Artificial intelligence (AI) requires new ways of evaluating national technology use and strategy for African nations. We conduct a survey of existing “readiness” assessments both for general digital adoption and AI policy in particular. We conclude that existing global readiness assessments do not fully capture African states’ progress in AI readiness and lay the groundwork for how assessments can be better used for the African context. We consider the extent to which these indicators map to the African context and what these indicators miss in capturing African states’ on-the-ground work in meeting AI capability. Through case studies of four African nations of diverse geographic and economic dimensions, we identify nuances missed by global assessments and offer high-level policy considerations for how states can best improve their AI readiness standards and prepare their societies to capture the benefits of AI.

Extant research often assumes that the letter of labour codes is an adequate proxy for effective regulation. This paper empirically shows that such an assumption makes little sense for Senegal. We collect new objective measures of private and public labour enforcement, including workers’ awareness of their rights, access to the judiciary, penalties, and labour inspection resources and activities. We document that Senegal, as well as other countries in Francophone West Africa, is characterised by a combination of protective/stringent in-form labour codes and little enforcement efforts. Furthermore, we show that labour inspections target large and registered firms, while labour violations are more prevalent in small and unregistered firms, implying that the problem is substantially more complex than a lack of public inspection funding. We speculate it is mostly about the lack of effective representation of vulnerable workers in the policymaking process.

Malaria is endemic in Guinea; however, the extent and role in transmission of asymptomatic malaria are not well understood. In May 2023, we conducted a rapid community survey to determine Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) prevalence among asymptomatic individuals in Middle Guinea (Prefecture Dalaba) and Forest Guinea (Prefecture Guéckédou). In Dalaba, 6 of 239 (2.1%, confidence interval (CI) 0.9–4.8%) individuals tested positive for P. falciparum by a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), while in Guéckédou, 147 of 235 (60.9%, CI 54.5–66.9%) participants tested positive. Asymptomatic malaria needs to be considered more strongly as a driver of transmission when designing control strategies, especially in Forest Guinea and potentially other hyper-endemic settings.

Vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) is effective at preventing vertical transmission. Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea are hyperendemic West African countries; yet, childhood vaccination coverage is suboptimal, and the determinants of incomplete vaccination are poorly understood. We analyzed national survey data (2018–2020) of children aged 4–35 months to assess complete HBV vaccination (receiving 3 doses of the pentavalent vaccine) and incomplete vaccination (receiving <3 doses). Statistical analysis was conducted using the complex sample command in SPSS (version 28). Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify determinants of incomplete immunization. Overall, 11,181 mothers were analyzed (4,846 from Sierra Leone, 2,788 from Liberia, and 3,547 from Guinea). Sierra Leone had the highest HBV childhood vaccination coverage (70.3%), followed by Liberia (64.6%) and Guinea (39.3%). Within countries, HBV vaccination coverage varied by socioeconomic characteristics and healthcare access. In multivariate regression analysis, factors that were significantly associated with incomplete vaccination in at least one country included sex of the child, Muslim mothers, lower household wealth index, <4 antenatal visits, home delivery, and distance to health facility vaccination (all p < 0.05). Understanding and addressing modifiable determinants of incomplete vaccination will be essential to help achieve the 2030 viral hepatitis elimination goals.

Conservation action plans need to be devised and implemented if we are to reduce the extinction risk faced by globally threatened plants. However, most plant species categorized as threatened globally on the IUCN Red List lack conservation action plans. In West Africa, Guinea is one of the most diverse countries in terms of botanical species. In total, 273 plant species in Guinea have been assessed as being threatened globally, reflecting increasing pressure from the extractive industry and a growing population requiring food and fuel. In parallel with the implementation of an Important Plant Area programme in Guinea, we developed conservation action plans for 20 threatened plant species through a pilot study. We outline the methods we used and demonstrate the importance of adopting a collaborative approach and having up-to-date field information. The need for such plans is urgent, with recent estimates suggesting that one-third of African plants are threatened with extinction. Based on our experience with the first 20 conservation action plans for Guinea species, we suggest that the preparation of multi-species conservation action plans would be an efficient use of the limited resources available for species conservation.

This study investigated the efficacy of a combined modified cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI) approach on motivating persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) in obtaining employment. The sample consisted of a total of 52 individuals with ID who were clients of an independent vocational-rehabilitation services provider (females = 42%; males = 58%), ranging in age from 19 to 47. They were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 26) and a control group (n = 26). The intervention group received a combined modified CBT and MI intervention and the control group a fact sheet on career-dysfunctional thoughts and lack of motivation to obtain employment. Outcome measures comprised a career-dysfunctional thoughts scale and employment seeking action scale. Results indicated that the intervention group reported higher motivation in obtaining employment than the control. Practitioners seeking to improve employment prospects for persons with ID should consider the use of a combined modified CBT and MI intervention for increasing the chances of employment seeking by people with ID.

