Publications

@article{nokey,

title = {Changing Dietary Habits: The Impact of Urbanization and Rising Socio-Economic Status in Families from Burkina Faso in Sub-Saharan Africa.},

author = {Silene Casari and Monica Di Paola and Elena Banci and Salou Diallo and Luca Scarallo and Sara Renzo and Agnese Gori and Sonia Renzi and Monica Paci and Quirijn Mast and Tal Pecht and Karim Derra and Berenger Kabor\'{e} and Halidou Tinto and Duccio Cavalieri and Paolo Lionetti},

doi = {10.3390/nu14091782},

issn = {2072-6643},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-04-01},

urldate = {2022-04-01},

journal = {Nutrients},

volume = {14},

issue = {9},

abstract = {(1) Background: Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing the fastest urbanization worldwide. People in rural areas still have a traditional and rural lifestyle, whereas the Westernization of diet and lifestyle is already evident in urban areas. This study describes dietary habits of families in Burkina Faso living at different levels of urbanization. (2) Methods: Data on lifestyle, socio-economic conditions, health status and anthropometry were collected from 30 families living in rural villages, a small town and the capital city. A food frequency questionnaire and a 24 h recall diary were used to estimate dietary habits and macronutrients intake. (3) Results: The urban cohort showed a more diversified diet, with a higher intake of animal protein and, especially in children, a higher consumption of simple sugars. Fiber intake was significantly higher in the rural and semi-urbanized cohorts. As expected, overweight and obesity gradually increased with the level of urbanization. In semi-urbanized and urban families, we observed coexistence of under- and over-nutrition, whereas in rural families, a portion of children were wasted and stunted, and adults were underweight. (4) Conclusions: These three cohorts represent a model of the effect on diet of rural-to-urban migration. Rural diet and traditional habits are replaced by a Western-oriented diet when families move to urbanized areas. This dietary transition and increased socio-economic status in newly developing urban areas have a major impact on disease epidemiology, resembling the past evolution in Western countries.},

keywords = {*Economic Status, *Urbanization, Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso/epidemiology, Feeding Behavior, fiber intake, Humans, rural diet, Rural Population, sub-Saharan Africa, Urban Population, urbanization, Western diet},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Jaspard2021-bl,

title = {Clinical presentation, outcomes and factors associated with  mortality: A prospective study from three COVID-19 referral  care centres in West Africa},

author = {Marie Jaspard and Mamadou Saliou Sow and Sylvain Juchet and Eric Diender\'{e} and Beatrice Serra and Richard Kojan and Billy Sivahera and Caroline Martin and Moumouni Kinda and Hans-Joerg Lang and Fod\'{e} Bangaly Sako and Fod\'{e} Amara Traor\'{e} and Eudoxie Koumbem and Halidou Tinto and Adama Sanou and Apoline Sondo and Flavien Kabor\'{e} and Joseph Donamou and Jean-Paul-Yassa Guilavogui and Fanny Velardo and Brice Bicaba and Olivier Marcy and Augustin Augier and Sani Sayadi and Armel Poda and Sakoba Keita and Xavier Anglaret and Denis Malvy and COVISTA group},

doi = {10.1016/j.ijid.2021.05.024},

issn = {1878-3511 1201-9712},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-07-01},

urldate = {2021-07-01},

journal = {Int. J. Infect. Dis.},

volume = {108},

pages = {45--52},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The overall death toll from COVID-19 in Africa is 

 reported to be low but there is little individual-level evidence 

 on the severity of the disease. This study examined the clinical 

 spectrum and outcome of patients monitored in COVID-19 care 

 centres (CCCs) in two West-African countries. METHODS: Burkina 

 Faso and Guinea set up referral CCCs to hospitalise all 

 symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers, regardless of the severity of 

 their symptoms. Data collected from hospitalised patients by 

 November 2020 are presented. RESULT: A total of 1,805 patients 

 (64% men, median age 41 years) were admitted with COVID-19. 

 Symptoms lasted for a median of 7 days (IQR 4-11). During 

 hospitalisation, 443 (25%) had a SpO2 < 94% at least once, 237 

 (13%) received oxygen and 266 (15%) took corticosteroids. 

 Mortality was 5% overall, and 1%, 5% and 14% in patients 

 aged <40, 40-59 and $geq$60 years, respectively. In 

 multivariable analysis, the risk of death was higher in men (aOR 

 2.0, 95% CI 1.1; 3.6), people aged $geq$60 years (aOR 2.9, 

 95% CI 1.7; 4.8) and those with chronic hypertension (aOR 2.1, 

 95% CI 1.2; 3.4). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 is as severe in Africa 

 as elsewhere, and there must be more vigilance for common risk 

 factors such as older age and hypertension.},

note = {Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

PMID: 34000419 

PMCID: PMC8120805},

keywords = {Adult, Aged, Burkina Faso/epidemiology, Comorbidities, COVID-19, Female, Hospitalization, Humans, Male, Mortality, Prospective Studies, Referral and Consultation, SARS-Cov-2, sub-Saharan Africa},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nonterah2021-pc,

