@article{Compaore2018-hd,

title = {Fear and rumours regarding placental biopsies in a  malaria-in-pregnancy trial in Benin},

author = {Ad\'{e}la"ide Compaor\'{e} and Susan Dierickx and Fatou Jaiteh and Alain Nahum and Towanou Francis Emmanuel Bohissou and Halidou Tinto and Susana Scott and Umberto D'Alessandro and Henk Schallig and Koen Peeters Grietens},

doi = {10.1186/s12936-018-2578-9},

issn = {1475-2875},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-11-01},

urldate = {2018-11-01},

journal = {Malar. J.},

volume = {17},

number = {1},

pages = {425},

publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: A multi-country, community-based trial on scheduled 

 screening and treatment for malaria in pregnancy was conducted 

 in Benin, The Gambia and Burkina Faso. Despite standardized 

 procedures and outcomes, the study became subject to rumours and 

 accusations of placenta being sold for mystical and financial 

 gain by trial staff, leading to drop-out rates of 30% and the 

 consequent halting of placental biopsy sampling in Benin. This 

 paper explores the role of socio-cultural beliefs related to 

 placenta and identified additional factors contributing these 

 rumours. METHODS: A qualitative comparative emergent-theory 

 design was used to assess social factors related to trial 

 implementation and uptake in the three countries. Data from 

 participant observation, informal conversations, group 

 discussions and interviews were triangulated and analysed with 

 NVivo Qualitative Analysis software. RESULTS: Despite similar 

 sociocultural beliefs about the sacred nature of the placenta in 

 all three study countries, these beliefs did not affect 

 participation rates in Burkina Faso and The Gambia and 

 placenta-related rumours only emerged in Benin. Therefore, the 

 presence of beliefs is not a sufficient condition to have 

 generated placenta-selling fears. The rumours in Benin reflected 

 the confluence of placenta-related beliefs and factors related 

 to the implementation of the trial (including a catalysing 

 adverse event and miscommunication during the informed consent 

 procedure). Furthermore, distinct socio-political factors 

 contributed to the emergence of rumours, including the 

 historical distrust in governmental organizations and the tense 

 relationship between some of the actors involved in the trial. 

 CONCLUSION: Transdisciplinary social science research designs 

 should accompany the implementation of the trial. The 

 integration of multiple stakeholders' knowledge and involvement 

 is required to define and solve upcoming barriers.},

keywords = {Clinical trial; Community health worker; Malaria; Placenta;   Pregnancy; Rumour},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Natama2018-es,

title = {Modulation of innate immune responses at birth by prenatal  malaria exposure and association with malaria risk during the  first year of life},

author = {Hamtandi Magloire Natama and Gemma Moncunill and Eduard Rovira-Vallbona and H\'{e}ctor Sanz and Hermann Sorgho and Ruth Aguilar and Maminata Coulibaly-Traor\'{e} and M Athanase Som\'{e} and Susana Scott and Innocent Val\'{e}a and Petra F Mens and Henk D F H Schallig and Luc Kestens and Halidou Tinto and Carlota Doba no and Anna Rosanas-Urgell},

doi = {10.1186/s12916-018-1187-3},

issn = {1741-7015},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-11-01},

urldate = {2018-11-01},

journal = {BMC Med.},

volume = {16},

number = {1},

pages = {198},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Factors driving inter-individual differences in 

 immune responses upon different types of prenatal malaria 

 exposure (PME) and subsequent risk of malaria in infancy remain 

 poorly understood. In this study, we examined the impact of four 

 types of PME (i.e., maternal peripheral infection and placental 

 acute, chronic, and past infections) on both spontaneous and 

 toll-like receptors (TLRs)-mediated cytokine production in cord 

 blood and how these innate immune responses modulate the risk of 

 malaria during the first year of life. METHODS: We conducted a 

 birth cohort study of 313 mother-child pairs nested within the 

 COSMIC clinical trial (NCT01941264), which was assessing malaria 

 preventive interventions during pregnancy in Burkina Faso. 

 Malaria infections during pregnancy and infants' clinical malaria 

 episodes detected during the first year of life were recorded. 

 Supernatant concentrations of 30 cytokines, chemokines, and 

 growth factors induced by stimulation of cord blood with agonists 

 of TLRs 3, 7/8, and 9 were measured by quantitative suspension 

 array technology. Crude concentrations and ratios of TLR-mediated 

 cytokine responses relative to background control were analyzed. 

 RESULTS: Spontaneous production of innate immune biomarkers was 

 significantly reduced in cord blood of infants exposed to 

 malaria, with variation among PME groups, as compared to those 

 from the non-exposed control group. However, following TLR7/8 

 stimulation, which showed higher induction of 

 cytokines/chemokines/growth factors than TLRs 3 and 9, cord blood 

 cells of infants with evidence of past placental malaria were 

 hyper-responsive in comparison to those of infants not-exposed. 

 In addition, certain biomarkers, which levels were significantly 

 modified depending on the PME category, were independent 

 predictors of either malaria risk (GM-CSF TLR7/8 crude) or 

 protection (IL-12 TLR7/8 ratio and IP-10 TLR3 crude, IL-1RA 

 TLR7/8 ratio) during the first year of life. CONCLUSIONS: These 

 findings indicate that past placental malaria has a profound 

 effect on fetal immune system and that the differential 

 alterations of innate immune responses by PME categories might 

 drive heterogeneity between individuals to clinical malaria 

 susceptibility during the first year of life.},

keywords = {Cytokines; Innate immunity; Malaria in infancy; Malaria in   pregnancy; Prenatal malaria exposure; Toll-like receptor},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rouamba2018-tr,

title = {Safety profile of drug use during pregnancy at peripheral health  centres in Burkina Faso: A prospective observational cohort  study},

author = {Toussaint Rouamba and Innocent Valea and Joel D Bognini and Herve Kpoda and Petra F Mens and Melba F Gomes and Halidou Tinto and Fati Kirakoya-Samadoulougou},

doi = {10.1007/s40801-018-0141-1},

issn = {2198-9788},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-09-01},

urldate = {2018-09-01},

journal = {Drugs Real World Outcomes},

volume = {5},

number = {3},

pages = {193--206},

publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},

abstract = {PURPOSE: Safety data of many drugs used during pregnancy remain 

 scarce. This is especially true in developing countries 

 characterised by the absence of a robust pharmacovigilance 

 system, high prevalence of different tropical diseases affecting 

 patients and potential for drug-drug interactions. This study 

 aimed to assess the safety profile of drugs used in women at 

 high risk of malaria during pregnancy and delivery in Burkina 

 Faso's health facilities. It also aimed to assess factors 

 associated with the use of potentially risky drugs over the 

 entire course of pregnancy. METHODS: We enrolled pregnant women 

 from their first antenatal care visit and followed them up until 

 delivery, and collected data on drug use. Based on United States 

 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Australian Therapeutic 

 Goods Administration (TGA) drug risk classification, drugs were 

 classified into three groups: 'probably safe', 'potentially 

 risky' or 'unclassified'. A modified classification was built to 

 take into account national malaria policy treatment guidelines 

 and World Health Organization Malaria Treatment Guidelines 

 recommending malaria chemoprophylaxis during pregnancy. RESULTS: 

 Out of 2371 pregnant women enrolled, 56.7% used at least one 

 medication during the entire course of the pregnancy (excluding 

 sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine and iron-folic acid). A total of 101 

 different types of medications were used by study participants 

 and 36.6, 49.5 and 13.9% were, respectively, classified as 

 'probably safe', 'potentially risky' and 'unclassified'. 

