School feeding programmes exist worldwide and provide only two thirds of undernourished children with a basic meal (WFP, 2009). Parents/ guardians are important to the long-term adoption of various health practices as they play a major role as primary caregivers. Primary caregivers need to understand the benefits of and reasons for various healthy eating practices, as well as the reasons for designing and implementing a School Feeding Programme in certain ways. The objectives of t...
The fight against HIV and AIDS in Kenya has been intensified to reduce the prevalence of HIV and AIDS across all populations. The National adult HIV prevalence rate in Kenya is 4.4%, with prevalence higher among women (5.7%) compared to that of men (3.1%). The prevalence among female sex workers (FSWs) is highest at 29.3% compared to all other populations, This implies that there is low uptake of HIV combination prevention strategies (HACPS) which are the recommended prevention int...
ABSTRACT Access to family planning services and contraception is critical with the world‟s population currently at seven billion inhabitants. Unfortunately close to 250 million people do not have the means to control their fertility. According to KDHS of 2014, Kenya has a total fertility rate of 3.9%, the Contraceptive prevalence rate of 58 % and unmet need for family planning of 18 %. A discrepancy exists between the proportion of women who know about long-term and permanent family p...
ABSTRACT Rift valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne viral disease found in Africa and other continents and is documented in Kenya since 1910. Mosquito and other insect bites, contact with body fluids during slaughter, milking, treatment and examination and consumption of under-cooked contaminated animal products transmit the disease. In epizootic areas, RVF causes abortion in majority of pregnant ewes and cows while high mortality occurs among newborn lambs making diagnosis ea...
ABSTRACT The Nyeri Provincial General Hospital (PGH) was one of the five pilot sites at which the Government of Kenya started providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) to HIV-infected patients in 2003. At this hospital, as in the other pilot sites, there was an increasing number of patients requiring a switch from first line to second line ART drug regimens due to treatment failure. There was little information available on levels of adherence to ART as well as the factors that influen...
ABSTRACTHuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is not only a major public health challenge, but also a huge threat to global security, stability, and economic growth. One in five organizations currently engaged in HIV and AIDS programming is faith-based. Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) have a wide reach and capacity to mobilize communities to respond to the HIV and AIDS crisis. The current study sought to establish the barriers which directly affect...
ABSTRACTMalaria is a public health problem in more than 90 countries inhabited by over 2.4 billion people. Currently the cheapest drugs for treatment of malaria are becoming ineffective as malarial parasites develop resistance. Historically, local communities have used local flora for prophylaxis and treatment of malaria for centuries. The objective of the study was to determine the plant sources of anti malarial herbs and factors influencing their use in Boro Division, Siaya County. The spec...
ABSTRACTTuberculosis is a common and often deadly airborne bacterial infectious disease which usually targets the lungs (pulmonary TB) and affects any organ outside pulmonary parenchyma (Extra-pulmonary TB), and is a major cause of illness and death worldwide. It causes ill-health among millions of people each year and ranks as the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide, after the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). About one third of the world’s population is in...
AbstractSchool Health began in Kenya in 1960‟s as an initiative of UNESCO and FAO as an intervention tool to encourage attendance and reduce malnutrition in school-going children. The introduction of free, Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 2003 increased pupil enrolment from 5.9 to over 7.8 million thus overstretching water, hygiene and sanitation facilities hence necessitating for a policy. In 2009, the Kenya Government developed the National School-based health program with its policy ...
ABSTRACTThe purpose of the study was to assess the influence of demography, water consumption level, water supply and water utilization on perception of CBWR sustainability at Rironi Self Help Water Project (SHWP) in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study objectives were: to determine the influence of demographic characteristics of project members on perception of CBWR sustainability, to establish the influence of water supply on perception of CBWR sustainability, to establish the influence of water...
ABSTRACT Despite numerous benefits of minimally processed fruits vended as street foods, it has been recognized that they can be a source of foodborne illnesses that can majorly result from poor hygiene practices and unsanitary conditions at fruit vending points. The main objective of the study was to assess the hygiene status and microbial contamination in fruit vending businesses in Nairobi central ward. The study was cross sectional with analytical component and through purposive sam...
ABSTRACT Despite continued national and international efforts, access to improved water and sanitation remains limited in many developing countries. The health consequences of lacking access to clean water and proper sanitation are severe, and particularly among children. Sixty-two percent and thirty one percent of all deaths in Africa and Southeast Asia, respectively, are caused by infectious disease associated with WASH. Poor access to safe drinking water, inadequate sanitary conditio...
ABSTRACT Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the practice of feeding the infant for the first six months of life on breast milk only. This is the standard way of feeding the infants six months and below as per WHO/UNICEF recommendations.Globally, many studies have shown thatthere is increasing number of mothers who do not follow this practice for the full period of six months with, rates of as low as 13% in America, 20% in West and Central Africa and 32% in Kenya. Despite the serious conse...
ABSTRACTAdherence to antiretroviral therapy is a major predictor of the survival of individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Appropriate use of antiretrovirals (ARV’s) has improved the health of many human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive individuals. The effectiveness of HIV treatment depends on sustenance of high levels of adherence to ARV; however, ARV regimens are often complicated and can be affected by varying dosing schedules, failing to have proper dietary requirements and patients de...
ABSTRACTInsecticide- treated nets (ITNs) if used correctly are the most powerful malaria control intervention tools which have been recommended by most governments in the world. Yet up to date, use is still very low in some places with only three percent of African sleeping under an ITN and about 20 percent sleeping under any kind of net. Worse still, malaria continues to be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among the Jaggery and tea workers in both sugar c...