Thomas Sankara: A Revolutionary in Cold War Africa offers a unique, critical appraisal of Sankara and explores why he generated such enthusiasm and hope in Burkina Faso and beyond, why he was such a ...polarizing figure, how his rivals seized power from him, and why T-shirts sporting his image still appear on the streets today.
Les accidents vasculaires cérébraux constituent un enjeu majeur de santé publique en Afrique particulièrement au Burkina Faso. Ils nécessitent une prise en charge adéquate des patients atteints.
...Décrire les aspects épidémiologiques, cliniques et paracliniques des accidents vasculaires cérébraux au CHRU de Ouahigouya/Burkina Faso.
Nous avons mené une étude prospective et descriptive dans le service de neurologie du centre hospitalier universitaire régional de Ouahigouya au Burkina Faso allant du 1er janvier 2020 au 31 juillet 2021.
La fréquence hospitalière des accidents vasculaires cérébraux était de 12,7 %. L’âge moyen était de 54,5 ans. Nous avons retrouvé 56,2 % hommes et 44,8 % femmes. Nous avons retrouvé comme facteurs de risques l’hypertension artérielle 57,7 %. Les antécédents étaient représentés par les cardiopathies 48 %. Le délai moyen d’admission aux urgences était de 8 jours. Soixante-quinze pour cent patients ont bénéficié de la tomodensitométrie cérébrale. L’évolution était létale dans 8,5 %.
Nous avons constaté que les accidents vasculaires cérébraux ne sont pas que l’apanage des sujets âgés. La méconnaissance des signes cliniques au début et l’éloignement des centres de santé sont source du retard de la prise en charge des patients. Quand la prise en charge est tardive, la létalité reste élevée.
Les accidents vasculaires cérébraux sont des pathologies fréquentes en Afrique Noire nécessitant une prévention et une prise en charge adéquate.
During January 28-May 5, 2019, a meningitis outbreak caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C (NmC) occurred in Burkina Faso. Demographic and laboratory data for meningitis cases were collected ...through national case-based surveillance. Cerebrospinal fluid was collected and tested by culture and real-time PCR. Among 301 suspected cases reported in 6 districts, N. meningitidis was the primary pathogen detected; 103 cases were serogroup C and 13 were serogroup X. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that 18 cerebrospinal fluid specimens tested positive for NmC sequence type (ST) 10217 within clonal complex 10217, an ST responsible for large epidemics in Niger and Nigeria. Expansion of NmC ST10217 into Burkina Faso, continued NmC outbreaks in the meningitis belt of Africa since 2019, and ongoing circulation of N. meningitidis serogroup X in the region underscore the urgent need to use multivalent conjugate vaccines in regional mass vaccination campaigns to reduce further spread of those serogroups.
Knowledge of contemporary genetic composition of dengue virus (DENV) in Africa is lacking. By using next-generation sequencing of samples from the 2017 DENV outbreak in Burkina Faso, we isolated 29 ...DENV genomes (5 serotype 1, 16 serotype 2 DENV-2, and 8 serotype 3). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the endemic nature of DENV-2 in Burkina Faso. We noted discordant diagnostic results, probably related to genetic divergence between these genomes and the Trioplex PCR. Forward and reverse1 primers had a single mismatch when mapped to the DENV-2 genomes, probably explaining the insensitivity of the molecular test. Although we observed considerable homogeneity between the Dengvaxia and TetraVax-DV-TV003 vaccine strains as well as B cell epitopes compared with these genomes, we noted unique divergence. Continual surveillance of dengue virus in Africa is needed to clarify the ongoing novel evolutionary dynamics of circulating virus populations and support the development of effective diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive countermeasures.
Elisabeth Huber untersucht in ihrer Studie die Möglichkeiten umweltgerechten Handelns der ärmeren städtischen Bevölkerungsschichten im urbanen Raum Westafrikas. Dazu analysiert sie die Praktiken der ...Abfall- und Abwasserentsorgung in Bamako (Mali) und Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) unter den dafür relevanten ökonomischen, sozialen und kulturellen Bedingungen. Neben der Erörterung von Armut anhand monetärer Aspekte, fehlender Verwirklichungschancen sowie familiärer und nachbarschaftlicher Solidaritätsstrategien stellt sie die Frage nach dem Zusammenhang von Umweltbewusstsein, Umweltverschmutzung, Umweltschutz, Wohn- und Lebensbedingungen, Infrastruktur und dem »Recht auf Stadt«.
Accurate and detailed spatial soil information is essential for environmental modelling, risk assessment and decision making. The use of Remote Sensing data as secondary sources of information in ...digital soil mapping has been found to be cost effective and less time consuming compared to traditional soil mapping approaches. But the potentials of Remote Sensing data in improving knowledge of local scale soil information in West Africa have not been fully explored. This study investigated the use of high spatial resolution satellite data (RapidEye and Landsat), terrain/climatic data and laboratory analysed soil samples to map the spatial distribution of six soil properties-sand, silt, clay, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen-in a 580 km2 agricultural watershed in south-western Burkina Faso. Four statistical prediction models-multiple linear regression (MLR), random forest regression (RFR), support vector machine (SVM), stochastic gradient boosting (SGB)-were tested and compared. Internal validation was conducted by cross validation while the predictions were validated against an independent set of soil samples considering the modelling area and an extrapolation area. Model performance statistics revealed that the machine learning techniques performed marginally better than the MLR, with the RFR providing in most cases the highest accuracy. The inability of MLR to handle non-linear relationships between dependent and independent variables was found to be a limitation in accurately predicting soil properties at unsampled locations. Satellite data acquired during ploughing or early crop development stages (e.g. May, June) were found to be the most important spectral predictors while elevation, temperature and precipitation came up as prominent terrain/climatic variables in predicting soil properties. The results further showed that shortwave infrared and near infrared channels of Landsat8 as well as soil specific indices of redness, coloration and saturation were prominent predictors in digital soil mapping. Considering the increased availability of freely available Remote Sensing data (e.g. Landsat, SRTM, Sentinels), soil information at local and regional scales in data poor regions such as West Africa can be improved with relatively little financial and human resources.
