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Background: In 2017, WHO recognized scabies as a neglected tropical disease. The optimal treatment is not well defined in some communities. Objective: This study aimed to compare ivermectin and benzyl benzoate in the treatment of scabies in Koranic schools (or "daara") in Dakar (region). Methods: This was a prospective randomized trial conducted from January to October 2018 in Senegal. Any resident living in the selected "daara" and diagnosed with scabies was included. The administered treatments were benzyl benzoate (BB) or ivermectin. At the outset, if one case of scabies was diagnosed, all residents received treatment. Ivermectin was given at the dose of 200 mg/kg. The same treatment was repeated on day 7 for each group, the endpoint was at D14, and the data were analyzed with STATA 14. Results: Fifteen "daara" were included. Of the 959 residents, 70 were diagnosed with scabies: prevalence of 7.29%. All patients except one were male; the mean age was 9.98 years (4-17). At D14, in the BB arm, cure rate was 42.85% (n = 15) while in the ivermectin arm, this rate was 5.71% (n = 2) with a significant difference (p = 0.01). On D28, the cure rate was still higher in the BB group 57.14 (n=20) versus ivermectin 21.42 (n = 6) with a significant difference (p = 0.004). On D42, all patients except eight were cured. At D14, we found a link between the cure rate, the number of people in the room (p = 0.01), and the number of showers per week (p = 0.01) but no link with the number of people per "daara" (p = 0.163). At D28, we found a link between the cure rate, the number of people sleeping in the room (p = 0.03), and the number of showers per week (p = 0.01) but not with the number of people per "daara" (p = 0.07). Conclusion: In Koranic schools, the cure rate is higher with benzyl benzoate compared to ivermectin.

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Littre's umbilical hernia (UH) is a rare disease, the third most common Littre hernia. Most case reports interest adult patients. We reported the case of a four-year-old girl with anemia and symptomatic UH, with an incidentally diagnosed Meckel's diverticulum (MD) containing pancreatic ectopic tissue. We reviewed case reports on Littre's umbilical hernia without a date or language restriction. Including our patient, 21 cases were reviewed, of whom 15 (71.4%) were adults and 13 (61.9%) were males. Complicated umbilical hernia occurred in 13 patients (61.9%) and symptomatic MD in two children (9.5%). Investigations preoperatively diagnosed two patients (9.5%). Eighteen patients (85.7%) underwent open surgery, Meckel's diverticulum removal was performed in 18 patients (85.7%), and primary umbilical hernia repair was performed in 16 (76.2%). Ectopic tissue was present in four patients (19.1%), and long-term outcomes were excellent in all patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Zeng et al.)

Behavior change communication (BCC) strategies have the potential to improve infant feeding and nutrition outcomes among infants and young children in low- and middle-income countries. More recently, there has been a shift toward the adoption of mHealth interventions-the use of mobile phones to transmit health-related information or direct care-to promote recommended BCC strategies among the caregivers of infants and young children. In Senegal, most infants and young children are not fed according to recommended practices leading to a high prevalence of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. The aims of this cluster randomized control trial, using an effectiveness-implementation (type 1) hybrid design, were to: (1) determine the impact of an mHealth IYCF intervention on IYCF practices and nutrition outcomes; and (2) examine the implementation, costs, and opportunities for scaling up the mHealth messaging intervention. The trial was conducted in three regions in Senegal (Thies, Fatick, Diourbel) with 488 mother, father and children (6-23 months) triads. The intervention included 8 scripted messages, that underwent cognitive testing prior to the intervention implementation, and 8 unscripted messages from positive deviants. One voice message and one text message were sent each week to members of our experimental group for a 16-week period. The impact of the intervention was assessed through a household survey, 24-h dietary recall, and hemoglobin measurements before and after the intervention implementation. The primary outcomes were minimal acceptable diet (MAD) and anemia. We also included a total of 54 participants in nine focus groups held with mothers and fathers and semi-structured interviews with Badienou Gox (i.e., community health workers) ( n = 6) and national partners and program implementers ( n = 6) to examine the intervention implementation process. The study was registered prior to data collection on Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05374837)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Downs, Gueye, Sall, Ndoye, Sarr, Sarr, Mboup, Alam, Diouf, Merchant and Sackey.)

