,345 voucher specimens, consisting of three genera and 133 species. The collection covers the period between 1850 to 2019. The distribution of the swallowtail butterflies, housed at the NMK, covers East Africa with 88%, Central Africa (6%), Western Africa (4%) and Southern Africa (2%).

Background. Capacity building is essential in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to address the gap in skills to conduct and implement research. Capacity building must not only include scientific and technical knowledge, but also broader competencies, such as writing, disseminating research and achieving work–life balance. These skills are thought to promote long-term career success for researchers in high-income countries (HICs) but the availability of such training is limited in LMICs. Methods. This paper presents the contextualisation and implementation of the Academic Competencies Series (ACES). ACES is an early-career researcher development programme adapted from a UK university. Through consultation between HIC and LMIC partners, an innovative series of 10 workshops was designed covering themes of self-development, engagement and writing skills. ACES formed part of the African Mental Health Research Initiative (AMARI), a multi-national LMIC-led consortium to recruit, train, support and network early-career mental health researchers from four sub-Saharan African countries. Results. Of the 10 ACES modules, three were HIC-LMIC co-led, four led by HIC facilitators with LMIC training experience and three led by external consultants from HICs. Six workshops were delivered face to face and four by webinar. Course attendance was over 90% and the delivery cost was approximately US$4500 per researcher trained. Challenges of adaptation, attendance and technical issues are described for the first round of workshops. Conclusions. This paper indicates that a skills development series for early-career researchers can be contextualised and implemented in LMIC settings, and is feasible for co-delivery with local partners at relatively low cost.

This systematic review aims to document salt consumption patterns and the implementation status and potential impact of salt reduction initiatives in Africa, from studies published between January 2009 and November 2019. Studies were sourced using MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library electronic databases, and gray literature. Of the 887 records retrieved, 38 studies conducted in 18 African countries were included. Twelve studies measured population salt intake, 11 examined salt level in foods, 11 assessed consumer knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, 1 study evaluated a behavior change intervention, and 3 studies modeled potential health gains and cost savings of salt reduction interventions. The population salt intake studies determined by 24‐hour urine collections showed that the mean (SD) salt intake in African adults ranged from 6.8 (2.2) g to 11.3 (5.4) g/d. Salt levels in foods were generally high, and consumer knowledge was fairly high but did not seem to translate into salt lowering behaviors. Modeling studies showed that interventions for reducing dietary sodium would generate large health gains and cost savings for the health system. Despite this evidence, adoption of population salt reduction strategies in Africa has been slow, and dietary consumption of sodium remains high. Only South Africa adopted legislation in 2016 to reduce population salt intake, but success of this intervention has not yet been fully evaluated. Thus, rigorous evaluation of the salt reduction legislation in South Africa and initiation of salt reduction programs in other African countries will be vital to achieving the targeted 30% reduction in salt intake by 2025.

The rapid transmissibility of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 causing coronavirus disease-2019, requires timely dissemination of information and public health responses, with all 47 countries of the WHO African Region simultaneously facing significant risk, in contrast to the usual highly localised infectious disease outbreaks. This demanded a different approach to information management and an adaptive information strategy was implemented, focusing on data collection and management, reporting and analysis at the national and regional levels. This approach used frugal innovation, building on tools and technologies that are commonly used, and well understood; as well as developing simple, practical, highly functional and agile solutions that could be rapidly and remotely implemented, and flexible enough to be recalibrated and adapted as required. While the approach was successful in its aim of allowing the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) to gather surveillance and epidemiological data, several challenges were encountered that affected timeliness and quality of data captured and reported by the member states, showing that strengthening data systems and digital capacity, and encouraging openness and data sharing are an important component of health system strengthening.

