Background The widespread mobilisation to improve maternal health over recent decades has led to increased prenatal consultations and assisted deliveries, resulting in a significant reduction in maternal mortality in many sub-Saharan African countries. This paper examines the progress made in basic obstetric care in four sub-Saharan African countries (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal), and investigates the sources of this progress to better inform future policy actions that will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3 targets related to maternal and child health. Methods We used data from two Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) conducted in each of the four countries in the early 2010s and 2020s by their respective national statistical offices. Specifically, we relied on the 2010 and 2021 DHS for Burkina Faso, the 2011 and 2021 DHS for Côte d’Ivoire, the 20...

Tropical medicinal plants constitute an important source of structurally diverse metabolites with potential value for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and biotechnological research. Conventional natural-product discovery pipelines, however, remain limited by slow metabolite identification, fragmented ethnobotanical information and restricted translation from screening to validated candidates. This review examines Bioprospecting 4.0 as an integrated framework that combines untargeted metabolomics, ethnobotanical databases, artificial intelligence, cheminformatics and systems biology for the prioritisation of bioactive molecules from tropical medicinal plants. Particular attention is given to LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics, molecular networking, NMR-supported structural elucidation, knowledge graphs and AI-assisted prediction of biological targets and ADMET properties. The review also considers...

Small-scale irrigation (SSI) technologies are essential for boosting agricultural production, reducing drought risks, and enhancing climate resilience in the Sahel. This study examines vegetable growers’ preferences for irrigation technology packages in Kadiogo Province, Burkina Faso, using a discrete choice experiment conducted with 208 farmers in the communes of Komsilga and Tanghin-Dassouri. Preferences and welfare effects were estimated through conditional logit and random parameter logit models. The results show strong and significant preferences for semi-Californian irrigation systems (a surface gravity-fed distribution system using lateral pipes), sprinkler systems, and motorised pumps, particularly solar-powered pumps. These choices reflect farmers’ priorities for ease of use, energy independence, and expected productivity gains. In contrast, drip irrigation systems, extension se...

This study examines the impact of the aerothermal factors of an indirect solar dryer on the intermittent and continuous drying dynamics of four crops: mango, banana, potato, and sweet potato. The experiment was conducted under sustained global solar radiation reaching 1000 W?m?2, with drying temperatures ranging from 55?C and controlled forced convection airflow to stabilize the airstreams. The study of thermal profiles and drying kinetics shows that intermittent processing controls mass transfer by promoting internal water redistribution during pause phases, preventing hardening and maintaining a steady evaporation process. The dynamics of moisture migration are quantified by contrasting effective diffusion coefficients Deff: 2.67 × 10?9 m2?s?1 for mango, 9.08 × 10?10 m2?s?1 for banana, 8.39 × 10?10 m2?s?1 for potatoes, and 7.63 × 10?10 m2?s?1 for sweet potatoes. These figures, which ar...

This article examines the word form bɔ ̀ r in Bisa Barka, a minority language spoken in Burkina Faso. It is necessary to determine whether this is a case of polysemy or homophony. Our analysis leads us to conclude that Bisa Barka possesses several morphemes with the signi®er bɔ ̀ r, whose signifieds are unrelated; they are therefore homophones.

Skin disorders are a public health concern and are often associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and microbial infection. In Burkina Faso, Annona senegalensis and Pseudocedrela kotschyi are used traditionally for skin-related conditions. This study evaluated the phytochemical content, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and acute toxicity profiles of bark extracts from these two species. Trunk bark powders were extracted by methanolic maceration, hydromethanolic maceration, and aqueous decoction. Total phenolics and flavonoids were quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium trichloride methods, respectively. Antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by inhibition of bovine serum albumin denaturation, and antifungal activity was tested against Candida al...

Introduction : L'hémodialyse chez l'enfant a bénéficié de progrès importants au cours des 20 dernières années. L'objectif de la présente étude était de faire l'état des lieux de l'hémodialyse pédiatrique à Ouagadougou au Burkina Faso. Patients et Méthodes: Il s'est agi d'une étude rétrospective sur une période de cinq ans allant du ler janvier 2014 au 31 décembre 2018. Ont été inclus dans l'étude, les enfants de 0 à 15 ans en hémodialyse durant la période de l'étude, au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Yalgado-Ouédraogo et au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tengandogo (CHU-T). Résultats : Cinquante-quatre enfants hémodialysés ont été inclus dans l'étude. La fréquence de l'hémodialyse était de 59,3% chez les enfants en insuffisance rénale aiguë (IRA) et de 40,7% chez les enfants au stade 5 de la maladie rénale chronique (MRC). L'âge moyen des enfants était de 10,8 ÷ 4,6 ans (2 -15 ans...

Background Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality among women in sub-Saharan Africa, despite effective screening methods. This study examined individual- and household-level predictors of ever having been screened for cervical cancer in 5 West African countries and residual between-cluster variation using multilevel models, based on recent nationally representative data. Methods We analyzed Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from Burkina Faso (2021), Côte d’Ivoire (2021), Ghana (2022), Mali (2023–2024) and Senegal (2023). The sample included women aged 15–49 years with complete information on ever-screening for cervical cancer. Two-level logistic random-intercept models (women nested within clusters) were fitted to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and residual between-cluster variation through t...

Pectinases are enzymes of major industrial interest. This study aimed to isolate and characterize pectinolytic bacteria obtained from decomposing fruit and optimize the composition of the culture medium. Bacteria were isolated on a reconstituted, selective pectin-enriched medium. Active colonies were characterized by morphological observations, biochemical tests, and molecular identification of 16S rDNA. Of the 55 isolates selected, 12 (21.81%) were pectinolytic. All isolates were Gram-positive, predominantly bacillary, and positive for the citrate test. Five strains exhibited γ-haemolysis, indicating that they were non-haemolytic. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, four of these bacteria that expressed high pectin degradation indices were related to Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Acetobacter tropicalis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus subtilis. The B. amyloliquefaciens strain i...

Urban infrastructure plays a crucial role in the socio-economic development of regions, especially in Africa, where rapid urban growth is creating pressing demands for infrastructure. Against this backdrop, Burkina Faso has introduced the rotating celebration of 11 December to stimulate the development of secondary towns. In Ziniaré, this initiative has led to the construction of a variety of infrastructures. The aim of this article is to identify the contribution made by the infrastructure built as part of the 11 December project to local development in the municipality of Ziniaré. The results of this research, based on fieldwork (direct observation in the field, a survey and semi-directive interviews) and enriched by documentary research, show that most of the planned projects have been successfully completed, in line with the guidelines of the Schéma Directeur d'Aménagement et d'Urba...