Health of mobile pastoralists in theSahel – assessment of 15 years of research and development

Abstract

In the Sahel, between Mauritania and Somalia including Northern Kenya, about 20-30 million people live as mobile pastoralists. The rhythm of their migration follows the seasons and the availability of resources such as water, pasture and salt. Despite their high exposure to zoonoses and problems caused by extreme climatic conditions, mobile pastoralists are virtually excluded from health services because the provision of social services adapted to their way of life is challenging. In cooperation with various partners in the region, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute has been active in research and development in the Sahel for 15 years. Based on the perceived needs of mobile pastoralists and the necessities of development, interdisciplinary research has considerably contributed to better understanding of their situation and their problems. Close contact between humans and livestock necessitates close cooperation between human and animal health specialists. Such useful approaches should be continued and extended.

Factors influencing the utilization of maternal health care services by nomads in Sudan

“…As nomads are continuously moving, mobile facilities are always the best approach for service delivery. Utilization of this service is influenced by nomads' health needs (Montavon et al 2013;Schelling et al 2007). WHO (2012b) has excluded TBAs from its definition of skilled attendants and has banned them from service provision everywhere in the world.…”

“…The utilization of maternal health care services is influenced by the nomads' perception of their health needs and the preference for the informal health system. Findings in the literature from studies conducted in Chad show that a combination of human and animal health interventions is an effective way to improve nomads' health (Schelling et al 2007;Montavon et al 2013). The joint vaccination campaign for children and women beside livestock increased the coverage of vaccination of children and women.…”

“…Other cultural practices such as widespread practices of female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage are also contributing to high maternal mortality. In addition, other reasons for high maternal mortality include i) misconceptions and practices related to nutrition, maternal diet and maternal care; ii) limited access to health care services; and iii) low rates of enrolment in formal education (Schelling et al 2003;Schelling et al 2005;Montavon et al 2013).…”

“…Nomads encounter challenges in accessing and utilizing the services of trained midwives or other skilled maternal health service providers. The cultural beliefs of nomads, such as the number of children born in a family being a symbol of its position in the community, indicate little use of family planning methods (Montavon et al 2013). This has a direct correlation to maternal mortality and morbidity, unless pregnancies are well spaced.…”

Estimating population and livestock density of mobile pastoralists and sedentary settlements in the south-eastern Lake Chad area

“…The call for a new institutional framework has been made repeatedly in mobile pastoralist research in the south-eastern Lake Chad area (Montavon et al, 2013;Bechir, 2012;Wiese, 2006;Fokou et al, 2004). Regulations to legislate land use and pastoralist movement cannot be imposed from the outside, but must rather be actively developed by the Government and Ministries with participation from representatives of the concerned populations.…”