Promotion of Cardiovascular Health in Africa: The Alliance for Medical Research in Africa (AMedRA) Expert Panel.

This proposed scientific statement is focused on providing new insights regarding challenges and opportunities for cardiovascular health (CVH) promotion in Africa. The statement includes an overview of the current state of CVH in Africa, with a particular interest in the cardiometabolic risk factors and their evaluation through metrics. The statement also explains the main principles of primordial prevention, its relevance in reducing noncommunicable disease and the different strategies that have been effective worldwide.

[The challenges of the effectiveness of the planning process in the West African Health Systems].

Health planning is one of the main activities in Health Systems management. It is considered as an important function by the health managers and technicians. Indeed, important resources and time are allocated to this activity.

Using cognitive mapping to understand Senegalese infant and young child feeding decisions.

Caregivers make decisions about how to feed their infants and young children based on complex interactions of knowledge, beliefs, and values, as well as assessments of situational determinants, including economic and social constraints and opportunities. Because of the relationship of these factors to the adoption of new feeding behaviours, the development of nutrition interventions for this age group must be grounded in knowledge about the target population. This paper presents the results of a study that used cognitive mapping techniques to gain insight into mothers' knowledge and perceptions of foods for infants and young children and examine their significance for feeding decisions in Saint-Louis, northern Senegal.

Results of Applying Cultural Domain Analysis Techniques and Implications for the Design of Complementary Feeding Interventions in Northern Senegal.

Background: Designing effective nutrition interventions for infants and young children requires knowledge about the population to which the intervention is directed, including insights into the cognitive systems and values that inform caregiver feeding practices.

Objective: To apply cultural domain analysis techniques in the context of implementation research for the purpose of understanding caregivers' knowledge frameworks in Northern Senegal with respect to infant and young child (IYC) feeding. This study was intended to inform decisions for interventions to improve infant and young child nutrition.

[Determinants of modern contraceptive use in the Mbacké health district (Senegal)].

Introduction: Contraceptive prevalence is low in Senegal, particularly in the Mbacké health district. The objective of this study was to identify the determinants of use of modern contraception by women of reproductive age in this district.

Methodology: A quantitative and qualitative analytical study was conducted.

[Evaluation: an avenue to improvement of health promotion in Africa?].

Are the methods used to evaluate health promotion interventions in Africa adapted to the specificities of this field ? The authors try to answer this question based on reflective analysis of four evaluations that they conducted in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali. The experiences reported illustrate the desire to conduct the evaluation approach in line with the principles of health promotion but also the difficulties involved to overcome the obstacles to practical application of evaluation. Considerable progress has yet to be made to ensure that evaluation fully meets the expectations of stakeholders and the values of health promotion : all of the dynamics generated by health promotion interventions must be taken into account, equity must be integrated at the heart of the reflection, innovative practices must be supported in view of their durability.

"When I sleep under the net, nothing bothers me; I sleep well and I'm happy": Senegal's culture of net use and how inconveniences to net use do not translate to net abandonment.

Background: Despite recent advances in the fight against the disease, malaria remains a serious threat to the health and well-being of populations in endemic countries. The use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) reduces contact between the vector and humans, thereby reducing transmission of the disease. LLINs have become an essential component of malaria control programmes worldwide.

"You need to take care of it like you take care of your soul": perceptions and behaviours related to mosquito net damage, care, and repair in Senegal.

Background: Net care and repair behaviours are essential for prolonging the durability of long-lasting insecticidal nets. Increased net durability has implications for protection against malaria as well as cost savings from less frequent net distributions. This study investigated behaviours and motivations for net care and repair behaviours in Senegal with the aim of informing social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) programmes, using the Health Belief Model as a framework.

[Study of determinants of rape in minors in the Kolda region of Senegal].

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the determinants of rape among minors in the Kolda region.

Methodology: A retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical was conducted from 23 December 1992 to 31 December 2011, based on the charts of rape victims under the age of 18 years. Sampling was complete.

