ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Most low- and middle-income countries do not have a mature prehospital system limiting access to definitive care. This study sought to describe the current state of the prehospital system in Senegal and offer recommendations aimed at improving system capacity and population access to definitive care. METHODS: Structured interviews were conducted with key informants in various regions throughout the country using qualitative and quantitative techniques. A standardized questionnaire was generated using needs assessment forms and system frameworks. Descriptive statistics were performed for quantitative data analysis, and qualitative data was consolidated and presented using ATLAS.ti. RESULTS: Two (20%) of the studied regions, Dakar and Saint-Louis, had a mature prehospital system in place, including dispatch centers and teams of trained personnel utilizing equipped ambulances. 80% of the studied regions lacked an established prehospital system. The vast majority of the population relied on the fire department for transport to a healthcare facility. The ambulances in rural regions were not part of a formal prehospital system, were not equipped with life-support supplies, and were limited to inter-facility transfers. CONCLUSIONS: While Dakar and Saint-Louis have mature prehospital systems, the rest of the country is served by the fire department. There are significant opportunities to further strengthen the prehospital system in rural Senegal by training the fire department in basic life support and first aid, maintaining cost efficiency, and building on existing national resources. This has the potential to significantly improve access to definitive care and outcomes of emergent illness in the Senegalese community.
Subject(s)
Emergency Medical Services , Health Services Accessibility , Senegal , Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration , Humans , Emergency Medical Services/organization & administration , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
In Côte d'Ivoire as elsewhere in Africa, attiéké plays an important role in feeding the population. The objective of the work is to conduct a study on the sanitary quality of the attiéké garba sold in Daloa. Fifty (50) samples of attiéké garba were collected by purchase from various high-traffic outlets in different districts of Daloa town. Samples are collected in the morning around 10 a.m. every 2 days at a rate of 10 per site. Microbiological analyzes and the determination of some physico-chemical parameters of attiéké garba were carried out. The bacterial load of Bacillus cereus present in the samples tested in the majority of districts is greater than or equal to 105 CFU/g of food. About 60% of the samples tested was contaminated with B. cereus spores against 72% contaminated with the vegetative form of B. cereus. However, physicochemical analyzes showed that attiéké garba was acidic and the humidity was between 37.36 ± 15.9 and 55.26 ± 20.5%. Attiéké garba could pose a danger to consumers.
