The testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2 in Africa is rather limited. Antigen detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) are a cheap and rapid alternative to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, but there is little data about their performance under real life conditions in tropical countries. The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of a standard Ag-RDT in a population of a major hospital in northern Ghana. Prospective, cross-sectional, blinded verifica...
Abstract The Global human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic entered its fourth decade with approximately 34 million people living with HIV (PLHIV). The years ago to date, the antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs were been scaled up significantly in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the first diagnosis of HIV in Kenya in year 1981, care and treatment efforts for the PLHIV had rapidly expanded and 5.3 million people were accessible to ART. Kenya initiated national campaigns to increase HIV te...
Abstract The challenge of girls' retention in educational institutions has been identified as a significant obstacle. The inability to maintain the enrollment of female students in secondary schools can be regarded as a squandering of valuable human capital and financial investments made in their primary education, as well as a loss of time invested in their initial enrollment. These young females have the potential to develop into a demographic of women lacking in literacy skills, resulting...
Abstract Purpose – This paper seeks to explore the factors affecting provision of service quality in the public health sector in Kenya, focusing on employee capability, technology, communication and financial resources. The paper reviews existing literature and experiences on public health service provision and quality management. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports on empirical evidence drawn from a case study of Kenyatta National Hospital – the largest referral hospital i...
Abstract Introduction Despite documentation on injection drug use (IDU) in Kenya, the nutritional status of people who inject drugs (PWIDs) is under-explored. Elsewhere studies report under-nutrition among PWIDs which is attributed to food insecurity; competing priorities between drugs and food supply; chaotic lifestyle; reduced food intake; substance use induced malnutrition due to inflammation and comorbidities. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that sought to assess the nutritional...
Abstract Dental caries manifests itself through the existence of a hole in the hard tissue of teeth, and it has a brown or black colour. Untreated dental caries causes a lot of challenges such as toothache and eventually tooth loss resulting in swelling, inability to eat or swallow, inability to open jaw or talk, difficulty in breathing and low self-esteem as a result of the bad breath from cavity. The outcome of the social effect of dental caries is the inability to pronounce or talk, inabi...
Abstract This study on severe malarial anemia (SMA: Hb
Abstract The issue of drug and substance abuse has become a major concern in Kenya, particularly in the coastal region. In response, the government has implemented various programs to mitigate the problem. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the government's programs for mitigating drug and substance abuse in the Kilifi and Mombasa Counties of thecoastal region of Kenya.Social learning theory and functionalism theory served as the study's guiding principles. The study was further und...
Abstract Poor health service delivery has been linked to the devolution of health services, with some health workers walking off the job due to inadequate pay and unsafe working conditions. This research aimed at establishing the influence of organizational culture on public health service delivery in County Governments in Western Kenya Region, Taking a positivist approach, the study was anchored on Organizational Culture Theory. Descriptive survey and causal-comparative research designs wer...
Abstract Poor hygiene might be a risk factor for early childhood development (ECD). This study investigated the associations of three hygiene practices (‘wash hands before a meal,’ ‘wash hands after going to the toilet,’ and ‘brush teeth’), separately and combined, with ECD. Six thousand six hundred ninety-seven children (4 [0.8] years) from the East Asia-Pacific Early Child Development Scales validation study were included in this cross-sectional analysis. The hygiene variables ...
Abstract Provision of the bed net in Sub-Saharan Africa has substantially resulted in the decrease in malaria incidences in the region. However, malaria still ravages these regions causing significant deaths. This situation has been attributed to socio-economic inequalities that reduce access to the net, failure to seek treatment, and poor antimalarial drug use. Information about these factors in malaria control in Western Kenya highlands is not clearly documented. This study sought to find ...
Abstract We report the complete draft genome sequences of two Staphylococcus warneri clinical isolates, strains SMA0023-04 (UGA3) and SMA0670-05 (UGA28), each of which contains one chromosome and at least one plasmid. Isolate SMA0023-04 (UGA3) contains tetracycline efflux major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter (tetK), macrolide resistance (msrC and mphC), and beta-lactamase (blaZ) genes on its plasmids.
Abstract Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) microscopy smear remains the most widely used laboratory diagnostic technique for Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) in low-and-middle income countries. Although it is highly specific, the sensitivity varies between 20–80% in immune-competent people, with only 50% case detection among HIV/TB co-infected patients, hence the need to determine the diagnostic accuracy of Th1 and Th2 cytokine response in AFB microscopy smear negative PTB-HIV co-infected patients. A to...
Abstract Background: As Kenya continues to experience rapid development and urbanization, growing evidence shows an increas- ing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and overweight and obese citizens. Objectives: This study sought to explore the extent to which Kenyan overweight and obese participants reported receiving advice from physicians or health care providers to lose weight and to identify demographic characteristics associated with receipt of weight loss advice. Methods: D...
Abstract Introduction: high HIV-1 infection rates and genetic diversity especially in African population pose significant challenges in HIV-1 clinical management and drug design and development. HIV-1 is a major health challenge in Kenya and causes mortality and morbidity in the country as well as straining the healthcare system and the economy. This study sought to identify HIV-1 genetic subtypes circulating in Teso, Western Kenya which borders the Republic of Uganda. Methods: a cross-secti...