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Syphilis and HIV Co-Infection in Patients Attending HIV Outpatient’s Clinic in Makurdi, North Central Nigeria: A Cohort Study
(International Journal of Frontiers in Science and Technology Research, 2025-08) Danladi, Daniel; Shawon, Fredrick Akpagher; Ikape, Deborah Adiya; Okeke, Anthony Chukwuebuka; Iyeje, Stephen Odu; Igboke, Christian Ali; Tochukwu, Faith Eneude; Yanmeer, Simeone Tyotswam
Introduction: Syphilis co-infection continues to be a persistent public health challenge and gaining renewed attention in the background of HIV infection and the era of HAART especially in developing countries like Nigeria. This study aims to assess the prevalence of HIV-syphilis co-infection and investigate the factors associated with syphilis in HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Makurdi, Benue State
Methods: A total of 250 study participants were involved in a cohort study design using a consecutive sampling technique. A pre-tested structured interviewer questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic, risk factors and clinical characteristics. History of syphilis co-infection were isolated based on patient’s clinical history, while the prevalence study involved a high index of suspicion from clinical sign and symptoms as well as a rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test (Bio-Rad France) and the non-treponemal serologic test used to screen blood samples for syphilis. Chi square was used to test association between socio-demographic and syphilis co-infection while binary regression analysis was used to test for independent predictors of syphilis co-infection. All test were carried out at 95% confidence level using SPSS version 26.0
Results: The syphilis co-infection among people living with HIV in this study was found to be 6.4%. Only age (p=0.035) and level of education (p=0.005) were significantly associated with syphilis co-infection. Higher co-infection was observed in respondents ≥ 25 years (50.0%) and respondents who had only secondary level of education (12.7%). There was a 4-fold and 2.7-fold increase in coming down with co-infection when an individual is ≥ 25 years and has no formal education respectively. Sex, religion, marital status, employment, having multiple sexual partners, prior history of syphilis infection, alcohol use, smoking and BMI were not significantly associated with syphilis co-infection.
Conclusion: There is a substantial rate of syphilis co-infection among PLWHIV especial among respondents with low level of education and younger adults. STI counseling and screening on safe sex and primary prevention should be encouraged.
Determinants of Unmet Family Planning Needs among Women of Reproductive Age between 15 and 49 Years in Siaya County, Kenya
(Pan African Medical Journal, 2025-07) Ameso, Ruth Anyango; Gitonga, Eliphas; Owaka, Isaac Ogweno
Introduction: unmet need for family planning is still a major public health issue, impacting maternal and child health outcomes. In Kenya, 14% of women desire to avoid or delay a pregnancy but are not using contraceptives. Unmet need differs across counties, with Siaya having a high unmet need at 21% despite the target to eliminate unmet need for family planning. This study sought to establish determinants of unmet family planning needs among women of reproductive age (WRA) between 15 and 49 years in Siaya County, Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to address three specific objectives: to determine the level of unmet needs among WRA, socio-demographic characteristics of WRA, assess the level of knowledge on family planning and to determine attitudes towards family planning among WRA. Methods: the study presents findings from the baseline phase of a larger quasi-experimental study design. It utilized a mixed research design. The study adopted the World Health Organization's 30 by 30 2-stage cluster sampling method. The FANTA sample size formula was applied to arrive at 724 respondents. A total of 728 women of reproductive age participated in the study. The study included sexually active WRA, married women, or women in a companion. The study targeted over 67,023 women already in such unions and sexually active, which served as the sampling frame for the study. The current study, being a baseline study, results after the health education intervention will be presented in another study. Results were presented in tables and figures. Ethical guidelines and procedures upheld during the study included informed consent, voluntary participation of participants, confidentiality, data security measures, assent for the minors, and usage of research licenses and approval from the ethics from the school. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 28.0. The statistical analysis was undertaken in two steps: bivariate analysis and multivariate analysis. Results: a total of 728 women of reproductive age participated in the study. The majority (45.2%) of the women were aged 25 to 34 years. Results showed that most (64.0%) of the women demonstrated a high level of knowledge, scoring 80% or above. However, only 2.7% had a low level of knowledge, with aggregate scores below 50%. The majority (75.5%) of the women had a positive attitude, with 24.5% having a negative attitude. The prevalence of unmet need was 52.7%. The proportion of unmet need was significantly more (COR = 1.61; 95%CI = 1.19 - 2.19; p = 0.002) among women with a low or moderate level of knowledge on family planning compared to those women with a high level of knowledge. Women aged 15 to 24 years were 3.43 times more likely to have unmet need for family planning compared to those aged 35 to 49 years (COR = 3.43; 95%CI = 2.23 - 5.26; compared to those women with a positive attitude. Conclusion: the study concludes that social-demographic factors such as education, age, or economic activity significantly influenced the unmet needs for family planning. Knowledge significantly influenced the unmet needs for family planning, where WRA with lesser knowledge were more likely to experience unmet needs. Lastly, Attitudes such as perceived harm of using contraceptives and stigmatization from their use significantly increased the odds of unmet family planning needs.
