The economic and humanistic impact of COVID-19 pandemic is enormous globally. No definitive treatment exists, hence accelerated development and approval of COVID-19 vaccines, offers a unique opportunity for COVID-19 prevention and control. Vaccine hesitancy may limit the success of vaccine distribution in Africa, therefore we assessed the potentials for coronavirus vaccine hesitancy and its determinants among Africans. An online cross-sectional African-wide survey was administered in Arabic, English, and French languages. Questions on demographics, self-reported health status, vaccine literacy, knowledge and perception on vaccines, past experience, behavior, infection risk, willingness to receive and affordability of the SARS-COV-2 vaccine were asked. Data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. A total of 5,416 individuals completed the survey. Approximately, 94% were residents of 34 African countries while the other Africans live in the Diaspora. Only 63% of all participants surveyed were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible and 79% were worried about its side effects. Thirty-nine percent expressed concerns of vaccine-associated infection. The odds of vaccine hesitancy was 0.28 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.30) among those who believed their risk of infection was very high, compared to those who believed otherwise. The odds of vaccine hesitancy was one-fifth (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.16, 0.28) among those who believed their risk of falling sick was very high, compared to those who believed their risk of falling very sick was very low. The OR of vaccine hesitancy was 2.72 (95% CI: 2.24, 3.31) among those who have previously refused a vaccine for themselves or their child compared to counterparts with no self-reported history of vaccine hesitancy. Participants want the vaccines to be mandatory (40%), provided free of charge (78%) and distributed in homes and offices (44%). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is substantial among Africans based on perceived risk of coronavirus infection and past experiences.

Background: Mosquito-borne viral infections have

HighlightsAdult mosquitoes collected in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), were screened for viruses in this study.Approximately 40% of mosquitoes were found to be infected with Alphavirus, Flavivirus, and/or Bunyaviridae.Chikungunya, o’nyong’nyong, and Rift valley fever viruses were found in mosquitoes.Habitats favouring mosquito breeding and viral transmission were found in Kinshasa.Screening for mosquito-borne viruses in humans and livestock in DRC is recommended.

BackgroundHIV and malaria are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality during pregnancy in Africa. However, data from Congolese pregnant women are lacking. The aim of the study was to determine the magnitude, predictive factors, clinical, biologic and anthropometric consequences of malaria infection, HIV infection, and interactions between malaria and HIV infections in pregnant women.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women admitted and followed up at Camp Kokolo Military Hospital from 2009 to 2012 in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Differences in means between malaria-positive and malaria-negative cases or between HIV-positive and HIV-negative cases were compared using the Student’s t-test or a non-parametric test, if appropriate. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test, if appropriate. Backward multivariable analysis was used to evaluate the potential risk factors of malaria and HIV infections. The odds ratios with their 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated to measure the strengths of the associations. Analyses resulting in values of P < 0.05 were considered significant.ResultsA malaria infection was detected in 246/332 (74.1%) pregnant women, and 31.9% were anaemic. Overall, 7.5% (25/332) of mothers were infected by HIV, with a median CD4 count of 375 (191; 669) cells/μL. The mean (±SD) birth weight was 2,613 ± 227 g, with 35.7% of newborns weighing less than 2,500 g (low birth weight). Low birth weight, parity and occupation were significantly different between malaria-infected and uninfected women in adjusted models. However, fever, anemia, placenta previa, marital status and district of residence were significantly associated to HIV infection.ConclusionThe prevalence of malaria infection was high in pregnant women attending the antenatal facilities or hospitalized and increased when associated with HIV infection.

BackgroundThe knowledge of key elements of the ecosystem affecting mosquito distribution and their population dynamics is essential for designing mosquito-borne disease interventions. The present study characterized the physicochemical properties of Aedes mosquito breeding habitats in Democratic Republic of the Congo.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out in Kinshasa, from February to April 2021. The physicochemical characteristics of the natural and artificial aquatic habitats of Aedes were measured using a multiparametric device.ResultsOut of 438 breeding habitats inspected, 273 (62.3%) contained mosquito larvae. The Aedes mosquitoes identified in 76.19% of positive breeding sites were Aedes albopictus (67.30%) and Aedes aegypti (37.98%). The median values of dissolved oxygen (DO) (1.0), turbidity (19.15), and salinity (0.115) in water breeding sites of Aedes were respectively 0.8, 55.0, and 0.29 in Culex breeding sites (p &lt; 0.05). The physicochemical characteristics of the breeding habitat for Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were almost identical. In urban areas, the median temperature was 29.82 while it was 29.60 in suburban areas (p &lt; 0.05). Significantly, the salinity was higher in bamboo and metal containers while DO was higher in tins. After analysis using simple linear regression, total dissolved solids (r = 0.23; p = 0.000), conductivity (r = 0.23), salinity (r = 0.23), and temperature (r = 0.13) were associated with larval density (p &lt; 0.05). In the final model (r = 0.30, p = 0.01), salinity (r = 0.23) and DO (r = 0.138) adjusted to temperature, pH, and turbidity were associated positively to larvae density.ConclusionThe Aedes breeding sites and mosquito density were significantly influenced by water salinity, DO, temperature, pH, and turbidity.

