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Through the lens of culture,The Internet of Elsewherelooks at the role of the Internet as a catalyst in transforming communications, politics, and economics. Cyrus Farivar explores the Internet's history and effects in four distinct and, to some, surprising societies-Iran, Estonia, South Korea, and Senegal. He profiles Web pioneers in these countries and, at the same time, surveys the environments in which they each work. After all, contends Farivar, despite California's great success in creating the Internet and spawning companies like Apple and Google, in some areas the United States is still years behind other nations. Surprised?You won't be for long as Farivar proves there are reasons that: Skype was invented in Estonia-the same country that developed a digital ID system and e-voting;Iran was the first country in the world to arrest a blogger, in 2003;South Korea is the most wired country on the planet, with faster and less expensive broadband than anywhere in the United States;Senegal may be one of sub-Saharan Africa's best chances for greater Internet access.The Internet of Elsewherebrings forth a new complex and modern understanding of how the Internet spreads globally, with both good and bad effects.

The concept of digital literacy has been defined in numerous ways over the last two decades to incorporate rapid technological changes, its versatility, and to bridge the global digital divide. Most approaches have been technology-centric with an inherent assumption of cultural and political neutrality of new media technologies. There are multiple hurdles in every stage of digital literacy implementation. The lack of solutions such as local language digital interfaces, locally relevant content, digital literacy training, the use of icons and audio excludes a large fraction of illiterate people. In this article, we analyse case studies targeted at under-connected people in sub-Saharan Africa and India that use digital literacy programmes to build knowledge and health literacy, solve societal problems and foster development. In India, we focus on notable initiatives undertaken in the domain of digital literacy for rural populations. In Sub-Saharan Africa, we draw from an original project in Kenya aiming at developing digital literacy for youth from low-income backgrounds. We further focus on Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, where field studies have been conducted on the use of digital technologies by low-literacy people and on how audio and icon-based interfaces and Internet lite standard could help them overcome their limitations. The main objective of this article is to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) in the context of digital literacy skills as one of the pillars for digital inclusion. We will learn how digital literacy programmes can be used to build digital literacy and how KPIs for sustainable development can be established. In the final discussion, we offer lessons learned from the case studies and further recommendation for stakeholders and decision-makers in the field of digital health literacy.

Accurate monitoring of surface water bodies is essential in numerous hydrological and agricultural applications. Combining imagery from multiple sensors can improve long-term monitoring; however, the benefits derived from each sensor and the methods to automate long-term water mapping must be better understood across varying periods and in heterogeneous water environments. All available observations from Landsat 7, Landsat 8, Sentinel-2 and MODIS over 1999–2019 are processed in Google Earth Engines to evaluate and compare the benefits of single and multi-sensor approaches in long-term water monitoring of temporary water bodies, against extensive ground truth data from the Senegal River floodplain. Otsu automatic thresholding is compared with default thresholds and site-specific calibrated thresholds to improve Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) classification accuracy. Otsu thresholding leads to the lowest Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and high overall accuracies on selected Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 images, but performance declines when applied to long-term monitoring compared to default or site-specific thresholds. On MODIS imagery, calibrated thresholds are crucial to improve classification in heterogeneous water environments, and results highlight excellent accuracies even in small (19 km2) water bodies despite the 500 m spatial resolution. Over 1999–2019, MODIS observations reduce average daily RMSE by 48% compared to the full Landsat 7 and 8 archive and by 51% compared to the published Global Surface Water datasets. Results reveal the need to integrate coarser MODIS observations in regional and global long-term surface water datasets, to accurately capture flood dynamics, overlooked by the full Landsat time series before 2013. From 2013, the Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 constellation becomes sufficient, and integrating MODIS observations degrades performance marginally. Combining Landsat and Sentinel-2 yields modest improvements after 2015. These results have important implications to guide the development of multi-sensor products and for applications across large wetlands and floodplains.