Objectives One Health is transiting from multidisciplinary to transdisciplinary concepts and its viewpoints should move from ‘proxy for zoonoses’, to include other topics (climate change, nutrition and food safety, policy and planning, welfare and well-being, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), vector-borne diseases, toxicosis and pesticides issues) and thematic fields (social sciences, geography and economics). This work was conducted to map the One Health landscape in Africa. Methods An assessment of existing One Health initiatives in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries was conducted among selected stakeholders using a multi-method approach. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to One Health initiatives were identified, and their influence, interest and impacts were semi-quantitatively evaluated using literature reviews, questionnaire survey and statistical analysis. Results One Health Networks and identified initiatives were spatiotemporally spread across SSA and identified stakeholders were classified into four quadrants. It was observed that imbalance in stakeholders' representations led to hesitation in buying-in into One Health approach by stakeholders who are outside the main networks like stakeholders from the policy, budgeting, geography and sometimes, the environment sectors. Conclusion Inclusion of theory of change, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, and tools for standardized evaluation of One Health policies are needed for a sustained future of One Health and future engagements should be outputs- and outcomes-driven and not activity-driven. National roadmaps for One Health implementation and institutionalization are necessary, and proofs of concepts in One Health should be validated and scaled-up. Dependence on external funding is unsustainable and must be addressed in the medium to long-term. Necessary policy and legal instruments to support One Health nationally and sub-nationally should be implemented taking cognizance of contemporary issues like urbanization, endemic poverty and other emerging issues. The utilization of current technologies and One Health approach in addressing the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 and other emerging diseases are desirable. Finally, One Health implementation should be anticipatory and preemptive, and not reactive in containing disease outbreaks, especially those from the animal sources or the environment before the risk of spillover to human., Highlights • One Health transcends multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary concepts; it’s expanding scope to cover ignored fields; • Mapping the One Health landscape in Africa is desirable for effective monitoring and evaluation, and measurable outcomes; • Development of national roadmaps is necessary for One Health institutionalization and to develop targeted activities; • Anticipatory and not reactive One Health implementation optimizes its benefits at addressing countries’ challenges.

Recent fieldwork by the author in Tenerife, mostly between 2014 and 2019, yielded new records of alien vascular plants. Seventeen taxa (Acacia decurrens, A. mearnsii, Brachychiton diversifolius, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Ensete ventricosum, Eucalyptus camaldulensis subsp. arida, E. cladocalyx, Euryops chrysanthemoides, Ficus elastica, Lippia alba, Pavonia sepioides, Pittosporum tobira, Populus ×canadensis, Pyrostegia venusta, Ruellia dipteracanthus, Soleirolia soleirolii and Wigandia kunthii) are reported for the first time from the Canary Islands. All were initially introduced on purpose, mostly as ornamentals, and recently started to escape from cultivation. Most of them are ephemerals or only locally established but nearly all have the potential to naturalize in the future. Thirteen additional species are reported for the first time from Tenerife: Atriplex nummularia, Bellis perennis, Chenopodium probstii, Coccoloba uvifera, Commelina benghalensis, Cuphea hyssopifolia, Eragrostis virescens, Lemna minuta, Malvastrum corchorifolium, Plerandra elegantissima, Psidium guajava, Thunbergia alata and Urochloa subquadripara. Finally, some miscellaneous notes are provided on the presence of Balanites aegyptiaca, Callistemon viminalis, Grevillea robusta and Passiflora caerulea in Tenerife.

