Publications by authors named "D W Njomo"
In Baringo County, Kenya, trachoma remains endemic despite repeated mass drug administration (MDA) efforts, with coverage in one of the wards consistently falling short of world health organization (WHO) targets. The disease is endemic in 12 out of the 47 counties in Kenya. Baringo county is a pastoral conflict, hard to reach area where eight rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) for trachoma have been implemented.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Although vaccination confidence is declining globally, there is little detailed information from low- and middle-income countries about factors influencing routine vaccination behavior in these contexts.
Methods: In mid-2022, we surveyed people who gave birth in Kenya between 2017-2022, and asked them about their children's vaccination history and about hypothesized correlates of vaccination per the Behavioural and Social Drivers of Vaccination model.
Results: Of 873 children in this sample, 117 (13%) were under-vaccinated (i.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluates the effectiveness of different antibody tests for diagnosing Ascaris lumbricoides infections in school children, comparing these with standard methods like copromicroscopy and quantitative PCR (qPCR).
- The research found that copromicroscopy methods had relatively low sensitivity, while qPCR proved to be more reliable in detecting infections.
- Specifically, the IgG1 antibody response against adult Ascaris excretory-secretory products emerged as a highly accurate diagnostic tool, indicating its potential to enhance existing diagnostic techniques for monitoring Ascaris infections.
Article Synopsis
- Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) is a significant public health issue in Kenya, particularly in Narok County, where the National School Based Deworming Program aimed to reduce STH infections to less than 1%, yet the prevalence remains over 20%.
- A study involving 514 school-aged children in Narok County revealed an overall STH infection prevalence of 24.6%, with the common parasites identified being Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides.
- Factors such as school attendance at Karda and Nkarano were notably linked to increased risks of STH infection, indicating specific schools require targeted interventions despite the existing deworming efforts.
Background: Community and individual participation are crucial for the success of schistosomiasis control. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the importance of enhanced sanitation, health education, and Mass Drug Administration (MDA) in the fight against schistosomiasis. These approaches rely on the knowledge and practices of the community to be successful; however, where the community knowledge is low and inappropriate, it hinders intervention efforts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF