ABSTRACT Unsafe abortion is a major public health problem causing 13% and 30% of maternal deaths globally and in Kenya respectively. Despite this, the drivers of the practice in Kenyan communities are scarcely documented. Further, little is documented about the decision making process for women who chose unsafe abortion and whether social networks have a role on this. In addition, not much is known about the methods unsafe abortion providers use and the outcomes of the methods. The objective...
ABSTRACT The level of child undernutrition remains unacceptably high throughout the world. High prevalence of undernutrition in Kenya is attributable to deficiencies in macro and micronutrients; deficiencies of vitamin A, iron and zinc in the diet are still widespread and a common cause of excess child morbidity and mortality. Further, there is high prevalence of undernutrition and morbidity among children aged 6 to 59 months in agro-ecological strip connecting Kakamega and Siaya Counties. A...
ABSTRACT The first minute after birth is usually referred to as the golden minute, and the baby should be able to initiate spontaneous breathing, failure to which birth asphyxia ensues. Globally, approximately 5% to 10 per cent of newborns require resuscitation. In subSaharan Africa where over one third of all intrapartum related neonatal deaths occur, the rates of skilled attendance at birth are very low. In Kenya neonatal mortality remains at 22/100,000 live births, majority associated wit...
ABSTRACT The coffee plant (Coffea Arabica L) originated in the forests of Ethiopia, where it evolved as an understory tree species. Mimicking this native growth habit, coffee farmers have for centuries grown coffee under shade and intercropped with various fruit tree species to provide shade, foods, and income. The impact of these intercrops on coffee production is little known hence the need for this study. The study was carried out in an existing coffee intercropping plot at Coffee Researc...
ABSTRACT Male partner involvement in women's Reproductive Health has recently garnered considerable attention. Encouraging men to promote skilled attendance during delivery is a big step in increasing the proportion of births being attended by skilled professionals hence contributing to the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 4 and 5 which aim to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health respectively. In investigating for male involvement in promoting deliveries by skilled h...
ABSTRACT High blood pressure continues to be a global public health issue and attention needs to be given to primary preventive measures especially among health practitioners who are a channel to the entire population. Modifiable risk factors for hypertension include overweight and obesity, low consumption of fruits/vegetables, physical inactivity, occupational stress, smoking and excess alcohol consumption. The prevalence of hypertension among health workers in other countries outside and w...
ABSTRACT Antibiotic resistance represents a serious problem for clinicians, veterinarians, community and government at large. This involves cost implications as far as treatment is concerned. Multiple drug resistance as a result of empirical treatment have rendered most drugs ineffective .. In view of the above, this descriptive cross-sectional study, aimed at isolating resistant entero-bacteria E. coli from food-handlers working in both high and low budget hotels. Specimens in the form of s...
ABSTRACT HIV/AIDS continues to be a source of concern worldwide and more so in the sub-Saharan Africa region. Kenya is one of the countries with a high rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence estimated at 5.1%. About one million people in Kenya are estimated to live with HIV/AIDS but few know their status hence spreading further HIV. While most sectors of the society have been affected, one sector that has not received adequate focus and attention is education. The high mortality, morbidity and absentee...
ABSTRACT Intrauterine Device is a method of contraception, which is underutilized in Sub Saharan African countries including Kenya despite the method being safe, long acting, reversible and effective in preventing unintended pregnancies. The main objective of this study was to determine the uptake of Intrauterine Device among women seeking Family Planning services at Mbagathi and Mama Lucy Kibaki hospitals in Nairobi County. The specific objectives were to establish the level of Intra Uterin...
ABSTRACT Maternal mortality is a major concern worldwide and more so in Kenya which ranks eleventh country with highest maternal mortality ratio (530 per 100,000) worldwide. Post partum haemorrhage is one of the main causes of maternal death contributing 34% of maternal death in Kenya. Active management of third stage of labour (AMTSL) is an inexpensive and effective technique of preventing post partum haemorrhage. In spite of this technique being adopted in Kenya and internationally, its ac...
ABSTRACT Health care seeking behaviour in late childhood has not received adequate policy and empirical attention in Kenya. This study, analyzed the key factors that influence health-care seeking behaviour of heads of households! caretakers of children aged between 6,·12 years with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in Engashura farm, Nakuru District. A model that integrates social capital and cognitive representation of illness as determinants of healthcare seeking behaviour was us...
ABSTRACT The problem of sexual exploitation of children has become a major global concern. In the recent past, cases of sexual abuse among children have increased in Kenya. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, knowledge, forms, effects and remedial measures of child sexual abuse among primary school pupils in Nakuru Municipality. A cross-sectional research design, involving a multistage cluster sampling technique, was used to get 259 pupils from six primary schools in Nakur...
ABSTRACT Globally, there are 2.5 billion cases of diarrhoea among under fives every year. In 2015, diarrhoea caused 9% of deaths among under fives worldwide. In Africa, there are 696 million cases of diarrhoea among under fives every year. About 46%deaths among under fives in Africa are attributed to diarrhoea. In Kenya, diarrhoea accounted for 20% of deaths among under fives in 2011 causing 38,802 deaths. In Migori County, diarrhoea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, yet the inter...
ABSTRACT Ecosystems are largely dependent on the prevailing climatic conditions. The ever changing climate across the world has necessitated climate change adaptation projects as a coping mechanism to the adverse effects of climate change. The main objective of the study was to assess ecosystem services in climate change adaptation projects in the least developed countries of West Africa. Specifically, the study sought to; (i) assess the ecosystems changes in the Least Developed Countries o...
ABSTRACT Diarrhoea is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old worldwide. Nearly one in five children deaths – about 1.5 million each year is due to diarrhea. Diarrhea is the third most common cause of mortality and morbidity in Kenya, with a case fatality of up to 21 percent causing approximately 9 percent of deaths in children less than five years of age. The primary focus of diarrheal disease control programs has been on improved case management through the pro...