Blood transfusion rate in Congolese patients with sickle cell anemia.

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of blood transfusion in African Sickle Cell Patients and the risks related to the use of total blood. METHODS: 186 sickle cell patients (95 males and 91 females) aged 0-21 years were regularly followed over a 3 years period in Katanga province, DR Congo. Indications for blood transfusion were mainly based on clinical criteria and Hb level (less than 5g% ml or a drop of 2g% under the steady state value). All the subjects, who were transfused, wer screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) and Human Immune deficit Virus (HIV). RESULTS: Of 186 patients, 150 (80.6%) were transfused and the average blood transfusion requirement was 0.4 units per patient-year. According to the age of first transfusion, 75.3% (113/150) of them were transfused before the 6th year of life; but the frequency of transfusions seemed to decline in children aged more than 13 years. The risk of HIV infection from blood transfusion was estimated at 1 per 37.1 units or 26 per 1000 blood units. The hepatitis B surface antigen was detected in 15 cases (10%) and HIV serology was positive in 17 patients (11.3%). CONCLUSION: Because of the complications related to blood transfusions in Africa, efforts are needed in order to reduce the frequency of transfusions, by preventive measures (early diagnosis, malarial and penicillin-prophylaxis) and to use more rational indications.

Poverty among widows of Kinshasa, Congo.

The linkages between poverty and death in the family in a sector of the city of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (previously Zaire) were studied. The poor people have been identified using 3 convergent norms, described in the Methods of Materials section, based on total expenditure, calorie consumption in food, and proportion of expenditure for food. Family histories were recorded to understand the difficult situation of widow-headed households identified within the sample area. The relationship between death in the family and poverty was bi-directional: on the one hand, death of the breadwinner can accelerate the level of poverty; and on the other, poverty conditions can result in further deaths in the family.

Age-related worm load and worm fecundity patterns in human populations, as indicated by schistosome circulating antigens

Recently, our group determined the relationship between serum CAA levels and fecal egg counts in two foci very intense Schistosoma mansoni transmission: Maniema (Zaire), an area endemic for S. mansoni since several decades, and Ndombo (Senegal), where transmission has only been established since a few years. The objetive was to study and compare age-related worm load and worm fecundity patterns in these two different endemic settings. Here, we will summarize the most important findings and conclusions of this study.