ABSTRACT The importance of health workers to the effective functioning of healthcare systems is widely recognized. Shortages of health workers constitute a significant barrier to achieving healthrelated Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and expanding health interventions in developing countries. In Kenya, internal migration of workers, from rural areas to urban areas, is just as serious a problem as international migration. Shortages in the health workforce are aggravated by the unequal d...
ABSTRACT Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (formerly known as non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes mellitus) is a condition that results from the body’s ineffective use of insulin. Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus requires compliance to dietary regimen, lifestyle changes and drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine compliance to dietary recommendations among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending selected hospitals in Nakuru County. Data was collected in 4 hospitals...
ABSTRACT Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training has received global recognition as a tool for improving knowledge and performance of health workers after their basic training, and consequently improving health service delivery. In Kenya, Middle Level Health Training Institutions (MLHTIs) produce the bulk (over 80%) of health workers at CPD training level. However, information on whether monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanisms for CPD training activities are available and utiliz...
ABSTRACT It is estimated that in 2008, 358,000 maternal deaths occurred in the world. It is also estimated that in Kenya, 7,700 women die annually due to pregnancy related complications. This translates to approximately 21 women each day or approximately one Kenyan woman every hour. Out of every 10 women, 9 of them receive skilled ante-natal care but only 4 receive skilled birth attendance. The objective of the study was to assess the determinants of birth preparedness among women attending m...
ABSTRACT Preterm birth interventions (PTBI) are basic and specialized care packages designed to improve Preterm birth outcome (PTBO) hence increase the survival rates of babies born preterm. Without PTBI, the survivors of PTB are at risk of facing lifelong disability and poor quality of life affecting the individual and family leading to productivity loss and socio-economic constraints. Globally PTB leads in causing neonatal and child mortality rate (CM R )). Accounts for one million deaths y...
ABSTRACT Levels and trends in contraceptive use in Kenya underscore the need to examine the dynamics of contraceptive use in the country. The contraceptive prevalence rate has been on the increase from 7% in 1978 to 58% in 2014. Similarly, implant contraceptive prevalence rate has increased from 0% in 1993 to 9.9% in 2014. As the CPR increases, current and potential users of family planning are increasingly drawn from women with a past history of contraceptive use. This implies that a further...
ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus is a persistent metabolic disorder, characterized by high levels of blood glucose due to defects in secretion of insulin, action or both. Globally, due to lifestyle changes, type 2 diabetes is widespread causing a serious health concern and more so in developing countries. The disorder threatens to reach pandemic levels if actions are not taken. The situation is critical in Kenya, since diabetes prevalence (3.3%) is on the rise which threatens the health of general ...
ABSTRACT Post Natal Care (PNC) has been demonstrated to reduce both the maternal and infants‟ morbidities and mortalities; however, the uptake has been low. It is just about 51% of women in Kenya, who receive these services from a skilled health care worker. There has been little investigation of factors associated with the use of these services. The objective of the study was to determine factors that influence utilization of PNC services. Specifically, the study focused on the socio-demog...
ABSTRACT The subject of adolescent sexual and reproductive health has acquired prominence more than ever before in recent years, dominating local and international forums deliberating on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Most of the discussions, targeted interventions and researches undertaken on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) have looked at the issue from infrastructural and resource capital allocation culminating into school-based reproductive health programs. Pas...
ABSTRACT Under nutrition is the underlying cause of more than half of all deaths in children aged less than five years worldwide. There are 143 million children under five who are underweight in the developing world. In Kenya, severe acute malnutrition is responsible for 82,000 deaths annually with a significant percentage being from urban slums. The purpose of this study was to assess nutritional status children aged 6-59 months in Mathare valley, a low income settlement in Nairobi. A cross-...
ABSTRACT Tungiasis is high in many resource-poor communities in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Tunga penetrans is an ecto-parasite which thrives well in sandy and dirty environments and it causes a skin disease called tungiasis. This study assessed tungiasis risk factors in rural community in Murang’a East Sub county. Murang’a East Sub county is one of the twenty Sub counties which are considered to have high prevalence of tungiasis by the Ministry of Health. The Sub...
ABSTRACT Devolution has been seen by its proponents as a way of improving access and efficiency in the delivery of services to the people since the decisions are made close to the people, hence decision makers are more accountable to them. With the onset of Kenya’s devolution in March 2013 as provided for in the Constitution of Kenya of 2010, healthcare resources have been at the dispensation of the counties together with all the devolved functions. However, there is no assurance of any eff...
ABSTRACT The Sustainable Development Goals targets a global maternal mortality ratio not greater than 70 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030. In Kenya, the maternal mortality ratio is high at 362 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Focused ante natal care approach recommends four targeted visits commencing before 16 weeks and until delivery. The utilization of focused ante natal care in Kenya, Tharaka Nithi County and Tharaka sub-county is 58%, 56% and 40% respectively....
ABSTRACT Male partner involvement in contraceptive uptake is an important aspect of public health worldwide in the control of the upsurge of populations. Decisions about contraceptive use and childbearing may be confounded by unequal power relations, especially in more patriarchal societies as in the Somali community which emphasizes on male dominance in the culture. Male partner involvement in contraceptive uptake has been shown to greatly influence uptake and continuation rates. Accord...
ABSTRACT Retention is critical to HIV-infected women for the prevention of mother to child infection, reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality. Treatment drop out is a major challenge that hinders the success of elimination of mother to child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV in Kenya and Sub Saharan Africa. Although all pregnant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected women in Kenya are initiated on lifelong antiretroviral treatment (ART) irrespective of CD4 count or WHO staging, not all ...