Assessment of Bacteriological Quality and Physicochemical Properties of Borehole Water Supplies in Eastleigh, Nairobi County, Kenya
(2024-12) Otieno, Victor Onyango; Karanja, Anncarol; Maingi, John
BACKGROUND
A borehole is a valuable source of fresh, potable water that globally feeds around 1.5
billion people daily. It is, however, vulnerable to both microbial and chemical pollution,
which poses health risks to the population if consumed without proper treatment. It is from
this perspective that this study aimed to assess the quality of borehole water supplies in
Eastleigh, considering their implications for human health.
METHODOLOGY
A repeated cross-sectional design was employed to study physicochemical and
microbiological parameters of the boreholes. A proportionate stratified sampling method was
used to sample 25 boreholes. Water samples from the storage tanks of the boreholes were
collected in sterilised 250 ml glass bottles and transported to Kenyatta University
microbiology laboratories for analysis. Temperature, pH, Turbidity and Fluoride levels were
measured by their respective meters. Lead, cadmium and Arsenic levels were determined by
the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The Most Probable Number technique quantified
the coliform and Microbial culturing for bacterial detection. A 12-month retrospective casecontrol design determined the prevalence of waterborne illnesses from the Eastleigh
Community Wellness Centre, Eastleigh Health Centre and Biafra Health Facility hospitals.
Mean values obtained for physicochemical and microbiological parameters during the wet
and dry seasons (April-May, 2024 and July, 2024, respectively) and across the road streets
were analysed using one-way analysis of variance, with p ≤0.05 being significant.
RESULTS
All physicochemical parameters were generally within Kenya Bureau of Standards
(KEBS) permissible standards for drinking water, except for cadmium, fluoride and pH. The
total coliform exceeded the KEBS permissible requirements. At least one of the pathogenic
bacteria of interest (Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella spp and Shigella spp) was
detected in every borehole. Review of the patient’s clinical data showed an overall prevalence
rate of 8.5%, with patients <5 years and >5 years recording 11.06% and 7.33%, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Borehole water in Eastleigh is contaminated, and with the prevalence rate of 8.5%, it
concludes waterborne diseases in the region as a public health concern. Consumption of water
from questionable sources like these boreholes should be limited.
Effectiveness of State-Led Initiatives in Mitigating Ethnic Conflicts in Njoro, Nakuru County, Kenya
(Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies (JAIS), 2025-08) Chepkorir, Lilian; Macharia, Hannah Muthoni
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of state-led initiatives in mitigating ethnic conflicts for sustainable peace in Njoro, Nakuru County, Kenya. Literature was reviewed on historical context and causes of ethnic conflicts framework and implementation of state-led initiatives and the impact and challenges of peacebuilding efforts. The study utilized a descriptive survey research design to assess the effectiveness of state-led initiatives in mitigating ethnic conflicts in Njoro Sub-County, Nakuru County, Kenya, a region with a history of land-driven inter-ethnic clashes from 1992 to 2020. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, data was collected from a sample of 384 household heads and 10 key informants, selected through cluster random and purposive sampling, using face-to-face interviews, questionnaires and phone-based tracking. Findings revealed that state mechanisms like peace committees, community policing and chiefs’ mediation were widely recognized, with 70% of respondents affirming their role in conflict resolution, though challenges like resource constraints and perceived bias limited their impact. Local chiefs, elders, religious leaders and resource management agreements were rated highly effective, while police deployment and courts faced trust issues. The study recommends strengthening peace committees, integrating traditional methods, reforming police and judicial processes and addressing root causes like land disputes to ensure sustainable peace.
Effect of Psycho-Social Shift Schedules on Family Life Among Kenya Airways Crew in Nairobi City County, Kenya
(Journal of Sociology, Psychology & Religious Studies, 2025-08) Mwazame, Evah Karimi; Lodiaga, Mildred; Wamue-Ngare, Grace
Kenya Airways flight crew shift work is perceived to profoundly impact the emotional, economic, social and temporal patterns of family life. The study investigated the effect of psycho-social shift schedules on family life among Kenya Airways crew in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The research was underpinned on the Social Exchange Theory while a case study design was employed. The research targeted a population consisting of 1085 employees from Kenya Airways operating in Embakasi. Both stratified and simple random sampling methods were used to choose 217 respondents for the research. Quantitative data was collected using questionnaires while qualitative data was gathered via interview guides. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used to analyze quantitative data through descriptive statistics and regression analysis, whereas thematic analysis aided in the analysis of qualitative data. The research findings revealed that there existed a positive and significant correlation between shift schedules and family life of Kenya Airways crew as indicated by a beta coefficient of 0.668 (p < 0.05). The study concluded that psycho-social shift schedules significantly influenced family life among crew members, with shift pattern demands interfering with familytime, frequency of shifts preventing attendance to family functions, and duration of shifts creating gaps between crew members and their children. The findings demonstrated that irregular work patterns, psychological stress from shift work, and social disruption from unpredictable schedules directly impact crew members' family relationships, spousal satisfaction, parent-child interactions, and overall family wellbeing. The study recommends that Kenya Airways should implement flexible shift scheduling practices that accommodate family responsibilities, optimize shift duration to prevent extended working hours that lead to family separation, and establish more predictable shift patterns that allow crew members to maintain consistent roles within their households while reducing work-family conflicts