scholarly journals How Eliminating Malaria May Also Prevent Iron Deficiency in African Children

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 96 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Muriuki ◽  
Sarah Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Malaria Infection ◽  
Iron Status ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Children ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Factor Α ◽  
Epidemiology Studies ◽  
Necrosis Factor

Malaria and iron deficiency are common among children living in sub-Saharan Africa. Several studies have linked a child’s iron status to their future risk of malaria infection; however, few have examined whether malaria might be a cause of iron deficiency. Approximately a quarter of African children at any one time are infected by malaria and malaria increases hepcidin and tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations leading to poor iron absorption and recycling. In support of a hypothetical link between malaria and iron deficiency, studies indicate that the prevalence of iron deficiency in children increases over a malaria season and decreases when malaria transmission is interrupted. The link between malaria and iron deficiency can be tested through the use of observational studies, randomized controlled trials and genetic epidemiology studies, each of which has its own strengths and limitations. Confirming the existence of a causal link between malaria infection and iron deficiency would readjust priorities for programs to prevent and treat iron deficiency and would demonstrate a further benefit of malaria control.

scholarly journals Vitamin D status is associated with iron status, but not anemia, in African children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reagan M Mogire ◽  
John Muthii Muriuki ◽  
Alireza Morovat ◽  
Alexander J Mentzer ◽  
Emily L Webb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Iron Status ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Vitamin D Status ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
African Children ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
African Populations

Background Nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin D and iron deficiency, are prevalent among children living in sub-Saharan Africa. Vitamin D inhibits the transcription of the iron hormone hepcidin thus permitting efficient iron absorption, and iron deficiency alters vitamin D metabolism. Studies have reported associations between vitamin D and iron status, but little is known about their association in African populations. Objective We aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin D and iron status in African children. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we measured biomarkers of iron status, inflammation and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in 4509 children aged 0.3 months to 8 years from Kenya, Uganda, Burkina Faso, The Gambia and South Africa. We used regression analyses to evaluate the association between vitamin D and iron status. Results Stunting, underweight, inflammation and malaria were highly prevalent. Overall prevalence of iron deficiency was 35.1%, while the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 0.6% and 7.8% as defined by 25(OH)D levels of <30 nmol/L and <50 nmol/L respectively. Children with 25(OH)D levels <50 nmol/L had an 80% increased risk of iron deficiency (OR 1.80 [95% CI 1.40, 2.31]) and had lower hepcidin levels than those with 25(OH)D levels >75 nmol/L. 25(OH)D levels were positively associated with ferritin, hepcidin and soluble transferrin receptor levels and negatively associated with serum iron and transferrin saturation in multivariable regression analyses. Vitamin D status was not associated with hemoglobin levels or anemia. Conclusions These findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency may variably influence different iron compartments and measures of iron status in young African children. Additional research is required to confirm these findings and determine direction of causality. The interplay between vitamin D and iron status should be considered in strategies to manage these nutrient deficiencies in African populations.

Multiple, large intra-abdominal cystic lesions and iron deficiency anaemia as the presenting symptoms of SDHD gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) in a young sub-Saharan woman

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. e242146
Author(s):  
Nyenyeri Lieve Darlene ◽  
Niyomwungeri Reverien ◽  
Dirk J J van Leeuwen ◽  
Deo Ruhangaza
Keyword(s):  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Iron Deficiency Anaemia ◽  
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour ◽  
Stromal Tumour ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Cystic Lesions ◽  
Long Term Outcome ◽  
Deficiency Anaemia ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Sub Saharan

We report the case of a 27-year-old female patient from sub-Saharan Africa who presented with non-specific abdominal complaints, iron deficiency anaemia and multiple, large intra-abdominal cystic lesions on imaging. The lesions appeared to be a most unusual presentation of gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST). GIST is a sarcomatous tumour that comprises only 0.2% of all gastrointestinal (GI) tumours; it is the most common mesenchymal malignancy of the GI tract. Our patient had the succinate dehydrogenase-deficient (SDHD) subtype, identified in some 5%–10% of patients with GIST only, commonly found in women and younger patients. The differential diagnosis of intra-abdominal cystic lesions is briefly discussed, including the relevance of a correct pathological diagnosis. This impacts medical and surgical management decisions, including predicting response to targeted therapy. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy has been a breakthrough in the treatment of GISTs, although with extensive disease, and certainly in case of the SDHD subtype, long-term outcome remains disappointing.

