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ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to develop an econometric model for the cost of treatment of paediatric malaria from a patient perspective in a resource scarce rural setting of Homa Bay County, Kenya. We sought to investigate the main contributors as well as the contribution of non-user fee payments to the total household cost of care. Costs were measured from a patient perspective.DesignThe study was conducted as a health facility based cross sectional survey targeting paediatric patients.SettingThe study was conducted in 13 health facilities ranging from level II to level V in Homa Bay County which is in the Eastern shores of Lake Victoria, Kenya. This is a malaria endemic area.ParticipantsWe enrolled 254 inpatient children (139 males and 115 females) all of whom participated up to the end of this study.Primary outcome measureThe primary outcome measure was the cost of pediatric malaria care borne by the patient. This was measured by asking exiting caregivers to estimate the cost of various items contributing to their total expenditure on care seeking.ResultsA total of 254 respondents who consented from 13 public government health facilities were interviewed. Age, number of days spent at the health facility, being treated at a level V facility, medical officer prescribing and seeking initial treatment from a retail shop were found significant predictors of cost.ConclusionHigher level health facilities in Homa Bay County, where the more specialised medical workers are stationed, are more costly hence barring the poorest from obtaining quality paediatric malaria care from here. Waiving user fees alone may not be sufficient to guarantee access to care by patients due to unofficial fees and non-user fees expenditures.

Background: Data on cervical cancer knowledge, perceptions, screening practices and other relevant health behaviours among women in rural Kenya is limited. Yet understanding this information is a key first step in developing evidence-based interventions aimed at addressing the low uptake of screening services and heavy cervical cancer disease burden within Kenya. Consequently, our study sought to assess cervical cancer knowledge, attitude, and practice amongst women of reproductive age within Kiambu County, known for a high cervical cancer disease burden. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study undertaken in April 2022. Data was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires from 472 females randomly selected from within the community. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (mean values, standard deviations, and frequencies) and logistic regression, using STATA version 13. Results: More than 80% of respondents were aware of cervical cancer though only 54% answered at least half of the knowledge questions correctly. Knowledge of HPV was particularly low, likely because 55% of the study sample stated they had never heard of HPV. Though 89% of study participants deemed cervical cancer preventable, more than 60% had an unfavourable attitude towards cervical cancer screening, deeming the process expensive, painful, and embarrassing. In line with the latter observation, only 20% of our sample had ever been screened for cervical cancer and less than half of this group had undergone regular screening. Notably, knowing a place where cervical cancer screening services are provided had the largest increase in odds of being screened (3.94; 95% CI: 1.08–14.37). Fear of tests and outcomes was also noted to be a prime concern amongst our study participants. Conclusion: A clear message from this study is the need to ensure community members are aware of where to access screening services and strategies are implemented to address prevalent fears and negative perceptions. Abbreviations: CHV: Community Health Volunteers; HPV: Human papillomavirus; HIV/AIDS: Human immunodeficiency virus/Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; LEEP: Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure; LMICs: Low- and Middle-Income Countries; NCI: National Cancer Institute; NACOSTI: National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation; VIA: Visual inspection with acetic acid; VILLI: Visual inspection with Lugol’s iodine; WHO: World Health Organisation

Objective To investigate the influence of socioeconomic household characteristics on access to paediatric malaria treatment in Homa Bay County, Kenya. Results From univariate analysis, treatment with analgesics only in a community health center or a faith-based organization, self-employment, urban residence and residing in a sub-county other than Suba or Mbita showed significant association with access to paediatric antimalarial treatment. However, on multivariate analysis, urban residence, education, income of 10,000 to 30,000 and information from peers were the most statistically significant predictors of access to treatment. Urban households were 0.37 times more likely to access treatment than rural ones. Having primary, secondary or post-secondary education conferred 0.25, 0.14 and 0.28 higher chance of access to paediatric malaria treatment respectively compared to those with no formal education. Those with monthly income levels of 10,000 to 30,000 shillings had 0.32 higher chance of accessing treatment compared to those with less than 5000 shillings.

Background: The Kenya demographic and health survey in the year 2014 indicated that only two-thirds of Kenyan men age 15-49 have heard of prostate cancer. In addition, only three percent of males aged 40 years and above have ever had a prostate cancer screening. This signifies that prostate cancer screening is still uncommon among Kenyan men despite prostate cancer being ranked third among commonly diagnosed cancers globally.  Methods: The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design. Quantitative data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Collected data was analysed using Statistical package for data analysis (SPSS). Thereafter, descriptive statistics were presented by the use of mean, percentages and proportions while inferential statistics that is standard deviation and Chi square values were used to determine the statistical significance (p≤0.05).Results: This study shows that most men (87%) were aware of prostate cancer. Marital status p=0.007, occupation p=0.019, fear p=0.005, shyness/embarrassment p=0.034 and the level of education p=0.005 significantly influenced the uptake of cervical cancer screening among males aged 40 years and above. Noteworthy, education about prostate cancer screening did not significantly influence the males under this age brackets decision to get the prostate cancer screening.Conclusions: More efforts are needed to encourage adult male who are highly at risk of prostate cancer to go for voluntary screening as early detection have been shown to improve the disease outcome. In addition, a dire need for increased awareness of prostate cancer screening to demystify fear by the stakeholders that is, the healthcare system, Ministry of Health, faith-based organizations, family as well as friends.