Data on greenhouse gas fluxes from smallholder cropping systems in Upper Eastern Kenya.

This dataset presents greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes-carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) measurements collected from smallholder cropping systems in Chuka, Upper Eastern Kenya. The study aimed to assess the effects of different cropping systems on soil GHG fluxes, as described in a related study (Lemarpe et al., 2023).

Prolonged Hospitalization Among Children Aged < 5 Years Admitted With Acute Gastroenteritis at Siaya County Referral Hospital, in Rural Western Kenya: 2010-2020.

Background: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) causes substantial morbidity and mortality in children < 5 years old accounting for 9 million hospitalizations. Prolonged hospitalization can cause dire consequences to the patient and healthcare system. However, data on factors associated with prolonged hospitalization for AGE in developing countries are limited.

Public health facility vulnerabilities, preparedness, and health outcomes for and dengue virus-infected children under 5 years with acute febrile illnesses in Western Kenya.

Introduction: Climate change and infectious health risks are threatening healthcare systems, cascading into devastating consequences globally. This crisis is altering the footprints of many vector-borne disease control programs. Sub-Saharan countries face complex challenges as patterns of vector-borne diseases transform, causing more than 17% of the global mortality.

High acceptability of newborn screening for sickle cell disease among post-natal mothers in Western Kenya.

Sickle cell disease is a genetically inherited blood disorder that manifests early in life with resultant significant health complications. Globally, nearly three quarters of all affected babies are in sub-Saharan Africa. Early identification of babies with sickle cell disease through newborn screening followed by early linkage to care is recommended.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in sediments in Africa: Status, ecological risks, extraction and analytical techniques.

This review synthesized literature (2012-2024) about the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in sediments from waterbodies in Africa while highlighting the sources and analytical techniques used. A total of 35 PPCP classes constituting 142 compounds were identified. Eastern Africa reported 21 classes with 60 compounds, Western Africa 17 classes with 69 compounds, Southern Africa 18 classes with 19 compounds, and Northern Africa 1 class with 19 compounds.

Epstein-Barr virus type 2 infection is associated with higher viral loads in pediatric tonsils from western Kenya.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an etiologic agent of endemic Burkitt lymphoma (BL), a prevalent pediatric cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. There are two known types of EBV, EBV Type-1 (EBV-1) and EBV Type-2 (EBV-2), both found in eBL patients. To determine the EBV load and type dynamics within the tonsils, saliva, whole blood, and plasma, we enrolled 102 children aged 1-14 undergoing tonsillectomy in a malaria holoendemic region of western Kenya.

HPV-16 lineages among women in Africa: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is associated with cervical oncogenesis. The prevalence of HPV-16 lineages has not been well investigated in Africa. There is a lack of comprehensive epidemiological data on the distribution and oncogenic potential of the different HPV-16 lineages and sub-lineages in these populations.

The stifling burden of climate change on African public healthcare systems.

Background: Climate change is the greatest health threat of the 21st century to global health and primary health care. Despite being the least contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa is disproportionately facing severe impacts of climate change, particularly on its health systems which is already neglected and underfunded. The crisis poses a fundamental threat to human health by undermining healthcare infrastructure, straining workforce capacity, and diminishing global progress toward universal health coverage.

Physical Activity and Overnutrition Among 8-11-Year-Old School Children in Thika Town, Kenya.

Childhood overnutrition is a growing public health concern in the 21st century. It is a risk factor for adult obesity and noncommunicable diseases. If no action is taken, it is estimated that 208 million boys and 175 million girls aged 5-19 years will be living with obesity by 2035.

Community referral system influencing caregiver health-seeking for childhood pneumonia in Endebess sub-county, Kenya.

Background: Pneumonia is the primary infectious cause of mortality in children under five, with approximately 800 000 deaths annually in low-income settings. In Kenya, pneumonia accounted for 16% of child deaths in 2022. Good treatment outcome relies on efficient referral system and timely hospital access.

Retraction: Synthesis, characterization, and theoretical studies of the photovoltaic properties of novel reactive azonitrobenzaldehyde derivatives.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1039/D1RA05075C.].

The potential role of cultural and religious healing practices in shaping community vulnerability to highly infectious diseases in western Kenya.

Cultural and religious practices and beliefs have historically played a significant role in the management of disease outbreaks globally. This study explored how such beliefs and healing practices shape the vulnerability of communities to highly infectious diseases in three border counties in western Kenya-Homa Bay, Bungoma, and West Pokot. Using an empirical qualitative research design, we conducted 45 key informant interviews with 13 traditional healers, 16 religious healers, and their 16 patients.

Etiology of asymptomatic bacteriuria, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and associated risk factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in western Kenya.

Approximately 11.1% of pregnant women in Africa experience asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB), and its proper understanding is critical due to its risks, including pyelonephritis in mothers and fetal mortality. However, a significant gap remains in understanding the optimal screening and treatment protocols for ASB in pregnant women.

Acaricides in agriculture: balancing livestock health and environmental well-being in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya.