scholarly journals Production And Use Of A Shelf-Stable Bovine Blood Powder For Food Fortification As A Food-Based Strategy To Combat Iron Deficiency Anaemia In Sub-Saharan Africa

2005 ◽  
Vol 05 (01) ◽  
pp. 01-18
Author(s):  
JK Kikafunda ◽  
◽  
P Sserumaga ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Iron Deficiency Anaemia ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Bovine Blood ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Deficiency Anaemia ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Shelf Stable ◽  
Very High

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is the most widespread micro-nutrient deficiency disease world-wide, particularly in developing countries. Although there are several strategies to combat IDA, food-based strategies are the most sustainable and yet little research has been carried out in this area. The study aimed at developing a technology for processing and preserving bovine blood into a shelf-stable powder, which would easily be utilised in fortifying commonly consumed food items, as a food-based strategy in the fight against iron deficiency anaemia. A shelf-stable powder was processed from fresh bovine blood and the physical, chemical, microbiological and shelf-life characteristics assessed using conventional methods. The results of the chemical analysis showed that bovine blood powder has a very high concentration of haeme iron at 195.46 mg/100g of powder. This is more than ten times the level of iron in bovine liver, one of the most commonly used food source of haeme iron whose iron content is only 17 mg/100gm of liver. Although microbiological tests carried out on the freshly processed blood powder and on the same powder after one and three months of storage at room temperature found a significant rise in yeast, mould and total plate counts, these values were low and within safe limits. The blood powder was used to fortify a bean sauce. Sensory analysis panellists considered the fortified bean sauce moderately acceptable with a mean score of 4.667 (like slightly) compared to a mean score of 2.333 (like very much) for the non-fortified sauce, on a nine point Hedonic scale. These findings show that processed bovine blood powder has very high levels of haeme iron and thus has great potential as a food-based strategy to combat iron-deficiency anaemia in resource-poor developing countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa. However, more research is needed to improve the microbiological and sensory characteristics of the blood powder.

scholarly journals Do African Children Have an Equal Chance?: A Human Opportunity Report for Sub-Saharan Africa

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Dabalen ◽  
Ambar Narayan ◽  
Jaime Saavedra-Chanduvi ◽  
Alejandro Hoyos Suarez
Keyword(s):  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Children ◽  
Equal Chance ◽  
Sub Saharan

scholarly journals Malaria in Tunisian Military Personnel after Returning from External Operation

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Faïda Ajili ◽  
Riadh Battikh ◽  
Janet Laabidi ◽  
Rim Abid ◽  
Najeh Bousetta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Military Personnel ◽  
Malaria Infection ◽  
Imported Malaria ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Military Hospital ◽  
Imported Cases ◽  
Male Patients ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Military

Introduction. Malaria had been eliminated in Tunisia since 1979, but there are currently 40 to 50 imported cases annually. Soldiers are no exception as the incidence of imported malaria is increasing in Tunisian military personnel after returning from malaria-endemic area, often in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and biological presentations, treatment, and outcomes of 37 Tunisian military personnel hospitalized at the Department of Internal Medicine, the Military Hospital of Tunis, between January 1993 and January 2011, for imported malaria. The clinical and laboratory features were obtained from the medical records and a questionnaire was filled by the patients about the compliance of malaria prophylaxis. Results. Thirty-seven male patients, with a mean age of 41 years, were treated for malaria infection. Twenty-two were due to Plasmodium falciparum. The outcome was favourable for all patients, despite two severe access. The long-term use of chemoprophylaxis has been adopted by only 21 (51%) of expatriate military for daily stresses. Moreover, poor adherence was found in 32 patients. Conclusion. The risk of acquiring malaria infection in Tunisian military personnel can largely be prevented by the regular use of chemoprophylactic drugs combined with protective measures against mosquito bites.

