ABSTRACT Current global efforts as embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) state the need to reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. In 2015, MMR in Kenya was 510 per 100,000 live births. Increased utilization of antenatal care (ANC) service is an essential strategy in reducing risks associated with pregnancy and child bearing while post-natal period is particularly important for women, since during this period they may develop life-...
ABSTRACT About 1.6 million Kenyans are living with HIV and AIDS while an estimated 1.5 million have already died of the virus. Marrying or looking for a lifetime soul mate or partner in the era of HIV and AIDS pandemic is therefore problematic, worrying and a nightmare. Due to changing lifestyles and limited time for interaction amongst age groups in any one given population, dating has been elevated to media platform amongst sexually active men and women. However, HIV and AIDS is a reality a...
ABSTRACT Proper diagnosis and management of clinical diseases requires succinct understanding of well-established human physiological reference values. Despite the high prevalence rates of HIV, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis infection in Kisumu area of Western Kenya, there are no locally developed hematological values that can be used as reference values of normal biological or homeostatic processes from which pathogenic, pathologic or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention can be ...
ABSTRACT The global burden of Diabetes is increasing. It is estimated by the year 2035 over 592 million people in the world will suffer from Diabetes. In Kenya, the prevalence of Diabetes is 4.56% while about 14% have impaired glucose metabolism. Since Diabetes is a complex disease affecting all areas of a person’s life, management by the patient remains central to the control and reduction of short term and long term complications. Diabetes self-management is a process in which the knowled...
ABSTRACT The goal of service delivery of any government is to provide quality essential priority health packages that are acceptable, affordable and accessible to all its citizens. The declaration of free maternal Health Care services by the National Government of Kenya is a positive step to fulfilling the affordability and to some extent accessibility aspects of Maternal and Child health service delivery. Kisumu County still has the highest proportion of mothers dying in the post-partum peri...
ABSTRACT Ascariasis is the most common human helminthic infection; globally an estimated 1.5 billion people are infested with approximately 60,000 deaths annually. Infestation is most prevalent in Southeast Asia and Africa and in children aged 2-10 years. Heavy Ascaris lumbricoides worm load in children can lead to intestinal and pancreatic duct obstruction that requires surgical interventions. Although preventable, Ascariasis contributed to 84 (5%) pediatric admissions while, 27(90%) of acut...
ABSTRACT Substance abuse is a worldwide public health challenge. Globally, 210 million people abuse drugs resulting in approximately 263,000 deaths annually. An estimated 10-15 % of medical students risk substance abuse in their lifetime as they are not immune to the predisposing factors associated with the abuse. Substance abuse by students in medical training colleges (MTCs) may impact negatively on their health, future professional conduct and consequently, safety of patients. In Kenya, su...
ABSTRACT Malaria remains one of the most prevalent vector borne diseases especially in Sub Saharan Africa contributing to morbidity and mortality of both adults and children. Knowledge in malaria control and prevention methods especially environmental management can reduce the population density of the vectors thus lessen malaria prevalence. The objectives of this study were to: determine knowledge on environmental management for malaria control, identify the most effective environmental mana...
Abstract Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infections have a global prevalence with high morbidity and mortality and Africa is the worst hit. The HIV and AIDS has profound impact on the TB epidemic in Kenya, where up to 60% of TB patients are likely to be HIV co-infected and the mortality rate attributed to TB. Lack of diagnostic capacity has been a major barrier preventing an effective management of HIV-associated and drug resistant tuberculosis (TB). Microscopy is the gold standard for TB diagno...
ABSTRACT Globally, dental caries is one of the most prevalent dental health problem that affects children. It is number four main cause of morbidity among under five year old children in Bureti Sub County and accounts for up to 20% of morbidity cases. Its prevalence and associated risks factors in Bureti Sub county is not known hence the purpose of this study. The main purpose of the study was to determine dental caries prevalence, caries experience, and their associated risk factors among pr...
ABSTRACT The World Health Organization report indicates that in 2013, about 35 million people worldwide lived with HIV and AIDS.HIV can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, at childbirth and during breastfeeding. High rates of mother-to-child HIV transmission (MTCT) in developing countries continue to happen despite availability of efficacious interventions. Numerous studies have shown that socio-demographic, clinical and biological correlates and TAT are known to influence M...
ABSTRACT Health service delivery across Africa is characterised by widespread inefficiency and low service quality. In Kenya, factors that closely influence performance and the critical quality measure items of medical male circumcision services remain unexplored. Specifically, technical efficiency, productivity and service quality and the factor structure of the service quality monitoring tool in Nyanza region remain unclear. Consequently, the current study aimed to evaluate performance in t...
ABSTRACT Strategies to reduce HIV-related morbidity and mortality include scale up of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) and provision of broad spectrum antibiotics. Cotrimoxazole (CTX) is a widely available low cost antibiotic recommended by WHO in settings with high infectious disease prevalence for treatment and prevention of opportunistic infections and malaria in all HIV-infected individuals. With immune reconstitution following ART, the risk of opportunistic infections greatly diminishes. Con...
ABSTRACT The global burden of Diabetes is increasing. It is estimated by the year 2035 over 592 million people in the world will suffer from Diabetes. In Kenya, the prevalence of Diabetes is 4.56% while about 14% have impaired glucose metabolism. Since Diabetes is a complex disease affecting all areas of a person’s life, management by the patient remains central to the control and reduction of short term and long term complications. Diabetes self-management is a process in which the knowled...
ABSTRACT Strong preferences are revealed when patients fail to utilize their nearby facilities and seek health care services at another facility. Bypassing rates for childbirth has been documented in literature and it ranges between 30% and 70 %. At Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital similar observation is made with majority of the women delivering at the facility having bypassed their nearby county health facilities. Thus, the current study sought to identify the individual and health facili...