Abstract/Overview In Kenya, one of the strategies to control malaria during pregnancy is through the use of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) and insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) in conjunction with other intervention methods. But the uptake of these services among pregnant women is not fully optimized. The study assessed the knowledge on malaria and determined factors associated with utilization of malaria preventive and control measures among pregnant w...
Abstract/Overview Annually, 125.2 million pregnant women worldwide risk contracting malaria, including 30.3 million and 1.5 million in Sub-Saharan Africa and Kenya respectively. At least three doses of sulphadoxine pyrimethamine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp-SP) is recommended for optimal benefit. Kenya recorded low IPTp-SP optimal uptake in 2015. This study investigated the prevalence of and factors influencing IPTp-SP optimal uptake in Sabatia Sub C...
Abstract/Overview HIV-1 genetic diversity results into the development of widespread drug-resistant mutations (DRMs) for the first-line retroviral therapy. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the relationship between DRMs and HIV-1 subtypes among HIV-positive injecting drug users (IDUs). This study therefore determined the association between HIV-1 genotypes and DRMs among the 200 IDUs. Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database was used to interpret DRMs. The five HIV-1 genotypes circ...
Abstract/Overview One-third of people with pre-diabetic condition progress to type 2 diabetes within five years. However, with adequate knowledge on diabetes risk reduction behaviors, progression to diabetes can be controlled. We therefore recruited 220 suspected cases of pre-diabetic patients at Busia County Referral Hospital assessed their knowledge, and adaption of risk reduction behavior. A cross-sectional study design and a systematic sampling approach were used. The findings show th...
Abstract/Overview Preconception care involves the provision of health interventions to women and couples before conception and aims at improving their health status, reducing behaviors, individual and environmental factors that contribute to poor maternal and child health outcomes. It has potential to further reduce global maternal and child mortality and morbidity, especially in low-income countries where the highest burden of pregnancy-related deaths and disability occurs. Most often, p...
Abstract/Overview Preconception care involves the provision of health interventions to women and couples before conception and aims at improving their health status, reducing behaviors, individual and environmental factors that contribute to poor maternal and child health outcomes. It has potential to further reduce global maternal and child mortality and morbidity, especially in low-income countries where the highest burden of pregnancy-related deaths and disability occurs. Most often, p...
Abstract Background: Malaria is the leading cause of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: The study assessed the effect of socio-economic factors on high malaria prevalence in a peri-urban setting in Vihiga County, Western Kenya highlands aimed at strengthening implementation of cost-effective malaria control strategies at household level. Method: A longitudinal study was carried out in the study area from December 2019 to November 2020. From patients who presented themselves at Mba...
Abstract/Overview Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant cancer of the liver and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has not been known to have a direct causal relationship with HCC despite independently causing inflammation of the liver. However, little is known on risk factors for HCC patients in an HIV endemic area. The objective of this study was to ascertain the risk factors of HCC and its association with HIV i...
Abstract/Overview Globally, breast cancer incidence is on the rise, especially in developing countries and it is the most diagnosed cancer among women in Kenya. For the prevention and treatment, knowledge on early detection and risk factors is very important, however this has not been assessed among women of reproductive age attending Longisa County Referral Hospital Bomet County, Kenya. The study adopted a cross-sectional hospital based design to assess the knowledge on early detection a...
Abstract/Overview Tick-borne spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses are emerging human diseases caused by obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. Despite being important causes of systemic febrile illnesses in travelers returning from sub-Saharan Africa, little is known about the reservoir hosts of these pathogens. We conducted surveys for rickettsiae in domestic animals and ticks in a rural setting in western Kenya. Of the 100 serum specimens tested from e...
Abstract/Overview Objective: To evaluate the validity of diVerent algorithms for the diagnosis of gonococcal and chlamydial infections among pregnant and non-pregnant women consulting health services for vaginal discharge in Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: Cross sectional study among 621 women with complaints of vaginal discharge in three city council clinics between April and August 1997. Women were interviewed and examined for symptoms and signs of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Speci...
Abstract/Overview Background HIV-1-related inflammation is associated with increased levels of biomarkers of vascular adhesion and endothelial activation, and may increase production of the inflammatory protein angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), an adverse prognostic biomarker in severe systemic infection. We hypothesized that antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation would decrease endothelial activation, reducing plasma levels of ANG-2. Methods Antiretroviral-naïve Kenyan women with advanced HIV in...
Abstract/Overview Delay in care seeking at health facilities for malaria related fever results into mortality of several children under five years. Both hospital and home-based care practices have contributed to delay in seeking care at the health facilities. However, few studies have investigated how home-based practices contribute to the delay. This study therefore employed a descriptive cross-sectional study to identify home-based practices that lead to delay in seeking care at health ...
Abstract The relationship between commercial sex work and drug use is complex and the two exacerbate each other. In Kenya, Mombasa County has one of the highest populations of drug users and commercial sex workers. Despite documentation of drug use among sex workers, most of the studies are based on self-reported history which is prone to social desirability and memory recall biases. It is in this context that we sought to establish actual drug use is this sub-population. A cross-sectional s...
Abstract Introduction. Depression is the most common mental health disorder worldwide with a lifetime prevalence of approximately 10% in the general population. Our objective was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) regarding depression care. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study among consenting healthcare workers in two medium-sized hospitals in Kenya. Data on demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and practice of depression w...