User-determined end of net life in Senegal: a qualitative assessment of decision-making related to the retirement of expired nets.

Background: Procurement and distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) in the African region has decreased from 145 million in 2010 to 66 million nets in 2012. As resources for LLIN distribution appear to stagnate, it is important to understand the users' perception of the life span of a net and at what point and why they stop using it. In order to get the most value out of distributed nets and to ensure that they are used for as long as possible, programmes must communicate to users about how to assess useful net life and how to extend it.

[Analysis of free health care for the elderly in the context of the "Plan Sésame" in Senegal].

Introduction: Access to health care remains a major problem in Senegal, particularly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly. In 2006, the Senegalese government introduced a national plan for the provision of free health care known as "Plan Sésame" to improve access to care. The purpose of this study was to examine the current state of the "Plan Sésame" in national hospitals four years after its implementation (2006-2009).

[Results-based management and health development strategies: some reflections on recent experiences in Africa].

The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (PD), launched in 2005, and the International Health Partnership (IHP+) have promoted a results-based management approach (RBM) to health care based on 6 principles: simplicity, action-based learning, accountability, adaptability, partnership, and transparency. These principles have been implemented in the form of health policies as part of the development and implementation of National Health Sector Strategic Plans. The recent experience of several African countries provides an indication of the strengths and weaknesses of results-based management in the health sector.

[Economic evaluation of rapid diagnostic tests in malaria treatment].

This study aimed to evaluate the economic implications of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) on malaria management through the rational use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). The study was carried out in 2006 from November 10th to December 10th; it focused on patients who were seen and treated with ACT for suspicion of uncomplicated malaria in the health district of Ziguinchor, Senegal. The variables studied included age, sex, RDT results, and costs of care and RDT.

[Contribution of supplementation by spirulina to the performance of school children in an introductory course in Dakar (Senegal)].

Senegal initiated a program to improve the nutritional status of school-age children with the use of spirulina. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of spirulina on academic performance of school children in the municipality of Dakar, Senegal. The evaluation was conducted as a prospective study, comparing school performance of schoolchildren from public elementary schools located in three National Education Departments of Dakar (before supplements, during and after).

Prevalence of epilepsy its treatment gap and knowledge, attitude and practice of its population in sub-urban Senegal an ILAE/IBE/WHO study.

A door-to-door survey was used to determine the prevalence of epilepsy among 4500 people within the Pikine Health District (population 480,000) Senegal. Prevalence was 14.2/1000, and 23.

[Prevalence of cannabis use among students in Dakar].

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the most frequently used drug worldwide. It has multiple dangers, related to its power to involve abuse and dependency phenomena and to their social implications. Our study, which was carried out on a representative sample of 446 students living on the Dakar campus, aimed at measuring the prevalence of Cannabis use and at describing the main factors associated with it.

[Assessment and prospects of the community's participation at the Ziguinchor regional hospital centre (Senegal)].

At the Ziguinchor regional hospital centre (RHC), the populations participate in the health effort by paying care services and medicines. The financial assessment of the participation of the community at the Ziguinchor RHC, from January 1,1998 to June 30, 2000, did not give good results. CFAF 263,066,092 of receipts have been generated, especially through the sale of medicines (38.

[Impact of algorithms on abusive prescriptions of parental drugs at the health post level in the Tambacounda health district, Senegal].

In order to increase the effectiveness and the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment procedures of the most common diseases, algorithmic pathways have been developed and applied within the implementation of the "Bamako Initiative Strategy" at the health post level in Senegal. Among the many expected advantages of these pathways, was a reduction of abusive prescriptions of parental drugs. A study comparing the trend of the prescriptions 2 years before (1991) and 2 years after (1996) the implementation of the Bamako Initiative strategy, was conducted using 810 randomly selected patients in 7 out of the 19 health posts of the Tambacounda Health district, one of the 45 health districts of Senegal.