 Antimalarials and antibiotics were the most frequently used 

 drugs. Around 39% of women used a least one medication 

 classified as potentially risky. However, this proportion 

 dropped to 26% with the modified classification. Living in 

 urban areas and attending the first antenatal care within their 

 first trimester of pregnancy (longer health surveillance) were 

 associated with using 'potentially risky' medications. 

 CONCLUSION: This study provides rare and valuable information on 

 the current use of drugs among pregnant women in Burkina Faso. 

 Many pregnant women used medications classified as potentially 

 risky. Our findings suggest the need for rational drug 

 prescription and community education to reduce hazardous drug 

 exposure during pregnancy.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kiemde2018-mo,

title = {Implementation of a malaria rapid diagnostic test in a rural  setting of Nanoro, Burkina Faso: from expectation to reality},

author = {Francois Kiemde and Marc Christian Tahita and Massa Dit Achille Bonko and Petra F Mens and Halidou Tinto and Michael Boele Hensbroek and Henk D F H Schallig},

doi = {10.1186/s12936-018-2468-1},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-08-01},

urldate = {2018-08-01},

journal = {Malar. J.},

volume = {17},

number = {1},

pages = {316},

publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are nowadays 

 widely used in malaria endemic countries as an alternative to 

 microscopy for the diagnosis of malaria. However, quality 

 control of test performance and execution in the field are 

 important in order to ensure proper use and adequate diagnosis 

 of malaria. The current study compared the performance of a 

 histidine-rich protein 2-based RDT used at peripheral health 

 facilities level in real life conditions with that performed at 

 central reference laboratory level with strict adherence to 

 manufacturer instructions. METHODS: Febrile children attending 

 rural health clinics were tested for malaria with a RDT provided 

 by the Ministry of Health of Burkina Faso as recommended by the 

 National Malaria Control Programme. In addition, a blood sample 

 was collected in an EDTA tube from all study cases for retesting 

 with the same brand of RDT following the manufacturer's 

 instructions with expert malaria microscopy as gold standard at 

 the central reference laboratory. Fisher exact test was used to 

 compare the proportions by estimating the p-value (p $\leq$ 

 0.05) as statistically significant. RESULTS: In total, 407 

 febrile children were included in the study and malaria was 

 diagnosed in 59.9% (244/407) of the cases with expert malaria 

 microscopy. The sensitivity of malaria RDT testing performed at 

 health facilities was 97.5% and comparable to that achieved at 

 the laboratory (98.8%). The number of malaria false negatives was not statistically significant between the two groups (p = 

 0.5209). However, the malaria RDT testing performed at health 

 facilities had a specificity issue (52.8%) and was much lower 

 compared to RDT testing performed at laboratory (74.2%). The 

 number of malaria false positives was statistically significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.0005). 

 CONCLUSION: Malaria RDT testing performed at the participating 

 rural health facilities resulted in more malaria false positives 

 compared to those performed at central laboratory. Several 

 factors, including storage and transportation conditions but 

 also training of health workers, are most likely to influence 

 test performance. Therefore, it is very important to have 

 appropriate quality control and training programmes in place to 

 ensure correct performance of RDT testing.},

keywords = {HRP-2; Malaria; Microscopy; RDT; Sensitivity and specificity},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Gies2018-dx,

title = {Effects of weekly iron and folic acid supplements on malaria risk  in nulliparous women in Burkina Faso: A periconceptional,  double-blind, randomized controlled noninferiority trial},

author = {Sabine Gies and Salou Diallo and Stephen A Roberts and Adama Kazienga and Matthew Powney and Loretta Brabin and Sayouba Ouedraogo and Dorine W Swinkels and Anneke J Geurts-Moespot and Yves Claeys and Umberto D'Alessandro and Halidou Tinto and Brian Faragher and Bernard Brabin},

doi = {10.1093/infdis/jiy257},

issn = {1537-6613 / 0022-1899},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-08-01},

urldate = {2018-08-01},

journal = {J. Infect. Dis.},

volume = {218},

number = {7},

pages = {1099--1109},

abstract = {Background: The safety of iron supplementation for young women is 

 uncertain in malaria-endemic settings. Methods: This was a 

 double-blind, randomized controlled noninferiority trial in rural 

 Burkina Faso. Results: A total of 1959 nulliparae were assigned to weekly supplementation (60 mg iron and 2.8 mg folic acid) (n = 980) or 2.8 mg folic acid (n = 979) until first antenatal visit 

 (ANC1), or 18 months if remaining nonpregnant. Three hundred 

 fifteen women attended ANC1, and 916 remained nonpregnant. There 

 was no difference at ANC1 in parasitemia prevalence (iron, 53.4% 

 [95% confidence interval CI, 45.7%-61.0%]; control, 55.3% 

 [95% CI, 47.3%-62.9%]; prevalence ratio, 0.97 [95% CI, .79-1.18]; P = .82), anemia (adjusted effect, 0.96 [95% CI, .83-1.10]; P = .52), iron deficiency (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 0.84 [95% CI, .46-1.54]; P = .58), or plasma iron biomarkers. 

 Outcomes in nonpregnant women were parasitemia (iron, 42.9% 

 [95% CI, 38.3%-47.5%]; control, 39.2% [95% CI, 34.9%-43.7%]; prevalence ratio, 1.09 [95% CI, .93-1.28]; P = .282); anemia (aRR, 0.90 [95% CI, .78-1.05]; P = .17), and iron deficiency (aRR, 0.99 [95% CI, .77-1.28]; P = .96), with no iron 

 biomarker differences. Conclusions: Weekly iron supplementation 

 did not increase malaria risk, improve iron status, or reduce 

 anemia in young, mostly adolescent menstruating women, nor in 

 early pregnancy. World Health Organization Guidelines for 

 universal supplementation for young nulliparous women may need 

 reassessment. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT01210040.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Valea2018-yp,

title = {Immune response to the hepatitis B antigen in the RTS,S/AS01  malaria vaccine, and co-administration with pneumococcal  conjugate and rotavirus vaccines in African children: A  randomized controlled trial},

author = {Innocent Val\'{e}a and Samuel Adjei and Effua Usuf and Ousmane Traore and Daniel Ansong and Halidou Tinto and Harry Owusu Boateng and Amanda Leach and Athanase Mwinessobaonfou Some and Patrick Buabeng and Johan Vekemans and Louis Arnaud Nana and Amos Kotey and Pascale Vandoolaeghe and Florence Ouedraogo and David Sambian and Marc Lievens and Marc Christian Tahita and Theresa Rettig and Erik Jongert and Palpouguini Lompo and Ali Idriss and Dorota Borys and Sayouba Ouedraogo and Frank Prempeh and Md Ahsan Habib and Lode Schuerman and Hermann Sorgho and Tsiri Agbenyega},

doi = {10.1080/21645515.2018.1442996},

issn = {2164-554X 2164-5515},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-06-01},

urldate = {2018-06-01},

journal = {Hum. Vaccin. Immunother.},

volume = {14},

number = {6},

pages = {1489--1500},

abstract = {The RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine (Mosquirix) reduces the incidence 

 of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and is intended for routine 

 administration to infants in Sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the 

 immunogenicity and safety of 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable 

 Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV; 

 Synflorix) and human rotavirus vaccine (HRV; Rotarix) when 

 co-administered with RTS,S/AS01 ( www.clinicaltrials.gov 

 NCT01345240) in African infants. 705 healthy infants aged 8-12 

 weeks were randomized to receive three doses of either RTS,S/AS01 

 or licensed hepatitis B (HBV; Engerix B) vaccine (control) 

 co-administered with diphtheria-tetanus-acellular 

 pertussis-Haemophilus influenzae type-b-conjugate vaccine 

 (DTaP/Hib) and trivalent oral poliovirus vaccine at 8-12-16 weeks 

 of age, because DTaP/Hib was not indicated before 8 weeks of age. 

 The vaccination schedule can still be considered broadly 

 applicable because it was within the age range recommended for 

 EPI vaccination. PHiD-CV or HRV were either administered together 

 with the study vaccines, or after a 2-week interval. Booster 

 doses of PHiD-CV and DTaP/Hib were administered at age 18 months. 

 Non-inferiority of anti-HBV surface antigen antibody 

 seroprotection rates following co-administration with RTS,S/AS01 

 was demonstrated compared to the control group (primary 

 objective). Pre-specified non-inferiority criteria were reached 

 for PHiD-CV (for 9/10 vaccine serotypes), HRV, and aP antigens 

 co-administered with RTS,S/AS01 as compared to HBV 

 co-administration (secondary objectives). RTS,S/AS01 induced a 

 response to circumsporozoite protein in all groups. Pain and low 

 grade fever were reported more frequently in the PHiD-CV group 

 co-administered with RTS,S/AS01 than PHiD-CV co-administered with 

 HBV. No serious adverse events were considered to be 

 vaccine-related. RTS,S/AS01 co-administered with pediatric 

 vaccines had an acceptable safety profile. Immune responses to 

 RTS,S/AS01 and to co-administered PHiD-CV, pertussis antigens and 

 HRV were satisfactory.},

keywords = {RTS, S; co-administration; hepatitis B; immunogenicity; malaria;   plasmodium falciparum; pneumococcal conjugate vaccine; vaccine},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Kiemde2018-lo,

title = {Treatable causes of fever among children under five years in a  seasonal malaria transmission area in Burkina Faso},

author = {Francois Kiemde and Marc Christian Tahita and Palpouguini Lompo and Toussaint Rouamba and Athanase M Some and Halidou Tinto and Petra F Mens and Henk D F H Schallig and Michael Boele Hensbroek},

doi = {10.1186/s40249-018-0442-3},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-05-01},

urldate = {2018-05-01},

journal = {Infect. Dis. Poverty},

volume = {7},

number = {1},

pages = {60},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Fever remains a major public health problem. In 

 Burkina Faso, more than half of febrile children are considered 

 not to be infected by malaria. This study prospectively assessed 

 probable (treatable) causes of fever in Burkinabe children. 

 METHODS: A prospective study was conducted among febrile children 

 ($geq$37.5 °C) under 5 years of age presenting at four health 

 facilities and one referral hospital in rural Burkina Faso. From 

 each participant, blood was collected for malaria microscopy and 

 culture, urine for dipstick testing and culturing if tested 

 positive for leucocytes and nitrite, stool for 

 rotavirus/adenovirus testing, culture and parasitology, and a 

 nasopharyngeal swab for culture. RESULTS: In total 684 febrile 

 children were included in the study. Plasmodium falciparum 

 malaria was found in 49.7% (340/684) of the participants and 

 non-malaria infections in 49.1% (336/684) of children. The 

 non-nalaria infections included gastro-intestinal infections 

 (37.0%), common bacterial pathogens of nasopharynx (24.3%), 

 bacterial bloodstream infections (6.0%) and urinary tract 

 infections (1.8%). Nearly 45% (154/340) of the malaria infected 

 children were co-infected with non-nalaria infections, but only 

 3.2% (11/340) of these co-infections could be considered as a 

 possible alternative cause of fever. In contrast, in the malaria 

 microscopy negative children 18.0% (62/344) of the infections 

 could be the probable cause of the fever. Pathogens were not 

 isolated from 23.7% (162/684) of the febrile cases. CONCLUSIONS: 

 Malaria remains the most common pathogen found in febrile 

 children in Burkina Faso. However, a relative high number of 

 febrile children had non-malaria infections. The correct 

 diagnosis of these non-malaria fevers is a major concern, and 

 there is an urgent need to develop more point-of-care diagnostic 

 tests and capacities to identify and treat the causes of these 

 fevers.},

keywords = {Children; Fever; Infectious diseases; Malaria},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Natama2018-jl,

title = {Additional screening and treatment of malaria during pregnancy  provides further protection against malaria and nonmalarial  fevers during the first year of life},

author = {Hamtandi Magloire Natama and Eduard Rovira-Vallbona and Hermann Sorgho and M Athanase Som\'{e} and Maminata Traor\'{e}-Coulibaly and Susana Scott and Serge Henri Zango and Ouss\'{e}ni Sawadogo and Sibiri Claude Zongo and Innocent Val\'{e}a and Petra F Mens and Henk D F H Schallig and Luc Kestens and Halidou Tinto and Anna Rosanas-Urgell},

doi = {10.1093/infdis/jiy140},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-05-01},

urldate = {2018-05-01},

journal = {J. Infect. Dis.},

volume = {217},

number = {12},

pages = {1967--1976},

abstract = {Background: Although consensus exists that malaria in pregnancy 

 (MiP) increases the risk of malaria in infancy, and eventually 

 nonmalarial fevers (NMFs), there is a lack of conclusive evidence 

 of benefits of MiP preventive strategies in infants. Methods: In 

 Burkina Faso, a birth cohort study was nested to a clinical trial 

 assessing the effectiveness of a community-based scheduled 

 screening and treatment of malaria in combination with 

 intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine 

 (CSST/IPTp-SP) to prevent placental malaria. Clinical episodes 

 and asymptomatic infections were monitored over 1 year of 

 follow-up to compare the effect of CSST/IPTp-SP and standard 

 IPTp-SP on malaria and NMFs. Results: Infants born during 

 low-transmission season from mothers receiving CSST/IPTp-SP had a 

 26% decreased risk of experiencing a first clinical episode (hazard ratio, 0.74 [95% confidence interval, .55-0.99]; P = 

 .047). CSST/IPTp-SP interacted with birth season and gravidity to 

 reduce the incidence of NMFs. No significant effects of 

 CSST/IPTp-SP on the incidence of clinical episodes, parasite 

 density, and Plasmodium falciparum infections were observed. 

