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Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting or female circumcision, threatens the health and wellbeing of millions of girls, women and their children across the globe. In Senegal, despite numerous health interventions, female genital mutilation is still a harmful practice. The objective of this study is to conduct a descriptive and analytical analysis of female genital mutilation practices in Senegal in 2018. Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of the 2018 Senegal DHS. The analyses for this study were done on the Individual Records file. The DHS data covered 9414 women aged 15 to 49 years. A multivariate analysis was performed to consider confounding factors. The dependent variable was the existence of female genital mutilation in women. Data were analyzed with STATA 17 software. Results: The prevalence of FGM was 17.18%. Women who had flesh removed from genital area represented 60.96% (1338), 29.39% (252) had genital area just nicked without removing any flesh, 6.88% (151) had genital area sown closed. Women who thought that FGM was justified by religion represented 11.52%. However, 80.59% of the women thought that it was a practice that should be stopped. The protective factors for the occurrence of FGM were women’s empowerment factors (high level of education of the woman (primary ajOR=0.64 [0.50- 0.83] and secondary ajOR=0.43 [0.32, 0.57]) and the fact that the head of the household is a woman ajOR (0.75 [0.59-0.97]); belonging to the central region of Senegal and the Christian religion (ajOr=0.05 [ 0.02-0.13]). The risk factors for female genital mutilation in Senegal were ethnicity and belonging to certain regions in the northeast and southeast of Senegal. Conclusions: The prevalence of FGM in Senegal is still high. Ethnicity remains an important risk factor. Women’s empowerment would allow the reduction of FGM. In the fight against FGM, politics should include women’s autonomy strengthening like girls schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The relative activity of TiO2 photocatalysts depends to a large extent on the type of test substrate. With this in mind, phenol, formic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and methyl orange (MO) were selected as test substrates due to their different degradation mechanisms. In this work, the aim behind the synthesis and subsequent surface modification of the nanocatalysts was to obtain the most efficient material for removing these test substrates from water. A series of nanocatalysts with different average particle size, specific surface area and anatase phase content were synthesized by sol–gel method followed by calcinations at different annealing temperatures or hydrothermal treatment. Subsequently, platinization of certain samples was carried out using a photodeposition method. The most efficient catalyst for phenol photodegradation was found to be that with the largest average particle size as well as the highest anatase phase ratio. The photodeposition of platinum on this sample had detrimental effects on phenol photodegradation. The platinized sample and anatase TiO2 with the lowest average particle size were the most efficient catalysts for the removal of formic acid. Finally, the platinized material also showed the highest photoactivity in the removal of 2,4-D and in the methyl orange bleaching test. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused significant morbidity and mortality in Africa, in addition to other socio-economic consequences. Across the continent, Schools of Public Health (SPHs) played several roles in supporting national, regional, and global response to the pandemic. Following a published and grey literature search, this paper reviews and analyses the contribution of SPHs in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic., Contribution of the Schools of Public Health: SPH faculty in most countries contributed their expertise through COVID-19 task forces and advisory committees where they guided and supported decision-making. Faculty also supported the identification, review, and synthesis of rapidly evolving global and local evidence, adapting it to the local context to guide policy decisions. Through research, SPHs contributed to a better understanding of the disease epidemiology, response interventions, as well as prevention and control measures. SPHs engaged in training field epidemiologists, frontline health workers, and district response teams. SPH staff, students and field epidemiology trainees also supported field activities including surveillance, contact tracing, as well as managing quarantine facilities and points of entry. SPHs engaged in public education and awareness-raising initiatives to share information and dispel misinformation. In partnership with other stakeholders, SPHs also developed important innovations and technologies., Conclusion: SPHs are a critical pillar for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, that support health systems with important functions. To further enhance their capacity, efforts to improve coordination of SPHs, strengthen collaboration among schools, harmonize training and curricula, and enhance capacity for advanced research are needed. There is also a need to bridge the inequities in capacity and resources that exist among SPHs across regions and countries., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: Disclosure of interest: The authors completed the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and disclose no relevant interests.

This study focuses on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the extract of Aphania senegalensis leaves. The extraction was done using maceration at room temperature in water for 48 h. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by IR, XRD, TEM, and SEM. The thermal stability of these nanoparticles was studied by TGA. The zeta potential was used to define the size, charge distribution, and stability of the nanoparticles. Optimization reactions were carried out based on reaction time, pH, and temperature. The nanoparticles obtained from optimal conditions were evaluated on induced inflammation. The determination of the average diameters and geometry of nanoparticles was carried out by XRD by calculating the lattice constants, and they are between 18.11 and 50 nm. The evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity showed that the nanoparticles are 10 times more active than the extract of Aphania senegalensis leaves. Minimum doses of 10 mg/kg orally and 3 mg/kg were obtained for the plant extract, respectively. These results are promising for the possibility of AgNPs to be used for the treatment of inflammation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Fatemata Diallo et al.)

The phytochemical screening showed that the Moringa oleifera (MO) extract contained many compounds such as polyphenols, polyterpenes, sterols, reducing sugars, and hydrolysates tannins. The MICs of MO extract for microbial strains is 0.73 mg/ml for Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , 7.5 mg/ml for Enterococcus faecalis , Staphylococcus aureus and 0.5 mg/ml for Candida albicans . The MO extract has an IC 50 of 3.403 mg/ml has an antioxidant activity by DPPH radical scavenging. The cytotoxic activity of MO extract was evaluated by determining the content of lactate dehydrogenase released by the lysed cells. MO extract exhibited cytotoxic activity against HeLa and FaDu cell lines with an identical IC 50 value of 25 µg/ml. We did not observe any remarkable decrease cytotoxic activity when these lines were exposed to the MO extract after 48 h. Our findings help to support the promising role of MO as anticancer agent and open a new challenge for studying DNA fragmentation.

In developing countries, hepatitis B is spread primarily by the perinatal or horizontal route. Thus, the Senegalese government recommends administering the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine (HepB0) within 24 hours of birth. The objective was to identify the determinants of timely administration of HepB0 in Senegal in 2019. A secondary analysis of the demographic and health survey was carried out. The study population consisted of children aged 12 to 23 months. A cluster survey, stratified in urban and rural areas, drawn at two stages, was carried out. Individual interviews were conducted. Logistic regression was applied to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and their 95% confidence interval. In total, 1130 children were included. Among them, 48.1% were born to mothers aged 25 to 34, 46.8% were male and 82.6% were born in health facilities. The average time between birth and HepB0 administration was 13.1±46.6 days. The median is 0 days [IQR: 0-12] with a minimum of 0 days and a maximum of 414 days. Among 747 children vaccinated, only 65.2% were vaccinated within 24 hours of birth. The determinants were maternal age of at least 35 years (aOR = 2.03 [1.29-3.20]), primary education of the mother (aOR = 1.94 [1.13-3. 35]), at least four antenatal care visits (aOR = 1.74 [1.12-2.69]), belonging to the central (ORa = 0.22 [0.11-0.44]) and northern regions (aOR = 0.18 [0.08-0.40]), and delivery in a health facility (aOR = 3.42 [1.90-6.15]). Education and keeping girls in school, local postnatal care in hard-to-reach regions, promotion of antenatal acre and delivery in a health facility should improve the timeliness of HepB0 vaccination., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Bassoum et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic overwhelmed health systems and disrupted the delivery of health services globally. Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a critical role in linking communities to health systems, supporting the prevention and control of diseases in many low- and middle-income countries. However, their roles, barriers, and facilitators in the response and control of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been well documented. We described the roles of CHWs in the COVID-19 response, including the barriers and facilitators., Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the COVID-19 response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. This involved 110 key informant interviews with policymakers, health facility managers, district health managers, and CHWs to understand the role of CHWs in the COVID 19 response, selected purposively. The total sample size was based on information saturation in each of the countries. A document review on the COVID-19 response was also conducted. We searched Google, Google Scholar, and PubMed for published and grey literature. Data from the selected documents were extracted into a Google master matrix in MS Excel and analyzed thematically., Results: In COVID-19 Control, CHWs supported community-based surveillance, contact tracing, risk communication, community mobilization, and home-based care. To support the continuity of other non-COVID-19 services, the CHWs conducted community mobilization, sensitizations, outreaches, referrals, and patient follow-ups. CHWs were challenged by movement restrictions, especially in the initial stages of the lockdown, inadequate PPE, increased workload, low allowances, and motivation. CHW were facilitated by trainings, the development of guidelines, development partners' support/funding, and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and tools., Conclusion: CHWs supported both the COVID-19 control and continuity of non-COVID-19 health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. CHWs are a critical resource that must be adequately supported to build resilient health systems., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The introduction of vaccines marked a game changer in the fight against COVID-19. In sub-Saharan Africa, studies have documented the intention to vaccinate and the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. However, little is documented about how sex differences could have impacted COVID-19 vaccination. We conducted a multi-country cross-sectional study to assess the sex differences in COVID-19 vaccine uptake and intention to vaccinate in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Senegal, and Uganda. This study involved analysis of data from mobile surveys conducted between March and June 2022 among nationally constituted samples of adults in each country. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were run. The self-reported uptake of COVID-19 vaccines was not significantly different between males and females ( p  = 0.47), while the intention to vaccinate was significantly higher among males ( p  = 0.008). Among males, obtaining COVID-19 information from health workers, testing for COVID-19, and having high trust in the Ministry of Health were associated with higher vaccination uptake. Among females, having high trust in the government was associated with higher vaccination uptake. For intention to vaccinate, males who resided in semi-urban areas and females who resided in rural areas had significantly higher vaccination intention compared to their counterparts in urban areas. Other factors positively associated with vaccination intention among males were trust in the World Health Organization and perceived truthfulness of institutions, while males from households with a higher socio-economic index and those who had declined a vaccine before had a lower vaccine intention. Overall, the factors differentiating vaccine uptake and intention to vaccinate among males and females were mostly related to trust in government institutions, perceived truthfulness of institutions, and respondent's residence. These factors are key in guiding the tailoring of interventions to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake in sub-Saharan Africa and similar contexts., 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., (© 2024 Ndejjo, Chen, Kabwama, Bamgboye, Bosonkie, Bassoum, Kiwanuka, Salawu, Egbende, Sougou, Afolabi, Leye, Bello, Adebowale, Dairo, Seck, Fawole, Mapatano MA, Tsai and Wanyenze.)

Natural products (NPs) are endless sources of compounds for fighting against several pathologies. Many dysfunctions, including cardiovascular disorders, such as cardiac arrhythmias have their modes of action regulation of the concentration of electrolytes inside and outside the cell targeting ion channels. Here, we highlight plant extracts and secondary metabolites' effects on the treatment of related cardiac pathologies on hERG, Nav, and Cav of cardiomyocytes. The natural product's pharmacology of expressed receptors like alpha-adrenergic receptors causes an influx of Ca 2+ ions through receptor-operated Ca 2+ ion channels. We also examine the NPs associated with cardiac contractions such as myocardial contractility by reducing the L-type calcium current and decreasing the intracellular calcium transient, inhibiting the K + induced contractions, decreasing amplitude of myocyte shortening and showed negative ionotropic and chronotropic effects due to decreasing cytosolic Ca 2+ . We examine whether the NPs block potassium channels, particular the hERG channel and regulatory effects on Nav1.7.