Su1660 Interleukin-1ß and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Polymorphisms as Iron Deficiency Risk Markers in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Children

2012 ◽  
Vol 142 (5) ◽  
pp. S-475
Author(s):  
Carolina Serrano ◽  
Andrea Villagran ◽  
Alejandro Venegas ◽  
Hector Toledo ◽  
Jean E. Crabtree ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Helicobacter Pylori ◽  
Tumor Necrosis Factor ◽  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Tumor Necrosis ◽  
Tumor Necrosis Factor Α ◽  
Risk Markers ◽  
Factor Α ◽  
Necrosis Factor

scholarly journals HUBUNGAN KADAR TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR – α DENGAN DENSITAS PLASMODIUM PADA PENDERITA MALARIA

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria A. Roinwowan ◽  
Janno B. B. Bernadus ◽  
Angle M. H. Sorisi
Keyword(s):  
Random Sampling ◽  
Malaria Infection ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Systemic Complications ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Factor Α ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Necrosis Factor

Abstract: Malaria is a parasitic infection that attacks the erythrocytes. This disease remains a global health problem, especially in developing countries in the tropics and subtropics. Symptomatic malaria infection include fever, chills, anemia and splenomegaly. Malaria infection can progress without any complications but can also develop systemic complications known as severe malaria. The cause of malaria is plasmodium infection, Plasmodium in humans infected erythrocytes (red blood cells) and asexual breeding experience in liver tissue and erythrocytes. In this research, the microscopic examination of blood samples for counting malaria parasites in the blood and then measured the levels of TNF-α by ELISA. This analytical study using 40 samples taken by simple random sampling. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between the amount of TNF-α levels plasmodium with.  Conclusions: There were significant correlation between the levels of TNF-α with a density of plasmodium malaria in blood samples. Keywords: Malaria, TNF-α, ELISA, plasmodium    Abstrak: Malaria adalah penyakit infeksi parasit yang menyerang eritrosit. Penyakit ini masih merupakan masalah kesehatan dunia terutama di negara sedang berkembang pada kawasan tropik dan subtropik. Infeksi malaria memberikan gejala berupa demam, menggigil, anemia dan splenomegali. Infeksi malaria dapat berlangsung tanpa adanya komplikasi namun dapat juga menyebabkan komplikasi sistemik yang dikenal sebagai malaria berat. Penyebab infeksi malaria ialah plasmodium,Plasmodium ini pada manusia menginfeksi eritrosit (sel darah merah) dan mengalami pembiakan aseksual di jaringan hati dan eritrosit. Dalam penelitian ini dilakukan pemeriksaan mikroskopis pada sampel darah penderita malaria untuk menghitung parasit dalam darah dan selanjutnya dilakukan pengukuran kadar TNF-α dengan metode ELISA. Penelitian analisis ini menggunakan 40 sampel yang diambil secara simple random sampling. Hasil penelitian memperlihatkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang bermakna antara jumlah plasmodium dengan  kadar TNF- α. Kesimpulan : Didapatkan korelasi yang signifikan antara kadar TNF- α dengan densitas plasmodium pada sampel darah penderita malaria. Kata Kunci : Malaria, TNF- α, ELISA, plasmodium

scholarly journals The Impact of Climate Variability and Change on Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Perspective from Panel Data Analysis

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 759
Author(s):  
Raïfatou Affoh ◽  
Haixia Zheng ◽  
Kokou Dangui ◽  
Badoubatoba Mathieu Dissani
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Least Squares ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

This study investigates the relationship between climate variables such as rainfall amount, temperature, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and the triple dimension of food security (availability, accessibility, and utilization) in a panel of 25 sub-Saharan African countries from 1985 to 2018. After testing for cross-sectional dependence, unit root and cointegration, the study estimated the pool mean group (PMG) panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL). The empirical outcome revealed that rainfall had a significantly positive effect on food availability, accessibility, and utilization in the long run. In contrast, temperature was harmful to food availability and accessibility and had no impact on food utilization. Lastly, CO2 emission positively impacted food availability and accessibility but did not affect food utilization. The study took a step further by integrating some additional variables and performed the panel fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) regression to ensure the robustness of the preceding PMG results. The control variables yielded meaningful results in most cases, so did the FMOLS and DOLS regression. The Granger causality test was conducted to determine the causal link, if any, among the variables. There was evidence of a short-run causal relationship between food availability and CO2 emission. Food accessibility exhibited a causal association with temperature, whereas food utilization was strongly connected with temperature. CO2 emission was linked to rainfall. Lastly, a bidirectional causal link was found between rainfall and temperature. Recommendations to the national, sub-regional, and regional policymakers are addressed and discussed.

