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...
Kenya is among the leading countries globally with significant geothermal resources. Geothermal energy provides reliable, cost-competitive, base load power with a small carbon footprint, and reduces vulnerability to changes in climate by diversifying power supply away from hydropower. Kenya has set out ambitious targets for geothermal power plants to meet an increasing power demand with significant impact to the safety and health of the workforce. This study focused mainly on this sector...
ABSTRACT Fuelwood is the predominant energy source for cooking in rural households of Abogeta division in Meru County. Previously most wood was sourced from Mt. Kenya forest reserve. However, since enactment of a legislation prohibiting cutting of trees in the national forest reserves in the year 2005 by the Government of Kenya, there has been a serious shortage of wood fuel in Abogeta hence need for an alternative energy source. Biogas technology can greatly impact peoples’ livelihoods pa...
ABSTRACT Health Information System (HIS) is important in policy making and improvement of health care. Developed countries across the world continue to improve HIS as a means of promoting uptake of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). However, in developing countries especially Africa, HIS is not considered important factor in achieving UHC. In Kenya, it remains a significant challenge to determine level of feedback from health dispensaries, county hospitals and national hospitals yet the facili...
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...