Mohamud, Abdikadir Mohamed (2004) Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Central Division of Wajir District, North Eastern Province, Kenya. Masters thesis, Kenyatta University.
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PDF (Prevalence of Tuberculosis in Central Division of Wajir District, North Eastern Province, Kenya)
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Abstract
Tuberculosis is among the top ten global diseases in regards to mortality. It has been estimated that one-third of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis causing Bacillus tubercular. With 1.8 million people dying of the disease, approximately 88% of tuberculosis cases occur in 23 countries; with the highest incidence rates being found in Africa and South - East Asia. Tuberculosis situations worsened over the past two decades in Africa owing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, wars, famine/drought and following deterioration of health infrastructure. The disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Kenya. It affects people of all age groups but more so the economically productive age group of between 15 and 44 years. The advent of HIV/AIDS pandemic, urbanization, increasing poverty and declining social-economic trends have reversed the earlier declining trends of tuberculosis. In Kenya, an annual increase of 20% has been observed in the last years. The study was carried out in Central Division of Wajir District between the period of July and October 2002. The aim of the study was to establish the percentage of undiagnosed tuberculosis in the community and to quantify the disease prevalence in the region. Research method employed was cross-sectional study that targeted all persons above 10 years and children of 0-5 years with no BCG scar. The information was gathered using structured questionnaires and laboratory results of sputum; especially for Acid-Fast Bacilli (A F B) Mantoux test results. Case finding was done by identification of persons with suspect pulmonary tuberculosis (i.e. persons with cough and! or sputum for one month or heamoptysis of 3 weeks duration). The study findings indicated that out of the respondents, 376 (94%) had knowledge of tuberculosis with 226 (56.5%) complaining of cough of more than three weeks, and 91.7% sought treatment at the hospital for the same. There was significant relationship between the level of education and duration of illness (P<0.05). 37 (9.2%) respondents tested positive for smear test and 58 (8.6%) of the children tested positive by Mantoux test. In the field survey, out of 400-screened, 37 (9.2%) were smear positive. The positivity rate for males and females were not significantly different. These positive results suggest that the community has a high prevalence rate of tuberculosis. BCG vaccination and mantoux positivity rates were done in the same community. Out of the 400 children tested, 342 (85.5%) had recorded BCG vaccination, and the remaining 58 children not vaccinated were subjected to Mantoux tests. Overall, positivity rate was 8.6% and it increased with age. In this study, a single interrogation of household heads identified a modest burden of undiagnosed tuberculosis in the community. The setting up of a Primary Health Care system that would benefit the peripheral health infrastructure like health centers and dispensaries equipped with microscopy services would improve tuberculosis surveillance in the central division of Wajir District. In addition creating awareness among community members on the need to sought treatment early to avoid complication of the disease.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | J Political Science > JS Local government Municipal government Q Science > QR Microbiology > QR180 Immunology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine R Medicine > RZ Other systems of medicine |
| Divisions: | Africana |
| Depositing User: | Lee Colombino |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Apr 2017 14:31 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Apr 2017 14:31 |
| URI: | http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/1610 |
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