ObjectivesPublic awareness and the dissemination of tailored information to lay populations are essential for highly endemic countries like Senegal to achieve hepatitis B elimination targets by 2030. In Senegal, despite its high prevalence, hepatitis B has not received sufficient attention in health communication campaigns compared with other health issues like HIV. We aimed to explore knowledge and perceptions surrounding hepatitis B virus (HBV), as well as the influence of digital media on the information accessed by individuals living with HBV in Senegal.DesignWe employed a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative semistructured interviews conducted with people living with HBV enrolled in the Senegalese hepatitis B cohort (SEN-B), with a quantitative content analysis of online news coverage focused on HBV within the online media of Senegal.SettingA referral University hospital in Dakar, Senegal.Participants29 individuals aged >18 years presenting with a positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) with a median age of 40 years (IQR 27–54), of whom 51.7% were female.Outcomes and analysisQualitative interviews were conducted between December 2019 and October 2021, and we employed purposive sampling to select participants enrolled in SEN-B. Thematic analysis facilitated a systematic synthesis of respondents’ narratives. All data analyses were performed using Atlas.ti (V.22). For content analysis of online media news collected from September 2019 to May 2022, a structured data extraction form was developed to collect relevant information from the selected online news articles. Data on readers’ comments spaces were extracted using an inductive approach and were processed using thematic analyses. The quantitative data issued from content analysis were exported to Stata SE V.17.0 (StataCorp) for statistical analysis.ResultsWe observed a generalised lack of knowledge about HBV among participants, some of whom had never heard of the virus prior to their screening. Incomprehension regarding the disease contributed to feelings of fear and anxiety, leading participants to express various concerns about their personal health status, transmission, cure and treatment(s). The presence of rumours surrounding the disease further underscored the limited awareness of HBV revealing the marginal recognition of HBV as a significant societal concern. In many cases, the absence of effective health communication strategies at the national level resulted in individuals turning to traditional and online media for information, which often intensified their fears and concerns about HBV. An analysis of Senegalese media coverage about HBV included 157 articles published between 2009 and 2022. 55.4% (87/157) of these publications appeared in July, coinciding with World Hepatitis Day, while 65.0% (102/157) focused on general HBV epidemiology and activities led by the National Hepatitis Programme. Online media also served as informal spaces where unaccredited actors within the health sector promoted treatments lacking official verification. Additionally, the reactions’ spaces provided a venue for the exchange of information, though without any guarantee of its accuracy.ConclusionsFacilitating collaboration and engagement between health communication stakeholders and communities is crucial for effectively disseminating structured information and culturally appropriate messages, ultimately contributing to raising awareness of HBV.

Nearly half the world's population burns solid fuel for cooking, heating, and lighting. The incomplete combustion of these fuels is associated with detrimental health and environmental effects. The design and distribution of improved cookstoves that increase combustion efficiency and reduce indoor air pollution are a global priority. However, promoting exclusive and sustainable use of the improved stoves has proved challenging. In 2012, we conducted a survey in a community in rural Senegal to describe stove ownership and preferences for different stove technologies. This report aims to describe local stove and fuel use, to identify household preferences related to stove features and function, and to elicit the community perceptions of cleaner-burning stove alternatives with a focus on liquid propane gas. Similar to many resource-limited settings, biomass fuel use was ubiquitous and multiple stoves were used, even when cleaner burning alternatives were available; less than 1% of households that owned a liquid propane stove used it as the primary cooking device. Despite nearly universal use of the traditional open fire (92% of households), women did not prefer this stove when presented with other options. Propane gas, solar, and improved cookstoves were all viewed as more desirable when compared to the traditional open fire, however first-hand experience and knowledge of these stoves was limited. The stove features of greatest value were, in order: large cooking capacity, minimal smoke production, and rapid heating. Despite the low desirability and smoke emisions from the traditional open fire, its pervasive use, even in the presence of alternative stove options, may be related to its ability to satisfy the practical needs of the surveyed cooks, namely large cooking capacity and rapid, intense heat generation. Our data suggest women in this community want alternative stove options that reduce smoke exposure, however currently available stoves, including liquid propane gas, do not address all of the cooks' preferences.

