Water, sanitation, and hygiene access in Senegal and its impact on the occurrence of diarrhea in children under 5 years old.

Diarrheal diseases are the second leading cause of child mortality worldwide, occurring in about one in every nine child deaths, and were associated with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) access. In this study, we provided an overview of WASH indicators' evolution from 2000 to 2017 and their impact on the occurrence of diarrhea in children under 5 years old in Senegal. It was a retrospective cross-sectional study, in which we did a secondary analysis of data from the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) for water supply and sanitation and from the Senegal Demographic and Health Survey 2018. Our results showed that access to safely managed services increased by 18.1 and 19.1%, respectively, for water and sanitation. The prevalence of diarrhea estimated at 18.16% was associated with straining water through a cloth (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.21 [1.00-1.45]) and getting water supplies from a source not located in a dwelling (AOR [95% CI]: 1.59 [1.21-2.09]). The prevalence of diarrhea among children under 5 years old was still relatively high in Senegal and was significantly associated with a lack of WASH access. Although the latter continues to increase, additional efforts to make water safer to drink will significantly reduce the occurrence of diarrheal diseases among children under 5 years old in Senegal.

Household level of air pollution and its impact on the occurrence of Acute Respiratory Illness among children under five: secondary analysis of Demographic and Health Survey in West Africa.

BACKGROUND: One out of ten deaths of children under five are attributable to indoor air pollution. And Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI) is among the direct causes. OBJECTIVE: This study showed the possibilities of characterizing indoor air pollution in West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) area and it also made it possible to estimate its impact on the occurrence of ARI in children under five. METHODS: It has been a secondary analysis based on Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) from WAEMU countries' data.. "Household level of air pollution" is the created composite variable, from questions on the degradation factors of indoor air quality (domestic combustion processes) which served to characterize indoor air pollution and to measure its impact by a logistic regression. RESULTS: Burkina Faso stands out with a greater number of households with a high level of pollution (63.7%) followed by Benin (43.7%) then Togo (43.0%). The main exposure factor "Household level of air pollution" was associated with ARI symptoms (Togo: prevalence = 51.3%; chi-squared test's p-value < 0.001). Exposure to high level of pollution constitutes a risk (AOR [95 CI]), even though it is not significant ( Ivory Coast: 1.29 [0.72-2.30], Senegal: 1.39 [0.94-2.05] and Togo: 1.15 [0.67-1.95]) and this could be explained by the high infectious etiology of the ARI.

Epidemiology of snakebites in Kédougou region (eastern Senegal): comparison of various methods for assessment of incidence and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Although considered a public health issue in Senegal, the actual incidence and mortality from snakebite are not known. In the present study, an epidemiological survey was carried out in Kédougou region, southeastern Senegal, where envenomations, particularly by Echisocellatus, are frequent and severe. METHODS: Three sources of data were used: records from health centers and reports by health professionals; traditional healers; and household surveys. RESULTS: The annual incidence and mortality provided by health centers were 24.4 envenomations and 0.24 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively. The annual incidence recorded by traditional healers was 250 bites per 100,000 inhabitants, but the number of deaths was unknown. Finally, the household surveys reported an annual incidence of 92.8 bites per 100,000 inhabitants and an annual mortality rate of 2.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The differences in incidence and mortality between the different methods were explained by significant bias, resulting in particular from the complex patient's healthcare-seeking behavior. The incidence provided by health records should be used to specify the immediate quantitative requirements of antivenoms and places where they should be available first. CONCLUSION: Mandatory reporting of cases would improve the management of envenomation by simplifying epidemiological surveys. Patients' preference for traditional medicine should prompt health authorities to urge traditional healers to refer patients to health centers according to defined clinical criteria (mainly edema and bleeding or neurotoxic symptoms). Finally, household surveys were likely to reflect the actual epidemiological situation. Poison Control Center of Senegal should continue its work to sensitize stakeholders and train health staff.

Epidemiology of snakebites in Kédougou region (eastern Senegal): comparison of various methods for assessment of incidence and mortality

Background Although considered a public health issue in Senegal, the actual incidence and mortality from snakebite are not known. In the present study, an epidemiological survey was carried out in Kédougou region, southeastern Senegal, where envenomations, particularly by Echisocellatus, are frequent and severe. Methods Three sources of data were used: records from health centers and reports by health professionals; traditional healers; and household surveys. Results The annual incidence and mortality provided by health centers were 24.4 envenomations and 0.24 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively. The annual incidence recorded by traditional healers was 250 bites per 100,000 inhabitants, but the number of deaths was unknown. Finally, the household surveys reported an annual incidence of 92.8 bites per 100,000 inhabitants and an annual mortality rate of 2.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The differences in incidence and mortality between the different methods were explained by significant bias, resulting in particular from the complex patient's healthcare-seeking behavior. The incidence provided by health records should be used to specify the immediate quantitative requirements of antivenoms and places where they should be available first. Conclusion Mandatory reporting of cases would improve the management of envenomation by simplifying epidemiological surveys. Patients' preference for traditional medicine should prompt health authorities to urge traditional healers to refer patients to health centers according to defined clinical criteria (mainly edema and bleeding or neurotoxic symptoms). Finally, household surveys were likely to reflect the actual epidemiological situation. Poison Control Center of Senegal should continue its work to sensitize stakeholders and train health staff.(AU)

Epidemiology of snakebites in Kédougou region (eastern Senegal): comparison of various methods for assessment of incidence and mortality

Although considered a public health issue in Senegal, the actual incidence and mortality from snakebite are not known. In the present study, an epidemiological survey was carried out in Kédougou region, southeastern Senegal, where envenomations, particularly by Echisocellatus, are frequent and severe. Methods Three sources of data were used: records from health centers and reports by health professionals; traditional healers; and household surveys. Results The annual incidence and mortality provided by health centers were 24.4 envenomations and 0.24 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively. The annual incidence recorded by traditional healers was 250 bites per 100,000 inhabitants, but the number of deaths was unknown. Finally, the household surveys reported an annual incidence of 92.8 bites per 100,000 inhabitants and an annual mortality rate of 2.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The differences in incidence and mortality between the different methods were explained by significant bias, resulting in particular from the complex patient's healthcare-seeking behavior. The incidence provided by health records should be used to specify the immediate quantitative requirements of antivenoms and places where they should be available first. Conclusion Mandatory reporting of cases would improve the management of envenomation by simplifying epidemiological surveys. Patients' preference for traditional medicine should prompt health authorities to urge traditional healers to refer patients to health centers according to defined clinical criteria (mainly edema and bleeding or neurotoxic symptoms). Finally, household surveys were likely to reflect the actual epidemiological situation. Poison Control Center of Senegal should continue its work to sensitize stakeholders and train health staff.