ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium causes significant morbidity and mortality in AIDS patients worldwide particularly in developing countries where ART is not widely available or affordable. In Kenya, approximately 8% of the adult population lives with HIV/AIDS and Cryptosporidium has been reported as the leading indicator of death among adult HIV/AIDS patients. There is very little information about the molecular epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis and no documented data on immune responses to Cryptospo...
ABSTRACT Over 1.8 million children under five years of age die from pneumococcal disease (PD) every year worldwide, most of them living in developing countries. In Kenya, pneumococcal infections are the leading cause of hospital admissions among children under five years. In 2008, pneumonia was the second leading cause of death among children under five years, with over 30,000 childhood deaths, accounting for 16% of child mortality in Kenya. Immunization is the cornerstone of health care poli...
ABSTRACT Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) occurs as a complication of untreated, or inadequately treated acute otitis media, commonly in the first five years of life. CSOM is related to poor socio-economic conditions and is the commonest cause of persistent mild to moderate hearing impairment in children and young people in developing countries. When the hearing loss associated with CSOM occurs during the first two years of life, it is likely to have serious effects on (the period...
ABSTRACT The co-occurrence of malaria and schistosomiasis is common in tropical regions of the world. Malaria induces a strong Th1 response while schistosomiasis skews the response to a Th2. Several studies demonstrate a non consistent effect of schistosomiasis infection on progression of malaria. On one hand, schistosomiasis infections protect against cerebral malaria while on the other hand, they are associated with increased malaria severity. This study examined the role of Schistosoma ma...
ABSTRACT This thesis is an assessment of the post drought recovery strategies among pastoralists in Turkana Central district. The main objective of this study was to assess how the pastoralists’ community in drought prone areas of Turkana Central district recovers their livelihoods in the post drought period. The study used structured questionnaires, participant observation and key informant interviews and focused groups discussions to collect both quantitative and qualitative prim...
ABSTRACT Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is any material, device, equipment or clothing used or worn by workers to protect them from exposure or contact with any harmful material or energy which may cause injury, disease or even death. The study assessed utilization of PPE among workers in grain and oil seed milling industries in Nairobi City County. Despite the benefits of using PPE, little information has been documented especially among workers in the food industries not only in Kenya ...
ABSTRACT In Kenya, limited studies have been conducted to investigate infant feeding choices of HIV positive mothers attending Comprehensive Care Clinic. This study therefore determined infant feeding options of HIV positive mothers attending Comprehensive Care Clinic at Kiambu district hospital. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a desired sample size of four hundred (400) HIV positive mothers for a period of 12 weeks. Systematic random sampling was used to select respondents for th...
ABSTRACT Infection with Rubella virus is a public health concern because it may lead to serious consequences such as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) during early pregnancy. Introduction of the rubella virus vaccine in developed countries has since informed the need to assess the prevalence of rubella in the African countries and determine whether it is necessary to introduce a vaccine. This study, therefore, was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of the rubella infection in expecta...
ABSTRACT Plasmodium falciparum infection is characterized by deadly complications such as severe malaria-associated anaemia (SMA) and cerebral malaria (CM).The exact mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of these severe forms of Plasmodium falciparum malaria are not fully understood yet they are associated with a lot of morbidity and mortality. Studies have shown a link between severe P. falciparum malaria and levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC) but the exact role of these CICs in the p...
ABSTRACT Sexual violence is a serious public health, social and human rights problem affecting millions of people each year throughout the world. It affects both sexes but women and girls are the most affected. This study sought to determine prevalence and pattern of sexual violence, determinants of sexual violence and assess the knowledge level of young people on sexual violence in Naivasha District. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study where both quantitative and qualitative methods...
ABSTRACT Worldwide it is estimated that 303,000 of maternal deaths occurred in 2015.It is also estimated that in Somalia the maternal mortality rate is 669 deaths per 100,000 live births. Infect one out every 12 women dies due to pregnancy-related issues and one every nine Somali children dies before one year. Antenatal care attendance at four times in Somalia is 24 %. Seventy nine percent of women deliver at home, and twenty-four percent of them delivery with skilled assistance .The major co...
ABSTRACT Water is considered fundamental to development due to its contribution to economic growth and human welfare. Yet, most human activities such as agriculture, domestic and industrial pollute water resources. Industries use water in different processes and if not well managed, they pollute water bodies. The study assessed the levels of industrial pollutants and their effects on water resources and livelihoods along Msimbazi sub catchment. Specifically, the study determined the types an...
ABSTRACT Access to clean and safe water is a global concern. Besides socio-economic development, adequate access to water is a key ingredient in both health and wellbeing of humans. In Kenya, 70% of the population reside in the rural areas where only 49% of this population access safe drinking water. Bungoma Sub-County falls within the Lake Victoria North Water Services Board region with a rural water supply coverage of 44% (LVNWSB, 2012). This low coverage underscores the inadequate access ...
ABSTRACT Men who have sex with men experience a high burden of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoea infections which remain largely undiagnosed in the context of syndromic and presumptive treatment. In Kenya, limited data is available to inform on occurrence and recurrence of rectal chlamydia and gonorrhoea and antibiotic sensitivity on Neisseria gonorrhoea among Men who have sex with men who report receptive anal intercourse. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence, ...
ABSTRACT Acceptance of routine HIV councelling and testing (HCT) can go along way in providing the much needed support including treatment to alleviate suffering from HIV/AIDS. However, there is low uptake of routine HCT. The purpose of this study was to determine factors influencing acceptance of routine HCT. Specific objectives included to: determining the level of acceptance of routine HTC among pregnant women in Kibera informal settlement; determine socio-demographic characteristics influ...