 Conclusions: Our findings indicate that CSST/IPTp-SP strategy may 

 provide additional protection against both malaria and NMFs in 

 infants during the first year of life, and suggest that malaria 

 control interventions during pregnancy could have long-term 

 benefits in infants.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bonkian2018-lp,

title = {In vivo antiplasmodial activity of two sahelian plant extracts on  Plasmodium berghei ANKA infected NMRI mice},

author = {L\'{e}a Nad`ege Bonkian and R Serge Yerbanga and Benjamin Koama and Aboubakar Soma and Mamoudou Cisse and Innocent Valea and Halidou Tinto and Jean Bosco Ouedraogo and T Robert Guigemde and Maminata Traore/Coulibaly},

doi = {10.1155/2018/6859632},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-05-01},

urldate = {2018-05-01},

journal = {Evid. Based. Complement. Alternat. Med.},

volume = {2018},

pages = {6859632},

abstract = {Up to now, the control of malaria remains a challenge. The World 

 Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of artemisinin-based 

 combination therapies (ACTs) for uncomplicated malaria treatment. 

 Despite this guideline, many people in Burkina Faso use herbal 

 medicine as primary treatment against malaria. The aim of this 

 study was to assess the in vivo activity of Guiera senegalensis 

 J. F. Gmel and Bauhinia rufescens Lam. leaves extracts against 

 Plasmodium berghei ANKA. A four-day treatment of leaves decoction 

 of each plant was administrated orally to 7 groups of six NMRI 

 (Naval Medical Research Institute) mice infected with Plasmodium 

 berghei ANKA strain. The control group received distilled water 

 as treatment while the treated groups each received daily 100, 

 250, and 500 mg extract/kg body weight. Thin blood smears were 

 performed on day five and the percentage of reduction of 

 parasitaemia was determined compared to the control. The 

 percentages of reduction of the parasitaemia at the doses of 100, 

 250, and 500 mg extract/kg body weight were, respectively, 

 57.5%, 35.9%, and 44.9% for Guiera senegalensis and 50.6%, 

 22.2%, and 25.7% for Bauhinia rufescens. Our findings on 

 antiplasmodial activity of these two plants justify the 

 traditional use by local populations against malaria. Thus, the 

 isolation of the active compounds from these two plants is 

 suggested for possible antimalarial candidate drugs.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Lingani2018-ex,

title = {High prevalence of hepatitis B infections in Burkina Faso  (1996-2017): a systematic review with meta-analysis of  epidemiological studies},

author = {Moussa Lingani and Tomoyuki Akita and Serge Ouoba and Armel Moumini Sanou and Aya Sugiyama and Zekiba Tarnagda and Masayuki Ohisa and Halidou Tinto and Shunji Mishiro and Junko Tanaka},

doi = {10.1186/s12889-018-5432-7},

issn = {1471-2458},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-04-01},

urldate = {2018-04-01},

journal = {BMC Public Health},

volume = {18},

number = {1},

pages = {551},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was long considered 

 an important public health concern in Burkina Faso and still 

 represents a major cause of liver cancer and cirrhosis in the 

 active population. To counter the problem, a national strategic 

 plan was developed and adopted in July 2017 to coordinate viral 

 hepatitis elimination's efforts. However evidence to support its 

 implementation remains scanty and scattered. The main purpose of 

 this study was to summarize available information from 

 per-reviewed articles published over the last two decades to 

 accurately estimate the prevalence of HBV infection in Burkina 

 Faso. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search with 

 meta-analysis of scientific articles using Science-Direct, 

 Web-of-Science, PubMed/Medline, and Google Scholar. We 

 systematically assessed all relevant publications that measured 

 the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen and which were 

 published between 1996 and 2017. We estimated the national HBV 

 prevalence and its 95% confident interval. We subsequently 

 adjusted the meta-analysis to possible sources of heterogeneity. 

 RESULTS: We retrieved and analyzed a total of 22 full text papers 

 including 99,672 participants. The overall prevalence was 

 11.21%. The prevalence after adjustment were 9.41%, 11.11%, 

 11.73% and 12.61% in the general population, pregnant women, 

 blood donors and HIV-positive persons respectively. The 

 prevalence was higher before implementation of HBV universal 

 vaccination and decreased from 12.80% between 1996 and 2001 to 

 11.11% between 2012 and 2017. The prevalence was also higher in 

 rural area 17.35% than urban area 11.11%. The western regions 

 were more affected with 12.69% than the central regions 10.57%. 

 The prevalence was 14.66% in the boucle of Mouhoun region and 

 14.59 in the center-west region. Aggregate data were not 

 available for the other regions. CONCLUSIONS: HBV has clearly an 

 important burden in Burkina Faso as described by its high 

 prevalence and this problem significantly challenges the national 

 health care system. There is an urgent need for effective public 

 health interventions to eliminate the problem. However, higher 

 quality data are needed to produce reliable epidemiological 

 estimates that will guide control efforts towards the achievement 

 of the national strategic plan's goals.},

keywords = {Burkina Faso; Epidemiology; Hepatitis B; Meta-analysis; Viral   infection},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Natama2018-ha,

title = {Malaria incidence and prevalence during the first year of life in  Nanoro, Burkina Faso: a birth-cohort study},

author = {Hamtandi Magloire Natama and Eduard Rovira-Vallbona and M Athanase Som\'{e} and Serge Henri Zango and Hermann Sorgho and Pieter Guetens and Maminata Coulibaly-Traor\'{e} and Innocent Valea and Petra F Mens and Henk D F H Schallig and Luc Kestens and Halidou Tinto and Anna Rosanas-Urgell},

doi = {10.1186/s12936-018-2315-4},

issn = {1475-2875},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-04-01},

urldate = {2018-04-01},

journal = {Malar. J.},

volume = {17},

number = {1},

pages = {163},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Infants are thought to be protected against malaria 

 during the first months of life mainly due to passage of maternal 

 antibodies. However, in high transmission settings, malaria in 

 early infancy is not uncommon and susceptibility to the 

 infections varies between individuals. This study aimed to 

 determine malaria morbidity and infection during early childhood 

 in rural Burkina Faso. METHODS: Malariometric indices were 

 determined over 1-year follow-up in a birth cohort of 734 infants 

 living in Nanoro health district. Clinical malaria episodes were 

 determined by passive case detection at peripheral health centres 

 while asymptomatic malaria infections were identified during 4 

 cross-sectional surveys at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age. 