scholarly journals Correlation between vivax malaria infection and iron deficiency in children

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Desmansyah Desmansyah ◽  
Rini Purnamasari ◽  
Theodorus Theodorus ◽  
Sulaiman Waiman
Keyword(s):  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Serum Ferritin ◽  
Vivax Malaria ◽  
Malaria Infection ◽  
Serum Iron ◽  
Iron Status ◽  
Transferrin Saturation ◽  
Hemoglobin Level ◽  
Ferritin Concentration ◽  
Iron Deficient

Background Iron deficiency is considered to be a major public health problem around the world due to its high prevalence as well as its effect on growth, development, and infection-resistance in children. In malaria-endemic areas, malaria infection is thought to contribute to the occurrence of iron deficiency, by means of hepcidin and hemolysis mechanisms. Objective To assess the prevalence of asymptomatic vivax malaria, compare hemoglobin levels and iron status parameters between vivax malaria-infected and uninfected children, assess the prevalence of iron deficiency, and evaluate a possible correlation between vivax malaria infection and iron deficiency. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2013 at Sanana City of Sula Islands District, North Maluku. Six parameters were evaluated in 5-11-year-old children: malaria parasite infection, hemoglobin level, serum iron concentration, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), serum transferrin saturation, and serum ferritin concentration. Results Among 296 children aged 5-11 years, 75 (25.3%) were infected with Plasmodium vivax. In infected children, hemoglobin, serum iron, transferrin saturation, TIBC and serum ferritin were significantly lower than in non-infected children (P<0.01). Using a serum ferritin cut-off of <15 μg/dL, 142 (48.0%) of the children were found to be iron deficient. There was a strong correlation between vivax malaria infection and iron deficiency (OR 3.573; 95%CI 2.03-6.29). ConclusionThe prevalence of asymptomatic vivax malaria infection was 25.3%. The hemoglobin level and iron status parameters in vivax malaria-infected subjects were significantly lower than in uninfected children. The prevalence of iron deficiency was 48.0% for all study subjects. Malaria vivax infection was correlated with iron deficiency in 5-11-year-old children at Sanana City.

scholarly journals The Causal Relationship Between China-Africa Trade, China OFDI, and Economic Growth of African Countries

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402110648
Author(s):  
Emma Serwaa Obobisa ◽  
Haibo Chen ◽  
Emmanuel Caesar Ayamba ◽  
Claudia Nyarko Mensah
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Generalized Least Squares ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Sub Saharan

Recently, China has emerged as the largest trading partner and a significant source of investment in the African continent. Although there is consent on the increasing importance of China and Africa’s economic partnership, there are many controversies on how it affects African countries. Debates on China in Africa have, however, relied on grandiloquence rather than empirical studies. This study explores the causal link between China-Africa trade, China’s outward foreign direct (OFDI), and economic growth of 24 Sub-Saharan Africa countries from 1999 to 2018. The aggregated panel is classified into upper-middle-income, low-middle income, and low-income Sub-Saharan African countries. In the long run, key findings from the feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) estimator unveiled that; (i) China-Africa trade negatively contributes to economic growth among all panels. (ii) China’s OFDI improves economic growth in the low middle and low-income African countries whereas a significant negative liaison is evidenced in the upper-middle-income African countries. (iii) Labor force have a negative impact on economic growth whiles gross capital formation is evidenced to positively impact economic growth at all the panels. The Dumitrescu and Hurlin Granger causality unveiled a one-sided causal link from China-Africa trade to economic growth at all panels. The study proposes policy recommendations based on the results.

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