Puesta en marcha de un centro hospitalario en un área rural de Benín. Estudio comparativo con el centro público existente / Implementing a dispensary in a rural area in Benin. Comparison between the new private centre and the old public centre’s consultation

We present an example of a busy dispensary that provides nutritional care, outpatient services for all ages, treatment for medical emergencies, surgery and long term hospitalisation in a rural area of western Africa already covered by local tertiary care centres. We compare the different diagnoses in our dispensary in Zagnanado (Benin) and the public centres of the region. The main change observed is the success of the integration of a new private health centre that is fully equipped and ready to assist the population. The increasing demand and sustained investments have brought the patients to consider this dispensary as a reference for all health problems. We can see that private health care is essential to accurately estimate the burden of disease in developing countries not only in preventive and curative care but also in health education, which is essential in such settings and often not taken into consideration (AU)

Puesta en marcha de un centro hospitalario en un área rural de Benín. Estudio comparativo con el centro público existente Mostramos un ejemplo de implantación de un centro hospitalario con gran presión asistencial en una zona rural de África Occidental, donde ya existían centros de salud locales, que desarrolla actividades programadas y urgentes, tanto en las áreas de hospitalización como en las consultas externas, y proporciona desde actividad quirúrgica cuidados nutricionales de la población a cualquier edad. A continuación comparamos los diferentes diagnósticos realizados en las consultas de nuestro dispensario en Zagnanado (Benín) y aquellos realizados en los centros públicos de la región. Los resultados obtenidos muestran el éxito de la integración del nuevo centro que está completamente equipado y listo para atender a la población. La demanda de los pacientes y la aportación continua de recursos han permitido que el centro disponga de una infraestructura y un equipamiento adecuado y hoy está considerado como punto de referencia para los problemas de salud de la región. Podemos observar que los centros de salud privados son esenciales para estimar fielmente la carga de enfermedad en los países en vías de desarrollo, algo necesario no sólo con fines curativos y preventivos sino también para las labores de educación en salud que a menudo no se tienen en cuenta en estos escenarios (AU)

Healthcare seeking behaviour for Buruli ulcer in Benin: a model to capture therapy choice of patients and healthy community members.

Buruli ulcer is a devastating condition emerging in West Africa. We investigated why patients often report late to the hospital. Health seeking behaviour determinants and stigma were studied by in-depth interviews in patients treated in hospital (n=107), patients treated traditionally (n=46) of whom 22 had active disease, and healthy community control subjects (n=107). We developed a model capturing internal and external factors affecting decision making. With increasing severity, extent and duration of Buruli ulcer, a shift of influencing factors on health seeking behaviour appears to occur. Factors causing delay in presenting to hospital were the use of traditional medicine before presenting at the treatment centre; costs and duration of admission; disease considered not serious enough; witchcraft perceived as the cause of disease; and fear of treatment, which patients expected to be amputation. This study confirms the importance of self-treatment and traditional healing in this area. Our study was performed before antimicrobial treatment was introduced in Benin; we suggest that this model and the results from this analysis should be used as a baseline from which to measure the influence of the introduction of antimicrobial treatment on health seeking behaviour for Buruli ulcer in Benin.

Association of HIV infection and Mycobacterium ulcerans disease in Benin.

We investigated the association between Buruli ulcer and HIV by comparing the HIV-1/2 seroprevalence in a series of 426 Buruli ulcer patients and a sample of 613 residents of southern Benin. The overall HIV prevalence was 2.6% (11/426) among patients and 0.3% among controls (2/613), giving an odds ratio for the association between HIV and Buruli ulcer of 8.1 (95% confidence interval = 1.8-75; P = 0.003).

Environmental and health-related risk factors for Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer) in Benin.

We conducted a case-control study to investigate the association between Buruli ulcer (BU) and environmental- and health-related behaviors in southern Benin. Hospital BU cases (N = 324) and sex- and age-matched neighborhood controls (N = 1,173) answered a questionnaire. Regular use of soap for washing, treating injuries with soap or antibiotic powder, and frequent contact with flowing water appeared protective against BU.

Association between haemoglobin variants S and C and Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer): a case-control study in Benin.

Risk factors for Buruli ulcer (BU) are poorly understood. We conducted a case-control study in southern Benin to investigate the association between haemoglobin variants S or C and BU, and particularly the association between haemoglobinopathies HbSS/SC and BU osteomyelitis. We compared the haemoglobin genotype of 179 patients with BU and 44 with BU osteomyelitis to that of 242 community controls. We found no evidence of an increased risk of BU according to the presence of haemoglobin variants S and/or C [odds ratio adjusted for sex, age, region of residence and ethnicity: 1.24 (95% CI: 0.80-1.93), P = 0.34]. Haemoglobin variants S and C are unlikely to play a role in the BU burden. However, haemoglobinopathies HbSS/SC were more frequent among BU osteomyelitis patients than among controls (6.8% vs. 1.0%, Fisher's exact P-value = 0.045), which may suggest that those disorders facilitate growth of Mycobacterium ulcerans in the bone matrix.

Risk factors for Buruli ulcer, Benin.

We identified risk factors for Buruli ulcer (BU) in Benin in an unmatched case-control study at the Centre Sanitaire et Nutritionnel Gbemoten in southern Benin. A total of 2,399 persons admitted from 1997 through 2003 and 1,444 unmatched patients with other conditions in 2002 were recruited. Adjusted odds ratios were determined for age, sex, place of residence, Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccination at birth, type of water for domestic use, and occupation. Children <15 years of age and adults >49 years of age had a higher risk for BU. Use of unprotected water from swamps was associated with increased risk for BU; this association was strongest in adults >49 years of age. Sex was not a risk factor for BU. Our data showed that BU was mainly associated with age, place of residence, and water sources in all age groups. Risk for BU was higher in BCG-vaccinated patients > or =5 years of age.