Monitoring subnational healthcare quality is important for identifying and addressing geographic inequities. Yet, health facility surveys are rarely powered to support the generation of estimates at more local levels. With this study, we propose an analytical approach for estimating both temporal and subnational patterns of healthcare quality indicators from health facility survey data. This method uses random effects to account for differences between survey instruments; space-time processes to leverage correlations in space and time; and covariates to incorporate auxiliary information. We applied this method for three countries in which at least four health facility surveys had been conducted since 1999 - Kenya, Senegal, and Tanzania - and estimated measures of sick-child care quality per WHO Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) guidelines at programmatic subnational level, between 1999 and 2020. Model performance metrics indicated good out-of-sample predictive validity, illustrating the potential utility of geospatial statistical models for health facility data. This method offers a way to jointly estimate indicators of healthcare quality over space and time, which could then provide insights to decision-makers and health service program managers., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aims: Umbilical hernia (UH) is common in African and African-descent children. In high-income countries (HICs), it is considered benign, which is not the case in Sub-Saharan ones. Through this study, we aimed to share our experience., Materials and Methods: A descriptive review was conducted from January 01, 2012 to December 31, 2017 at Albert Royer National Children's Hospital Center. Among the 2499 patients, 2146 cases were included in the review., Results: UH had a frequency of 6.5%, with patients having a mean age of 2.6 years, with a male preponderance of 63%. Emergency consultation occurred in 37.1%. The symptomatic hernia was present in 90.9%. The congenital type was found in 96%, a history of painful episodes was reported in 46%, and medical and surgical comorbidities were found in 30.1% and 16.4%, respectively. Multimodal anesthesia was used in 93.1%. A lower umbilical crease incision was made in 83.2%, the sac was not empty in 16.3%, and additional umbilicoplasty was performed in 16.3%. During a 14-month follow-up, a complication occurred in 6.5% and mortality in 0.05%., Conclusion: In our region, the pediatric UH was predominantly symptomatic, with its natural evolution leading to more complications than in HICs. Its management carried acceptable morbidity., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons.)

Objective: Patients with congenital malformations (CMs) of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) have a very high mortality. However, the literature on the factors associated with mortality in these patients is scarce in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study is to identify independent risk factors for mortality in patients with CMs of the GIT at our pediatric surgical department., Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of cases with CMs of the GIT managed at a tertiary center from 2018 to 2021. Patients were subdivided into two groups based on the outcomes, and variables with a significant difference were analyzed by logistic regression., Results: Our review included 226 patients, 63 of whom died (27.88%). Patient age ranged from 0 to 15 years. Taking into account statistical significance, mortality was more frequent in neonates than in older patients (57.30% vs 6.15%), in patients coming out of the Dakar area than in those from the Dakar area (43.75% vs 19.18%), in patients with abnormal prenatal ultrasound than in those with normal ultrasound (100% vs 26.67%), in premature children than in those born at term (78.57% vs 21.87%), in patients with an additional malformation than in those with an isolated malformation (69.23% vs 25.35%), and in those with intestinal, esophageal, duodenal and colonic atresia than in those with other diagnoses (100%, 89%, 56.25% and 50%, respectively). Referred patients died more than those who changed hospitals or came from home (55.29% vs 25% and 9.09%, respectively). On multivariable logistic regression, two independent factors of mortality were identified: presence of associated malformation [odds ratio (OR)=13.299; 95% Confidence interval (CI) 1.370 to 129.137] and diagnosis of esophageal atresia (OR=46.529; 95% CI 5.828 to 371.425)., Conclusion: The presence of an associated malformation or diagnosis of esophageal atresia increases mortality in patients with CMs of the GIT in our environment., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Aims: The aim of the study is to identify the epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic, and evolutionary characteristics of patients admitted for blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) in a level 3 children's hospital., Results: The frequency was 13.1 cases/year. The mean age was 6.6 years. The sex ratio was 3.56. Road traffic accidents were the most frequent cause (54.3%). Abdominal tenderness (88.6%) was the most common physical sign. Associated lesions were found in 40% of cases. Abdominal sonography (85.7%) was the most common imaging tool followed by an abdominal computed tomography scan (34.4%). The liver was the most affected organ (24.7%) and contusion was the most frequent lesion (65.4%). The majority of patients had received nonoperative treatment (93.3%). The average length of hospitalization was 5.6 days. The outcome in all cases was favorable. No mortality was reported., Conclusions: BAT in children is common in boys under the age of 10. They are caused by road accidents. Physical examination combined with abdominal ultrasound is very important in the therapeutic decision, which in most cases is a conservative one. Morbidity and mortality are almost nil., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Aims: The aim is to identify the epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic, evolutionary aspects, and risk factors related to the occurrence of this condition., Subjects and Methods: It was a retrospective and descriptive study of a series of 26 cases of fibromatosis colli collected over a period of 3 years (from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019). We studied the following parameters: frequency, age, sex, delay of consultation, motive of consultation, gravidity, parity, type of delivery, notion of birth trauma, birth weight, examination findings, ultrasound results, type of treatment, and evolutionary modalities. The data were collected from patients' files. The analysis was done on Excel 2016., Results: The frequency was 6.5 cases/year. The mean age was 2.1 months. The average delay of consultation was 6.3 weeks. A notion of obstetrical trauma was found in 16 cases (61.5%). Primiparity was noted in 15 cases (57.5%). Associated torticollis was noted in 03 cases. Cervical ultrasonography was performed in all cases ( n = 26/26) enabling diagnostic confirmation. Surveillance was the main treatment (84.6%). After a mean follow-up of 20.8 months, evolution was favorable in the majority of patients. The average time of complete regression of the mass was 3.8 months., Conclusions: Rare condition of the newborn and infant for which the diagnosis is clinical and the confirmation is based on ultrasound. The management is simple and based on surveillance. The evolution is most often toward spontaneous regression., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons.)

