Institut de Formation et de Recherche Démographiques

Chad's total fertility rate (TFR) is 6.4 children per woman, compared with no more than 5.5 in neighbouring countries: Cameroon and the Central African Republic. Scientific research on the determinants of fertility in Chad should therefore be carried out in order to show decision-makers how they can strengthen their actions in this area. This is the aim of this study, which focuses on the influence of women's autonomy on fertility in Chad. Analyses of data from the Multiple Indicator and Demographic and Health Survey (DHS/MICS) conducted in Chad in 2014/2015 and a qualitative survey conducted in the same country in 2020 show, among other things, that 1) in socio-cultural groups characterised by strong gender inequalities, women's autonomy is positively associated with their desired fertility; 2) in these and other groups characterised by less gender inequality, women's autonomy is negatively associated with their actual fertility, all things being equal; 3) the hypotheses explaining this relationship differ across sociocultural groups: In highly gender- inegalitarian groups, the frequent death of children leads couples in which women have either little or no autonomy to compensate with high fertility, whereas in less gender- inegalitarian groups, the negative association between women's autonomy and fertility is due to late union formation, union dissolution, the fertility-reducing effects of breastfeeding and modern contraception, and other intermediate fertility variables not considered here. These findings highlight both the importance of designing development programmes in Chad that focus on women's empowerment and the need for such programmes to take sufficient account of the socio-cultural contexts in which the populations concerned live.

La diarrhée, avec un taux d’incidence de 88,86‰ en 2016, est la troisième cause de la morbidité chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans en Côte d’Ivoire (INS & ICF, 2012). Pour faire face aux maladies diarrhéiques, l’OMS et l’UNICEF recommandent comme mesures curatives la thérapie de réhydratation par voie orale (TRO) composée de la SRO et de la SMR. En dépit du programme de lutte contre les maladies diarrhéiques par la promotion de la thérapie notamment la réhydratation par voie orale, initié depuis 1985 en Côte d’Ivoire, le pourcentage des enfants diarrhéiques ayant reçu une réhydratation par voie orale en 2016 n’était de 56,4%. Il ressort de l’analyse multivariée explicative que la contribution du contexte communautaire dans l’explication de la réhydratation par voie orale des enfants diarrhéiques de moins de 5 ans est estimée à plus 42 %. Les facteurs contextuels associés à la TRO sont : la région de résidence et le milieu de résidence. Quant aux facteurs individuels associés, ce sont : le sexe de l’enfant et le niveau d’instruction de la mère. Ainsi, nous recommandons à l’Etat de Côte d’Ivoire, à travers le Ministère de la santé et de l’hygiène publique d’intensifier les compagnes de lutte contre les maladies diarrhéiques chez l’enfant de moins de cinq ans par la promotion de la thérapie de réhydratation orale (SRO et LMR) auprès de la population du milieu rural surtout dans la région du Nord.
 Diarrhea, with an incidence rate of 88.86‰ in 2016, is the third leading cause of morbidity in children under 5 years of age in Côte d'Ivoire (INS & ICF, 2012). To address diarrheal diseases, WHO and UNICEF recommend oral rehydration therapy (ORT) composed of ORS and SMR as curative measures. Despite the program to control diarrheal diseases through the promotion of oral rehydration therapy, initiated since 1985 in Côte d'Ivoire, the percentage of diarrheic children who received oral rehydration therapy in 2016 was only 56.4%. The explanatory multivariate analysis shows that the contribution of the community context in explaining oral rehydration of diarrheic children under 5 years of age is estimated at more than 42%. The contextual factors associated with ORT are: region of residence and environment of residence. The individual factors associated with ORT are: the child's sex and the mother's level of education. Thus, we recommend that the State of Côte d'Ivoire, through the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, intensify the campaigns against diarrheal diseases in children under five years of age by promoting oral rehydration therapy (ORT and MRL) among the rural population, especially in the northern region.

Blindness and visual impairment are currently considered as major health issues worldwide, as they affect all age groups and have a major impact on the quality of life of individuals. The objective of this study was to determine the socio-economic factors associated with the deterioration of quality of life, and to assess blindness and visual impairment influence on the autonomy of individuals. This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted on blind and visual impaired persons in Yaoundé in 2015. A total of 45 visual impairment individuals were interviewed, including 26 men (57.8%) and 19 women (42.2%). The average age was 34.66 ± 10.57 years. Findings showed that there is a relationship between visual impairment and the level of autonomy. The ANOVA test has shown that, there are differences in autonomy according to variables such as occupation (F= 7.303; p= 0.000); education (F= 7.556; p= 0.002); income (F= 21.563; p= 0.000). Blind and visual impaired persons who have sustainable employment, a sufficiently high level of income and a sustainable source of income have a higher level of independence. The socio-economic factors highlighted in this study interact and influence visual impairment persons’ autonomy.