BCG vaccine effectiveness against Buruli ulcer: a case-control study in Benin.

BCG remains the only possible prophylactic intervention against Buruli ulcer (BU). Estimating its public health impact on BU control is an important issue. We conducted a case-control study to investigate the vaccine effectiveness of routine BCG vaccine against BU in southern Benin. From August 2002 to August 2003, BCG vaccination status was obtained for 279 clinically diagnosed BU cases and 988 age- and sex-matched neighborhood controls. BCG coverage, which was estimated by the presence of a scar or a vaccination record, was 64.5% in cases and 67.2% in controls. There was no evidence of a protective effect of routine BCG vaccination against BU in southern Benin (vaccine effectiveness adjusted for socioeconomic status = 12%, 95% confidence interval = -24% to 37%).

Factors associated with functional limitations and subsequent employment or schooling in Buruli ulcer patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate former Buruli ulcer disease (BUD) patients to assess the factors associated with functional limitations and subsequent employment or schooling. METHODS: The previously validated Buruli ulcer functional limitation score (BUFLS) questionnaire and interviews about educational and professional consequences incurred by BUD. RESULTS: Of 638 participants, 362 (57%) had a functional limitation after a median period of almost 4 years after treatment for BUD. A lesion on a joint, older age, female gender, a lesion on a distal part of an extremity and a persistent wound were found to be independent risk factors for stopping work or education. The same risk factors applied to the development of a functional limitation. Both functional limitations and financial difficulties due to BUD disease often led to job loss and school dropout. CONCLUSIONS: Rehabilitation programmes are urgently needed to diminish the suffering from the functional limitations and employment or schooling problems caused by BUD.

Reliability and validity of the Buruli ulcer functional limitation score questionnaire.

The reliability and validity of the earlier developed Buruli ulcer functional limitation score (BUFLS) questionnaire was assessed. Of 638 former Buruli ulcer patients (of 678 individuals examined), sufficient items on daily activities (>or= 13 of the 19) were applicable to calculate a score. To determine the validity, the functional limitation scores of the 638 individuals were compared with the global impression of the limitations, range of motion (ROM), and the social impact (change of occupation or education) of Buruli ulcer. To determine inter-observer reliability, the functional limitation score was reassessed in 107 participants within one and three weeks after the first interview by another interviewer and interpreter. Both global impression and ROM correlated well with the functional limitation scores (rho = 0.66 and rho = 0.61). The inter-observer reliability of 107 participants as measured by an intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.86 was very good. The functional limitation scores measured in the second assessment were significantly higher than in the first assessment. This should be taken into account when the functional limitation score is used for the individual patient. The BUFLS can be used as for between group comparisons of endpoints in clinical trials and in the planning of resources.

Buruli ulcer recurrence, Benin.

Buruli ulcer is a recognized public health problem in West Africa. In Benin, from 1989 to 2001, the Centre Sanitaire et Nutritionnel Gbemoten (CSNG) treated >2,500 Buruli ulcer patients. From March 2000 to February 2001, field trips were conducted in the Zou and Atlantique regions. The choice of the 2 regions was based on the distance from CSNG and on villages with the highest number of patients treated at CSNG. A total of 66 (44.0%) of 150 former patients treated at CSNG were located in the visited villages. The recurrence rate of CSNG-treated patients after a follow-up period of up to 7 years was low (6.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0-15.6). We attribute this low rate to the high quality of Buruli ulcer treatment at an accessible regional center (CSNG). The World Health Organization definition of a Buruli ulcer recurrent case should be revised to include a follow-up period >1 year.

Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer) in rural hospital, Southern Benin, 1997-2001.

Data from 1,700 patients living in southern Benin were collected at the Centre Sanitaire et Nutritionnel Gbemoten, Zagnanado, Benin, from 1997 through 2001. In the Zou region in 1999, Buruli ulcer (BU) had a higher detection rate (21.5/100,000) than leprosy (13.4/100,000) and tuberculosis (20.0/100,000). More than 13% of the patients had osteomyelitis. Delay in seeking treatment declined from 4 months in 1989 to 1 month in 2001, and median hospitalization time decreased from 9 months in 1989 to 1 month in 2001. This reduction is attributed, in part, to implementing an international cooperation program, creating a national BU program, and making advances in patient care.

Psychosocial aspects of health seeking behaviours of patients with Buruli ulcer in southern Benin.

We investigated cultural beliefs and psychosocial factors associated with Buruli ulcer in southern Benin in order to elaborate and deliver appropriate health education messages. We conducted a qualitative study among 130 adults and 30 children in Zou province, a highly endemic region. Focus group interviews of inhabitants, patients and their assistants, health care professionals and traditional healers took place in Dasso, Ouinhi, Sagon and Zagnanado. Drawing sessions followed by individual interviews were organized among school children in Dasso and Sagon. We found that although Buruli ulcer is well known and recognized - even at a very early stage of the disease - and perceived as threatening, most people are reluctant to seek treatment at the health care centre. They are unclear about the origin of the disease (environmental factors or sorcery) and treatment is considered devastating, expensive and ineffective in some cases.

First case of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer) following a human bite.

Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (MUD) is rapidly reemerging in many countries, especially in West African countries. Antecedent trauma has often been related to the lesions that characterize this frequently crippling disease. We report here the first case of MUD that followed a human bite at the site where the lesion later occurred.