Introduction: congenital diaphragmatic hernia has been rarely reported in Africa. It can manifests early or late. Prognosis mainly depends on associated malformations. The purpose of this study is to report our experience in the Albert Royer National Children's Hospital, Dakar, Senegal., Methods: we conducted a retrospective study of patients treated for congenital diaphragmatic hernia between January 2010 and December 2019., Results: twelve patients were enrolled, with an average age of 8.9 months. Bochdalek hernias were detected in 10 patients. The most common symptoms were respiratory symptoms (83.3%), followed by digestive symptoms (41.6%). Thoraco-abdominal X-ray was used to make a diagnosis in all patients. Three patients underwent preoperative stabilization. All patients underwent laparotomy. Hernia sac was found in 10 patients, and 50% of patients had a defect measuring between 5 and 10 cm. The postoperative course was simple in 10 patients; a polymalformed patient died., Conclusion: congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a reality in our environment; it most often manifests beyond the neonatal period. Prognosis is generally good in our context., Competing Interests: Les auteurs ne déclarent aucun conflit d´intérêts., (Copyright: Papa Alassane Mbaye et al.)

The Senegal pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) Demonstration Project was an open-label cohort study assessing the delivery of daily oral PrEP to HIV-negative female sex workers (FSWs) in four Ministry of Health (MoH)-run clinics in Dakar, Senegal. We assessed uptake, retention in care, and adherence over up to 12 months of follow-up as well as HIV infection rates. Between July and November 2015, 350 individuals were approached and 324 (92.6%) were preliminarily eligible. Uptake was high, with 82.4% of eligible participants choosing to enroll and take PrEP. The mean age of those enrolled was 37.7 years (SD = 8.7), and approximately half had not attended school (41.2%). Among the 267 participants who were prescribed PrEP, 79.9 and 73.4% were retained in PrEP care at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Older age among FSWs was found to be the only significant predictor of lower discontinuation. We did not find significant differences in retention by site, education, condom use, or HIV risk perception. There were no new HIV infections at follow-up. Our results showed evidence of high interest in PrEP and very good PrEP retention rates among FSWs at 12-month follow-up when offered in MoH-run clinics, with older age as the only significant predictor of higher PrEP retention. This highlights the role that these clinics can play in expanding PrEP access nationwide.

Background: Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce HIV acquisition among female sex workers (FSWs). However, changes in condomless sex frequency after PrEP initiation could reduce PrEP effectiveness when PrEP adherence is suboptimal as well as increase the risk of acquiring other sexually transmitted infections. Objective measures of condomless sex may be more accurate for determining changes in sexual behavior than self-reported measures., Methods: We longitudinally measured self-reported condom use, number of clients, and presence of Y-chromosomal DNA (Yc-DNA) in vaginal swabs among 267 FSWs accessing PrEP at 4 clinics in Senegal between 2015 and 2016. We assessed trends in sexual behavior over time since PrEP initiation using generalized estimating equations and evaluated predictors of Yc-DNA detection., Results: We found no increase in self-reported condomless sex with clients (odds ratio [OR], 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-1.00), main partners (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.96-1.02), or Yc-DNA detection (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.90-1.08) over time since initiation. Y-chromosomal DNA was detected in 34 (22%) of 154 swabs tested and in 15 (26%) of 58 swabs from FSW reporting consistent condom use among both clients and main partners. Self-reported condom use with clients or main partners did not predict Yc-DNA detection., Conclusions: In a FSW PrEP demonstration project in Senegal, we found no evidence of risk compensation among FSWs on PrEP as measured by self-reported behavior or through Yc-DNA detection. Y-chromosomal DNA detection was frequently detected among FSWs reporting consistent condom use, highlighting limitations of self-reported sexual behavioral measures.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has emerged as a new HIV prevention strategy. A series of demonstration projects were conducted to explore the use of PrEP outside of clinical trial settings. Learning from the failures in community consultation and involvement in early oral tenofovir trials, these PrEP projects attempted to better engage communities and create spaces for community involvement in the planning and roll out of these projects. We briefly describe the community engagement strategies employed by seven Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded PrEP demonstration projects and the lessons these projects offer for community engagement in PrEP implementation., Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed., (Copyright: © 2019 Reza-Paul S et al.)