 Plasmodium falciparum infections were detected by rapid 

 diagnostic test and/or light microscopy (LM) and quantitative PCR 

 (qPCR). RESULTS: In total, 717 clinical episodes were diagnosed 

 by qPCR over 8335.18 person-months at risk. The overall malaria 

 incidence was 1.03 per child-year and increased from 0.27 per 

 child-year at 0-3 months of age to 1.92 per child-year at 9-12 

 months of age. Some 59% of children experienced at least one 

 clinical episode with a median survival time estimated at 9.9 

 months, while 20% of infants experienced the first episode 

 before 6 months of age. The majority of the clinical episodes 

 were attributable to microscopic parasitaemia (84.2%), and there 

 was a positive correlation between parasite density and age (Spearman's rho = 0.30; P \< 0.0001). Prevalence of asymptomatic 

 infections was similar at 3, 6 and 9 months of age (17.7-20.1%) 

 and nearly 1.6 times higher at 12 months (31.3%). Importantly, 

 gametocyte prevalence among the LM-positive study population was 

 6.7%, but increased to 10% among asymptomatic infections. In 

 addition, 46% of asymptomatic infections were only detected by 

 qPCR suggesting that infants below 1 year are a potential 

 reservoir for sustaining malaria transmission. Both symptomatic 

 and asymptomatic infections showed marked seasonal distribution 

 with the highest transmission period (July to December) 

 accounting for about 89 and 77% of those infections, 

 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate high and 

 marked age and seasonal-dependency of malaria infections and 

 disease during the first year of life in Nanoro, calling for 

 intensified efforts to control malaria in rural Burkina Faso.},

keywords = {Burkina Faso; Incidence; Infants; Malaria; Prevalence},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Early2018-cr,

title = {Host-mediated selection impacts the diversity of Plasmodium  falciparum antigens within infections},

author = {Angela M Early and Marc Lievens and Bronwyn L MacInnis and Christian F Ockenhouse and Sarah K Volkman and Samuel Adjei and Tsiri Agbenyega and Daniel Ansong and Stacey Gondi and Brian Greenwood and Mary Hamel and Chris Odero and Kephas Otieno and Walter Otieno and Seth Owusu-Agyei and Kwaku Poku Asante and Hermann Sorgho and Lucas Tina and Halidou Tinto and Innocent Valea and Dyann F Wirth and Daniel E Neafsey},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-018-03807-7},

issn = {2041-1723},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-04-01},

urldate = {2018-04-01},

journal = {Nat. Commun.},

volume = {9},

number = {1},

pages = {1381},

abstract = {Host immunity exerts strong selective pressure on pathogens. 

 Population-level genetic analysis can identify signatures of this 

 selection, but these signatures reflect the net selective effect 

 of all hosts and vectors in a population. In contrast, analysis 

 of pathogen diversity within hosts provides information on 

 individual, host-specific selection pressures. Here, we combine 

 these complementary approaches in an analysis of the malaria 

 parasite Plasmodium falciparum using haplotype sequences from 

 thousands of natural infections in sub-Saharan Africa. We find 

 that parasite genotypes show preferential clustering within 

 multi-strain infections in young children, and identify 

 individual amino acid positions that may contribute to 

 strain-specific immunity. Our results demonstrate that natural 

 host defenses to P. falciparum act in an allele-specific manner 

 to block specific parasite haplotypes from establishing 

 blood-stage infections. This selection partially explains the 

 extreme amino acid diversity of many parasite antigens and 

 suggests that vaccines targeting such proteins should account for 

 allele-specific immunity.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Compaore2018-ji,

title = {Community approval required for periconceptional adolescent  adherence to weekly iron and/or folic acid supplementation: a  qualitative study in rural Burkina Faso},

author = {Ad\'{e}la"ide Compaor\'{e} and Sabine Gies and Bernard Brabin and Halidou Tinto and Loretta Brabin},

doi = {10.1186/s12978-018-0490-y},

issn = {1742-4755},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-03-01},

urldate = {2018-03-01},

journal = {Reprod. Health},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {48},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency remains a prevalent adolescent health 

 problem in low income countries. Iron supplementation is 

 recommended but improvement of iron status requires good 

 adherence. OBJECTIVES: We explored factors affecting adolescent 

 adherence to weekly iron and/or folic acid supplements in a 

 setting of low secondary school attendance. METHODS: Taped 

 in-depth interviews were conducted with participants in a 

 randomised, controlled, periconceptional iron supplementation 

 trial for young nulliparous women living in a rural, malaria 

 endemic region of Burkina Faso. Participants with good, medium or 

 poor adherence were selected. Interviews were transcribed and 

 analysed thematically. RESULTS: Thirty-nine interviews were 

 conducted. The community initially thought supplements were 

 contraceptives. The potential benefits of giving iron 

 supplementation to unmarried ``girls'' ahead of pregnancy were 

 not recognised. Trial participation, which required parental 

 consent, remained high but was not openly admitted because iron 

 supplements were thought to be contraceptives. Unmarried 

 non-school attenders, being mobile, were often sent to provide 

 domestic labour in varied locations. This interrupted adherence - 

 as did movement of school girls during vacations and at marriage. 

 Field workers tracked participants and trial provision of free 

 treatment encouraged adherence. Most interviewees did not 

 identify health benefits from taking supplements. CONCLUSIONS: 

 For success, communities must be convinced of the value of an 

 adolescent intervention. During this safety trial, benefits not 

 routinely available in iron supplementation programmes were 

 important to this low income community, ensuring adolescent 

 participation. Nevertheless, adolescents were obliged to fulfil 

 cultural duties and roles that interfered with regular adherence 

 to the iron supplementation regime. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial 

 Registration at clinicaltrials.gov : NCT01210040.},

keywords = {Adherence; Adolescents; Burkina Faso; Iron supplementation;   Non-pregnant; Pregnant; Qualitative},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Ramsay2018-mz,

title = {Regional and sex-specific variation in BMI distribution in  four sub-Saharan African countries: The H3Africa AWI-Gen  study},

author = {Mich`ele Ramsay and Nigel J Crowther and Godfred Agongo and Stuart A Ali and Gershim Asiki and Romuald P Boua and F Xavier G\'{o}mez-Oliv\'{e} and Kathleen Kahn and Christopher Khayeka-Wandabwa and Felistas Mashinya and Lisa Micklesfield and Freedom Mukomana and Engelbert A Nonterah and Cassandra Soo and Hermann Sorgho and Alisha N Wade and Ryan G Wagner and Marianne Alberts and Scott Hazelhurst and Catherine Kyobutungi and Shane A Norris and Abraham R Oduro and Osman Sankoh and Halidou Tinto and Stephen Tollman and AWI-Gen and H3Africa Consortium},

doi = {10.1080/16549716.2018.1556561},

issn = {1654-9716},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

urldate = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Glob. Health Action},

volume = {11},

number = {sup2},

pages = {1556561},

publisher = {Informa UK Limited},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: African populations are characterised by diversity 

