ABSTRACT Globally and in Kenya, Maternal Mortality Ratio remain high at 546/100,000 and 362/100,000 live births respectively. In Kenya, skilled birth attendants (SBA) are estimated at 62% and 68% in Nyatike. Factors influencing skilled birth attendants in still unknown in Nyatike. The specific objectives of this study were to assess the level of knowledge on safe motherhood, socio-demographic characteristics, health workers’ attitude, quality of skilled delivery services and association wit...
Abstract The consequences of heavy or ‘binge‘ drinking pose serious risks for drinkers, but also for those in the immediate environment. This study therefore, was to investigate whether alcohol dependency has any negative influences on the academic performance on those who depend on it using the following objectives: to establish the causes of alcohol dependency, to investigate the effects of alcohol dependency on academic performance and to find out the economic constraints incurred by s...
ABSTRACT According to the 2013 World Health Organization estimates, maternal tetanus toxoid (TT2) immunization coverage was 65% globally, and 66% in Africa. In Kenya, the vaccination was 48.7% in 2013 while 27.4% in Kakamega County. Since non-uptake of TT vaccination means a mother would not be able to develop immunity against tetanus, the mother would not pass anti-tetanus immunity to her neonate. In this case, Neonates born of 72.6% anti-tetanus naive mothers in Kakamega County are suscepti...
ABSTRACT The Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions highly affected by youth unemployment. It is estimated to be more than 21 %. It is estimated that 64% of unemployed persons in Kenya are youth. Interestingly, only 1.5% of the unemployed youth have formal education beyond secondary school level and the remaining over 92% have no vocational or professional skills training and the majority is found in the rural Kenya. Youths in Kenya who number about 12 million account for about 32% of the p...
ABSTRACT There is a rise in prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in Kenya, and an increase in related complications, which lead to disability and death. Diet modification to control blood sugar, lipid levels and pressure are vital in lowering risk and complications development in the management of Type 2 diabetes. Adherence to diet on the other hand, is a behaviour, influenced by among others, socio-economic factors and perceptions. Studies indicate that adherence to diet therapy is below average, e...
ABSTRACT Patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis are usually co-morbid with hypertension that contributes to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality if not controlled. A number of factors are targeted as influencing agents to uncontrolled hypertension but adherence to treatment is counted as a major factor contributing to poor control of hypertension. In Kenya studies done among chronic kidney disease patients have found high uncontrolled rate of blood pressure i...
ABSTRACT Kenya is among the 22 high burden countries that contribute 80% of the world’s TB and is ranked 15th globally, while in Africa, it is ranked number five. Strategies for reduction of TB rely on knowledge of where, when and to what degree the disease is present. Information on the geographical occurrence of TB in the high burden regions of Kisumu and Siaya Counties, Western Kenya remains scanty. As such, the main objective of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of TB a...
Abstract "Wife Inheritance" was initiated with good intentions and had many functional values. The custom once held an honourable promise as it protected and catered for the welfare of the widowed and orphaned members of the Luo community. The main aim of the study was to give a critical appraisal of the levirate custom among the Luo of Kenya. The paper specifically examines the impact of the custom on the freedom and individual development of the Luo widow. The research was qualitative wi...
ABSTRACT Amoxicillin dispersible tablet (DT) is now recommended by the World Health Organization as a first line product for treatment of pneumonia in children below 5 years. This formulation, is however, not readily available in most of Africa. The main aim of this study was to compare the acceptability, adherence and clinical outcome of amoxicillin dispersible tablets to that of the conventional Amoxicillin oral suspension (OS) in treatment of children aged 2-59 months with pneumonia in Ken...
Abstract Client satisfaction is influenced by the efficiency of services offered in health facilities. When services are offered promptly, clients are more likely to comply with prescribed treatment. Long waiting time has frequently been mentioned as one factor which may limit health service utilization by any given community. Studies carried out in developing countries show that clients spent 3-4 hours in outpatient departments before seeing the doctor. Studies have shown that long waiting t...
ABSTRACT In sub-Saharan Africa, 34.8 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed per 100,000 women annually and 22.5/100,000 women die from the disease. The disease burden is higher in the developing countries with lower screening rates. Despites of the magnitude of this problem, Kenya still has a screening rate of 3.2% therefore cervical cancer prevalence has not been established. Having been shown to be effective with other health indicators and being members of the communities, community he...
ABSTRACT The increase in prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in members of enterobacteriaceae is posing a major challenge in treatment of bacterial infections and paving way to emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens. Multidrug resistance pathogens such as strains of bacteria (Escherichia coli) produce extended spectrum Beta-lactamases hence are a global problem. Alternative treatment is therefore needed to cure the bacterial infections. Bidens pilosa is among the plants that have been ...
ABSTRACT Health information systems (H.I.S) collect, collate, analyze, evaluate, store and disseminate health information used for planning, forecasting, budgeting, decision making plus monitoring and evaluating health programs. Utilization of H.I.S has however been noted to be inadequate in Kenya thus denying the patients the benefits that would be realized if such information was used to improve services. The general objective of this study was to compare H.I.S in public with private health...
ABSTRACT A WHO report on health workers infections during the 2014-2016 Ebola virus epidemics in Guinea and Liberia found a number of deficiencies from challenges in training to human factors and characteristics of PPE equipment. Studies have highlighted that ineffective management of biohazards in developing countries can compromise the quality of patient care and create occupational and environmental health risks. An assessment conducted in Kenya in 2013 showed that 18-64% of laboratory fac...
ABSTRACT In Kenya, 21% of deaths to women of reproductive age were due to pregnancy related causes in 2014. Nairobi County is ranked 3rd amongst the leading 15 Counties in Kenya in maternal deaths. Kamukunji sub County, with a high proportion of people of Somali origin, is one of the sub-counties with comparably high maternal death rates in Nairobi County. Kenya is promoting skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth for both mothers and new-borns in line with the WHO recommendations. Howev...