Health and sanitary status in 1970 of Tubu nomads dwelling in Northeastern Niger

Jean-François Magnaval; Christian Oosterbosch; Michel Mandl; MABN group

doi:10.1186/2054-9369-1-25

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Health and sanitary status in 1970 of Tubu nomads dwelling in Northeastern Niger

RESEARCH | Updated：2026-03-12

- Health and sanitary status in 1970 of Tubu nomads dwelling in Northeastern Niger
- Military Medical Research Vol. 1, Issue 3, Pages: 150-161(2014)
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine-Purpan, Toulouse, France
  2.CNRS UMR 5288, Paul-Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
  3.Les Nouveaux Généralistes, Liège, Belgium
  4.Lieutenant-General (retired), Belgian Air Force, Leefdaal, Belgium
  5.Mission Anthropologique Belge au Niger
- Author bio：
  
  *: jean-francois.magnaval@univ-tlse3.fr
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1186/2054-9369-1-25
  CLC：
- Published：2014-09
- Accepted：
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Magnaval et al.: Health and sanitary status in 1970 of Tubu nomads dwelling in Northeastern Niger. Mil Med Res 2014, 1: 25
DOI：

Magnaval et al.: Health and sanitary status in 1970 of Tubu nomads dwelling in Northeastern Niger. Mil Med Res 2014, 1: 25 DOI： 10.1186/2054-9369-1-25.

摘要

Abstract

Background:

The Tubu are nomadic people who live in remote parts of the central Sahara

primarily in the Tibesti massif (Chad)

and in both Northeastern Niger and Southern Libya. All of these areas are close to become conflict zones. However

no data about the Tubu’s health and sanitary status are currently available

which would be of major concern if humanitarian interventions would become required.

Methods:

In 1970

the "Mission Anthropologique Belge au Niger" (MABN) investigated a Tubu tribe named Broaya that lived at Seguedine and Djado on the northeastern rim of the Tenere desert. One hundred fifty-one adult volunteers answered an oral questionnaire and underwent a medical examination

followed by the collection of blood thin films and samples of urine and stool. The environmental fauna of medical importance was also studied.

Results:

Albeit 43 year-old

these results have not been previously published. The estimated age of death for fathers was approximately 56 years

and that for mothers was 60 years. On average

each married woman had had 4.7 children. The overall perinatal mortality rate was 232 ‰

the overall infant mortality rate was 153 ‰

and the overall child mortality rate was 99 ‰. The mean height was 164.1 cm and 157.4 cm

the mean weight was 50.1 kg and 47.9kg

and the mean blood pressure was 131/78 mmHg and 127/75 mmHg for males and females

respectively. The physical examination found 6 cases of blindness (4.0%). Five subjects presented with an elevated blood pressure (3.3%)

and 5 (3.3%) displayed an abnormal thoracic auscultation evocative of tuberculosis or of an acute lung infection. The abdominal examination and renal palpation found 5 large masses (3.3%)

and 2 subjects had a palpable enlarged spleen (1.3%). The blood thin films were fixed in methanol and subsequently examined in Toulouse. The search for blood parasites was negative. The urine samples were centrifuged and then microscopically examined in the field. No blood-fluke eggs were found. The stool samples were mixed with a preservative MIF solution and then stored to be examined later in Toulouse. Three subjects (2%) passed

E. histolytica/E. dispar

cysts in stools

16 (10.6%) were parasitized with Giardia sp. and 4 (2.65%) were parasitized with Hymelepis nana. Two specimens of scorpions captured in the camp were subsequently identified as belonging to the harmful genus Androctonus or Leiurus. An investigation into the freshwater fauna was conducted in the marshy ponds surrounding the ghost city of Djado

and no intermediate snail hosts for schistosomiasis haematobium were found. Numerous nymphs of Ceratopogonidae

which are possible vectors for arboviruses of veterinarian importance

were collected

as were larvae and nymphs from two anopheline species

Anopheles hispaniola and An. multicolor

which are not efficient vectors for malaria.

Conclusions:

Infection-related blindness and trachoma

along with acute pulmonary infections and probably tuberculosis were the major health burden in this tribe. The harsh dry and hot climate may explain the low prevalence of soil-transmitted protozoan diseases or helminthiases.

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