The West African Sahel Cropland map (WASC30) is a new 30-m cropland extent product for the nominal year of 2015. We used the computing resources provided by Google Earth Engine (GEE) to fit and apply Random Forest models for cropland detection in each of 189 grid cells (composed of 100 km2, hence a total of ~1.9 × 106 km2) across five countries of the West African Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Senegal). Landsat-8 surface reflectance (Bands 2–7) and vegetation indices (NDVI, EVI, SAVI, and MSAVI), organized to include dry-season and growing-season band reflectances and vegetation indices for the years 2013–2015, were used as predictors. Training data were derived from an independent, high-resolution, visually interpreted sample dataset that classifies sample points across West Africa using a 2-km grid (~380,000 points were used in this study, with 50% used for model training and 50% used for model validation). Analysis of the new cropland dataset indicates a summed cropland area of ~316 × 103 km2 across the 5 countries, primarily in rainfed cropland (309 × 103 km2), with irrigated cropland area (7 × 103 km2) representing 2% of the total cropland area. At regional scale, the cropland dataset has an overall accuracy of 90.1% and a cropland class (rainfed and irrigated) user’s accuracy of 79%. At bioclimatic zones scale, results show that land proportion occupied by rainfed agriculture increases with annual precipitation up to 1000 mm. The Sudanian zone (600–1200 mm) has the highest proportion of land in agriculture (24%), followed by the Sahelian (200–600 mm) and the Guinean (1200 +) zones for 15% and 4%, respectively. The new West African Sahel dataset is made freely available for applications requiring improved cropland area information for agricultural monitoring and food security applications.

In an evolving world, adolescents and young adults are changing their approach to searching sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information. This study in Senegal identifies preferred sources of information through 31 in-depth interviews and 46 focus groups discussions involving adolescents, young adults, parents, youth service providers, and community leaders. Analyzing the data using content analysis, findings highlight the internet as a favored SRHR information source, providing accessible and confidential information, enabling anonymous access and mitigating societal stigmatization. Health care providers and teachers are perceived as reliable sources due to their knowledge, skills, and training while parent-adolescent communication is limited. Comprehensive research is essential to understand how the internet can be used for effective communication on SRHR among adolescents and young adults in Senegal. New SRHR communication strategies should harmoniously integrate family dynamics with the influence of social media and digital platforms, in response to ongoing social change. Dans un monde en évolution, les jeunes modifient leur recherche d'informations sur la santé et les droits sexuels et reproductifs (SDSR). Cette étude au Sénégal analyse 31 entretiens et 46 discussions avec adolescents, jeunes adultes, parents, prestataires de services et leaders communautaires. Les résultats révèlent qu'Internet est une source privilégiée pour la SDSR, offrant des informations accessibles, anonymes et confidentielles, réduisant ainsi la stigmatisation. Les prestataires de soins et les enseignants sont considérés comme fiables grâce à leurs connaissances et compétences, alors que la communication parents-adolescents reste limitée. Des recherches approfondies sont nécessaires pour comprendre l'utilisation d'Internet pour une communication efficace sur la SDSR. Les nouvelles stratégies de communication doivent intégrer la dynamique familiale et l'influence des médias sociaux et des plateformes numériques, répondant aux changements sociaux actuels.