Objectives Effective coverage of non‐communicable disease (NCD) care in sub‐Saharan Africa remains low, with the majority of services still largely restricted to central referral centres. Between 2015 and 2017, the Rwandan Ministry of Health implemented a strategy to decentralise outpatient care for severe chronic NCDs, including type 1 diabetes, heart failure and severe hypertension, to rural first‐level hospitals. This study describes the facility‐level implementation outcomes of this strategy. Methods In 2014, the Ministry of Health trained two nurses in each of the country’s 42 first‐level hospitals to implement and deliver nurse‐led, integrated, outpatient NCD clinics, which focused on severe NCDs. Post‐intervention evaluation occurred via repeated cross‐sectional surveys, informal interviews and routinely collected clinical data over two rounds of visits in 2015 and 2017. Implementation outcomes included fidelity, feasibility and penetration. Results By 2017, all NCD clinics were staffed by at least one NCD‐trained nurse. Among the approximately 27 000 nationally enrolled patients, hypertension was the most common diagnosis (70%), followed by type 2 diabetes (19%), chronic respiratory disease (5%), type 1 diabetes (4%) and heart failure (2%). With the exception of warfarin and beta‐blockers, national essential medicines were available at more than 70% of facilities. Clinicians adhered to clinical protocols at approximately 70% agreement with evaluators. Conclusion The government of Rwanda was able to scale a nurse‐led outpatient NCD programme to all first‐level hospitals with good fidelity, feasibility and penetration as to expand access to care for severe NCDs.

Background Continuous physiological monitoring technologies are important for strengthening hospital care for neonates, particularly in resource-constrained settings, and understanding user perspectives is critical for informing medical technology design, development, and optimization. Objective This study aims to assess the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of 2 noninvasive, multiparameter, continuous physiological monitoring technologies for use in neonates in an African health care setting. Methods We assessed 2 investigational technologies from EarlySense and Sibel, compared with the reference Masimo Rad-97 technology through in-depth interviews and direct observations. A purposive sample of health care administrators, health care providers, and caregivers at Aga Khan University Hospital, a tertiary, private hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, were included. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach in NVivo 12 software. Results Between July and August 2020, we interviewed 12 health care providers, 5 health care administrators, and 10 caregivers and observed the monitoring of 12 neonates. Staffing and maintenance of training in neonatal units are important feasibility considerations, and simple training requirements support the feasibility of the investigational technologies. Key usability characteristics included ease of use, wireless features, and reduced number of attachments connecting the neonate to the monitoring technology, which health care providers considered to increase the efficiency of care. The main factors supporting acceptability included caregiver-highlighted perceptions of neonate comfort and health care respondent technology familiarity. Concerns about the side effects of wireless connections, electromagnetic fields, and mistrust of unfamiliar technologies have emerged as possible acceptability barriers to investigational technologies. Conclusions Overall, respondents considered the investigational technologies feasible, usable, and acceptable for the care of neonates at this health care facility. Our findings highlight the potential of different multiparameter continuous physiological monitoring technologies for use in different neonatal care settings. Simple and user-friendly technologies may help to bridge gaps in current care where there are many neonates; however, challenges in maintaining training and ensuring feasibility within resource-constrained health care settings warrant further research. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035184

This concept paper reviews issues pertaining to parasitic and vector-borne infections, of humans, animals, or both, of topical relevance to the African continent as well as to neighbouring and interconnected geographies. This analysis is carried out through the “One Health” lens, being mindful of the central role of agriculture and livestock keeping in Africa’s sustainable development. The possible agricultural transformation that the continent may undergo to fulfil the rising demand for animal protein of its growing population, coupled with the ongoing climate changes, may lead to potentially enhanced interactions among humans, domesticated and wild animals, in a fast-changing environment. In this view, tackling parasitic conditions of livestock can prove being multidimensionally beneficial by improving animal health as well as communities’ food security, livelihood and public health. Accordingly, the value of applying the One Health approach to drug discovery and development in the fight against parasitic neglected tropical diseases and zoonoses, is also underscored. Overall, this article upholds the adoption of a holistic, global, interdisciplinary, multisectoral, harmonised and forward-looking outlook, encompassing both life and social sciences, when dealing with parasitic conditions of humans and animals, in Africa and beyond, in COVID-19 times and further.