•The model provides the best configuration to maximize crop yield and energy output.•The model gives the optimal height, spacing between tables, table size, and tilt.•The amount of solar irradiation ...available for crops under the panels are calculated.•The energy output and crop yield for each configuration of the system is evaluated.•The increase in crop yield is more sensitive to the expansion of panel row spacing.
The global population is experiencing rapid growth, leading to increased demand for energy and food resources, necessitating the expansion of cultivated land. The construction of photovoltaic power plants to meet energy needs may result in competition for land between the agriculture and energy sectors. To address this issue, agrivoltaics systems are perceived as a solution, allowing for the coexistence of agricultural and energy production in the same area. However, the shading caused by solar panels can potentially. Therefore, a model has been developed to determine the best configuration for maximising both crop yields and energy production from the photovoltaic field. The purpose of this paper is to develop a model that optimizes energy production and crop yield within an agrivoltaics system. The model integrates factors such as elevation, spacing, tilt, panel technology and size to enhance the radiation under the photovoltaic panels, as well as to increase crop yield and the efficiency of photovoltaic array. It is constructed based on the climatic condition and the relationship between the shaded area and the sunlight distribution below the photovoltaic panels. Furthermore, the model relies on the correlation between the configuration used and the energy power delivered by the photovoltaic array. A set of equations that link configuration, sunlight, crop yield, and photovoltaic panel power was developed, and the model was implemented in MATLAB, using genetic algorithm optimisation techniques. The initial step involves the determination of radiation values under the panels, followed by the identification of the best scenarios for subsequent simulations aimed at evaluating crop yield and power generation from the photovoltaic array. A case study was conducted in Kamboinsin village (12°27′ N, 1°33′ W), in Burkina Faso, focusing onusing corn cultivation to validate the model. The results show that the model effectively identifies the optimal configuration for maximizing both crop yield and photovoltaic field output. The simulation results reveals that the distribution of radiation under the panels is significantly influenced by factors such as panel elevation height, spacing between table, and spacing between rows of table. Notably, the yield is more sensitive to the spacing between rows of panels. When comparing the effects of the different panel sizes, it is evident that utilizing smaller tables leads to higher crop yields. However, this approach results in a decrease in energy production from the photovoltaic field. For instance, on 1 ha of land, a table consisting of a single 100 Wp panel generated 92.8 % of the crop yield achieved in full sun with a nominal power of 96.9 kWp, whereas a table comprising 2 panels of 260 Wp produced 80.1 % of the yield with a nominal power of 378.56 kWp.
Malaria control is dependent on insecticides. Increases in prevalence of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors across Africa are well-documented. However, few attempts have been made to quantify ...the strength of this resistance and link it to the effectiveness of control tools. Using quantitative bioassays, we show that in Burkina Faso pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes has increased in intensity in recent years and now exceeds 1,000-fold. In laboratory assays, this level of resistance renders insecticides used to impregnate bed nets ineffective. Thus, the level of personal and community protection afforded by long-lasting insecticide-treated net campaigns will probably be reduced. Standardized methods are needed to quantify resistance levels in malaria vectors and link these levels to failure of vector control methods.
People in the semi-arid region of central Burkina Faso rely heavily on groundwater resources from basement rock aquifers for potable uses. In this study, the hydrogeochemical processes that control ...groundwater quality and contribute to better water resource management were characterised using major ion geochemistry, the calculation of water quality indices, and through the use of spatial geostatistical analysis. A total of 360 groundwater samples were collected in hand-pumped borewells. The overall low total dissolved solids of the groundwater indicates a fast recharge regime during the rainy season. Generally, the groundwater was circumneutral to alkaline in nature with dominant Ca
2+
+Mg
2+
and HCO
3
−
concentrations. Based on the calculated water quality indices, most of the borewells sampled produced groundwater that was suitable for human consumption. However, a few borewells exhibited high As and F
−
concentrations that exceeded drinking water permissible limits. The high As concentrations were likely derived from weathering of volcano-sedimentary rocks, whereas, those of F
−
appeared to be from granitic rocks. Bivariate plots showed that geochemical processes such as silicate weathering, mineral dissolution and precipitation, ion exchange together with evapotranspiration were the primary factors influencing the groundwater solute acquisition. In addition, desorption and ion exchange under alkaline pH conditions could enhance As and F
−
enrichment in the groundwater. Spatial distribution maps of ionic strength and electrical conductivity identified the northern sector of the study area as the groundwater recharge areas, which should require protection and a periodic groundwater monitoring plan. The findings of this study may help decision-makers in setting up suitable groundwater quality management strategies and selecting locations for future borewell development in this semi-arid environment and fractured crystalline aquifers.
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