 at many levels including: demographic history, genetic ancestry, 

 language, wealth, socio-political landscape, culture and 

 behaviour. Several of these have a profound impact on body fat 

 mass. Obesity, a key risk factor for cardiovascular and 

 metabolic diseases, in the wake of the epidemiological and 

 health transitions across the continent, requires detailed 

 analysis together with other major risk factors. OBJECTIVE: To 

 compare regional and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) 

 distributions, using a cross-sectional study design, in adults 

 aged 40-60 years across six study sites in four sub-Saharan 

 African (SSA) countries and to compare the determinants of BMI 

 at each. METHODS: Anthropometric measurements were standardised 

 across sites and BMI calculated. Median BMI and prevalence of 

 underweight, lean, overweight and obesity were compared between 

 the sexes and across sites. Data from multivariable linear 

 regression models for the principal determinants of BMI were 

 summarised from the site-specific studies. RESULTS: BMI was 

 calculated in 10,702 participants (55% female) and was 

 significantly higher in women than men at nearly all sites. The 

 highest prevalence of obesity was observed at the three South 

 African sites (42.3-66.6% in women and 2.81-17.5% in men) and 

 the lowest in West Africa (1.25-4.22% in women and 1.19-2.20% 

 in men). Across sites, higher socio-economic status and 

 educational level were associated with higher BMI. Being married 

 and increased dietary intake were associated with higher BMI in 

 some communities, whilst smoking and alcohol intake were 

 associated with lower BMI, as was HIV infection in the regions 

 where it was prevalent. CONCLUSION: In SSA there is a marked 

 variation in the prevalence of obesity both regionally and 

 between men and women. Our data suggest that the drive for 

 social upliftment within Africa will be associated with rising 

 levels of obesity, which will require the initiation of targeted 

 sex-specific intervention programmes across specific African 

 communities.},

keywords = {BMI; CMD; SSA; obesity; regional variation; sex-specific   variation},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Boua2018-av,

title = {Gender differences in sociodemographic and behavioural factors  associated with BMI in an adult population in rural Burkina  Faso - an AWI-Gen sub-study},

author = {Romuald Palwende Boua and Hermann Sorgho and Toussaint Rouamba and Seydou Nakanabo Diallo and Joel D Bognini and Sophie Z Konkobo and Daniel Valia and Moussa Lingani and Serge Ouoba and Alain S Tougma and Biebo Bihoun and Nigel J Crowther and Shane A Norris and Mich`ele Ramsay and Halidou Tinto and AWI-Gen and H3Africa Consortium},

doi = {10.1080/16549716.2018.1527557},

issn = {1654-9716},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

urldate = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Glob. Health Action},

volume = {11},

number = {sup2},

pages = {1527557},

publisher = {Informa UK Limited},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: The global health transition is linked with an 

 increased burden of non-communicable diseases with 

 cardiovascular diseases leading the epidemic. In sub-Saharan 

 Africa (SSA), the prevalence of obesity has increased during the 

 past decades and there is a need to investigate the associated 

 driving factors. In Burkina Faso obesity remains low, especially 

 in rural areas. In this study we recruited middle-aged adults, 

 as part of a larger study on genetic and environmental 

 contributions to cardiometabolic disease among Africans. 

 OBJECTIVES: To investigate the distribution of BMI and 

 prevalence of obesity in a cross-sectional population-based 

 study and to determine the sociodemographic and behavioural correlates with BMI. METHODS: Participants (N = 2,076) were 

 recruited from the Nanoro Health and Demographic Surveillance 

 System area and were aged 40-60 years. We applied hierarchical 

 modelling to identify factors associated with BMI and structural 

 equation modelling to identify mediated effects of 

 sociodemographic and behavioural variables on BMI. RESULTS: Data 

 are presented on 2,076 participants (49.9% female). Men had 

 significantly higher BMI than women with medians of 21.1 (19.2 - 

 23.4) vs 19.8 (18.1 - 21.6) (p \< 0.001), and there were 

 significantly more underweight women compared to men (31.0% vs 

 17.4%) (p \< 0.001). More men were overweight and obese than 

 women (11.9% vs 5.2% and 2.2% vs 1.4%). Socioeconomic status 

 was the major contributor to increased BMI for men, and 

 education was the main contributor in women. Tobacco smoking and 

 chewing, and problematic alcohol consumption were associated 

 with a decrease in BMI in men and women. CONCLUSION: Overweight 

 and obesity are relatively low among adults in rural Burkina 

 Faso, and men had a higher median BMI than women. Behavioural 

 factors, including tobacco use and alcohol consumption, 

 contributed to a decrease in BMI, whereas socioeconomic status 

 and education (which were both generally low in this community) 

 contributed to an increase in BMI.},

keywords = {BMI; BMI distribution across African communities; chewing   tobacco; hierarchical model; problematic alcohol consumption;   structural equation model; underweight},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Ali2018-fu,

title = {Genomic and environmental risk factors for cardiometabolic  diseases in Africa: methods used for Phase 1 of the AWI-Gen  population cross-sectional study},

author = {Stuart A Ali and Cassandra Soo and Godfred Agongo and Marianne Alberts and Lucas Amenga-Etego and Romuald P Boua and Ananyo Choudhury and Nigel J Crowther and Cornelius Depuur and F Xavier G\'{o}mez-Oliv\'{e} and Issa Guiraud and Tilahun N Haregu and Scott Hazelhurst and Kathleen Kahn and Christopher Khayeka-Wandabwa and Catherine Kyobutungi and Zan\'{e} Lombard and Felistas Mashinya and Lisa Micklesfield and Shukri F Mohamed and Freedom Mukomana and Seydou Nakanabo-Diallo and Hamtandi M Natama and Nicholas Ngomi and Engelbert A Nonterah and Shane A Norris and Abraham R Oduro and Athanase M Som\'{e} and Hermann Sorgho and Paulina Tindana and Halidou Tinto and Stephen Tollman and Rhian Twine and Alisha Wade and Osman Sankoh and Mich`ele Ramsay},

doi = {10.1080/16549716.2018.1507133},

issn = {1654-9716},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

urldate = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Glob. Health Action},

volume = {11},

number = {sup2},

pages = {1507133},

publisher = {Informa UK Limited},

abstract = {There is an alarming tide of cardiovascular and metabolic 

 disease (CMD) sweeping across Africa. This may be a result of an 

 increasingly urbanized lifestyle characterized by the growing 

 consumption of processed and calorie-dense food, combined with 

 physical inactivity and more sedentary behaviour. While the link 

 between lifestyle and public health has been extensively studied 

 in Caucasian and African American populations, few studies have 

 been conducted in Africa. This paper describes the detailed 

 methods for Phase 1 of the AWI-Gen study that were used to 

 capture phenotype data and assess the associated risk factors 

 and end points for CMD in persons over the age of 40 years in 

 sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We developed a population-based 

 cross-sectional study of disease burden and phenotype in 

 Africans, across six centres in SSA. These centres are in West 

 Africa (Nanoro, Burkina Faso, and Navrongo, Ghana), in East 

 Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) and in South Africa (Agincourt, Dikgale 

