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Goals 3 and 5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are to promote good health and well-being and to achieve gender equality, respectively. To successfully move toward these goals in the area of gender equality, there is the need to understand the underlying legislative or laws that protect women and girls from all forms of domestic violence (DV), including gender-based violence (GBV). The cardinal objective of this study, therefore, was to examine the risk factors of GBV and the physiological effects of GBV. To date, few studies have quantified the relationship between laws on DV and the incidence of DV/GBV. This article fills that gap by using Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data of 12 African countries. We applied multivariate logistic regression to estimate the association of the absence of laws on DV, men dominant power, history of violence, alcohol consumption, women's attitude toward men's violence perpetration, and decision-making power with the scores of GBV and physiological effects of GBV. Group Kruskal–Wallis Rank test was used to determine the variation of the two outcomes among the 12 countries. Results show significant disparities in the score of GBV, H test (11) = 168,217, p <.001, and score of physiological effects, H test (11) = 122,127, p <.001, among the 12 countries. Specifically, Ghana, Namibia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Togo reported the highest physiological effect of GBV. Presence of DV laws, male dominance, alcohol consumption, history of abuse, and women empowerment predict GBV and the physiological effect of GBV. Thus, building strong legal frameworks against all forms of DV and empowering women may reduce the incidence of GBV and physiological effects of GBV for all African women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria and visceral leishmaniasis (VL) co-infection can occur due to the overlapping geographical distributions of these diseases; however, only limited data of this co-infection have been reported and reviewed. This study aimed to explore the pooled prevalence and characteristics of this co-infection using a systematic review approach. Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched for relevant studies. The quality of these studies was assessed in accordance with strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. The numbers of individuals co-infected with Plasmodium and VL and the total numbers of individuals with VL were used to estimate the pooled prevalence using random-effects models. Differences in age, sex and the presence of anemia and malnutrition on admission were compared between co-infected individuals and individuals with VL using a random-effects model; the results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity among the included studies was assessed and quantified using Cochrane Q and I2 statistics. Results: Of the 3075 studies identified, 12 met the eligibility criteria and were included in this systematic review. The pooled prevalence of Plasmodium infection among the 6453 individuals with VL was 13%, with substantial heterogeneity of the data (95% CI 7–18%, I2 97.9%). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the highest prevalence of co-infection occurred in African countries, whereas the lowest prevalence occurred in Asian countries. Patients aged < 5 years had higher odds of having co-infection than having VL (co-infection, n = 202; VL, n = 410) (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.37–2.01, I2 0%; P < 0.0001), whereas patients aged 20–29 years had lower odds of having co-infection than having VL (co-infection, n = 170; VL, n = 699) (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.60–0.93, I2 18%; P = 0.01). Male patients had equivalent odds of having co-infection and having VL (co-infection, n = 525; VL, n = 2232) (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.078–1.08, I2 0%; P = 0.29). Patients with co-infection had lower odds of having anemia at admission than those with VL (co-infection, n = 902; VL, n = 2939) (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.44–0.93, I2 0%; P = 0.02). No difference in malnutrition at admission was found in the meta-analysis. Conclusions: The prevalence of malaria co-infection among individuals with VL was heterogeneous and ranged from 7 to 18%, depending on geographical area. Age and anemia at admission were associated with co-infection status. Further longitudinal studies are needed to determine if co-infection with malaria has an impact on the severity of VL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is an X-linked peroxisomal disorder with classical features, which can be also recognised in a low resource setting. It had been described in various populations across the globe, but very few cases have been reported from Africa. In a boy with features of a progressive central nervous system condition and adrenal failure, ABCD1 gene screening was performed based on a clinical history and basic radiological features which were compatible with ALD. A common ABCD1 mutation was identified in this patient, which is the first report of genetically confirmed ALD in Sub-Saharan Africa. ALD is likely under recognised in those areas where there is no neurologist. This genetic confirmation widens geographical distribution of ABCD1-associated disease, and illustrates recognisability of this disorder, even when encountered in a low-resource environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Risk maps identifying suitable locations for infection transmission are important for public health planning. Data on dengue infection rates are not readily available in most places where the disease is known to occur. Methods A newly available add-in to Esri’s ArcGIS software package, the ArcGIS Predictive Analysis Toolset (PA Tools), was used to identify locations within