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Prevalence of Bacterial Vaginosis and High Risk HPV Co-Infection among HIV-Positive Women at Machakos Level-5 Hospital, Machakos County, Kenya
(2025-05-16) Murugi, Brenda Nthuku; Mutuku, Onesmus Muia; Arodi, Washingtone Ouma; Titus Kamau Karugaba
Background: Cervical cancer is a huge health burden globally. Precancerous cervical lesions, if not diagnosed and treated early enough, could become cervical cancer. HIV-positive women are among the highly susceptible individuals to both bacterial vaginosis and cervical cancer due to their compromised immune systems. In Kenya, cancer of the cervix is the second most common type of cancer among women. HIV Infected women have a high prevalence of HPV infection and associated cervical lesions. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) sub types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 59 are attributed to causing cervical cancer, with subtypes16 and 18 being the most common. Bacterial vaginosis is a type of bacterialinflammation due to an imbalance of harmful and beneficial bacteria in the vagina. Women with bacterial vaginosis infection could easily acquire HIV, among other sexually transmitted infections. This is because bacterial vaginosis infection leads to disruption of the normal vaginal micro flora, which results in increased vaginal PH. This, therefore, results in the recruitment of the immune cells to the HIV infection target cells.Objective:The study aimed to determine the prevalence of bacterial vaginosisand high-risk HPV co-infection among HIV-positive women at Machakos Level-5 Hospital in the Comprehensive Care Clinic.Study Design: The study used a prospective cross-sectional design. Place and Duration of Study: Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC), Machakos Level 5 Hospital, between July and October 2023.Methodology: The study included 125 HIV-positive women aged 21 to 64 years who consented to take part in the study. The participants were screened for high-risk HPV sub types using real-time PCR and for cervical lesions and bacterial vaginosis through microscopic examination of pap smears. Results: 125 HIV-positive women aged between 21 and 64 years were included in the study. Out of the 125 study participants, 36 tested positive (28.8%) for various HPV sub types. 13(10.4%) study participants out of the 125 tested positive for bacterial vaginosis. 11(8.8%) study participants had bacterial vaginosis and HPV co-infection.Conclusion: The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis and HPV co-infection among HIV-positive women at Machakos Level 5 Hospital is 8.8%. Of all the risk factors analyzed, only method of contraceptive used was found to have a significant association with bacterial vaginosis and HPV co-infection (P = .002)
Administration of county government bursary fund and retention of secondary schools’ students in Kwale County, Kenya
(iajournals, 2025-06-20) Ngando, Hussein Leli; Muna,Wilson
Government intervention in provision of education is a common phenomenon and developing countries are bracing up to take the challenge. Expanding secondary education through progressive universalism should therefore be central priority especially Sub-Saharan African countries. In Kenya, both central and county governments have committed resources, mainly through provision of bursaries and scholarships to address the perennial inequality in educational opportunities. The County government of Kwale allocates Ksh. 400 Million every financial year for bursaries and scholarships. The purpose of the fund is to accord every school age child in Kwale County an equal opportunity to pursue their academic dreams. The fund is however, equally distributed among the 20 wards in the county yet population per ward varies significantly. The net effect of this is that very needy cases in the wards with many bursary applicants either get very little allocations or are left unattended. Studies on bursaries have highlighted inequitable allocation as a serious concern that renders such programs inefficient. Besides, the fund's administrative systems are plagued with inefficiencies including inadequacy of funds and late disbursement to schools. That being so, the previous bursary studies have mainly focused on CDF bursary schemes at the oblivion of county government bursary programs. This study’s purpose involves evaluating the magnitude to which the administration of the Kwale county bursary has enhanced retention in secondary school. Specifically, the research is directed by the objectives as follows: to analyzing the distribution of bursary fund among the 20 wards and its effect on retention, time of releasing the funds to school, adequacy of bursary funds and the criteria used in allocation and their net effect on retention of secondary school students in Matuga sub-county, Kwale. The study employed descriptive research design. The targeted population is 5,988 (form 3 & 4) students in public secondary schools in Matuga Sub-County, 29 principals, 5 ward administrators, and the CBC chairperson. The research adopts Krejcie & Morgan to samples 357 students, stratified sampling to sample 9 principals and total sampling for both ward administrators and the CBC. Questionnaires were used for students while personal interviews employed for the principals, CBC chairperson and ward administrators. Pretest was conducted in two schools in Msambweni Sub-County; Dr. Babla Diani and Bongwe secondary schools to reassure the accuracy and consistency of the research tools. The data collected was explored