An overview of governance of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in West African countries.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for over 50% of total premature mortality in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, responses to the fight against NCDs are yet to be efficient in most of these countries. There is little published data on how this response is structured from a governance perspective in the context of global health systems. This study explored from existing research, the state of the governance in the fight against NCDs in the ECOWAS region. It consists of a review of articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and 2020 on ECOWAS countries. Of three hundred thirty-three (333) articles initially identified, eight (8) publications were included in these studies. There is a serious lack of information on the governance of NCDs in French-speaking countries such as Burkina Faso where no article has been identified. Of the 8 studies meeting the inclusion criteria, none has addressed the coherence of policies and programs. Seven (7) publications provided information on the component national NCDs policies, strategies and action plans, four (4) studies on the component of actors, interventions and the multisectoral coordination mechanism, five (5) on the issue of budget allocations and financing of NCD prevention and control interventions. Political commitment and government leadership has been discussed in three (3) publications. While some studies have provided information on the components of governance, it is important to remember that most of the studies were literature reviews and not empirical studies, which does not allow a better understanding of the situation of governance in each country. Designing an empirical study to answer some questions related to the governance of NCDs in the selected countries is necessary.

Non-Sensory Perception and Sensory Appeal of Zamnè, PseudoZamnè, Traditionally Cooked Senegalia erythrocalyx Seeds, and Tempeh According to Burkinabe Consumers.

The lack of adequate knowledge of the culinary and sensory properties of most indigenous and wild foods hampers their promotion in human diets and the market. In the present study, 80 Burkinabe volunteers evaluated the sensory appeal and attributes of three selected Senegalia seed species (Zamnè, pseudoZamnè or Kumatiya, and S. erythrocalyx) and their food formulae (traditionally cooked, harvested as green and fresh legumes, and fermented as tempeh) using the nine-point hedonic scale and check-all-that-apply questionnaire. They found that the traditionally cooked Zamnè, pseudoZamnè or Kumatiya, and derived tempeh had good sensory appeal (scoring between 5 and 7) and subtle alkaline and nutty tastes. However, an appreciable number (32%) of the participants were unaccustomed to tempeh and gave very low scores (2.5-3.4) for all the tempeh products. In contrast, the traditionally cooked seeds of Senegalia erythrocalyx and the green and fresh Zamnè evoked bitter and sour off-tastes, respectively, and were not much appreciated (scoring 4). The present study provides unprecedented insight into consumers' non-sensory perceptions and the culinary and sensory properties of Senegalia seed foods, which will be essential for their valorization, branding, and marketing.

Production and sensory evaluation of composite breads based on wheat and whole millet or sorghum in the presence of Weissella confusa A16 exopolysaccharides.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the acceptability of composite breads based on local cereal (millet and sorghum) formulations. Bread preparations based on 50% wheat flour and 50% local cereal flour were made in the presence of exopolysaccharide (Eps) production stimulated by a strain of Weissella confusa A16 in the fermented dough. Seven formulations were done in two baking sets and were submitted to sensory evaluations which consisted of tests on sensory profile, hedonic analysis and ranking. Results showed that the presence of Eps improved the acceptability of breads made with local cereal flours. The white color of the crumb of breads made with 100% wheat flour was the most appreciated by consumers. The less local flour is used in the bread preparation, the better the bread is appreciated. Nevertheless, formulations containing whole grains were the least appreciated, partly because of the hardness of the breads. Interestingly, more than 50% of consumers found the taste pleasant for breads made with 50% millet flour.

Sahel terrorist crisis and development priorities: case of financial allocations for the control of non-communicable diseases in Burkina Faso.

In Africa, nearly 46% of all mortality will be attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 2030. While the cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of action against NCDs, global funding for the prevention and control of NCDs is minimal. The objective of this was to explore the Ministry of Health budget allocations for NCDs from 2010 to 2020 as well as the effect of the terrorism crisis on these allocations. The methodology was based on the budget tracking tool developed by the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement. Twenty-nine budget lines related to the prevention and/or control of NCDs have been identified. About 29.9 million USD were allocated to the fight against NCDs with an absorption rate of more than 98%.There is an upward trend of allocated budget characterized by an exponential increase from the development of the national integrated strategic plan for the fight against NCDs (2016-2020). In 2017, an increase of 184% compared to 2016 was observed. However, the efforts were challenged by the emergence of the terrorist threat which triggered in January 2016, leading to a drastic reduction in allocations for NCDs in favor likely of defense and security priorities as well as addressing the needs of internally displaced persons. A trend analysis suggests that the NCDs budget significantly decrease as the country global terrorist index increase. Further analysis is needed to better understand the implication on NCD incidence, and identify advocacy opportunities for mitigating the negative impact of the terrorist treat on NCDs and other development issues.