 and Soweto). A total of 10,702 individuals between the ages of 

 40 and 60 years were recruited into the study across the six 

 centres, plus an additional 1021 participants over the age of 60 

 years from the Agincourt centre. We collected socio-demographic, 

 anthropometric, medical history, diet, physical activity, fat 

 distribution and alcohol/tobacco consumption data from 

 participants. Blood samples were collected for disease-related 

 biomarker assays, and genomic DNA extraction for genome-wide 

 association studies. Urine samples were collected to assess 

 kidney function. The study provides base-line data for the 

 development of a series of cohorts with a second wave of data 

 collection in Phase 2 of the study. These data will provide 

 valuable insights into the genetic and environmental influences 

 on CMD on the African continent.},

keywords = {AWI-Gen; African populations; Cardiometabolic disease; H3Africa;   burden of disease},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Gargano2018-fq,

title = {Efficacy and tolerability outcomes of a phase II, randomized,  open-label, multicenter study of a new water-dispersible  pediatric formulation of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for the  treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in  African infants},

author = {Nicola Gargano and Lola Madrid and Giovanni Valentini and Umberto D'Alessandro and Tinto Halidou and Sodiomon Sirima and Antoinette Tshefu and Ali Mtoro and Samwel Gesase and Eurartesim Dispersible Study Group and Quique Bassat},

doi = {10.1128/AAC.00596-17},

issn = {1098-6596 0066-4804},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-01-01},

urldate = {2018-01-01},

journal = {Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.},

volume = {62},

number = {1},

abstract = {Artemisinin combination therapies are considered the mainstay of 

 malaria treatment, but pediatric-friendly formulations for the 

 treatment of infants are scarce. We sought to evaluate the 

 efficacy and safety of a new dispersible-tablet formulation of 

 dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine phosphate (DHA/PQP) in comparison 

 to the marketed tablet (Eurartesim) in the treatment of infants 

 with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Reported here 

 are the results of a large phase II, randomized, open-label, 

 multicenter trial conducted in African infants (6 to 12 months of 

 age) from Mozambique, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, the Democratic 

 Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania. Primary efficacy endpoint 

 was the PCR-corrected adequate clinical and parasitological 

 response (ACPR) at day 28. Analysis was performed for the 

 intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) populations. A 

 total of 201 patients received the dispersible-tablet 

 formulation, and 99 received the conventional one administered as 

 crushed tablets. At day 28, the PCR-corrected ACPRs were 86.9% 

 (ITT) and 98.3% (PP) in the dispersible-tablet group and 84.9% 

 (ITT) and 100% (PP) in the crushed-tablet group. At day 42, 

 these values were 85.9% (ITT) and 96.5% (PP) in the 

 dispersible-tablet group and 82.8% (ITT) and 96.4% (PP) in the 

 crushed-tablet group. The comparison between survival curves for 

 time to new infections showed no statistically significant differences (P = 0.409). The safety and tolerability profile for 

 the two groups was similar in terms of type and frequency of 

 adverse events and was consistent with that expected in African 

 infants with malaria. A standard 3-day treatment with the new 

 dispersible DHA/PQP formulation is as efficacious as the 

 currently used tablet in African infants and has a comparable 

 safety profile. (This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov 

 under registration no. NCT01992900.).},

keywords = {Africa; antimalarial agents; dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine;   infants; malaria},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Brabin2017-um,

title = {Effects of long-term weekly iron and folic acid supplementation  on lower genital tract infection - a double blind, randomised  controlled trial in Burkina Faso},

author = {Loretta Brabin and Stephen A Roberts and Sabine Gies and Andrew Nelson and Salou Diallo and Christopher J Stewart and Adama Kazienga and Julia Birtles and Sayouba Ouedraogo and Yves Claeys and Halidou Tinto and Umberto d'Alessandro and E Brian Faragher and Bernard Brabin},

doi = {10.1186/s12916-017-0967-5},

issn = {1741-7015},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-11-01},

urldate = {2017-11-01},

journal = {BMC Med.},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {206},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Provision of routine iron supplements to prevent 

 anaemia could increase the risk for lower genital tract 

 infections as virulence of some pathogens depends on iron 

 availability. This trial in Burkina Faso assessed whether weekly 

 periconceptional iron supplementation increased the risk of lower 

 genital tract infection in young non-pregnant and pregnant women. 

 METHODS: Genital tract infections were assessed within a double 

 blind, controlled, non-inferiority trial of malaria risk among 

 nulliparous women, randomised to receive either iron and folic 

 acid or folic acid alone, weekly, under direct observation for 18 

 months. Women conceiving during this period entered the pregnancy 

 cohort. End assessment (FIN) for women remaining non-pregnant was 

 at 18 months. For the pregnancy cohort, end assessment was at the 

 first scheduled antenatal visit (ANC1). Infection markers 

 included Nugent scores for abnormal flora and bacterial vaginosis 

 (BV), T. vaginalis PCR, vaginal microbiota, reported signs and 

 symptoms, and antibiotic and anti-fungal prescriptions. Iron 

 biomarkers were assessed at baseline, FIN and ANC1. Analysis 

 compared outcomes by intention to treat and in iron 

 replete/deficient categories. RESULTS: A total of 1954 women 

 (mean 16.8 years) were followed and 478 (24.5%) became pregnant. 

 Median supplement adherence was 79% (IQR 59-90%). Baseline BV 

 prevalence was 12.3%. At FIN and ANC1 prevalence was 12.8% and 

 7.0%, respectively (P \< 0.011). T. vaginalis prevalence was 

 4.9% at FIN and 12.9% at ANC1 (P \< 0.001). BV and T. vaginalis 

 prevalence and microbiota profiles did not differ at trial 

 end-points. Iron-supplemented non-pregnant women received more antibiotic treatments for non-genital infections (P = 0.014; mainly gastrointestinal infections (P = 0.005), anti-fungal treatments for genital infections (P = 0.014) and analgesics (P = 

 0.008). Weekly iron did not significantly reduce iron deficiency 

 prevalence. At baseline, iron-deficient women were more likely to have normal vaginal flora (P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: 

