Abstract/Overview Disclosure of HIV status to adolescents is controversial and a sensitive issue among guardians, health workers, and parents of adolescents. However, HIV/AIDS is a chronic illness, and it’s a lifelong treatment. Adolescents who are HIV positive need to know their HIV status and treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children should know their HIV status at the ages of 6 to 12 years. Many children living with HIV are reaching adolescence and young...
Abstract/Overview With the widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the epidemic of HIV has evolved into a chronic disease. HIV is extremely stigmatizing, resulting in highly emotionally charged responses to disclosure. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children should be informed of their HIV status at ages of 6 to 12 years and full disclosure at about 8 to 10 years. Disclosure process is much more difficult when the person being disclosed to is an adolescent...
Abstract/Overview Iron deficiency (ID) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection frequently coexist. Little data exist on ID in HIV-infected individuals, partly because the iron marker ferritin is altered by inflammation common in HIV infection. We measured iron biomarkers (ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor [sTfR], hepcidin) and red cell indices (hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume [MCV]) in newly diagnosed, antiretroviral therapy-naive, HIV-infected (N = 138) and uninfected (...
Abstract/Overview Health workers competency is very critical in realization of quality health care which is a major pillar of Universal Health Coverage. This study assessed the influence of healthcare provider competency on Universal Health Coverage utilization in Seme Sub County, Kisumu County. The study targeted community households and health facility managers. The health facilities were stratified according to their tiers and randomly sampled. The catchment population was stratified b...
Abstract/Overview Brucellosis is a common bacterial zoonotic infection but data on the prevalence among humans and animals is limited in Kenya. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in three counties practicing different livestock production systems to simultaneously assess the seroprevalence of, and risk factors for brucellosis among humans and their livestock (cattle, sheep, camels, and goats). A two-stage cluster sampling method with random selection of sublocations and households was...
Abstract/Overview We conducted serological surveys for Coxiella burnetii in archived sera from patients that visited a rural clinic in western Kenya from 2007 to 2008 and in cattle, sheep, and goats from the same area in 2009. We also conducted serological and polymerase chain reaction-based surveillance for the pathogen in 2009–2010, in human patients with acute lower respiratory illness, in ruminants following parturition, and in ticks collected from ruminants and domestic dogs. Antib...
Abstract/Overview Objective: To determine and describe the patterns of low birth weight in newborns of a cohort of mothers given intermittent presumptive treatment (IPT) for malaria prevention in a malaria endemic area of Kenya. Design: A longitudinal prospective cohort study. Setting: Got Agulu Health Centre in Usigu Division, Bondo District, Nyanza Province. Subjects: Pregnant women of all parities attending antenatal care services. Only women who gave informed consent for themselves an...
Effective partner notification is vital for managing and preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Confidential communication ensures trust and privacy, while clear and compassionate messaging provides essential information sensitively. Utilizing multiple channels—such as face-to-face conversations, phone calls, and digital notifications—ensures partners are effectively reached. Offering comprehensive education on STIs and emotional support, along with actionable steps like testi...
Abstract/Overview The Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research is one of the largest international networks for testing and generating evidence-based recommendations for improvement of maternal-child health in resource-limited settings. Since 2009, Global Network sites in six low and middle-income countries have collected information on antenatal care practices, which are important as indicators of care and have implications for programs to improve maternal and child ...
Abstract Vaccine hesitancy is a significant global public health concern. This study sought to determine the correlates of acceptance and hesitancy regarding COVID-19 vaccines in rural populations of selected counties in Western Kenya and assess the strategies that can be used to improve COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Kenya. The study used a quantitative research strategy with a sample of 806 individuals in the Kisumu, Vihiga, and Kakamega counties. Descriptive statistics, correlations and r...
Abstract/Overview This paper critically reviews the outcomes of internationally-funded interventions aimed at climate change adaptation and vulnerability reduction. It highlights how some interventions inadvertently reinforce, redistribute or create new sources of vulnerability. Four mechanisms drive these maladaptive outcomes: (i)shallow understanding of the vulnerability context; (ii) inequitable stakeholder participationin both design and implementation; (iii) a retrofitting of adaptat...
Abstract/Overview Substance and drug use is one of the emerging public health problems among the youth in Kenya. Moreover, it is associated with a myriad of medical effects including psychiatric problems, organ failures in addition to lethargy, decreased academic performance and risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections. Although substance and drug use has been associated with these problems, the magnitude of substance and drug use and its predictors has not been investigated in...
Abstract/Overview This quantitative study seeks to understand the impact of inventory management practices on the operational performance of public health facilities in Kisumu County, Kenya. The Objectives were to (1) determine the impact of the ABC system on the operation performance (cost management, waste management, and efficiency of service delivery) of public health facilities in Kisumu County; (2) examine the impact of the Economic Order Quantity system on the operation performance...
Abstract: Maintaining the water quality in the distribution system is crucial to supplying safe drinking water to consumers. The main aim of the study was to analyse physicochemical, bacteriological parameters and investigate prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria and their antibiotic resistance genes in the drinking water distribution system in Maun, Botswana. Forty-four water samples were collected at different season interval and were tested for chlorine and turbidity and the results...
Abstract: Knowledge with respect to adolescents’ intentions to engage in protective sexual behaviours is still deficient in numerous countries around the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where HIV prevalence is the highest. Increasing cross-sectional research suggests that the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is robust in predicting condom use intentions. This study used secondary, baseline data from a study involving 794 in-school adolescents. A structural equation model w...