Social media research during natural disasters has been presented as a tool to guide response and relief efforts in the disciplines of geography and computer sciences. This systematic review highlights the public health implications of social media use in the response phase of the emergency, assessing (1) how social media can improve the dissemination of emergency warning and response information during and after a natural disaster, and (2) how social media can help identify physical, medical, functional, and emotional needs after a natural disaster. We surveyed the literature using 3 databases and included 44 research articles. We found that analyses of social media data were performed using a wide range of spatiotemporal scales. Social media platforms were identified as broadcasting tools presenting an opportunity for public health agencies to share emergency warnings. Social media was used as a tool to identify areas in need of relief operations or medical assistance by using self-reported location, with map development as a common method to visualize data. In retrospective analyses, social media analysis showed promise as an opportunity to reduce the time of response and to identify the individuals’ location. Further research for misinformation and rumor control using social media is needed.

This study investigated the efficacy of a live theater performance intervention for enhancing the attitudes of pre-service rehabilitation students toward people with disabilities. A convenience sample of 54 undergraduate students of Latino/a descent (females = 33 and males = 21), age range 18 - 24 completed a pre-post design attitude change intervention. Data were collected on the students’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities, using the scale of attitudes towards disabled persons, and gladness, using a liker scale. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data. Results indicated the live theater performance intervention was more effective in providing positive emotion of gladness and in improving the attitudes of the students towards PWDs compared to simple print media.

In 2013, the Guinean health authority had to reorganise and run a national response against malaria as a priority. The review of the National Strategic Plan to fight malaria in Guinea was carried out and one of its critical components was the prevention and rapid management of fever (RMF) attributable to malaria in children. The study reports on the demographic and health determinants of this rapid management in children under 5. The participants were 4786 children from 2874 representative households. RMF was defined in terms of recourse to primary care. The recourse was defined by child's reference for the treatment of fever which led or not to treatment of malaria. We found that 1491 children (31.2%) had a bout of fever within the 2 weeks that preceded the survey. The prevalence of malaria was 45.4% among those children who have a bout of fever. The recourse to traditional healers was estimated at 9.6% and the use of health facilities was estimated at 71.5%. Overall, 74.9% of children with fever received treatment within the recommended timeliness (24 h), with regional disparity in this rapid response. The high proportion of recourse to traditional healers is still a matter of concern. New control and prevention strategies should be extended to traditional healers for their training and involvement in directing febrile children to health facilities.

The 2017 plague outbreak in Madagascar was unprecedented in the African region, resulting in 2417 cases (498 confirmed, 793 probable and 1126 suspected) and 209 deaths by the end of the acute urban pneumonic phase of the outbreak. The Health Emergencies Programme of the WHO Regional Office for Africa together with the WHO Country Office and WHO Headquarters assisted the Ministry of Public Health of Madagascar in the rapid implementation of plague prevention and control measures while collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data to inform immediate interventions. We document the key findings of the evidence available to date and actions taken as a result. Based on the four goals of operational research – effective dissemination of results, peer-reviewed publication, changes to policy and practice and improvements in programme performance and health – we evaluate the use of evidence to inform response to the outbreak and describe lessons learned for future outbreak responses in the WHO African region. This article may not be reprinted or reused in any way in order to promote any commercial products or services.

There is interest in exploiting and developing natural resources, particularly deposits of natural clays. Senegal has several clay mineral deposits for which chemical and mineralogical compositions have been little studied. Some of these natural materials are nowadays used in pottery and ceramics. To extend applications, a better basic knowledge is required and, for this objective, the raw clay and separated <2 μm clay fraction from Keur Saër (Senegal) were subjected to chemical and mineralogical studies. Several techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (TG-DTA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, cation exchange capacity (CEC) measurements and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) have been used to characterize the material. It was found that the raw clay and the separated clay fraction consist of a mineral mixture in which kaolinite is the main component. 29Si and 27Al MAS-NMR spectra show the presence of silicon atoms linked to three other silicon atoms via an oxygen atom and six coordinated Al atoms. Significant increases in the specific surface area and cation exchange capacity were observed on purification, reaching a maximum of about 73.2 m2g–1 and 9.5 meq/100 g for the separated fine clay fraction while the values for the raw material were around 28.9 m2g–1 and 7.3 meq/100 g.

The global spread of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) may be due to HIV/AIDS and other environmental factors. The symptoms of NTM and tuberculosis (TB) disease are indistinguishable, but their treatments are different. Lack of research on the epidemiology of NTM infections has led to underestimation of its prevalence within TB endemic countries. This study was designed to determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of pulmonary NTM in Bamako. A cross-sectional study which include 439 suspected cases of pulmonary TB. From 2006 to 2013 a total of 332 (76%) were confirmed to have sputum culture positive for mycobacteria. The prevalence of NTM infection was 9.3% of our study population and 12.3% of culture positive patients. The seroprevalence of HIV in NTM group was 17.1%. Patients who weighed <55 kg and had TB symptoms other than cough were also significantly more likely to have disease due to NTM as compared to those with TB disease who were significantly more likely to have cough and weigh more than 55 kg (OR 0.05 (CI 0.02–0.13) and OR 0.32 (CI 0.11–0.93) respectively). NTM disease burden in Bamako was substantial and diagnostic algorithms for pulmonary disease in TB endemic countries should consider the impact of NTM.