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...
Abstract/Overview Awareness of the potential impact of malaria among school-age children has stimulated investigation into malaria interventions that can be delivered through schools. However, little evidence is available on the costs and cost-effectiveness of intervention options. This paper evaluates the costs and cost-effectiveness of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) as delivered by teachers in schools in western Kenya.
Abstract/Overview Anaemia is multi-factorial in origin and disentangling its aetiology remains problematic, with surprisingly few studies investigating the relative contribution of different parasitic infections to anaemia amongst schoolchildren. We report cross-sectional data on haemoglobin, malaria parasitaemia, helminth infection and undernutrition among 1523 schoolchildren enrolled in classes 5 and 6 (aged 10–21 years) in 30 primary schools in western Kenya. Bayesian hierarchical mo...
Abstract/Overview Abstract Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic disease that occurs sporadically in form of outbreaks and is transmitted by diverse mosquito species in different geographic regions. Knowledge on diversity, distribution and abundance of RVF vectors is useful for risk assessment of RVF outbreaks. Diversity, distribution and abundance of RVF vectors from four ecological zones in Baringo County were studied. Four potential RVF vectors, namely Mansonia uniformis; Mansonia afri...
Abstract/Overview Schistosomiasis is caused by parasitic trematodes. Individuals can accumulate hundreds of intravascular worms, which secrete a myriad of antigenic molecules into the bloodstream. Some of these molecules suppress immunity to microbial Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands, such as lipopolysaccharides, which may increase host susceptibility to coinfecting pathogens. We show that schistosomiasis is associated with extremely high levels of endotoxemia as well as high mobility gro...
Abstract/Overview Background: Achieving optimal iron status in children in malariaendemic areas may increase the risk of malaria. Malaria itself may contribute to iron deficiency, but the impact of an interruption in malaria transmission on the prevalence of iron deficiency is unknown. Objectives: We aimed to determine whether 1) iron status improved in children living in 2 Kenyan villages with a documented cessation in malaria transmission and 2) changes in iron status correlated with ch...
Abstract/Overview Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is associated with B cell activation and exhaustion, and hypergammaglobulinemia. How these changes influence B cell responses to coinfections such as malaria is poorly understood. To address this, we compared B cell phenotypes and Abs specific for the Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidate apical membrane Ag-1 (AMA1) in HIV-infected and uninfected adults living in Kenya. Surprisingly, HIV-1 infection was not associat...
Abstract/Overview We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases and the practice of one health approach in the surveillance of zoonoses in the community. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 randomly selected districts of Nyanza province, Kenya. One hundred and ten randomly-selected PHWs were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected on their knowledge, attitudes and ...
Abstract/Overview Prisons have been consistently reported to have high prevalence of mental disorders compared to the general population. Prisons have initiated a number of reforms not only to help the prisoners become self-reliant upon release but also to alleviate the risk of mental disorder. It is necessary to regularly assess the prevalence of mental disorders to determine the effectiveness of the prison reform programs in mitigating the burden of mental disorders among prisoners. Thi...
Abstract BACKGROUND: Efforts to mitigate vision loss due to uncorrected refractive errors (UREs) in Africa remain unpredictable. This study investigated the prevalence and socio-demographic distribution of UREs in school-going adolescents of Kakamega County in Kenya. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with randomly selected secondary school adolescents. Participants were screened and clinically examined for URE types and dioptric strength and were administered questi...
Abstract AIM To investigate the prevalence of visual impairment (VI) and provide an estimation of uncorrected refractive errors in school-aged children, conducted by optometry students as a community service. METHODS The study was cross-sectional. Totally 3343 participants were included in the study. The initial examination involved assessing the uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and visual acuity (VA) while using a +2.00 D lens. The inclusion criteria for a subsequent comprehensive ...
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 challenge in tetraploid cotton cultivars is the narrow genetic base and therefore, the bottleneck is how to obtain interspecific hybrids and introduce the germplasm directly from wild cotton to elite cultivars. Construction of genetic maps has provided insight into understanding the genome structure, interrelationships between organisms in relation to evolution, and discovery of genes that carry important agronomic traits in plants. In this study, we generated an int...
Abstract/Overview Today, many herbal preparations are being prescribed as analgesics. In the past decade, there has been a resurgence of interest in traditional systems of medicine which has become a topic of global interest. Indeed, many important drugs in the market have been obtained directly/ indirectly from natural sources, for example: morphine, pilocarpine, quinine and artemisinin among others. Lonchocarpus eriocalyx (Harms) belongs to the family Fabaceae and is used traditionally ...
Abstract/Overview Malaria transmission in arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya such as Baringo County, is seasonal and often influenced by climatic factors. Unravelling the relationship between climate variables and malaria transmission dynamics is therefore instrumental in developing effective malaria control strategies. The main aim of this study was to describe the effects of variability of rainfall, maximum temperature and vegetation indices on seasonal trends of malaria in selected he...