 Periconceptional weekly iron supplementation of young women did 

 not increase the risk of lower genital tract infections but did 

 increase general morbidity in the non-pregnant cohort. Unabsorbed 

 gut iron due to malaria could induce enteric infections, 

 accounting for the increased administration of antibiotics and 

 antifungals in the iron-supplemented arm. This finding reinforces 

 concerns about routine iron supplementation in highly malarious 

 areas. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number NCT01210040 

 . Registered with Clinicaltrials.gov on 27 September 2010.},

keywords = {Adolescents; Antibiotics; Burkina Faso; Iron; Lower genital tract   infection},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Drakeley2017-nm,

title = {Longitudinal estimation of Plasmodium falciparum prevalence in  relation to malaria prevention measures in six sub-Saharan  African countries},

author = {Chris Drakeley and Salim Abdulla and Selidji Todagbe Agnandji and Jos\'{e} Francisco Fernandes and Peter Kremsner and Bertrand Lell and Ludovic Mewono and Bache Emmanuel Bache and Michael Gabriel Mihayo and Omar Juma and Marcel Tanner and Marc Christian Tahita and Halidou Tinto and Salou Diallo and Palpouguini Lompo and Umberto D'Alessandro and Bernhards Ogutu and Lucas Otieno and Solomon Otieno and Walter Otieno and Janet Oyieko and Kwaku Poku Asante and Dominic Bon-Ereme Dery and George Adjei and Elisha Adeniji and Dorcas Atibilla and Seth Owusu-Agyei and Brian Greenwood and Samwel Gesase and John Lusingu and Coline Mahende and Robert Mongi and Method Segeja and Samuel Adjei and Tsiri Agbenyega and Alex Agyekum and Daniel Ansong and John Tanko Bawa and Harry Owusu Boateng and L\'{e}onard Dandalo and Veronica Escamilla and Irving Hoffman and Peter Maenje and Francis Martinson and Terrell Carter and Didier Leboulleux and David C Kaslow and Effua Usuf and Jean-Yves Pirc con and Edith Roset Bahmanyar},

doi = {10.1186/s12936-017-2078-3},

issn = {1475-2875},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-10-01},

urldate = {2017-10-01},

journal = {Malar. J.},

volume = {16},

number = {1},

pages = {433},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Plasmodium falciparum prevalence (PfPR) is a widely 

 used metric for assessing malaria transmission intensity. This 

 study was carried out concurrently with the RTS,S/AS01 candidate 

 malaria vaccine Phase III trial and estimated PfPR over $\leq$ 4 

 standardized cross-sectional surveys. METHODS: This epidemiology 

 study (NCT01190202) was conducted in 8 sites from 6 countries 

 (Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Tanzania), 

 between March 2011 and December 2013. Participants were enrolled 

 in a 2:1:1 ratio according to age category: 6 months-4 years, 

 5-19 years, and $geq$ 20 years, respectively, per year and per 

 centre. All sites carried out surveys 1-3 while survey 4 was 

 conducted only in 3 sites. Surveys were usually performed during 

 the peak malaria parasite transmission season, in one home visit, 

 when medical history and malaria risk factors/prevention measures 

 were collected, and a blood sample taken for rapid diagnostic 

 test, microscopy, and haemoglobin measurement. PfPR was estimated 

 by site and age category. RESULTS: Overall, 6401 (survey 1), 6411 

 (survey 2), 6400 (survey 3), and 2399 (survey 4) individuals were 

 included in the analyses. In the 6 months-4 years age group, the 

 lowest prevalence (assessed using microscopy) was observed in 2 

 Tanzanian centres (4.6% for Korogwe and 9.95% for Bagamoyo) and 

 Lambar\'{e}n\'{e}, Gabon (6.0%), while the highest PfPR was 

 recorded for Nanoro, Burkina Faso (52.5%). PfPR significantly 

 decreased over the 3 years in Agogo (Ghana), Kombewa (Kenya), 

 Lilongwe (Malawi), and Bagamoyo (Tanzania), and a trend for 

 increased PfPR was observed over the 4 surveys for Kintampo, 

 Ghana. Over the 4 surveys, for all sites, PfPR was predominantly 

 higher in the 5-19 years group than in the other age categories. 

 Occurrence of fever and anaemia was associated with high P. 

 falciparum parasitaemia. Univariate analyses showed a significant 

 association of anti-malarial treatment in 4 surveys (odds ratios 

 [ORs]: 0.52, 0.52, 0.68, 0.41) and bed net use in 2 surveys (ORs: 

 0.63, 0.68, 1.03, 1.78) with lower risk of malaria infection. 

 CONCLUSION: Local PfPR differed substantially between sites and 

 age groups. In children 6 months-4 years old, a significant 

 decrease in prevalence over the 3 years was observed in 4 out of 

 the 8 study sites. Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov 

 identifier: NCT01190202:NCT. GSK Study ID numbers: 114001.},

keywords = {Anaemia; Epidemiology; Malaria; Plasmodium falciparum;   Prevalence; Transmission},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Macintyre2017-tq,

title = {A randomised, double-blind clinical phase II trial of the  efficacy, safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of a single  dose combination treatment with artefenomel and piperaquine in  adults and children with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum  malaria},

author = {Fiona Macintyre and Yeka Adoke and Alfred B Tiono and Tran Thanh Duong and Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma and Marielle Bouyou-Akotet and Halidou Tinto and Quique Bassat and Saadou Issifou and Marc Adamy and Helen Demarest and Stephan Duparc and Didier Leroy and Bart E Laurijssens and Sophie Biguenet and Afizi Kibuuka and Antoinette Kitoto Tshefu and Melnick Smith and Chanelle Foster and Illse Leipoldt and Peter G Kremsner and Bui Quang Phuc and Alphonse Ouedraogo and Michael Ramharter and OZ-Piperaquine Study Group},

doi = {10.1186/s12916-017-0940-3},

issn = {1741-7015},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-10-01},

urldate = {2017-10-01},

journal = {BMC Med.},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {181},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: The clinical development of a single encounter 

 treatment for uncomplicated malaria has the potential to 

 significantly improve the effectiveness of antimalarials. 

 Exploratory data suggested that the combination of artefenomel 

 and piperaquine phosphate (PQP) has the potential to achieve 

 satisfactory cure rates as a single dose therapy. The primary 

 objective of the study was to determine whether a single dose of 

 artefenomel (800 mg) plus PQP in ascending doses is an 

 efficacious treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum 

 malaria in the 'target' population of children $\leq$ 5 years of 

 age in Africa as well as Asian patients of all ages. METHODS: 

 Patients in six African countries and in Vietnam were randomised 

 to treatment with follow-up for 42-63 days. Efficacy, 

 tolerability, safety and pharmacokinetics were assessed. 

 Additional key objectives were to characterise the 

 exposure-response relationship for polymerase chain reaction 

 (PCR)-adjusted adequate clinical and parasitological response at 

 day 28 post-dose (ACPR28) and to further investigate Kelch13 mutations. Patients in Africa (n = 355) and Vietnam (n = 82) were 

 included, with 85% of the total population being children 95% 

 PCR-adjusted ACPR at day 28. Achieving very high efficacy 

 following single dose treatment is challenging, since \> 95% of 

 the population must have sufficient concentrations to achieve 

 cure across a range of parasite sensitivities and baseline 

 parasitaemia levels. While challenging, the development of tools 

 suitable for deployment as single encounter curative treatments 

 for adults and children in Africa and to support elimination 

 strategies remains a key development goal. TRIAL REGISTRATION: 

 ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02083380 . Registered on 7 March 2014.},

keywords = {Artefenomel; Children; Dose-response; OZ439; Pharmacokinetics;   Phase II B; Piperaquine; Single dose combination treatment;   Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria; modelling and   simulation},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}