Physicochemical, potential nutritional, antioxidant and health properties of sesame seed oil: a review.

Sesame (Sesanum indicum L.) is one of the primary annual oilseeds grown in Africa and Asia. Sesame seed oil (SSO) is of great economic and human nutrition interest worldwide. Due to its composition in phytochemical antioxidants and profile in unsaturated fatty acids, sesame is used as a biological source of essential fatty acids. It contains bioactive compounds such as lignans (sesamin, sesamol, sesamolin), tocopherols and phytosterols. The oleic/linoleic fatty acids ratio of sesame makes it important for human health. SSO has bioactive compounds that can help prevent certain cardiovascular, metabolized and coronary diseases. The ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids in SSO are precursors to eicosanoids that regulate the immune system and inflammatory functions. The essential fatty acids contained in this oil are essential for cell construction and highly recommended during the first trimester of pregnancy. The consumption of SSO allows both a decrease in the LDL-cholesterol complex and an increase in the HDL-cholesterol complex. It regulates blood sugar and may have favorable effects on people with liver cancer and those developing fatty liver disease. In this review, the nutritional value, antioxidant properties, and health benefits of SSO have been compiled to provide collective information of nutritional and medical interest.

Mung Bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) from Burkina Faso Used as Antidiabetic, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Agent.

Chronic non-communicable diseases are becoming more and more recurrent and require the addition of functional foods in our eating habits. Legumes due to their composition in biomolecules could meet this need. Much used in Chinese medicine, the mung bean arouses interest in Burkina Faso. The objective of this study is to perform phytochemical profiling and to evaluate certain biological properties of the mung bean in its natural or germinated state. Qualitative phytochemical screening was carried out by precipitation and differential staining tests. The antimicrobial activity was tested on in vitro growth by the agar medium diffusion method. DPPH and FRAP methods were used to assess antioxidant activity. The antidiabetic activity of hydroethanolic extracts was evaluated on rats rendered diabetic by streptozotocin, with metformin as a reference molecule. Phytochemistry has revealed the presence of phenolic compounds and derivatives in the mung bean, whether in its natural state (MBN) or in its germinated state (MBG). Only the MBG exhibits antimicrobial activity on 70% of the strains used. It appears that the MBG has a reducing power of the DPPH radical with an IC50 of 28 mg/mL compared to the same extract of the MBN, which had an IC50 of 32.5 mg/mL with a difference (p < 0.05) between the extracts. MBN extracts at a dose of 300 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg.bw) showed a reduction (p < 0.0001) in glycaemia and kept the body weight of the animals constant throughout the treatment. In addition, the MBN regulated the level of total cholesterol, tryglicerides of LDL, ASAT, ALAT, urea and creatine. These results show that the mung bean grown in Burkina Faso is a health food, which, integrated into dietary habits, could contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases.

Traditional African Dishes Prepared From Local Biofortified Varieties of Pearl Millet: Acceptability and Potential Contribution to Iron and Zinc Intakes of Burkinabe Young Children.

Biofortification is among the food-based strategies, recently implemented and still in development, to fight micronutrient deficiencies. Three cereal-based traditional dishes of Sub-Saharan Africa (tô paste, pancakes, and gruel) prepared from one local (Gampela), or two biofortified (GB 8735 and Tabi) varieties of millet were assessed for their (i) acceptability by local consumers, (ii) iron and zinc absorption predicted by phytate-to-mineral molar ratios and (iii) contribution to the iron and zinc requirements of young children. Tasters preferred the color, texture, and taste of dishes prepared with the local variety, whether or not the grains were decorticated. Hedonic and preference tests showed no significant difference between the two biofortified varieties, but the cooks reported different behaviors during processing. Biofortified millet contained up to two times more iron than the local variety, reaching 6.5 mg iron/100 g dry matter. Iron and zinc contents remained higher in biofortified varieties even after decortication. Iron content in the dishes was highly variable, depending on iron loss and potential contamination during processing. The phytate-to-mineral molar ratios of all dishes indicated low iron absorption, independent of the millet variety, but improved zinc absorption in dishes prepared with biofortified varieties. The contribution of a dish prepared with one of the two biofortified millet varieties to the recommended iron and zinc intakes for 6-11-month-old children was estimated to be about 5 and 7%, respectively, compared to 2 and 4% for the same dish prepared with local millet. For 12-23-month-old children, the contribution to the recommended intakes was estimated to be about 14 and 12% with biofortified millet, respectively, and about 6 and 7% with local millet. The use of biofortified millet varieties could be complementary to food diversification strategies to increase iron and zinc intakes. As in Ouagadougou, cereals are eaten in different forms by young children several times per day, iron and zinc intakes could be improved in the long term by using the biofortified varieties of pearl millet.