In sub-Saharan Africa, oral health is a real epidemiological challenge. Mobile applications represent a hope for the learning of oral hygiene in children and the fight against oral diseases. This study overviews and assesses the quality of mobile applications linked to oral hygiene for children currently featured on the iOS and Android stores in sub-Saharan Africa. Ten oral health professionals (OHP) used the French Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS-F) to rate 15 selected applications. The highest MARS-F scores for overall quality were reported for Bonne nuit Caillou (3.89 ± 0.74), Mon Raccoon (3.63 ± 0.95), and Chomper Chums (3.54 ± 0.54) while the lowest MARS-F scores for overall quality were achieved by Brushing time (2.31 ± 0.61), De belles dents (2.55 ± 0.55) and Brushing Hero (2.77 ± 0.53). The subjective quality scores ranged from 1.50 ± 0.68 for Brushing time to 3.25 ± 0.97 for Bonne nuit Caillou. Specificity scores ranged from 1.95 ± 0.88 (Brushing time) to 3.75 ± 0.84 (Bonne nuit Caillou). Thus, OHP rated positively the quality of the majority of mobile applications linked to oral hygiene for children, their effect on users’ knowledge, attitudes, and intentions to change, and the probability of effective oral hygiene behavior modification. They stated that they would recommend their use to their patients who need them. However, studies analyzing the change in oral hygiene behavior of children using these apps need to be conducted.

INTRODUCTION: The problematic of Social Inequalities in oral health remains a global concern; it constitutes evidence of social injustice. The present work aims to study the determinants of maternal and household social inequalities of children´s dental caries in Pikine.METHOD: a cross-sectional epidemiological survey has been conducted in the Department of Pikine, Senegal on 315 children aged 3 to 9 and their mothers. The clinical data on children´s caries have been obtained by clinical examination and the socio-economic data by a questionnaire submitted to mothers. Pearson chi-square and trend tests as well as a logistic model were used in the data analysis. RESULTS: the prevalence of dental caries in children was 64.8% and the mixed decayed, filled, missing (DFM) index was 2.5 (±2.7). The trend test showed significant inequalities in the prevalence of dental caries according to level of studies (p

Senegal having a significant prevalence of socially differentiated oral diseases, oral health literacy (OHL), an individual and social resource, should be considered alongside a remedial response. This work aimed to analyze women’s OHL characteristics. A cross-sectional study on 315 women in Pikine County was carried out, using the Oral Health Literacy-Adult Questionnaire (OHL-AQ) for the OHL data collection and a questionnaire for the women’s socioeconomic characteristics data. These women had an OHL average score of 6.5±3.1 and a median of 6. Among them, 56.5% had a seemingly low OHL level, a little over 68.9% had a score above the median as regards the “listening, communication and understanding” aspect, 58.4% to “decision making”, 55.2% to “understanding numbers” and 33% to “reading and understanding”. According to a multivariate analysis, secondary and higher educated women (p0.001) with an active social network (p0.023), in a wealthy household (p0.0001) and of nuclear household type (p0.036) had a higher OHL level. Women in Pikine have low OHL and are from working-class households. Therefore, oral health policies must take into account the women’s social network contribution to the OHL improvement.

Background: The development of digital technologies has made scientific resources at university increasingly accessible to students. However, students need specific skills to locate, assess, and use this information effectively in their training and research. Digital health literacy (DHL) refers to the ability to use the Internet and other digital platforms to find, understand, and evaluate health-related information. This study aimed to assess the level of digital health literacy among dental students in Senegal. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 196 dental students at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar with proportional stratified sampling. The Digital Health Literacy Instrument (DHLI) was used to assess students’ DHL levels. The distribution of DHL scores according to gender, academic level, and type of information sought was analysed using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Students were more likely to seek general information (42%) than information related to their dental training (35%). The level of online health information search was estimated as average for 48.9% and low for 41.3% of participants. Regarding the ability to verify the reliability of online information, 48.2% demonstrated low competence. More than half of the students (55.2%) showed average skills in communicating via digital media. Only the distribution of Internet search skills by academic level and communication skills by gender were statistically significant (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study revealed an overall average level of digital health literacy among dental students in Senegal, with particularly low performance in verifying information reliability. These findings underscore the need for targeted educational interventions and greater integration of digital health literacy into dental curricula.

Background. Infant and child mortality remains a key indicator of population health in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where the risk of death before age five is more than six times higher than in Europe. Biological, maternal, socio-economic and environmental factors interact with the organisation of healthcare delivery, whose impact on under-five mortality has not yet been comprehensively synthesised. This scoping review aimed to map the risk factors for under-five mortality documented in SSA between 2003 and 2023, with particular attention to components of healthcare delivery. Methods. A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey & O’Malley framework as updated by Levac et al., and aligned with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and the JBI manual. The research question followed the PCC format, targeting infants (0 -11 months) and children under five. Four sources were searched (PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, African Index Medicus, Google Scholar), complemented by grey literature. Double-blind screening (Rayyan) and standardised extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers. A structured narrative synthesis was performed. Results. Twenty-nine documents were retained (19 original studies and 10 contextual documents) covering Western, Eastern, Southern and Central Africa. Four groups of determinants emerged: (i) biological and perinatal factors (malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea, prematurity, perinatal asphyxia, sickle-cell disease, breastfeeding); (ii) maternal and obstetric factors (maternal education, parity, antenatal care, three-delays model); (iii) socio-economic and environmental determinants (poverty, rural residence, WASH); (iv) healthcare delivery (geographical and financial access, quality of care, continuum of care). User-fee exemption policies and Universal Health Coverage have increased service use but may widen pro-rich inequalities in the absence of targeted measures and parallel quality improvements. Conclusion. Infant and child mortality in SSA is multifactorial and socially structured. In Senegal, the effectiveness of free-care policies depends on improving quality of care, addressing socio-environmental determinants, and pursuing an explicit territorial and social equity strategy. Rigorous impact evaluations are needed to inform future reforms.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global public health issue. Its treatment is financially and socially costly, particularly in the terminal stage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the costs of dialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis at the Aristide Le Dantec Hospital in Dakar. We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study with an economic focus from January 2, 2019, to June 21, 2021. A documentary review of medical records was carried out, coupled with the administration of a questionnaire to each patient meeting the inclusion criteria. Data relating to sociodemographic characteristics, epidemiology, and economics were evaluated. The database was analyzed using Epi Info version 7 software. Among the 89 patients included, 58.43% were already in the terminal stage at the time of CKD diagnosis. The initial nephropathy was dominated by vascular nephropathy, followed by CGN and CIDN, with 45.74%, 30.85%, and 10.63%, respectively. The average annual direct costs for PD patients were 1148 057 ± (792 576) CFA francs; for hemodialysis patients, these costs amounted to 1 560 417 ± (1 224 868) CFA francs. The total cost of care for all dialysis patients amounted to 1 481 922 405 CFA francs, of which 698 563 200 CFA francs (47.14%) were covered by the state and 783 359 205 CFA francs (52.86%) by the patients. The average annual cost of biological tests, travel, and special diets was statistically higher for HD patients than for other patients receiving PD (P value < 0.05). Prevention of this condition is essential in its management in order to limit or avoid its negative effects. Kidney transplantation remains a very promising alternative.