Research Papers/Topics in Public Health

Infection with tungiasis through interhost movement of adult female sand fleas, Tunga penetrans

Abstract: Tungiasis is a highly neglected tropical skin disease caused by the parasitic adult female sand flea, Tunga penetrans. More than 80% of tungiasis patients are found in the age group

Integrated health interventions for improved livelihoods: A case study in Ethiopia.

Abstract: Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) face multifaceted and co-existing risks, such as human and animal diseases and pests. Even though smallholder farmers often experience these challenges simultaneously, interventions to address these challenges are often implemented in a piecemeal fashion. However, managing agricultural production constraints without alleviating human and livestock health burdens might not generate significant and sustained benefits to achieve the desi...

Evaluating effectiveness of screening house eaves as a potential intervention for reducing indoor vector densities and malaria prevalence in Nyabondo, western Kenya.

Abstract: Background Mosquito-proofing of houses using wire mesh screens is gaining greater recognition as a practical intervention for reducing exposure to malaria transmitting mosquitoes. Screening potentially protects all persons sleeping inside the house against transmission of mosquito-borne diseases indoors. The study assessed the effectiveness of house eaves screening in reducing indoor vector densities and malaria prevalence in Nyabondo, western Kenya. Methods 160 houses were selecte...

Transgenic Mosquitoes and the Fight Against Malaria: Managing Technology Push in a Turbulent GMO World

Abstract: Genetic modification (GM) of mosquitoes (which renders them genetically modified organisms, GMOs) offers opportunities for controlling malaria. Transgenic strains of mosquitoes have been developed and evaluation of these to 1) replace or suppress wild vector populations and 2) reduce transmission and deliver public health gains are an imminent prospect. The transition of this approach from confined laboratory settings to open field trials in diseaseendemic countries (DECs) is a sta...

Malaria Mosquito Control using Edible Fish in Western Kenya: Preliminary Findings of a Controlled Study

Abstract: Background: Biological control methods are once again being given much research focus for malaria vector control. This is largely due to the emerging threat of strong resistance to pesticides. Larvivorous fish have been used for over 100 years in mosquito control and many species have proved effective. In the western Kenyan highlands the larvivorous fish Oreochromis niloticus L. (Perciformes: Cichlidae) (formerly Tilapia nilotica) is commonly farmed and eaten but has not been previ...

Comparison of Mosquito Control Programs in Seven Urban Sites in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas

Abstract: Mosquito control programs at seven urban sites in Kenya, Egypt, Israel, Costa Rica, and Trinidad are described and compared. Site-specific urban and disease characteristics, organizational diagrams, and strengths, weaknesses, obstacles and threats (SWOT) analysis tools are used to provide a descriptive assessment of each mosquito control program, and provide a comparison of the factors affecting mosquito abatement. The information for SWOT analysis is collected from surveys, focus...

Long lasting insecticidal mosquito nets (LLINs) ownership, use and coverage following mass distribution campaign in Lake Victoria basin, Western Kenya

Abstract: Background: Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are the most widely used malaria prevention and control intervention in Africa. However, their effectiveness may vary depending on their local geographic coverage, ownership and use at household level. This study aimed at assessing LLINs ownership and use following mass distribution campaign in western Kenya. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2017. A total of 160 households were randomly selected from 16 vi...

A systematic review on improving implementation of the revitalised integrated disease surveillance and response system in the African region: A health workers’ perspective

Abstract: Background The revised integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) guidelines adopted by African member states in 2010 aimed at strengthening surveillance systems critical capacities. Milestones achieved through IDSR strategy implementation prior to adopting the revised guidelines are well documented; however, there is a dearth of knowledge on the progress made post-adoption. This study aimed to review key recommendations resulting from surveillance assessment studies to im...

Assessment of surveillance core and support functions regarding neglected tropical diseases in Kenya

Abstract: Background Effective surveillance and response systems are vital to achievement of disease control and elimination goals. Kenya adopted the revised guidelines of the integrated disease surveillance and response system in 2012. Previous assessments of surveillance system core and support functions in Africa are limited to notifiable diseases with minimal attention given to neglected tropical diseases amenable to preventive chemotherapy (PC-NTDs). The study aimed to assess surveillan...

Characterization of tungiasis infection and morbidity using thermography in Kenya revealed higher disease burden during COVID-19 school closures

Abstract: Background Tungiasis is a neglected tropical skin disease caused by the sand flea Tunga penetrans. Female fleas penetrate the skin, particularly at the feet, and cause severe inflammation. This study aimed to characterize disease burden in two highly affected regions in Kenya, to test the use of thermography to detect tungiasis-associated inflammation and to create a new two-level classification of disease severity suitable for mapping, targeting, and monitoring interventions. Meth...

Urbanization of Aedes mosquito populations and evolution of arboviral disease risk in Africa

Abstract: The arboviral diseases dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever are re-merging and gaining a foothold in Africa, with a significant threat of large outbreaks in urban areas. Although their emergence is intimately linked to the primary vector Aedes aegypti, which thrives in urban environments, the risk of these diseases remains substantially heterogeneous in different geographic areas. Range expansion of invasive mosquito species Aedes albopictus, and colonization of urban habitats by ...

The combined impact of LLINs, house screening, and pull-push technology for improved malaria control and livelihoods in rural Ethiopia: study protocol for household randomised controlled tria

Abstract: Background The combined application of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) are commonly used malaria interventions that target indoor Anopheles vectors. Recent studies on the effects of house screening (HS) and LLINs have demonstrated a reduction in indoor vector densities and malaria when the interventions are combined. In addition, complementary interventions are needed to curb co-occurring pest populations which pose menace to agricultural c...

Household perception and infestation dynamics of bedbugs among residential communities and its potential distribution in Africa

Abstract: Bedbugs have experienced an extraordinary upsurge in the recent past across the world. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the community perception of the pest outbreaks, the population dynamics, and dispersal patterns under different habitat systems. A survey was conducted within communities in nine counties in Kenya, where geographical coordinates of the sites of bedbug presence were recorded and maximum entropy distribution modelling (MaxEnt) was used to map and predict ...

Examining the Intersection between Gender, Community Health Workers, and Vector Control Policies: A Text Mining Literature Review

Abstract: Gender intersects with healthcare systems; this is equally true for arboviral vector control efforts. However,there is as yet no comprehensive analysis as to how vector control is gendered. Hence, our objective is to provide thefirst thematic scoping and spatial distribution of the literature on gender, community health workers, and vector control.The authors use a systematic review approach to collect the academic literature on gender, community health workers,and vector control i...

Determinants of Malaria in Irrigated and Non-irrigated Villages of Mwea: a Comparative Assessment

Abstract: Today, approximately 40% o f the world’s population, mostly those living in the poorest countries, are at risk of malaria, which causes more than 300 million acute illnesses and at least one million deaths annually. Ninety per cent o f deaths due to malaria occur m subSaharan Africa, mostly among young children. The importance o f malaria cannot be over emphasized. A project, (Agro-ecosystem Management for Community-Based Integrated Malaria Control in East African Irrigation Sche...


1 - 15 Of 1728 Results