ABSTRACT The African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are keystone species in its ecosystem. They have been ranked by the International Union on Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable species and are of high conservation concern. In Kenya, Arabuko Sokoke Forest (ASF) has been ranked as one of the priority areas for elephant population estimates by the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group. This study aimed at determining the elephant population density and distribution in Arabuko Sokoke ...
Preterm birth is a global health problem. It is the leading cause of child and neonatal mortality globally including Kenya. Preterm birth is the birth occurring before 37 completed weeks of gestation. In Kenya, preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality as it contributes to 35% of deaths among the neonates while Kisumu County is among the county’s leading with child under-five mortality rate at 133 deaths per 1000 live births. The main objective of this study was to identify ...
ABSTRACT In Kenya, the transition from National to County level energy planning has experienced various challenges, one of them being the lack of reliable baseline data upon which such plans can be based. This is evident because the last comprehensive biomass study done by the Ministry of Energy was in 2002, which is too old for effective and efficient biomass energy planning. This study provides this data by analyzing the demand for and supply of fuelwood in secondary schools within the Cou...
Drug abuse is a major public health problem among the youth worldwide especially in developing countries. The accessibility, affordability, and consumption of abused drugs by the youths have attracted great concern among public health personnel. The impact of drug abuse in human health and well-being is substantial and its contribution ranges from medical, social, family, legal and economic problems which are created by its uncontrolled use. Thus, drug abuse-related problems among the youth c...
Abstract Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or kala-azar is the most dreaded and devastating form of leishmaniasis, causing high mortality rate, mainly in children. A vaccine against different forms of leishmaniasis should be feasible considering the wealth of information on genetics and biology of the parasite, clinical and experimental immunology of leishmaniasis, and the availability of vaccines that can protect experimental animals against challenge with different Leishmania species. However, t...
It is unfortunate that while Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) has become the standard of care among HIV positive patients, the medications have been associated with metabolic abnormalities recognized to cause lipidemia. The purpose of this cross sectional analytical study (n=310) was to establish lipidemia status and associated factors among HIV positive adult male patients attending HIV clinic at Kericho District Hospital. Purposive sampling was used to select the study hosp...
Each year road traffic accidents (RTAs) account for 1.24 million fatalities and 20 to 50 million injuries worldwide. Over (90%) of this fatalities occur in low and middle income countries (LMIC). In particular, Kenya losses at least ten people daily to road traffic accidents. Vulnerable road users including university students account for over half of these fatalities. Several strategies have been employed to curb the rising cases of RTAs; unfortunately they have lacked local input due to sca...
ABSTRACT Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the most common opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS patients globally and more cases in sub-Saharan Africa, Kenya included. It is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in adults aged between 18 and 49 years. CD4+ T cell count is a crucial marker of immunologic integrity and therefore clinical signs of TB vary with the CD4+ T cell counts in HIV-TB patients. It has been used with viral load as markers of disease progression. Th...
ABSTRACT The production of aircraft meals can pose risks of global dimensions. Microbiological hazards are the most prominent risk factors associated with this kind of food production and arise owing to the complexity of the operation in the flight kitchen, long food production chains and onboard services with limited facilities. Food borne diseases constitute a significant cause of reduced economic activity in this sector and are also a growing public health problem worldwide. Regular micro...
ABSTRACT Many institutions have invested in health and fitness facilities with the aim of promoting productivity and reducing escalating healthcare cost associated with conditions that result from physical inactivity amongst employees. However, the reported uptake of these services is quite low. This study analysed the determinants of participation in physical activity in on-site fitness centres among employees of Kenyatta University and Africa Nazarene University in Kenya. A cross-sectional...
Kenya has more than 2.5 million people living with HIV and AIDS. Mombasa County had a prevalence rate of 7.8% in the year 2009. Globally 390,000 babies were infected with HIV in the year 2010 through mother to child transmission. In Kenya an estimated 37,000 to 40, 000 infants are infected annually in utero. This could be due to loss to follow up and non-adherence to ARVs and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) guidelines. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends Opt...
People with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus have been found to be prone to urinary tract infections. There is a wide gap of information in developing countries regarding the prevalence and antibiotic sensitivity of the pathogens causing urinary tract infections in diabetic patients. Developed nations also face a relatively huge burden of managing urinary tract infections among non-insulin dependent diabetics. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and antibi...
ABSTRACT Job satisfaction among healthcare workers plays an important role in influencing productivity, performance efficiency, effectiveness, and the quality and safety of health care services. While there are numerous factors that influence healthcare workers’ job satisfaction, there is a need to identify the factors and address them adequately to improve the satisfaction and enhance the quality of health care services provided to the general public. As the Kenyan Government, through the...
ABSTRACT Malaria is associated with more than 216 million episodes and an estimated 655,000 deaths annually world-wide. In Africa, it remains the leading cause of childhood and maternal morbidity and mortality, accounting for more than two-thirds (81%) of reported cases of disease, as well as approximately 91% of the deaths. Out of the five species of Plasmodium (P falciparum, P vivax, P ovale, P malariae, and P knowlesi) that cause malaria in humans, Plasmodium falciparum is the most danger...
There is a global concern that children are insufficiently active to experience health benefits of physical activity (PA). The World Health Organization recommends that children should engage in at least one hour of moderate to vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) daily, or accumulate at least 12,000 steps a day to achieve health benefits associated with the PA. This study investigated the contribution of recess PA towards alleviating the burden of overweight and obesity among children in Nairob...