In most low-resource settings, microscopy still is the standard method for diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis, despite its limited sensitivity. In Ethiopia, the more sensitive molecular methods are not yet routinely used. This study compared five PCR methods with microscopy on two sample types collected from patients with a suspected lesion to advise on optimal diagnosis of Leishmania aethiopica. Between May and July 2018, skin scrapings (SS) and blood exudate from the lesion spotted on filter paper (dry blood spot, DBS) were collected for PCR from 111 patients of four zones in Southern Ethiopia. DNA and RNA were simultaneously extracted from both sample types. DNA was evaluated by a conventional PCR targeting ITS-1 and three probe-based real-time PCRs: one targeting the SSU 18S rRNA and two targeting the kDNA minicircle sequence (the ‘Mary kDNA PCR’ and a newly designed ‘LC kDNA PCR’ for improved L. aethiopica detection). RNAs were tested with a SYBR Green-based RT-PCR targeting spliced leader (SL) RNA. Giemsa-stained SS smears were examined by microscopy. Of the 111 SS, 100 were positive with at least two methods. Sensitivity of microscopy, ITS PCR, SSU PCR, Mary kDNA PCR, LC kDNA PCR and SL RNA PCR were respectively 52%, 22%, 64%, 99%, 100% and 94%. Microscopy-based parasite load correlated well with real-time PCR Ct-values. Despite suboptimal sample storage for RNA detection, the SL RNA PCR resulted in congruent results with low Ct-values. DBS collected from the same lesion showed lower PCR positivity rates compared to SS. The kDNA PCRs showed excellent performance for diagnosis of L. aethiopica on SS. Lower-cost SL RNA detection can be a complementary high-throughput tool. DBS can be used for PCR in case microscopy is negative, the SS sample can be sent to the referral health facility where kDNA PCR method is available., Author summary Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease and causing a public health problem in Ethiopia. Microscopy is still the standard method for detection of the parasite in Ethiopia, and also in many other low resource settings. A more sensitive method is needed for timely diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we compared five molecular methods on samples collected from patients with a skin lesion suspected of cutaneous leishmaniasis to advice on optimal diagnosis of L. aethiopica. We collected two sample types from the same lesion (skin scrapings and lesion fluid on filter paper) and isolated both DNA and RNA of them. Majority (90.1%) of the samples from skin scrapings were positive in two or more methods and the molecular methods had a higher sensitivity than the conventional methods. Interestingly, we evaluated for the first time a new molecular method designed to improve L. aethiopica detection. Also, we showed that RNA detection performed well for samples that were collected under difficult field conditions. Samples collected on filter paper showed less positive results than skin scraped samples, but could still be the method of choice for easy sampling and transport in resource-limited settings as it performed better than microscopy.

Objective:We evaluated the relationship between food availability, as the only dietary exposure data available across Africa, and age-standardised cancer incidence rates (ASR) in eighteen countries.Design:Ecological study.Setting:Availability of food groups and dietary energy was considered for five hypothetical time points: years of collection of ASR (T 0) and 5, 10, 15 and 20 preceding years (T –5, T –10, T –15, T –20). Ecological correlations adjusted for human development index, smoking and obesity rates were calculated to evaluate the relationship between food availability and ASR of breast, prostate, colorectal, oesophageal, pancreatic, stomach and thyroid cancer.Results:Red meat was positively correlated with pancreatic cancer in men (T –20: r –20 = 0·61, P < 0·05), stomach cancer in women (T 0: r 0 = 0·58, P < 0·05), and colorectal cancer in men (T 0: r 0 = 0·53, P < 0·05) and women (T –20: r –20 = 0·58, P < 0·05). Animal products including meat, animal fats and higher animal-sourced energy supply tended to be positively correlated with breast, colorectal, pancreatic, stomach and thyroid cancer. Alcoholic beverages were positively correlated to oesophageal cancer in men (r 0 = 0·69, P < 0·001) and women (r –20 = 0·72, P < 0·001).Conclusions:The present analysis provides initial insights into the impact of alcoholic beverages, and increasing use of animal over plant products, on the incidence of specific cancers in Africa. The findings support the need for epidemiological studies to investigate the role of diet in cancer development in Africa.