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Background Malaria and schistosomiasis remain life-threatening public health problems in sub-Saharan Africa. The infection pattern related to age indicates that preschool and school-age children are at the highest risk of malaria and schistosomiasis. Both parasitic infections, separately or combined, may have negative impacts on the haemoglobin concentration levels. The existing data revealed that artemisinin derivatives commonly used to cure malaria present also in antischistosomal activities. The current study investigated the impact of Artesunate-Amodiaquine (AS-AQ) on schistosomiasis when administered to treat malaria in rural area of Lemfu, DRC. Methodology A prospective longitudinal study including 171 coinfected children screened for anaemia, Schistosoma mansoni, and Plasmodium falciparum infections. The egg reduction rate and haemoglobin concentration were assessed four weeks after the treatment with AS-AQ, of all coinfected children of this series. Results One hundred and twenty-five (74.4%) out of 168 coinfected children treated and present during the assessment were found stool negative for S. mansoni eggs. Out of 43 (25.6%) children who remained positives, 37 (22%) showed a partial reduction of eggs amount, and no reduction was noted in 3.6% of coinfected. The mean of haemoglobin concentration and the prevalence of anaemia were, respectively, 10.74±1.5g/dl , 11.2±1.3g/dl, and 64.8%, 51.8%, respectively, before and after treatment, p<0.001. Conclusion The AS-AQ commonly used against Plasmodium allowed curing S. mansoni in coinfected children and increasing the Hb level. For the future, the randomized and multicentric clinical trials are needed for a better understanding of the effectiveness of AS-AQ against Schistosoma spp. The trial registration number was 3487183.

Contexte et objectif. Malgré plusieurs années de lutte, le paludisme demeure toujours la première cause de mortalité infantile sous les tropiques. Actuellement, la stratégie de contrôle vise des actions simultanées contre l’agent causal et le vecteur du paludisme. L’objectif de la présente étude était de décrire la distribution de la sensibilité d'Anopheles gambiae sl aux insecticides à travers la ville de Kinshasa. Méthodes. Des larves d'anophèles ont été collectées, à travers sept sites de Kinshasa, pendant la période allant de septembre 2017 à mai 2018. Des bioessais standard de l'OMS ont été utilisés pour mesurer la sensibilité d'Anopheles gambiae s.l. aux insecticides. La distribution des espèces et le profil de résistance ont été évalués en recourant aux tests diagnostiques moléculaires. Résultats. Deux espèces du complexe gambiae ont été identifiées : An. gambiae (98,3 %) et An. coluzzii (1,7 %). Une variabilité du statut de résistance à la  deltaméthrine par site a été observée. Cependant, une restauration de la sensibilité a été notée après une pré-exposition au butoxyde de pipéronyle (PBO) dans tous les sites présentant une résistance à la deltaméthrine. Conclusion. La présente étude a démontré qu’An. gambiae s.l. était résistant à la perméthrine dans tous les sites retenus. Cependant, la résistance à la deltaméthrine était variable. Le profil de résistance indique que les moustiquaires deltaméthrine+PBO devraient être envisagées pour la lutte anti vectorielle. Context and objective. Despite many years of control, malaria remains the leading cause of child mortality in the tropics. Currently, the control strategy aims at simultaneous actions against the causal agent and the vector of malaria. This study aimed to describe the distribution of the susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae sl to insecticides across the city of Kinshasa. Methods. Anopheles larvae were collected from seven sites in Kinshasa during the period from September 2017 to May 2018. Standard WHO bioassays were used to determine the sensitivity of Anopheles gambiae s.l. to insecticides. The species distribution and the resistance profile were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction. Results. Two species of the gambiae complex were identified: An. gambiae (98.3 %) and An. coluzzii (1.7 %). Variability of deltamethrin resistance status by site was observed; however, a restoration of susceptibility was noted after pre-exposure to piperonyl butoxide (PBO) in all sites with deltamethrin resistance. Conclusion. The present study showed that An. gambiae s.l. was resistant to permethrin in all the selected sites. However, resistance to deltamethrin was variable. The resistance profile indicates that deltamethrin+PBO nets should be considered for vector control.