The Pastoral Surveillance Bulletin No. 27 assesses pastoral conditions in Burkina Faso during August–September 2025, the peak of the rainy season. Based on field surveys and satellite data, the report highlights generally good availability of pasture and water resources, with vegetation cover ranging from 60% to 90%. Livestock mobility is reduced, and animal concentrations are moderate to high, particularly around agricultural areas. However, regional disparities remain, with localized shortages of pasture and water in parts of western and central Burkina Faso. Although cereal prices declined slightly and livestock prices improved marginally, terms of trade continue to be unfavorable for herders. The bulletin also reports persistent cattle theft and localized conflicts, especially in border areas. Overall, pastoral conditions have improved compared to the previous period, but the report emphasizes the need to strengthen pastoral resilience, improve conflict prevention mechanisms, and enhance support to pastoral communities.

State, Pastoralism, Livestock, Natural ressources, Security, Conflict, Education, Gold, Human security, Marché, water

Issue 34 of the Sahel Pastoral Surveillance Bulletin highlights an overall improvement in pastoral conditions across the region during August–September 2025. Pasture and water availability is generally satisfactory, contributing to good livestock body condition. However, significant spatial disparities remain, with some areas experiencing low vegetation cover while others face excess water and flooding risks. Livestock markets are mostly accessible, yet rising animal prices combined with fluctuating cereal prices continue to negatively affect terms of trade for pastoralists in several locations. From a health perspective, outbreaks of animal and human diseases have been reported, requiring increased monitoring. Security conditions remain fragile in parts of the region, marked by recurrent livestock theft and increased pressure on pastoral resources due to the presence of displaced and refugee populations.

State, Livestock, Natural ressources, Security, Education, Gold, Human security, Health, Information, Marché, water

The article “Education for Citizenship and Curricular Contextualization in Guinea-Bissau” explores how citizenship education can help build an inclusive, democratic society in Guinea-Bissau. The authors argue that beyond mere school access — which remains insufficient — the curriculum must be consciously structured around three core axes: the individual, the relational and the community. Through these dimensions, education should foster values, attitudes, and behaviors that uphold human rights, peace, gender equality, development education, environmental preservation, health education, and media literacy. The goal is to shape informed, responsible citizens capable of actively participating in communal life. The article also highlights the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to support these aims. In short, education should go beyond access: it becomes a tool for social inclusion and curricular justice.

Culture, Governance, Education

This Policy Brief examines Germany’s new budget orientations and their consequences for Mali, a country facing insecurity, conflict, climate shocks, displacement, and rising humanitarian needs. Germany is among Mali’s key financial partners through the Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). However, from 2025 onward, significant budget cuts are expected, sharply reducing German contributions to the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). German aid currently supports essential sectors such as nutrition, health, water and sanitation, infrastructure, protection, displacement management, agriculture, and the Humanitarian–Development–Peace (HDP) nexus. Reductions in funding could exacerbate vulnerabilities, intensify population movements, and weaken local NGOs, which are central to service delivery and conflict mitigation. The brief offers recommendations to mitigate these impacts, improve coordination, promote aid localization, and strengthen community resilience.

State, Economic Development, Natural ressources, Education, Mediation, Gold, Social, Cooperation, Dialogue, Civil Society

This UNESCO report (January 2024) provides an in-depth overview of Guinea-Bissau’s education system. It highlights a severe learning crisis: nearly half of school-age children are out of school due to the scarcity of complete primary schools and high dropout rates. Data also reveal gender disparities, limited access to secondary education, and the absence of regular national learning assessments. The report examines six priority areas from the KIX initiative: learning assessment systems, early childhood education, teaching and learning, data management, gender equality, and inclusion. Persistent challenges include inadequate infrastructure, insufficiently trained teachers, limited implementation of inclusive education policies, and weak educational management information systems (EMIS). Although recent steps—such as creating a preschool inspectorate, adopting minimum standards, and launching teacher development initiatives—represent progress, they remain insufficient without long-term investment and stronger governance.

Governance, Gender, Education, Poverty, Inclusion, Equality

This article evaluates the impact of Senegal’s free health insurance programme for poor households, implemented through the National Family Security Scholarship Programme (PNBSF). Using 2019–2020 data from the rural area of Niakhar, the study assesses whether free enrollment in community-based health insurance (CBHI) improves healthcare utilisation and financial protection. Despite the programme’s intentions, the findings reveal major implementation failures: limited awareness among beneficiaries, unintentional or “virtual” enrollments, weak communication, and structural shortcomings within CBHI schemes. As a result, free insurance did not increase healthcare consultations during illness, antenatal care visits, or protection against catastrophic health expenditures. The only significant positive effect observed was an increase in facility-based deliveries. The authors conclude that the limited impact stems from implementation gaps rather than the concept of free insurance itself, stressing the need for stronger government commitment and measures to reduce barriers to accessing covered services.

Governance, Inequality, Gender, Conflict, Religious education, Education, Health, Threat, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production, Politique publique, Protection

The article examines the evolution of assisted deliveries in community health centres (CsCOM) in the Malian districts of Mopti and Bandiagara amid rising insecurity. Using a mixed-methods design combining spatial analyses, health centre performance indicators, and qualitative interviews, the study highlights strong territorial disparities. While most communes show declining or stagnant assisted delivery rates, some centres located near areas of violence experience increasing numbers. This paradox is explained by large-scale population displacement toward perceived safer areas hosting better-performing health centres, often supported by NGOs providing free maternal care and awareness campaigns. Conversely, remote centres show reduced utilisation due to the departure of qualified staff, reduced household income, and fear of travelling during insecurity. The findings demonstrate that conflict does not affect all services or territories equally and emphasise the need for fine-scale analyses to accurately assess how insecurity shapes maternal healthcare utilisation.

Security, Conflict, Political Violence, Education, Human security, Threat, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production, EMPLOYMENT

The Pastoral Monitoring Bulletin for Niger (August–September 2025) highlights an overall positive outlook for herders. Favorable rainfall significantly improved pasture and water availability, resulting in good livestock body condition. Livestock prices rose while cereal prices declined, improving the terms of trade for pastoral households.

State, Livestock, Natural ressources, Security, Justice, Education, Gold, Human security, Marché, water

This study assesses the Health and Social Development Program (PADSS2) implemented in Mali’s Mopti region to improve healthcare access for pregnant women and children amid increasing terrorist attacks. Using a controlled interrupted time series analysis (2016–2021), the authors compared intervention and control districts. Results show modest but positive effects: assisted deliveries increased by 1.5%, antenatal consultations by 1–2%, and under-five child visits also rose. However, intensified terrorist activity led to a sharp decline in child consultations (up to 40%). The program’s overall impact remained below expectations due to security challenges, governance constraints, and limited implementation capacity. The authors call for stronger collaboration between donors and researchers, and better integration of security dynamics in the design and evaluation of public health interventions in fragile contexts.

Gender, Security, Conflict, Education, Human security, Influence, Health, Soicial sciences, Researh, Knowlege production, Information