Africa with environmental characteristics likely to be suitable for transmission of dengue virus. Results A more accurate, robust, and localized (1 km × 1 km) dengue risk map for Africa was created based on bioclimatic layers, elevation data, high-resolution population data, and other environmental factors that a search of the peer-reviewed literature showed to be associated with dengue risk. Variables related to temperature, precipitation, elevation, and population density were identified as good predictors of dengue suitability. Areas of high dengue suitability occur primarily within West Africa and parts of Central Africa and East Africa, but even in these regions the suitability is not homogenous. Conclusion This risk mapping technique for an infection transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes draws on entomological, epidemiological, and geographic data. The method could be applied to other infectious diseases (such as Zika) in order to provide new insights for public health officials and others making decisions about where to increase disease surveillance activities and implement infection prevention and control efforts. The ability to map threats to human and animal health is important for tracking vectorborne and other emerging infectious diseases and modeling the likely impacts of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of Aedes albopictus in Africa has thus far been known to be restricted to coastal Sub-Saharan countries. This report describes the first record of the tiger mosquito in habitats located in Mali, at a significant distance from the coastal areas of the continent. Aedes albopictus was observed over several years in increasing frequency in Mopti in Central Mali and later in the capital city Bamako, both adjacent to the Niger River. These findings suggest further dissemination of Ae. albopictus could be facilitated by river transport of goods and commodities which harbor larvae and eggs of this species. If correct, the distribution of Ae. albopictus is expected to extend to areas located upstream of the Niger River and its tributaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current understanding of the spatial epidemiology and geographical distribution of Plasmodium vivax is far less developed than that for P. falciparum, representing a barrier to rational strategies for control and elimination. Here we present the first systematic effort to map the global endemicity of this hitherto neglected parasite. Methodology and Findings: We first updated to the year 2010 our earlier estimate of the geographical limits of P. vivax transmission. Within areas of stable transmission, an assembly of 9,970 geopositioned P. vivax parasite rate (PvPR) surveys collected from 1985 to 2010 were used with a spatiotemporal Bayesian model-based geostatistical approach to estimate endemicity age-standardised to the 1-99 year age range (PvPR1-99) within every 5×5 km resolution grid square. The model incorporated data on Duffy negative phenotype frequency to suppress endemicity predictions, particularly in Africa. Endemicity was predicted within a relatively narrow range throughout the endemic world, with the point estimate rarely exceeding 7% PvPR1-99. The Americas contributed 22% of the global area at risk of P. vivax transmission, but high endemic areas were generally sparsely populated and the region contributed only 6% of the 2.5 billion people at risk (PAR) globally. In Africa, Duffy negativity meant stable transmission was constrained to Madagascar and parts of the Horn, contributing 3.5% of global PAR. Central Asia was home to 82% of global PAR with important high endemic areas coinciding with dense populations particularly in India and Myanmar. South East Asia contained areas of the highest endemicity in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and contributed 9% of global PAR. Conclusions and Significance: This detailed depiction of spatially varying endemicity is intended to contribute to a much-needed paradigm shift towards geographically stratified and evidence-based planning for P. vivax control and elimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ecological niche modeling is a method for estimation of species distributions based on certain ecological parameters. Thus far, empirical determination of significant differences between independently generated distribution maps for a single species (maps which are created through equivalent processes, but with different ecological input parameters), has been challenging. Results: We describe a method for comparing model outcomes, which allows a statistical evaluation of whether the strength of prediction and breadth of predicted areas is measurably different between projected distributions. To create ecological niche models for statistical comparison, we utilized GARP (Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Production) software to generate ecological niche models of human monkeypox in Africa. We created several models, keeping constant the case location input records for each model but varying the ecological input data. In order to assess the relative importance of each ecological parameter included in the development of the individual predicted distributions, we performed pixel-to-pixel comparisons between model outcomes and calculated the mean difference in pixel scores. We used a two sample Student's t-test, (assuming as null hypothesis that both maps were identical to each other regardless of which input parameters were used) to examine whether the mean difference in corresponding pixel scores from one map to another was greater than would be expected by chance alone. We also utilized weighted kappa statistics, frequency distributions, and percent difference to look at the disparities in pixel scores. Multiple independent statistical tests indicated precipitation as the single most important independent ecological parameter in