This study addresses the pressing need for flood extent and exposure information in data-scarce and vulnerable regions, with a specific focus on West Africa, particularly Senegal. Leveraging the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and integrating data from the Sentinel-1 SAR, Global Surface Water, HydroSHEDS, the Global Human Settlement Layer, and MODIS land cover type, our primary objective is to delineate the extent of flooding and compare this with flooding for a one-in-a-hundred-year flood event, offering a comprehensive assessment of exposure during the period from July to October 2022 across Senegal’s 14 regions. The findings underscore a total inundation area of 2951 square kilometers, impacting 782,681 people, 238 square kilometers of urbanized area, and 21 square kilometers of farmland. Notably, August witnessed the largest flood extent, reaching 780 square kilometers, accounting for 0.40% of the country’s land area. Other regions, including Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor, Fatick, and Matam, experienced varying extents of flooding, with the data for August showing a 1.34% overlap with flooding for a one-in-a-hundred-year flood event derived from hydrological and hydraulic modeling. This low percentage reveals the distinct purpose and nature of the two approaches (remote sensing and modeling), as well as their complementarity. In terms of flood exposure, October emerges as the most critical month, affecting 281,406 people (1.56% of the population). The Dakar, Diourbel, Thiès, and Saint-Louis regions bore substantial impacts, affecting 437,025; 171,537; 115,552; and 77,501 people, respectively. These findings emphasize the imperative for comprehensive disaster preparation and mitigation efforts. This study provides a crucial national-scale perspective to guide Senegal’s authorities in formulating effective flood management, intervention, and adaptation strategies.

Maternal undernutrition is a leading cause of maternal mortality. Furthermore, health statuses and habits of mothers influence health statuses of newborns as well as healthy habits and mortality of children. The Senegal government is aware of the severity of these issues and has devised a national policy goal of reducing maternal, infant, and adolescent mortality rates by the end of 2018. This study aimed to identify nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices of lactating women in Senegal, and determine factors related to nutritional practices to obtain basic data for developing a maternal and child nutrition project. This study used a mixed-method approach, collecting data via structured questionnaires administered to lactating women in Senegal and semistructured interviews with seven stake-holders. Questions for stuctured questionnaires were about nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices. For the quantitative analysis of the structured questionnaires, data from 171 participants analyzed using independent t-tests, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analysis. Interview data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. The questions for the interviews concerned maternal and child nutritional status, causes of undernutrition, and restrictions. Factors significantly related to healthy nutritional practices(explaining 27.1% of variance) included having a household (B = 1.03, p = .015) and a mother (B = 0.96, p = .017) with an above primary school education, and being in the 5th quintile of income level (B = 1.24, p = .014). The interviews with seven stakeholders revealed obstructive factors of nutritional management were insufficient nutritional programs within health centers, incomplete national policy on nutrition, lack of general interest in undernutrition-related topics, inadequate economic environment, and the absence of partnerships to produce sustainable solutions. Education and income levels, rather than knowledge and attitudes, had a strong relationship with healthy nutritional practices. Therefore, economic factors and educational background must be considered to succeed in Senegalese nutrition projects.

Innovative strategies are needed to enhance the nutritional impact of agriculture. Value chain approaches, which use supply chains to add value (usually economic) to products as they move from producers to consumers, can be used to increase access to nutritious foods and improve nutritional status. This study tested whether a dairy value chain could be used to distribute a micronutrient-fortified yoghurt (MNFY) (conditional upon the producer supplying a minimum amount of cow milk/day) to improve hemoglobin and reduce anemia among preschool children in a remote area in Northern Senegal. A cluster randomized control trial was used to compare 204 children (24 to 59 months of age at baseline) from households who received the MNFY coupled to a behavior change communication (BCC) campaign focusing on anemia prevention to 245 children from a control group (receiving BCC only) after one year. Randomization was done at the level of the family concession (households from the same family) (n = 321). Eligible households had a child of the target age and were willing to deliver milk to the dairy factory. Changes in anemia and hemoglobin between groups were assessed using mixed regression models. Anemia prevalence was very high at baseline (80%) and dropped to close to 60% at endline, with no differences between intervention groups. Hemoglobin increased by 0.55 g/dL, 95%CI (0.27; 0.84) more in the intervention compared to the control group after one year, in models that controlled for potentially confounding factors. The impact was greater (0.72 g/dL, 95%CI (0.34; 1.12)) for boys, compared to girls (0.38 g/dL, 95%CI (-0.03; 0.80)). The dairy value chain was a successful strategy to distribute MNFY among pastoralists in Northern Senegal, and increase Hb concentrations among their children. This study is one of the first proofs of concept showing that a nutrition-sensitive agriculture value chain approach can contribute to improved child nutrition in a remote pastoralist population. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02079961.