Background: To improve the care and treatment of HIV-exposed children, early infant diagnosis (EID) using dried blood spot (DBS) sampling has been performed in Senegal since 2007, making molecular diagnosis accessible for patients living in decentralized settings. This study aimed to determine the evolution of the HIV transmission rate in children from 2008 to 2015 and to analyze associated factors, particularly the mother's treatment status and/or child's prophylaxis status and the feeding mode., Methods: The data were analyzed using EID reports from the reference laboratory. Information related to sociodemographic characteristics, HIV profiles, the mother's treatment status, the child's prophylaxis status, and the feeding mode was included. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed., Results: During the study period, a total of 5418 samples (5020 DBS and 398 buffy coat) from 168 primary prevention of HIV mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) intervention sites in Senegal were tested. The samples were collected from 4443 children with a median age of 8 weeks (1-140 weeks) and a sex ratio (M/F) of 1.1 (2309/2095). One-third (35.2%; N = 1564) of the children were tested before 6 weeks of age. Twenty percent (N = 885) underwent molecular diagnostic testing more than once. An increased number of mothers receiving treatment (57.4%; N = 2550) and children receiving prophylaxis (52.1%; N = 2315) for protection against HIV infection during breastfeeding was found over the study period. The transmission rate decreased from 14.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 11.4-18.3) in 2008 to 4.1% (95% CI: 2.5-7.5) in 2015 (p < 0.001). However, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that independent predictors of HIV mother-to-child transmission included lack of mother's treatment (adjusted odd ratio (aOR) = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.9-7.7; p˂0.001), lack of child's prophylaxis (aOR = 7.8, 95% CI: 1.7-35.7; p = 0.009), infant age at diagnosis (aOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1-4.3 for ≤6 weeks versus 12-24 weeks; p = 0.025) and protective effect of breastfeeding on ART against formula feeding (aOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2, 0.7; p = 0.005)., Conclusion: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of PMTCT interventions in Senegal but indicates also that increased efforts should be continued to reduce the MTCT rate to less than 2%., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Inflammatory pseudo-tumors of the bladder are rare benign tumors that mostly arise in the differential diagnosis of sarcomas in children. The authors report an unusual case of pedunculated inflammatory pseudo-tumor of the bladder that externalized by the urethral meatus in a 13-year-old girl. The treatment consisted of a ligation-resection of the pedicle, followed by resection of the tumor. After regular follow-up for 18 months there was no tumor recurrence., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Appendiceal pathology's management has benefited in recent years from the advent of laparoscopic surgery. This study is to make a preliminary assessment of laparoscopic management of acute and complicated appendicitis in children after a few months of practice at the University Hospital Albert Royer, Dakar. This is a retrospective study of 22 cases of patients, all operated on by the same surgeon. The parameters studied were age, sex, clinical data and laboratory features, radiological data, and results of surgical treatment. The mean age of patients was 9.5 years with a male predominance. The series includes 14 cases of acute appendicitis and 8 complicated cases. Appendectomy anterograde is practiced in 81% of cases. Appendectomy was associated with peritoneal wash in 17 patients including 9 cases of acute appendicitis. Drainage of Douglas pouch is performed in 2 patients with complicated appendicitis; the average production was 300 cc of turbid liquids and any complications were not founded. An abscess of Douglas pouch is noted in 2 patients with complicated appendicitis undrained. These Douglas abscesses were treated medically. No conversion of laparotomy was performed in the series. After an average of 8 months no other problems were noted.

Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) is a strategy developed by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa in 1998. The Ministry of Health, Tanzania has adopted this strategy for strengthening communicable diseases surveillance in the country. In order to improve the effectiveness of the implementation of IDSR monitoring and evaluating the performance of the surveillance system, identifying areas that require strengthening and taking action is important. This paper presents the findings of baseline data collection for the period October-December 2003 in 12 districts representing eight regions of Tanzania. The districts involved were Mbulu, Babati, Dodoma Rural, Mpwapwa, Igunga, Tabora Urban, Mwanza Urban, Muleba, Nkasi, Sumbawanga Rural, Tunduru and Masasi. Results are grouped into three key areas: surveillance reporting, use of surveillance data and management of the IDSR system. In general, reporting systems are weak, both in terms of receiving all reports from all facilities in a timely manner, and in managing those reports at the district level. Routine analysis of surveillance data is not being done at facility or district levels, and districts do not monitor the performance of their surveillance system. There was also good communication and coordination with other sectors in terms of sharing information and resources. It is important that districts' capacity on IDSR is strengthened to enable them monitor and evaluate their own performance using established indicators.

The authors report the case of a patient presenting with recurrent urinary tract infection and deterioration of the general status. Ultrasonography, plain x-rays and especially cystoscopy demonstrated the presence in the bladder of an intrauterine contraceptive device inserted 4 years previously. Endoscopic removal combined with antibiotics ensured cure of this patient.