the niche model for human monkeypox disease. Conclusion: In addition to improving our understanding of the natural factors influencing the distribution of human monkeypox disease, such pixel-to-pixel comparison tests afford users the ability to empirically distinguish the significance of each of the diverse environmental parameters included in the modeling process. This method will be particularly useful in situations where the outcomes (maps) appear similar upon visual inspection (as are generated with other modeling programs such as MAXENT), as it allows an investigator the capacity to explore subtle differences among ecological parameters and to demonstrate the individual importance of these factors within an overall model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a dearth of information on the geographical distribution of bancroftian filariasis in Africa on which to establish elimination programmes. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and density of microfilaraemia and the prevalence of clinical manifestations of bancroftian filariasis in six rural communities of Lower Cross River Basin, Nigeria. A total of 829 finger prick blood smear samples were collected from volunteers between 22.00 and 02.00 h and were examined for presence of helminth parasite Wuchereria bancrofti using standard parasitological method of diagnosis. All the volunteers were also screened for clinical manifestations of lymphatic filariasis. Forty-six (5.6%) of the 829 samples collected were found to be microscopically positive for W. bancrofti. The prevalence of microfilaraemia was significantly (P<0.05) higher in females (8.4%) than males (3.6%). There is a significant variation (P<0.05) in the age-specific prevalence, with the age group 41–60 years being the most affected (10.2%). The overall geometric mean microfilarial density of the infected persons was 9 mf/50 μl. It was higher in males (11 mf/50 μl) than females (7 mf/50 μl) (P>0.05). The prevalence of infection and geometric mean density showed large variations; there was a trend towards increasing prevalence and density with increase in age in both sexes. The overall disease prevalence was 9.2%; the most important clinical manifestation was hydrocele (10.5%) and lymphoedema (2.9%). These chronic disease manifestations increased with age (P<0.05). These baseline data would be useful in planning for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Africa as per the WHO goal to eliminate lymphatic filariasis by the year 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article attempts to discuss some of the strategies that countries of the African region can employ to wean off donor funding for health. Five strategies were taken in consideration: reduction in economic inefficiencies; reprioritizing public expenditures; raising additional tax revenues; increased private sector involvement in health development; and fighting corruption. According to the report, more than 20% of total health expenditure in 48% of the 46 countries in the World Health Organization African region is provided by external sources.

Abstract: The ethics of medical research have grown as an area of expertise and debate in recent years, with two broad approaches emerging in relation to transnational research: (1) the refinement of guidelines and strengthening of review, processes primarily to protect the right of individual research participants and strengthen interpersonal relations at the micro-level; and (2) considering more centrally, as crucial ethical concerns, the wider interests of whole populations, the functioning of research institutions, the processes of collaboration, and the ethics of inequitable international relations. We see the two areas of debate and action as complementary, and believe that social science conducted in and around transnational medical research environments can bring these two perspectives together in a more ‘situated ethics’ of research. To explore this idea for medical research in Africa, we organized a conference in December 2005 in Kilifi, Kenya. In this introduction we outline the two emerging approaches to medical ethics, summarise each of seven papers selected from the conference for inclusion in this special issue on ethics and ethnography, and finally highlight two areas of lively debate at the conference itself: the appropriateness and value of ethics guidelines and review boards for medical research; and the ethical review of social science research. Together, the papers and debates point to the importance of focusing on the ethics of relationships and on justice in both biomedicine and social science research, and on giving greater voice and visibility to the field staff who often play a crucial and under-supported role in ‘doing ethics’ in the field. They also point to the potential value of social science research on the range of relationships operating at different levels and time scales in medical research, including those surrounding community engagement activities, and the role and functioning of ethics review boards. We conclude by highlighting the ethical priority of capacity strengthening in medical research, social science and research ethics in Africa to ensure that local and national priorities and concerns are considered at both the micro and macro levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article provides information concerning the history of healing, as well as the past and present medical practices in Africa. The author infers that African healing is the subject of a dynamic and comparatively new interdisciplinary literature in African studies. The author adds that traditional medicine earned wide scholarly interest in the 1960s and 1970s with development medical anthropology and the World Health Organisation's Alma Ata Declaration of 1978, which supported the consolidation of traditional medicine to the health services of developing countries.

