Introduction: Breast cancer remains a global public health problem. In Benin, it is the first type of cancer developed by women and it causes an important morbidity and mortality. Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess women's knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding breast cancer screening in a hospital located in the southern side of Benin republic. Framework and study method: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study exploring the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of women regarding breast cancer screening. The population studied was made of women of 30 years old minimum admitted at the mother and child hospital (HOMEL) from July 1 st to September 30 th 2017. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Results: The participation rate to this survey was 67.1%. The average age of the respondents was 35.2 years old with extremes ranging from 30 to 48 years old. They were traders by profession (43%) with a level of education not exceeding the primary school in 42% of cases. They had heard about breast cancer in more than 9 out of 10 cases; by the media in half of the cases. Breast cancer risk factors were unknown in 51% of cases; Breast self-examination was practiced by 57% of the women, 6% of which conducted it properly. More than 8 out of 10 women (84%) had never been screened for breast cancer. Conclusion: Public awareness must be strengthened by all available means, including media, schools and social gatherings and waiting areas in primary health care centers.

Introduction: Obstetric emergencies constitute public health problems in our countries.

Objective: Vertical transmission of HIV remains the second mode of infection in Benin. To study the epidemiological aspects of HIV infection during the pregnancy at University Hospital Centre for Mother and Child Lagoon (CHU-MEL). Patients and methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study at the Mother and Child Hospital in Benin from 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2017. The sampling was exhaustive. The selection criteria were: all pregnant or parturient seropositive who were taken care of during the study period at HOMEL. The data analysis was done with the Epi Info software, by calculating averages and standard deviations. Results and conclusion: The prevalence rate of HIV amongst pregnant women was 1.9% (188/9554). The average age was 30 years old ± 5 years. They were married (45.6%), crafts women (67.7%), lived in a monogamous family (60.3%) and gave birth at least once (73.8%). The prevalence rate varied depending on the level of education; it was lower among the unschooled (17.5%), around (7.4%) among those who went to high school and higher among those with an intermediate level of education. HIV prevalence remains stable in the population of pregnant women. The education of young girls and the increasing purchasing power of women must be taken into consideration when drafting HIV control strategies.

Introduction : La qualité des soins de santé en général, et de la santé maternelle en particulier, est une question qui interpelle tous les pays, en l’occurrence ceux en voie de développement comme le Bénin. But de l’étude : Évaluer la qualité des soins offerts aux mères au niveau de la pyramide hospitalière au Bénin. Résultats : Sur un total de 36 hôpitaux enquêtés, neuf (25 %) ne disposaient pas d’une unité de néonatologie. Cette étude a montré globalement une qualité passable dans le domaine des soins maternels avec un score moyen de 3,6. Ainsi, les écarts de qualité de ces soins obtenus nécessitent des améliorations importantes. La satisfaction des prestataires était acceptable contrairement aux bénéficiaires qui ont manifesté une insatisfaction. Conclusions : La plupart des hôpitaux du Bénin n’assurent pas encore des soins maternels de qualité, c’est-à-dire des soins efficaces, efficients, continus, accessibles et garantissant la sécurité des patients. Des interventions probantes focalisées sur les dysfonctionnements identifiés permettront d’améliorer la qualité de la santé maternelle au niveau de la pyramide hospitalière du Bénin.