through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Further, descriptive statistical analytical tools like percentages and frequencies was used in presentation of quantitative data obtained. Ultimately, qualitative data was examined through thematic analysis and conveyed in a narrative format. The outcomes provided clear equity concerns among the study participants. Bursaries are also not released on time prompting the need to synchronize the program with the school calendar. The bursary allocations are also insufficient to effectively cushion the intended members. International Academic Journal of Arts and Humanities | Volume 1, Issue 5, pp. 314-336 317 | P a g e Reluctance in adhering to the allocation criteria was also observed which curtails efficiency. The researcher recommends for a comprehensive review of the fund distribution formula that takes into account the population size per ward. Synchronize the program with the academic calendar to avoid delays in the release of the funds as well as increasing the bursary amount to better address the financial requirements of students and alleviate fee problems to enhance the retention rate
Antifungal Potential of Chitosan and Phenyllactic Acid against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, the Anthracnose Pathogen in Avocados
(Friends Science Publishers, 2025-06-25) Hamidou, Hamza Alassan; Kimaru, Stanley; Owino, Willis O
Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a tropical fruit with significant economic value worldwide. However, the avocado industry faces important challenges from anthracnose rot, caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides species, which affects negatively fruit quality and market value. Growing concerns about synthetic fungicides and consumer demand for safer
alternatives drive interest in natural bioactive agents for postharvest disease control. This research assessed the in vitro antifungal efficacy of chitosan (CHI), phenyllactic acid (PLA), individually and in combination, against C. gloeosporioides isolated from Kenyan avocados. Through the poisoned food assay, both CHI and PLA significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited pathogen growth in a concentration-dependent manner. PLA completely (100%) inhibited mycelial growth and conidia germination at 4 mg/mL, while CHI achieved 78.82% inhibition of mycelial growth and 66.67% inhibition of conidia germination at 15 mg/mL. CHI-PLA mixtures exhibited an additive type of interaction (Abbott method) and caused significant morphological deformation of conidia. These findings highlight CHI-PLA mixtures as a promising and sustainable alternative to synthetic fungicides for managing postharvest anthracnose in avocados
Smallholder Farmers Adaptation Strategies to Climate Chane Effects in the Hiran Region, Somali.
(Kenyatta University, 2024-09) Odawa, Abdiwalli Abdulle
The Effect of Branchless Banking Strategy on the Financial Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya
(2017-10-17) Dzombo , Gift Kimonge; Kilika, James M; Maingi, James
The Banking sector acts as the life blood of modern trade and economic development. Commercial banks influence,
facilitate and integrate the economic activities like resources mobilization, poverty elimination, production, and
distribution of public finance. The financial performance of commercial banks has great implications in the financial
sector and in the country at large, and will still remain an important subject of concern by all the stakeholders in the
banking industry. In the last two decades, a lot of banking innovation has taken place in order to improve commercial
banks financial performance. Branchless banking which involves the use of agency banking and electronic banking
channels in the distribution of banking products and services is one such innovation. This study purpose was to
evaluate the effect of branchless banking on the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The specific
objectives of the study were to analyze the individual effects of agency banking and electronic banking channels on
the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya and the combined effect of both agency and electronic
banking on the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The study adopted an exploratory research
design. A survey of all the 42 licensed commercial banks in Kenya was done. Both primary and secondary data on
branchless banking and financial performance of banks was obtained from the individual commercial banks, Central
Bank of Kenya banking annual supervision reports respectively. Return on Assets (ROA) was used as the main
indicator of commercial banks financial performance. The amount of investment in agency and electronic banking
was used as indicator for agency and electronic banking. Data analysis was done using SPSS and STATA statistical
softwares. Descriptive statistics, diagnostic tests and tests of hypothesis were done. Data was presented using tables
and charts. Study findings indicated that when used in isolation; both agency and electronic banking had a significant
negative effect on the financial performance of commercial banks at 5 percent significance level. However, when
agency and electronic banking channels were used together as a multichannel strategy, they had a significant positive
effect on bank’s financial performance at 5 percent significance level. The study recommends that for positive
returns, commercial banks should invest in both agency and electronic banking as a multichannel strategy since these
channels are complimentary to each other.