Cholera, an acute diarrheal illness, is caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae after ingestion of contaminated water or food. The disease had disappeared from most of the developed countries in the last 50 years, but cholera epidemics remain a major public health problem in many developing countries, most often localized in tropical areas. Cholera is an infectious disease for which a relationship between disease temporal patterns and climate has been demonstrated, but only in an endemic context and for local areas of Asia and South America. Until now, similar studies have not been done in an epidemic context, on the African continent, although the largest number of cholera cases has been reported for those countries by the World Health Organization. The wavelet method was used in order to explore periodicity in (i) a long-time monthly cholera incidence in Ghana, West Africa, (ii) proxy environmental variables, and (iii) climatic indices time series, from 1975 to 1995. Cross-analysis were done to explore links between these time series, i. E. , between cholera and climate. Results showed strong statistical association (coherency) from the end of the 1980s, between cholera outbreak resurgences in Ghana and the climatic/environmental parameters under scrutiny. Further examination of the existence of common spatial and temporal patterns in infectious diseases on the continent of Africa will permit development of more effective treatment of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are few studies that have investigated uncertainties surrounding the scientific community's knowledge of the geographical distribution of major animal diseases. This is particularly relevant to Rift Valley fever (RVF), a zoonotic disease causing destructive outbreaks in livestock and man, as the geographical range of the disease is widening to involve previously unaffected regions. In the current study we investigate the application of methods developed in the decision sciences: multiple criteria decision making using weighted linear combination and ordered weighted averages, and Dempster-Shafer theory, implemented within the geographical information system IDRISI, to obtain a greater understanding of uncertainty related to the geographical distribution of RVF. The focus is on presenting alternate methods where extensive field data are not available and traditional, model-based approaches to disease mapping are impossible to conduct. Results: Using a compensatory multiple criteria decision making model based on weighted linear combination, most of sub-Saharan Africa was suitable for endemic circulation of RVF. In contrast, areas where rivers and lakes traversed semi-arid regions, such as those bordering the Sahara, were highly suitable for RVF epidemics and wet, tropical areas of central Africa had low suitability. Using a moderately non-compensatory model based on ordered weighted averages, the areas considered suitable for endemic and epidemic RVF were more restricted. Varying the relative weights of the different factors in the models did not affect suitability estimates to a large degree, but variations in model structure had a large impact on our suitability estimates. Our Dempster-Shafer analysis supported the belief that a range of semi-arid areas were suitable for RVF epidemics and the plausibility that many other areas of the continent were suitable. Areas where high levels of uncertainty were highlighted included the Ethiopian Highlands, southwest Kenya and parts of West Africa. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the potential of methods developed in the decision sciences to improve our understanding of uncertainties surrounding the geographical distribution of animal diseases, particularly where information is sparse, and encourage wider application of the decision science methodology in the field of animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this paper we analyse the Plasmodium sp. prevalence in three villages with different isolation status on the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea) where malaria is a hyper-endemic disease. We also describe the genetic diversity of P. falciparum, using several plasmodia proteins as markers which show a high degree of polymorphism (MSP-1 and MSP-2). The results obtained from three different populations are compared in order to establish the impact of human movements and interventions. Methods: Plasmodium sp. were analysed in three villages on Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea), one of which (Southern) is isolated by geographical barriers. The semi-nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to determine the prevalence of the four human plasmodia species. The genotyping and frequency of P. falciparum populations were determined by PCR assay target polymorphism regions of the merozoite surface proteins 1 and 2 genes (MSP-1 and MSP-2). Results: The data obtained show that there are no differences in plasmodia population flow between the Northwest and Eastern regions as regards the prevalence of the different Plasmodium species. The Southern population, on the other hand, shows a minor presence of P. malariae and a higher prevalence of P. ovale, suggesting some kind of transmission isolated from the other two. The P. falciparum genotyping in the different regions points to a considerable allelic diversity in the parasite population on Bioko Island, although this is somewhat higher in the Southern region than the others. There was a correlation between parasitaemia levels and the age of the individual with the multiplicity of infection (MOI). Conclusion: Results could be explained by the selection of particular MSP alleles. This would tend to limit diversity in the parasite population and leading up to the extinction of rare alleles. On the other hand, the parasite population in the isolated village has less outside influence and the diversity of P. falciparum is maintained higher. The knowledge of parasite populations and their relationships is necessary to study their implications for control intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a series of articles on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Geographical understanding of HIV/AIDS in the region; Critical review of preventive efforts in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa; Geographical dimensions of AIDS orphanhood in sub-Saharan Africa.

