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...
ABSTRACT Lake Victoria is an important source of fish. Nonetheless, fish has been reported to be of low microbiological quality as they have been reported to be contaminated with Escherichia coli, Vibrio spp, Shigella spp and Salmonella. Nevertheless these microbial contaminants of fish in Lake Victoria have not been linked to their possible reservoirs, therefore making it difficult for regulatory agencies and fishers minimize fish contamination. Furthermore, it is not known if E. coli contam...
ABSTRACT Hypertension is a major public health problem that affects approximately 26% of adult population worldwide. It is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, stroke and renal failure, and causes about 7.1 million deaths per year worldwide. The prevalence of hypertension is suggested to be increasing worldwide, particularly in developing countries due to nutritional transition and westernization. Moreover, lack of awareness regarding the disease status increases incidence o...
ABSTRACT The burden of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is greatly attributed to treatment failure and high transmission rates among HIV risk groups such as injection drug users (IDUs). In Kenya and other sub-Saharan African countries, protease inhibitors (PIs) especially Ritonavir boosted Lopinavir (LPV/r) or Atazanavir (ATV/r) are main substitute drugs following first line antiretroviral treatment (ART) failure. However, the circulating protease inhibitor drug resistance mutations (PI-DRM...
ABSTRACT Diarrhoea remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Diarrhoea in low income settings is attributed to bacterial enteropathogens but viruses and parasites may also be involved. Children infected with HIV are known to experience severe, persistent and recurrent diarrhoea requiring frequent and prolonged usage of antibiotics. However, the actual cause diarrhoea in HIV positive and negative children is unknown. This was a cross-sectional study involving 216 diarrhoea ca...
ABSTRACT Pregnancy preparedness is a precautionary measure for readiness to conceive. It encompasses readiness of a health provider and HIV positive women to contain possible risk factors for mother-to-child HIV transmission. It also includes assessment of pregnancy status, pregnancy intentions, contraceptive status and a suppressed viral load for HIV positive women. Despite the high prevalence of pregnant HIV positive women in Seme Sub-County, the factors influencing pregnancy-preparedness h...
ABSTRACT Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains the region most heavily affected by HIV and AIDS. Most countries in SSA report a generalized epidemic with pockets of concentrated epidemics in key populations. Men who have sex with Men (MSM) have been identified as one of the key populations driving the spread of HIV in Kenya. MSM contribute about 7.79% new HIV infections in Nyanza Region; with Kisumu reporting a prevalence of up to 25% among MSM aged over 24 years compared to 15.1% in the general p...
ABSTRACT Cyanobacteria are single-celled algae that thrive in warm and nutrient rich water bodies including lakes. They can produce different kinds of toxins called cyanotoxins. Microcystin is the most common and most studied cyanotoxin. Microcystin mostly affects the liver. Epidemiological studies in China and Serbia have shown an association between cyanotoxins and occurrence of Primary Liver Cancer. Cyanobacteria have been reported in Lake Victoria, which is an important source of drinking...
ABSTRACT Formal employment is a barrier to exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). National breastfeeding policy recommends workplace breastfeeding support for working women. These women may have been excluded by efforts to scale up EBF, not by design but because they are “special population group” who have been neglected by research, studies existing are old, up to date information lacks to inform programs. Currently, out of 2.56 million people in...
ABSTRACT Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Challenges in the diagnosis and identification of the causative agent among members of mycobacteria in TB patients due to low sensitivity of smear microscopy leading to misdiagnosis and subsequently treated blindly is of great concern. Emergence and spread of multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains and non tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) whose treatment is not direct...
ABSTRACT Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an innovative way to achieve communities free from open defecation. Globally 1.1 billion people still practice open defecation and are at risk of diarrhea resulting in 2 million deaths annually. In Kenya 75.7 % population lack improved sanitation facilities and of these, 17.1% experience diarrhea cases. In Siaya diarrheal diseases are ranked third among the top ten diseases. Boro Division with latrine coverage 55%. However, there is still limi...
ABSTRACT Tungiasis is a parasitic skin disease caused by sand flea Tungapenetrans. The disease is endemic in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa.In Kenya, little data has been published regarding tungiasis generally. In Nambale health centre, tungiasisaccounted for 4% of total morbidities at the outpatient department. The prevalence of tungiasis among residents of Musokoto sub-location, the risks factors associated with tungiasis infestations and treatment methods used by Musokotoresident...
ABSTRACT United Nations Population Fund report (UNFPA, 2014) indicates that Kisumu County is amongst the 15 of the total 47 counties in Kenya accounting for 98.7% of total maternal deaths in the country most of which are related to pregnancy and child birth. This study was therefore conducted at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) to establish the determinants of postpartum complications among women of reproductive age (15-49 years old). JOOTRH was chosen since it i...