Extensive use of chemicals in food production, although useful, has profound implications. Acaricides, extensively used to control ticks and mites in livestock farming, can leave harmful residues that pose risks to unintended organisms such as plants, insects, people, and other animals. Thus, limiting non-target exposure to acaricides is critical.

Antibody correlates of risk of clinical malaria in an area of low and unstable malaria transmission in western Kenya.

Background: Defining antibody correlates of protection against clinical malaria in areas of low and unstable transmission is challenging because of limited malaria cases in these areas. Additionally, clinical malaria affects both adults and children in areas of low and unstable transmission, but it is unclear whether antibody correlates of protection against malaria differ with age.

Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 5753 individuals in Kenyan highland area with low and seasonal malaria transmission in 2007 and recorded episodes of clinical malaria in this population from 2007 to 2017.

Factors associated with mortality among patients aged 12 years and above requiring hospitalization for severe respiratory illness (SRI): Findings from the COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness evaluation in Kenya and Mali, 2022-2023.

Background: Mortality attributed to respiratory illnesses is well characterized in children <5 years. However, there is paucity of data among older populations. Here, we leveraged data from the COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Evaluation to establish the factors associated with mortality among patients with severe respiratory illness (SRI) in Kenya and Mali.

Consumer attitudes and perceptions on consumption of edible insects among communities in western Kenya.

Edible insects are a highly sustainable and nutritional food source despite their low consumption in many communities. This study evaluated consumer attitudes and perceptions on consumption of edible insects in western Kenya. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in four rural and four urban markets in Kisumu and Vihiga counties.

Food classifications provide an approximate packaging indicator to support monitoring of mismanaged plastic waste.

Mismanaged plastic waste undermines environmental quality, aquatic ecosystems and ultimately public health. Mismanaged plastics increasingly originate from urban populations lacking waste collection services. Household expenditure survey analyses have quantified plastic waste generation among these populations, but only for individual products (e.

Unlocking the adsorptive effectiveness of naturally occurring heulandite zeolite for the removal of PO and NO anions from wastewater.

The mitigation of high levels of phosphate (PO) and nitrate (NO) ions in water bodies, particularly in agricultural wastewater, holds paramount importance in curbing eutrophication within aquatic ecosystems. Herein, using experimental and computational techniques, the study explored the potential of naturally occurring South Africa heulandite (HEU) zeolite for the removal of PO and NO ions from synthetic wastewater in batch mode. The percentage removal of PO and NO was 59.

Lived experiences of persons on tuberculosis treatment in Nairobi County, Kenya: a mixed methods study.

Background: Tuberculosis program effectiveness is majorly measured by disease severity and treatment response without integrating patient perspectives. Yet, it's a critical dimension in clinical decision-making that enhances health worker-patient interactions and increases individuals' sustained engagement with treatment, thereby benefiting the people affected and the wider public by mitigating the infection risk. This study assessed the lived experiences of persons affected by tuberculosis who were on treatment in Nairobi County, Kenya.

The bionomics of Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestus inside local houses and their implications for vector control strategies in areas with high coverage of insecticide-treated nets in South-eastern Tanzania.

Background: Residual malaria transmissions in Africa may be associated with improved coverage of insecticide-treated nets, house features, and livestock husbandry. These human-land use activities may drive the ecology and behaviour of malaria vectors which sustain residual malaria transmission. This study was conducted to assess changes in the ecology and behaviour of Anopheles funestus and Anopheles arabiensis in villages with high coverage of insecticide-treated nets to guide the selection of complementary vector control strategies against residual malaria transmission.

Analysis of the 24-h biting patterns and human exposures to malaria vectors in south-eastern Tanzania.

Background: Afrotropical malaria vectors are generally believed to bite nocturnally, leading to the predominant use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), which target indoor, nighttime-biting mosquitoes. This focus is reinforced by biases in entomological surveys, which largely overlook daytime mosquito activity. However, recent evidence challenges this paradigm, showing that Anopheles biting can extend way into the daytime, coinciding with human activities at dawn, daytime and evenings, suggesting a broader risk spectrum and potential protection gaps.

Inter-observer reliability in transect-based observations of environmental waste in greater accra and kisumu: implications for waste management.

Unlabelled: Transect surveys are widely used to quantify mismanaged plastic waste discarded to the environment. However, very few studies have quantified inter-observer reliability in environmental waste surveys. The aim of this study was to assess inter-observer reliability for a set of environmental waste indicators derived from transect surveys in slum areas of two sub-Saharan African cities.

Awareness and adoption of climate-resilient practices by smallholder farmers in central and upper Eastern Kenya.

Climate change and soil fertility decline are major hurdles to agricultural ecosystems. Despite the importance of climate-resilient practices (CRPs) in enhancing food security, poverty alleviation and nutritional security, awareness and adoption remain low in most developing countries, including Kenya. We assessed the determinants of simultaneous awareness and adoption of CRPs and their intensity in Central Highlands of Kenya.