Food-borne infections are major causes of public health concern in developing and developed countries. During the past decade, the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection has conducted or been involved in multiple investigations that aimed at identifying the sources and strains responsible for food-borne diseases and therefore at improving the understanding, diagnosis, prevention and control of these infections. Investigations were conducted in the Mediterranean area and in sub-Saharan Africa on more than 15 food-borne agents, 17 food products and 14 antibiotic resistance-associated genes. Multiple sources, including unexpected ones, and pathogens, including emerging ones, were involved. Travelling in developing countries and zoonoses are major contributors to food-borne infections, while food-borne transmission of resistance-associated genes is increasingly reported. However, risk factors and pathogens associated with food-borne infections likely remain untapped and must be more extensively investigated, monitored and regularly reassessed. Diagnostic tests based on new technologies and real-time surveillance tools based on microbiology laboratory data are promising approaches to detect known food-borne infections and decipher new ones. Studies of the microbiota and its relationships with dietary patterns are also worth being conducted. Keywords: Africa, bacteria, food, food-borne, fungus, IHU Mediterranée Infection, infections, Mediterranean Basin, virus, zoonosis

This study systematically catalogues all known taxa of the family Stratiomyidae in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It is one in a series of planned studies aiming to catalogue the whole order in both countries. Twenty species, belonging to seven genera and three subfamilies (Pachygastrinae, Stratiomyinae and Nemotelinae), are treated. One of these genera, Oplodontha and two species, Oplodontha pulchriceps Loew and Oxycera turcica Üstüner & Hasbenli, are recorded herein for the first time from Saudi Arabia. A lectotype for Nemotelus matrouhensis Mohammad et al., 2009 is designated. An updated classification, synonymies, type localities, world and local distributions, dates of collection and some coloured photographs are provided.

Background The spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Sub-Saharan Africa is poorly understood and to date has generally been characterised by a lower number of declared cases and deaths as compared to other regions of the world. Paucity of reliable information, with insights largely derived from limited RT-PCR testing in high-risk and urban populations, has been one of the biggest barriers to understanding the course of the pandemic and informed policy-making. Here we estimate seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Ethiopia during the first wave of the pandemic. Methods We undertook a population-based household seroprevalence serosurvey based on 1856 participants in Ethiopia, in the capital city Addis Ababa, and in Jimma, a middle-sized town in the Oromia region, and its rural surroundings (districts of Seka and Mana), between 22 July and 02 September 2020. We tested one random participant per household for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a high specificity rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and evaluated population seroprevalence using a Bayesian logistic regression model taking into account test performance as well as age and sex of the participants. Findings In total, 2304 random households were visited, with 1856 individuals consenting to participate. This produced a sample of 956 participants in Addis Ababa and 900 participants in Jimma. IgG prevalence was estimated at 1.9% (95% CI 0.4–3.7%), and combined IgM/IgG prevalence at 3.5% (95% CI 1.7–5.4%) for Addis Ababa in early August 2020, with higher prevalence in central sub-cities. Prevalence in Jimma town was lower at 0.5% (95% CI 0–1.8%) for IgG and 1.6% (95%CI 0–4.1%) for IgM/IgG, while in rural Jimma IgG prevalence was 0.2% and IgM/IgG 0.4% in early September. Interpretation More than four months after the first cases were detected in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa displayed a prevalence under 5% and likely as low as 2%, while rural Jimma displayed a prevalence of 0.2%. A 2% seroprevalence figure for the capital translated to a number of cases at least five times larger than those reported for the country as a whole. At the same time, it contrasts with significantly higher seroprevalence figures in large cities in Europe and America only two to three months after the first cases. This population-based seroepidemiological study thus provides evidence of a slower spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the Ethiopian population during the first wave of the pandemic and does not appear to support the notion that lower case numbers were simply a reflection of limited testing and surveillance. Funding Schmidt Family Foundation, Tchibo, Nespresso, Peet's and The J.M. Smucker Co..