ABSTRACT Despite the many advancements made in health in the world, many countries continue to exhibit negative trends concerning the health of their people largely due to the AIDS pandemic. Voluntary counseling and HIV Testing (VCT) is an essential component of an effective response to the AIDS pandemic world wide. VCT services can serve as an entry point to HIV care and support. However, it has become increasingly apparent that workplace programmes on HIV have overlooked hospital workers e...
ABSTRACT Poor accessibility to safe water is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries where mechanisms to monitor and enforce regulations for quality water are inadequate or lacking. The aim of this study is to determine the microbial and chemical quality of water in Nyeri Town and assess the health risks associated with the water used and the preferred water. Water supply system in Nyeri Town consists of Municipal piped water, natural river and stream water running d...
ABSTRACT Malaria is a life threatening parasitic disease of major Public Health concern especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it kills more than 1 million children every year. The main objective of the study was to investigate the factors that influence health care seeking behavior for childhood malaria in Makuyu Division of Maragua District, Kenya. To achieve a desired representation, simple random sampling of the households with under fives was carried out. About 306 mothers/caretakers ...
ABSTRACT It is estimated that Kenya has 1.6 million people living with HIV and 88,000 new adult infections annually. The country has adult HIV prevalence rate of between 5.6 - 7.2% and incidence rate of 0.4 – 0.7%. Recent studies on HIV disclosure among adult sexual partners revealed HIV 70-80% disclosure rates. A number of studies on HIV and AIDS have been undertaken in Kenya. However, determinants of disclosure among persons living with HIV remain unclear. The objective of this study was...
ABSTRACT Utilization of unskilled birth attendants’ (UBA) services by women in Mbirikani division of Kajiado County was studied. The study described the proportion of women who utilized UBA services, determined factors that influenced the utilization, established the levels of awareness and acceptance of the 2007 RH policy action on TBAs and suggested ways to engage UBAs in RH. 328 women, 15 TBAs and 3 key informants were sampled in the cross sectional study. Questionnaires and interviews...
ABSTRACT Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is a lifesaving treatment for HIV positive people. Adherence to treatment protocol is extremely important to ensuring that drug efficacy does not fail with time. Research findings by other researchers in developed countries indicate that adherence to ART treatment protocol is a problem.. It implies that in developing countries like Kenya which have poor health infrastructure the problem is much bigger. The research was conducted in Homa-Bay District whic...
ABSTRACT The literature supports that overtraining is characterised by psychological disturbances. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of psychological markers of overtraining amongst elite male hockey and soccer players in top national leagues in Kenya. The study was limited to selected mood states of anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension and vigour that are applicable when assessing the mood states of athletes in exercise settings. Association between mood state...
ABSTRACT Cancer Cervix refers to malignant cell growth in the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Cervical cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in developed countries and the third most common cancer among women worldwide, with an estimated 569,847 new cases and 311,365 deaths recorded in 2018. Cervical cancer is primarily associated with young women. Women aged 50 years and below accounts for 62%, of all cervical cancers. More than a million women in the world are li...
ABSTRACT Soil-Transmitted Nematodes (STNs) are roundworms transmitted through faecally contaminated soil. Globally, major STNs include Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale). School going children are mostly affected by STN infections. STNs cause malnutrition, intellectual retardation and cognitive deficits. They are distributed worldwide, Kenya included and they are of public health importance. Kenya has embarked on mass dewormi...
ABSTRACT Oral health is not only the absence of disease but also the optimal functioning of the mouth and its tissues in a manner, which preserves the well-being of the oral cavity and the individual’s highest level of self-esteem. It is a state that enables an individual to eat, speak and socialize with minimal discomfort or embarrassment. In Kenya, a large number of children suffer from poor oral health largely due to poor oral health knowledge, attitude and practices.Since poor oral he...
ABSTRACT Like most other diseases, oral diseases affect all people irrespective of nationality, race, colour and creed. Despite great achievements in the oral health of populations globally, problems still remain in many communities around the world. Dental conservation methods are those methods that can be utilized to maintain good oral health. They can be instituted at both individual and professional levels. Good oral health is an essential and important component of general health. Some ...
ABSTRACT Health IT is an application of information processing involving both computer hardware and software that deals with the storage, retrieval, sharing, and use of health care information, data, and knowledge for communication and decision-making. The advantages of health information technology (IT) in health care includes facilitating communication between health care providers; improving medication safety, tracking, and reporting; and promoting quality of care through optimized access...
ABSTRACT The HIV and AIDS pandemic is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. Cure continues to elude researchers and infection leads to death. Since the first case of HIV infection was diagnosed, it is estimated that 33.0 million people today are living with the virus globally. Over twenty five (25) million have already died worldwide and more than 2.5 million people became infected with the virus in 2007. Current estimates indicate that 73 thousand Kenyans died ...
ABSTRACT Effective management of today’s health systems depends on critical use of data and information for the effective policy-making, planning, monitoring of services and making decisions. Following the decentralization of health, the district health management information systems (DHMIS) was established to support the districts in utilizing the generated data for the decisions made in health facility. However, data use has been limited and faced with inadequacy hence vital health decis...
ABSTRACT Every year, four million infants die within their first month of life, representing nearly 40 per-cents of all deaths of children under age 5 globally. In Kenya, neonatal mortality is 31 per 1000 live births with neonates contributing 42% of the under-five mortality while in North Eastern province (which hosts Garissa County the area of study) under-five mortality was 33 per 1000 with neonatal mortality contributing to 60% of infant mortality in the region. Delivery by a skilled bir...