La transition demographique designe le passage d’un regime traditionnel ou la fecondite et la mortalite sont elevees et s’equilibrent a peu pres, a un regime ou la natalite et la mortalite sont faibles et s’equilibrent egalement. Elle est accompagnee de changements dans les taux d’accroissement de la population : une croissance faible dans une premiere phase, lorsque les taux de mortalite et de natalite sont tous deux eleves, une croissance extremement elevee dans une seconde phase, lorsque la mortalite diminue, mais que la natalite reste forte, puis de nouveau une croissance faible dans une derniere phase, avec des taux de mortalite et de natalite tous deux faibles. Le processus de transition demographique a donc pour enjeux principaux l’evolution de la structure par âge de la population, et les defis inherents a chaque etape de ce processus.Dans cet article, nous allons montrer comment les transitions demographiques se deroulent au cours de cette derniere decennie dans les pays d’Afrique subsaharienne, les differentes phases des evolutions de la mortalite, de la fecondite, d’âge au mariage des filles et les facteurs explicatifs de ces changements demographiques. Cela nous permettra de definir les groupes de transitions pour les pays et correlativement d’etablir comment les evolutions economiques et du developpement en Afrique sont liees aux indicateurs de la transition demographique.

International audience

Abstract The Possessed and the Dispossessed: Spirits, Identity and Power in a Madagascar Migrant Town by Lesley A. Sharp. University of California Press, Berkeley and London. 1993. xx plus 345 pp. including maps, illustrations, tables, notes, bibliography and index. Marketing Africa's High Value Foods edited by S. Jaffee and J. Morton. World Bank, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Iowa. 1995. 503 pp. including bibliography and index. Democratisation and Demilitarisation in Lesotho: The General Election of 1993 and its Aftermath edited by Roger Southall and Tsoeu Petlane. Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria. 1995. xvii plus 193 pp. R60 ($30). A Culture of Censorship: Secrecy and Intellectual Repression in South Africa by Christopher Merrett. David Philip, Cape Town; University of Natal Press, Pietermaritzburg and Mercer University Press, Macon (Georgia). 1994. xv plus 296 pp. including notes and index. Paperback. Price R54,95. The Eritrean Question: The Conflict Between the Right of Self‐Deter‐mination and the Interests of States by Eyassu Gayim. Iustus Förlag AB, Uppsala (Sweden). 1993. 716 pp. including figures, tables, notes, maps, annexures bibliography and index. Paperback. The Rwanda Crisis 1959–1994 — History of a Genocide by G. Prunier. Hurst & Co. London. 1995. xiii plus 389 pp. Paperback. Price £12.50. Entrance into Reproductive Life: A Demographic Expression of Socio‐Economic Changes in a Senegalese Rural Area by Valérie Delaunay. Centre Français sur la Population et le Développement (CEPED), Paris. 1994. Les Etudes du CEPED No 7. xxii plus 326 pp. including figures, maps, tables, appendices and bibliography. Paperback. Price 90FF. Verso un Nuovo Sudafrica: Dall'Apartheid allo Stato Multietnico by Chiara Robertazzi. Milan: Francoangeli. 1995. 130 pp. Paperback.

As a rapid assessment approach the community health interview survey which is self-administered and distributed through an existing administrative system in a cost-effective manner is described. Specific examples and results are given of the Tanzanian study in rural Kilombero District and Kilosa District and of a multicountry study in 5 countries Cameroon Congo Ethiopia Malawi Zimbabwe and in another 2 countries Zambia and Zaire. The 5 countries followed a study design similar to the Kilosa study and the 2-country project used a validation design similar to the Kilombero study. The research activities cost is provided with a discussion of some methodological considerations. The strengths and weaknesses of the health interview approaches are identified as perception vs biomedical measure suitability for an interview approach and specific limitations. The 1st study in Kilombero District validated the questionnaire approach using a parasitological technique by a research team to diagnose urinary schistosomiasis. The 2nd study in Kilosa District used teachers to validate the urine with a simple biomedical test (reagent sticks detecting microhematuria). The multicountry study aimed to test the approach to increase interaction between field scientists and to strengthen applied field activity. An example of the Kilosa questionnaire for headteachers which was self-administered and one for students which was administered by teachers is provided. There were variations in the questionnaire design and administration. Preliminary results show success in the distribution and collection of questionnaires by the existing school system with a return rate of >85% for 921 teachers and 60000 children. Data for Malawi and Zimbabwe are incomplete. Nationwide strikes interfered with the timing of questionnaire returns. The return from political leaders in the Congo was only 50%. Highly significant correlations were found between the biomedical testing and the headteachers and childrens answers in the Kilosa study. Low risk schools for schistomiasis could be easily identified and the disease was well recognized by teachers and prioritized. The cost per screened school of the questionnaire was 7 US dollars vs 154 US dollars for the urine filtration approach. Other savings are detailed. The disease requirements for community questionnaire eligibility are subjective recognition by individuals and objective biomedical or clinical evidence. Diversity of perceptions of disease suggest different approaches. Suitability is determined by diseases with a distinct clinical picture health problems having relevance for a population or identified by 1-2 major symptoms and diseases with a differential diagnosis which are excluded. Further investigation is underway to test the approach is different cultural and ecological environments and the applicability to a larger spectrum of diseases.