ABSTRACT The ever increasing levels of electronic waste (e-waste) and limited capacities for disposal and recycling have worsened e-waste management considering only 10% of e-waste is properly managed globally. In developed countries, e-waste management is guided by extended producer responsibility frameworks that ensure e-waste collection and recycling through consumer participation whereas, in Asia and Africa e-waste is managed through inefficient solid waste systems resulting to degradatio...
ABSTRACT Increasing cost of health care remains a major challenge to achieving universal health care coverage in many developing countries. Health insurance schemes can be used to finance health care and protect people against catastrophic health care expenses. Most developing countries have low insurance coverage and rely on out of pocket health payments. Despite having 22 private and one public health insurance, only 17% of Kenya’s population had insurance cover while out of pocket expend...
xii ABSTRACT Introduction- Ethical issues have emerged in the recent years as a major component of health care for the critically ill patients, who are vulnerable and totally depend on the caregiver, optimally the nurse working in the critical care unit. As a result nurses working in the Critical Care Units are faced with ethical dilemmas on a day to day basis in the course of executing their duties. Ethical dilemmas have therefore become one of the priority concerns in the nursing profession...
ABSTRACT About 17,000 children below five years of age die each day across the world, 99% occur in developing nations with 50% accounted for by Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Kenya’s high under-five mortality rate (U5MR) at 52 deaths per 1,000 live births won’t scale down without solving the high under-five mortality (U5M) in rural areas. Despite Karemo Sub-County in Siaya County having relatively good access to public and private health facilities, it nevertheless exhibit U5MR of 184 deaths p...
ABSTRACT In Kenya, surface water bodies are the final destination for most pollutants. Western and Nyanza Regions in close proximity to Lake Victoria are characterized by inadequate sanitation services, chronic water shortages and poor water quality where only 8% have access to safe water. Unsanitary conditions are associated with scarcity of clean and potable water consequently leading to diarrheal diseases that plague residents. The microbiological quality of drinking water and risk factors...
ABSTRACT Improper child-feeding practices directly affect the nutritional status of under-fives and ultimately impact on their survival. Improving child-feeding practices of under- fives is critical to their overall health and developmental milestones. In 2001, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended exclusive breastfeeding for 180 days a change from the previous proposal to introduce complementary foods at four to six months. Luanda Sub-County experiences massive population explosion...
ABSTRACT Intestinal schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma mansoni remains a major public health problem responsible for morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa despite availability of control programs. It is estimated that more than 6 million people in Kenya are suffering from schistosomiasis. Several species of Biomphalaria snails are obligatory intermediate hosts for transmission of S. mansoni. Mbita sub-county in Homa Bay County is one of the regions along the Lake Victoria basin in ...
ABSTRACT Infection prevention and control is not only crucial in protecting patients, health care workers and visitors in health care settings from health care associated infections which are protracted cause of morbidity and mortality but also in preparation and response to communicable disease crisis. Despite the high burden of health care associated infections and need for enhanced prevention and control of these infections in Vihiga Sub County, factors influencing infection prevention and...
ABSTRACT Learning of a language among the learners with visual impairment requires specific skills for faster and better concept acquisition. Learners with visual impairments like their sighted peers study French in regular secondary schools to enrich on communication abilities which would ideally benefit them in future employment opportunities. By the year 2009, 1,718 learners with visual impairments had registered in 19 regular programs in regular secondary schools in Kenya; however, only o...
Abstract Objective: Since the implementation of a series of blood donation safety improvements in Kenya, information about seroprevalence and determinants of transfusion transmissible infections among voluntary blood donors especially in high HIV burden regions of Homabay, Kisumu and Siaya counties remain scanty. A cross-sectional study examining HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C virus sero-markers and associated determinants was conducted among voluntary blood donors. Their demographic charac...
ABSTRACT Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Kenya with a prevalence of 6.5%. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is used to manage the disease by increasing the number of CD4 cells and reducing the viral load concentration. Majority of these HAART based medication contain nevirapine (NVP) that is metabolized through the cytochrome P 450 (CYP450) system. The use of NVP is however, limited by sub-optimal response from patients. Th...
ABSTRACT Thyroid masses are common surgical presentations with a worldwide prevalence of 4–7% in the general adult population. Africa, specifically Kenya is not excluded from these surgical conditions. The vast majority of adult thyroid nodules are benign neoplasm’s, however, less than 10% are malignant, which makes it important to screen the nodules in order to offer appropriate surgery and avoid unnecessary surgery for benign nodules. It is preferred to operate only on those patients wi...
ABSTRACT Co-infection with malaria and Epstein Barr virus (EBV) have been implicated in the etiology of endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma (eBL) but the precise mechanism by which these two agents lead to the pathogenesis of eBL has been partially elucidated. In addition, living in a malaria holoendemic area is a risk factor to earlier primary EBV infection that results in higher viral loads and poor control of the virus, a risk factor in the etiology of eBL. Children from Chulaimbo, a malaria holo...
ABSTRACT Trypanosoma evansi parasite is the causative agent of trypanosomiasis (surra) in camels and other livestock with devastating economic consequences in many parts of the world, including Kenya, Vietnam, Brazil, China, Indonesia and the Philippines. The trypanosome is mechanically transmitted by tabanids and Stomoxys biting flies. Two strains of the parasite (A and B) have been documented to date where Type A strains is established across all T. evansi areas whereas Type B has been repo...
ABSTRACT Global, regional and national production of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) has faced challenges of low yields and lack of crucial culture information. Farmers in Teso North Sub County recorded lower yields than expected in 2009 despite having been provided with inputs. Factors responsible for the low production had not been established and water quality was suspected to be among them. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of water quality on the growth of Nile Til...