title = {Adiposity phenotypes and subclinical atherosclerosis in adults  from sub-Saharan Africa: An H3Africa AWI-gen study},

author = {Engelbert A Nonterah and Michiel L Bots and Abraham Oduro and Godfred Agongo and Cassandra C Soo and Lisa K Micklesfield and Felistas Mashinya and Palwend\'{e} R Boua and Shukri F Mohamed and Alisha N Wade and Catherine Kyobutungi and Halidou Tinto and Shane A Norris and Stephen M Tollman and Mich`ele Ramsay and Diederick E Grobbee and Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch and Nigel J Crowther and AWI-Gen and H3Africa Consortium},

doi = {10.5334/gh.863},

issn = {2211-8179 2211-8160},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-03-19},

urldate = {2021-03-19},

journal = {Glob. Heart},

volume = {16},

number = {1},

pages = {19},

publisher = {Ubiquity Press, Ltd.},

abstract = {Background: Obesity and adipose tissue distribution contribute 

 to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 

 promoting atherosclerosis. This association has been poorly 

 studied in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) despite the rising 

 prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Objectives: We determined 

 the association between various adiposity phenotypes and carotid 

 intima-media thickness (CIMT), a proxy of subclinical 

 atherosclerosis, in a large SSA population. Methods: A 

 population-based cross-sectional study was performed from 

 2013-2016 in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. Body 

 mass index (BMI), waist (WC), hip circumferences (HC), visceral 

 (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) using B-mode 

 ultrasound were measured. Ultrasonography of left and right far 

 wall CIMT of the common carotid artery was used as an indicator 

 of subclinical atherosclerosis. Individual participant data 

 meta-analyses were used to determine the associations between 

 adiposity phenotypes and CIMT in the pooled sample while 

 adjusted multivariable linear regression analyses were used for 

 site specific analyses. Results: Data were obtained from 9,010 

 adults (50.3% women and a mean age of 50$pm$ 6years). Men had 

 higher levels of visceral fat than women while women had higher 

 BMI, waist and hip circumference and subcutaneous fat than men 

 at all sites except Burkina Faso. In the pooled analyses, BMI 

 ($beta$-value [95% CIs]: 19.5 [16.8, 22.3] $mu$m) showed the 

 strongest relationship with CIMT followed by VAT (5.86 [4.65, 

 7.07] $mu$m), SCAT (5.00 [2.85, 7.15] $mu$m), WC (1.27 [1.09, 

 1.44] $mu$m) and HC (1.23 [1.04, 1.42] $mu$m). Stronger 

 associations were observed in men than in women. Conclusion: 

 Obesity within SSA will likely result in higher levels of 

 atherosclerosis and promote the occurrence of cardio- and 

 cerebrovascular events, especially in males, unless addressed 

 through primary prevention of obesity in both rural and urban 

 communities across Africa. The inverse association of VAT with 

 CIMT in Burkina Faso and Ghana requires further investigation. 

 Highlights: All adiposity phenotypes were positively associated 

 with common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in the entire 

 cohort (pooled analyses).BMI had the strongest association with 

 CIMT compared to other phenotypes.The magnitude of association 

 between adiposity phenotypes and CIMT was higher in men than in 

 women.Subcutaneous adipose tissue was inversely associated with 

 CIMT only in women.An unexpected finding was the inverse 

 association of visceral adipose tissue with CIMT in Burkina Faso 

 and Ghana.},

note = {Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s).

PMID: 33833943 

PMCID: PMC7977036},

keywords = {adiposity, Adult, Body Mass Index, cardiovascular   disease, Carotid intima-media thickness, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Ghana, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, obesity, Obesity/complications/epidemiology, Phenotype, Risk Factors, sub-Saharan Africa, subclinical   atherosclerosis},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Skrip2020-fq,

title = {Clinical management and mortality among COVID-19 cases in  sub-Saharan Africa: A retrospective study from Burkina Faso and  simulated case analysis},

author = {Laura Skrip and Karim Derra and Mikaila Kabor\'{e} and Navideh Noori and Adama Gansan\'{e} and Innocent Val\'{e}a and Halidou Tinto and Bicaba W Brice and Mollie Van Gordon and Brittany Hagedorn and Herv\'{e} Hien and Benjamin M Althouse and Edward A Wenger and Andr\'{e} Lin Ou\'{e}draogo},

doi = {10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.1432},

issn = {1878-3511 1201-9712},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-12-01},

urldate = {2020-12-01},

journal = {Int. J. Infect. Dis.},

volume = {101},

pages = {194--200},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Absolute numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths 

 reported to date in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region have 

 been significantly lower than those across the Americas, Asia 

 and Europe. As a result, there has been limited information 

 about the demographic and clinical characteristics of deceased 

 cases in the region, as well as the impacts of different case 

 management strategies. METHODS: Data from deceased cases 

 reported across SSA through 10 May 2020 and from hospitalized 

 cases in Burkina Faso through 15 April 2020 were analyzed. 

