Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a life-threatening heart muscle disease of unknown aetiology that affects women during the peripartum period, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. While many studies have observed normal blood pressure (BP) in PPCM patients, none have explored whether their BP is appropriate for their body size. This study investigated the correlation between body anthropometric parameters and BP in PPCM patients, comparing the findings with those of age-matched normal peripartum controls. Methods: A cohort of 105 women, each from PPCM and matched normal peripartum control groups, were recruited from three healthcare facilities in Sokoto. Blood pressure (BP) parameters were assessed in relation to their anthropometric measurements, and the findings were compared between the two groups. Results: The PPCM patients were significantly smaller in body weight (57.0 ±11.6 Kg vs 66.8 ±13.8 Kg, P <.0001), body mass index (BMI) (21.9 ±4.1 Kg/m2 vs 25.4 ±5.4 Kg/m2, P <.0001, body surface area (BSA) (1.3 ±0.7 m2 vs 1.7 ±0.2 m2, P <.0001), Lean body mass (LBM) (45.3 ±7.0 Kg vs 49.4 ±4.1 Kg, P <.0001) and Percentage body fat (BF) (23.5 ±10.9 % vs 31.2 ±6.9 %, P <.0001). Similarly, PPCM patients had significantly higher systolic BP (SBP), Pulse pressure (PP) and Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) compared to the normal peripartum PPCM control. Further, linear regression analysis showed that there was higher slope of the relationship between anthropometric indices and SBP and PP in the PPCM cohort, compared to the normal peripartum control group. A similar trend of the slope was seen in the Pearson’s coefficient of the relationship of the anthropometries and BP parameters. Conclusions: This study found that women with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) exhibited disproportionately higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP) for each unit increase in anthropometric measurements compared to normal peripartum controls. Notably, PPCM patients had significantly lower anthropometric measures, potentially attributable to poverty and chronic undernutrition. Additionally, the effects of poor antenatal care, lack of immunization and recurrent infection should be considered. These findings suggest an abnormal relationship between anthropometry and blood pressure in PPCM patients, which may have detrimental effects on their cardiovascular health. This abnormal relationship may contribute to the development of heart failure (HF) in PPCM patients and potentially increase the risk in women susceptible to PPCM. Even-though our assumption, yet to be proven. To address this concerning trend in vulnerable populations, improvements in nutritional status, socioeconomic determinants health, adequate antenatal care (ANC), immunization, and infection prevention should be considered.

Using a desktop review of literature, the effect of illegal capital flows on the economic performance of Sub-Saharan Africa is examined. The review focus on articles with attention to illegal capital flows and their effects on the economic performance of Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. By way of sampling method, purposive sampling was used, and so the desktop review focused purposively on articles published on issues of illicit financial flows and their effects on the economic performance of Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. The review found a high propensity of trade mis-invoicing and thus high illicit financial flows, transactions across boarders from developing countries and for that matter Sub-Saharan Africa to the developed economies. Therefore, the research recommends that customs divisions in sub-Saharan Africa should have up-to-date commodity-level world pricing information to make relatively better comparisons to detect mis-pricing and avoid such falsification and manipulation in trade. Given the high propensity of trade mis-invoicing resulting in high illicit financial flows, we recommend that cross-border transactions from developing sub-Saharan African countries be subjected to heightened scrutiny to curtail any potential traces of falsification in trade for tax evasion.

Acute diarrhea is a common affection, among children under 59 months old in Sub-saharan Africa and Asia known to be a global public health concern. It is responsible for significant mortality in developing countries. The main purpose of this study was to identify drivers of acute diarrhea in mothers of children aged 6-59 months in Kinshasa households. This study was conducted in two health areas in Kinshasa namely Centre Supérieur Militaire Mobikisi and Hopital Militaire Central. It is a cross-sectional study of analytical type having a correlational design. In fact, 114 mothers having children aged 6 to 59 months old who had experienced at least three diarrheal episodes were selected and this research was carried out in January 2020. Independent variables were socio-economic factors and dependent variables were biological factors. Descriptive statistical analyses of which frequency and percentage were performed to describe the sampling profile. To measure the strength of association between different variables, the Pearson's Chi-Square (X²) test was used. The findings showed that 57% live in a high socio-economic environment compared to 43% who have a low socio-economic environment responsible for the occurrence of acute diarrhea. It was observed that 67.7% of participants knew the importance of access to health care services, compared to 32.3% who did not know. Meanwhile, 50.8% lived in a healthy environment versus 49.2% who had an unhealthy environment. Furthermore, 53.8% were in an acceptable demographic and biological situation, compared to 46.2% who were in a precarious demographic and biological situation. Acute diarrhea in children aged 6-59 months is one of the causes of morbidity and mortality in Kinshasa city. Obstacles to effective care are related to the lack of quality service provision. Policy makers must therefore put in place interventions to address these challenges in order to reduce infant morbidity and mortality in this area.

This literature review delves deeply into the epidemiology, structural and cultural challenges, and management strategies of status epilepticus (SE) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Incidence rates of SE vary significantly between countries, with notable disparities associated with socio-economic contexts, healthcare infrastructures, and cultural perceptions of epilepsy. The management of SE in this region is often hindered by constraints in medical infrastructure, inadequate access to specialist diagnostics such as electroencephalogram, and limited availability of essential anti-epileptic drugs, which are frequently out of reach for rural populations. These challenges are further exacerbated by the social stigma and cultural beliefs surrounding epilepsy, impeding access to care and widening inequalities. Moreover, the scarcity of qualified medical personnel undermines the efficient and prompt management of this neurological emergency. The review underscores the pressing need to enhance healthcare infrastructures, boost the capabilities of healthcare professionals, and conduct community awareness initiatives to destigmatize epilepsy and lessen prejudice. Additionally, practical recommendations are put forward for enhancing local capacity, fostering equity in care access, and mitigating regional health disparities in SSA.

There is an ongoing debate regarding how to feed Sub-Saharan Africa's fast rising population in the long run, as well as the implications for food security. To maintain food security, various strategies have been recommended, including a focus on the significance of diversifying and improving people's diets. Proposals have been tabled elsewhere with a primary focus on enhancing agricultural inputs and technology adoption in order to increase agricultural production and productivity, hence strengthening food security. The current opinion piece attempts to contribute to this debate by examining smallholder agriculture and its role to African food security. This discussion proposes a future paradigm shift toward a gendered climate-smart smallholder agriculture and food production and security conceptual framework based on the promotion and development of smallholder agriculture and food production and security. Therefore, it's predicated that the micro-livestock-centered approach can remodel smallholder agrarian households and communities toward a gender-inclusive global climate change adaptive smallholder agriculture to strengthen production, supply, and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. For Africa, today’s predicament is to ensure food security for the anticipated rapid population expansion, while on the other hand handling an overall net adverse effect of worldwide global climate change, and increased socio-economic ills associated with gender inequality in smallholder agriculture and ensuring long-term agriculture sustainable development. The failure to address gender inequality in smallholder agriculture and food production and pontificate of global climate change effect has thrown Sub-Saharan Africa into a state of perpetual food scarcity and insecurity because of low agricultural productivity and food supply, and by force of circumstances exposing the agricultural communities and its people to extreme poverty and nutrition and food insecurity. Therefore, it's predicated that the micro-livestock-centered approach can remodel smallholder agrarian households and communities toward a gender-inclusive global climate change adaptive smallholder agriculture to strengthen production, supply, and food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. For this purpose, this discussion proposes a future paradigm shift towards a gendered climate-smart smallholder agriculture and food production and security conceptual framework hinged on the promotion and development of the micro-livestock and/or unconventional animal species sub-sector to strengthen food security on the continent. Overall, the discussion emphasizes the importance of taking immediate action to alleviate the negative effects of climate change and address gender inequality through promotion of micro livestock to assist in the development of long-term adaptation measures to maintain smallholder agricultural productivity.

The linkage between fiscal policy and economic growth has attracted the attention of empirical investigators in economic literatures. This study systematically reviewed sub-Saharan African literatures just to examine the relationship between fiscal policy and economic growth. To achieve the objective of the study, 11(eleven) empirical literatures in 7(seven) Sub-Saharan African literature studied between the year 2013 and 2020 were selected. As regard to sampling, random sampling was used to enhance the representatives of the sample. The criteria for selection were the relevance of the topic and the geographical area of studies. In this procedure, the first geographical area and then studies were selected. In the second stage relevance of the studies was considered as inclusion crateria. Descriptive statistics was used for data analysis. The result shows that the studies selected for review are more interested in the long-run relationship between fiscal policy and economic growth than its short-run effect. This implies that Sub-Saharan African countries are using fiscal policy for economic growth rather than stabilization. Regarding consensus on the relationship between the two variables, majority of the literature selected for review found that fiscal policy is positively and significantly affecting the economic growth of the Sub-Saharan African countries. The major fiscal policy tools used in the selected literature are government expenditure and tax reflecting the similarity of economic structures and compositions in sub-Saharan Africa. In conclusion, the compositions of fiscal policy instruments are almost similar in sub-Saharan Africa. The policy implication is that policymakers in sub-Saharan Africa should give due attention to the composition of fiscal policy tools.

In the agroforestry systems of sub-Saharan Africa, the vertical and horizontal distribution of tree root biomass according to the soil profile is still poorly documented. The objective of this study is to verify the root distribution of four species of trees established in living hedges, namely, Commiphora kerstingii,Erythrina sigmoidea,Ficus thonningii and Jatropha curcas according to two types of soil (light soil and heavy soil) and three agroforestry technologies (fallows, wooded parks and plantations). The hedges were mostly monospecific in order to facilitate the identification of the roots. The experimental set-up is an entirely random factorial design with two factors. The evaluation of the distribution of tree roots was carried out using the profile method. To determine the different textural classes, a particle size analysis was undertaken in the laboratory. The results obtained show that the number of roots decreases rapidly after 30 cm of depth. The highest root densities are observed in the first 30 cm. Soil type has a slight effect (p <0.05) on rooting density in the last 30 cm of depth for all root classes, higher densities were obtained in light soil compared to heavy soil. Commiphora kerstingiistands out significantly by obtaining a higher number of roots than the other species for all classes. Among the technologies, the plantations showed the lowest root density at 0-5 cm and the highest at 55-60 cm. The root density was higher in the fallows. The results show that the root system is mainly concentrated near the stump.