Examines the status of geomedicine research in the areas of East and Southern Africa. Factors influencing the condition of geomedicine research in the regions; Influence of the geological environment on the occurrence and distribution of human and animal diseases; Workshops concerning geomedicine held in the areas.

Apart from the tragic certainty of death which accompanies AIDS everywhere, the means of its transmission, the spatial patterns of its diffusion, and the groups at highest risk of infection vary considerably among world regions. This paper reviews the disease and its transmission, then proposes three models of AIDS diffusion to assess the implications of the epidemic on various regions. AIDS North, of North America and western Europe, is urban based and primarily confined to homosexuals and l V drug abusers. AIDS South, in central Africa and the Caribbean, is spreading from cities into rural regions and affects primarily heterosexuals. The third, an AIDS North/South hybrid, is postulated as a model of diffusion of the disease in other Third World regions. The final section addresses the potential contribution of geographic research to policy-makers in attempting to cope with the diffusion of AIDS and m curbing the epidemic's advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cordylobia anthropophaga is the major causative agent of myiasis in africa. • Myiasis affects travellers returning from endemic regions in africa. • Human myiasis is either underreported or mostly undiagnosed in africa. • Research on botanicals in the control of parasites is in its early stages. • Impact of human myiasis on the african economy is not properly documented. The article reviews literature on myiasis in Africa and cases that originated in Africa over the last two decades (1998–2018). The relevant literature was obtained by using several databases (Science-Direct, JSTOR, Google Scholar, Ebscohost and PubMed). We searched for the following words or their combination myiasis, maggots, fly species responsible for myiasis found in Africa, and the different types of myiasis. References in several articles provided links to other relevant works. Only papers written in English were reviewed. In total, we reviewed 51 articles which covered a total of 849 myiasis cases. The review encompasses geographical distribution of the disease, dipteran species responsible, predisposing factors, sex of the patient, type of myiasis and treatment. Myiasis is found in most parts of the African continent, however only 18 articles reported myiasis cases in Africa during the period under review. The rest of the articles report cases from the rest of the world but acquired by travellers when visiting Africa. Cordylobia anthropophaga (Blanchard) was responsible for 93.28% of all the reported cases in this review. The low number of articles on human myiasis reported in Africa may be due to underreporting by physicians or most cases are not diagnosed. Therefore, the actual prevalence of myiasis in Africa is currently unknown. Human myiasis: Factors that affect the disease and its distribution. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information about an international conference to engender greater regional research partnership to combat the most neglected diseases such as sleeping sickness, kala azar and malaria in which over 200 African scientists met in September 2006. Significant progress has been made since the first meeting of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative in 2003. The initiative aims to develop 6 to 8 new, improved and field-relevant drugs by 2014 for such diseases.

The article reports that diabetes is a growing problem in Africa and will continue to be so, as a high risk of diabetes is tied to highly active retroviral therapy for AIDS. Data for diabetes in Africa is small, as the subject has received little attention, and many of the African studies have not been published in Western, peer-reviewed journals. Health systems in the region are geared towards care for infectious diseases. Diabetes management can be too expensive for many. Diabetic patients turn to traditional healers in hope of a cure, not just management.