Absence of dry season Plasmodium parasitaemia, but high rates of reported acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea in preschool-aged children in Kaédi, southern Mauritania

Touray, Sunkaru; Ba, Hampâté; O, Ba; Koita, M.; Salem, C B Ould Ahmed; Keïta, Moussa; Traoré, Doulo; Sy, Ibrahima; Winkler, Mirko S.; Utzinger, Jürg; Cissé, Guéladio

doi:10.1186/1756-3305-5-193

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Such infrastructures would also allow decreasing faecal contamination of the water, contributing to public health. Pollution threatens water quality in Mauritania [ 44 ] and diarrhoea is prevalent in the south of the country [ 45 ]. Organised ecotourism is possible, as the most accessible gueltas have crocodiles (particularly at Matmâta, see S1 Appendix ) and groups of travellers regularly visit the ruins of Ksar el Barka [ 39 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overlooked Mountain Rock Pools in Deserts Are Critical Local Hotspots of Biodiversity

2015

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BackgroundThe world is undergoing exceptional biodiversity loss. Most conservation efforts target biodiversity hotspots at large scales. Such approach overlooks small-sized local hotspots, which may be rich in endemic and highly threatened species. We explore the importance of mountain rock pools (gueltas) as local biodiversity hotspots in the Sahara-Sahel. Specifically, we considered how many vertebrates (total and endemics) use gueltas, what factors predict species richness, and which gueltas are of most priority for conservation. We expected to provide management recommendations, improve local biodiversity conservation, and simultaneously contribute with a framework for future enhancement of local communities’ economy. The identification of local hotspots of biodiversity is important for revaluating global conservation priorities.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe quantified the number of vertebrate species from each taxonomic group and endemics present in 69 gueltas in Mauritania, then compared these with species present in a surrounding area and recorded in the country. We evaluated the predictors of species number’s present in each guelta through a multiple regression model. We ranked gueltas by their priority for conservation taking into account the percentage of endemics and threats to each guelta. Within a mere aggregate extent of 43 ha, gueltas hold about 32% and 78% of the total taxa analysed and endemics of Mauritania, respectively. The number of species present in each guelta increased with the primary productivity and area of gueltas and occurrence of permanent water. Droughts and human activities threaten gueltas, while 64% of them are currently unprotected.Conclusion/SignificanceGueltas are crucial for local biodiversity conservation and human activities. They require urgent management plans in Mauritania’s mountains. They could provide refugia under climate change being important for long-term conservation of Sahara-Sahel biodiversity. Given their disproportional importance in relation to their size, they are local hotspots of biodiversity deserving global attention.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overlooked Mountain Rock Pools in Deserts Are Critical Local Hotspots of Biodiversity

2015

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“…In April 2011, in conjunction with the Kaédi-wide dry season vulnerability assessment multidisciplinary survey, in the framework of the Ecohealth and adaptation to climate change in water and health sectors in West Africa project funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) (Cissé et al, 2011;Touray et al, 2012), outdoor NO2 samples were collected in Kaédi. Monitoring locations were selected to achieve a broad, even coverage across the town and to capture the full variability of air pollution.…”

Section: Air Pollutant Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial air pollution modelling for a West-African town

Gebreab¹,

Vienneau²,

Feigenwinter³

et al. 2015

Geospat Health

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Land use regression (LUR) modelling is a common approach used in European and Northern American epidemiological studies to assess urban and traffic related air pollution exposures. Studies applying LUR in Africa are lacking. A need exists to understand if this approach holds for an African setting, where urban features, pollutant exposures and data availability differ considerably from other continents. We developed a parsimonious regression model based on 48-hour nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations measured at 40 sites in Kaédi, a medium sized West-African town, and variables generated in a geographic information system (GIS). Road variables and settlement land use characteristics were found to be important predictors of 48-hour NO2 concentration in the model. About 68% of concentration variability in the town was explained by the model. The model was internally validated by leave-one-out cross-validation and it was found to perform moderately well. Furthermore, its parameters were robust to sampling variation. We applied the model at 100 m pixels to create a map describing the broad spatial pattern of NO2 across Kaédi. In this research, we demonstrated the potential for LUR as a valid, cost-effective approach for air pollution modelling and mapping in an African town. If the methodology were to be adopted by environmental and public health authorities in these regions, it could provide a quick assessment of the local air pollution burden and potentially support air pollution policies and guidelines.

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“…Kaédi is located where the Senegal River meets the Gorgol River. In 2010, Kaédi was flooded after receiving within ten days the equivalent of an annual rainfall (data ONM) causing the displacement of over 310 households and resulting in severe disruption of the livelihoods of people in the city (Touray et al, 2012).…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…For rainfall, the measurements cover a 90-year period from 1919 to 2010. For average monthly temperature, the measurements cover a ten-year period from 2001 to 2010 (Touray et al, 2012).…”

Section: Climate Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerabilities of water and sanitation at households and community levels in face of climate variability and change: trends from historical climate time series in a West African medium-sized town

Cissé

Traoré²,

Touray

et al. 2016

IJGENVI

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In Kaédi, a secondary city of Mauritania with approximately 71,000 inhabitants, the analyses of historical climate time series data (1919-2010) and some projections showed a likely occurrence of more frequent heavy rains and higher risks of flooding events in the future. Vulnerability assessments, facilitated through transversal household surveys toward the end of the rainy season that covered the entire city and followed a stratified sampling approach, showed that the community's water supply comprises more than 100 wells, 33% of households report using water from wells for drinking purposes, 12% of households have their own wells in the yard, and 69% of households have latrines in the yard. The analysis also revealed considerable spatial heterogeneity of vulnerability. Considering the risks of cross-contamination of wells water by onsite sanitation facilities during flood events, communities and local governance actors should find appropriate adaptation to climate change strategies for water and health sectors starting with thematic vulnerability maps.

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Absence of dry season Plasmodium parasitaemia, but high rates of reported acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea in preschool-aged children in Kaédi, southern Mauritania

Cited by 12 publications

References 11 publications

Overlooked Mountain Rock Pools in Deserts Are Critical Local Hotspots of Biodiversity

Overlooked Mountain Rock Pools in Deserts Are Critical Local Hotspots of Biodiversity

Spatial air pollution modelling for a West-African town

Vulnerabilities of water and sanitation at households and community levels in face of climate variability and change: trends from historical climate time series in a West African medium-sized town

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