 Demographic, epidemiological and clinical information on 

 deceased cases in SSA was derived through a line-list of 

 publicly available information and, for cases in Burkina Faso, 

 from aggregate records at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire 

 de Tengandogo in Ouagadougou. A synthetic case population was 

 probabilistically derived using distributions of age, sex and 

 underlying conditions from populations of West African countries 

 to assess individual risk factors and treatment effect sizes. 

 Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the 

 adjusted odds of survival for patients receiving oxygen therapy 

 or convalescent plasma, based on therapeutic effectiveness 

 observed for other respiratory illnesses. RESULTS: Across SSA, 

 deceased cases for which demographic data were available were 

 predominantly male (63/103, 61.2%) and aged >50 years (59/75, 

 78.7%). In Burkina Faso, specifically, the majority of deceased 

 cases either did not seek care at all or were hospitalized for a 

 single day (59.4%, 19/32). Hypertension and diabetes were often 

 reported as underlying conditions. After adjustment for sex, age 

 and underlying conditions in the synthetic case population, the 

 odds of mortality for cases not receiving oxygen therapy were 

 significantly higher than for those receiving oxygen, such as 

 due to disruptions to standard care (OR 2.07; 95% CI 

 1.56-2.75). Cases receiving convalescent plasma had 50% reduced 

 odds of mortality than those who did not (95% CI 0.24-0.93). 

 CONCLUSIONS: Investment in sustainable production and 

 maintenance of supplies for oxygen therapy, along with messaging 

 around early and appropriate use for healthcare providers, 

 caregivers and patients could reduce COVID-19 deaths in SSA. 

 Further investigation into convalescent plasma is warranted 

 until data on its effectiveness specifically in treating 

 COVID-19 becomes available. The success of supportive or 

 curative clinical interventions will depend on earlier treatment 

 seeking, such that community engagement and risk communication 

 will be critical components of the response.},

note = {Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

PMID: 32987177 

PMCID: PMC7518969},

keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Africa South of the Sahara, Aged, Antiviral Agents/administration \& dosage, Asia/epidemiology, Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso/epidemiology, Child, Clinical management of SARS-CoV-2 infection: convalescent plasma, COVID-19/drug therapy/epidemiology/mortality/therapy, Europe/epidemiology, Female, Health systems strengthening, Humans, Immunization, Infant, Male, Mortality, Oxygen therapy, Pandemics, Passive, Preschool, Retrospective Studies, SARS-CoV-2 infection, SARS-CoV-2/drug effects/physiology, sub-Saharan Africa, Young Adult},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nokey,

title = {Aetiologies of non-malaria febrile episodes in children under 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa.},

author = {Francois Kiemde and Ren\'{e} Spijker and Petra F. Mens and Halidou Tinto and Michael Boele and Henk D. F. H. Schallig},

year  = {2016},

date = {2016-08-01},

journal = {Tropical medicine \& international health : TM \& IH},

volume = {21},

issue = {8},

pages = {943-955},

address = {England},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of the most frequent aetiologies found in febrile episodes of children under 5 years from sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for publications in English and French on non-malaria fever episodes in African children under 5 years of age, which were published between January 1990 and July 2015. Case reports and conference abstracts were excluded. RESULTS: In total, 3851 titles and abstracts were reviewed, and 153 were selected for full screening of which 18 were included in the present review. Bloodstream infection (BSI) was most commonly investigated (nine of 18) followed by urinary tract infection (UTI) (four of 18) and respiratory tract infection (RTI) (two of 18). Few studies investigated BSI and UTI in the same children (two of 18), or BSI and gastrointestinal infection (GII) (one of 18). As for BSI, the most frequently isolated bacteria were E. coli (four of 12), Streptococcus pneumonia (four of 12), Salmonella spp (three of 12) and Staphylococcus aureus (two of 12) with a positive identification rate of 19.7-33.3%, 5.2-27.6%, 11.7-65.4% and 23.5-42.0%, respectively. As for UTI, the main bacteria isolated were E. coli (six of six) and Klebsiella spp (six of six) with a positive rate of 20.0-72.3% and 10.0-28.5%, respectively. No bacterium was isolated in RTI group, but Human influenzae A and B were frequently found, with the highest positive identification rate in Tanzania (75.3%). Dengue virus (two of 12) was the most frequently reported viral infection with a positive identification rate of 16.7-30.8%. Finally, only rotavirus/adenovirus (69.2% positive identification rate) was found in GII and no bacterium was isolated in this group. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of treatable causes of non-malaria fever episodes requires a proper diagnosis of the origin of fever followed by an appropriate treatment, thereby reducing the under-5 mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and preventing the overprescription of antibiotics and thus circumventing the rise of antibiotic resistance.},

keywords = {aetiology, \'{A}frica subsahariana, Afrique subsaharienne, Children, enfants, etiolog\'{i}a, \'{e}tiologie, Fever, fiebre, fi\`{e}vre, Malaria, ni\~{n}os, paludisme, sub-Saharan Africa},

pubstate = {Publisher},

tppubtype = {article}

}