The cost, side effects and imitation associated with conventional drugs have driven a substantial number of global citizens to resort to complementary medicine. Although largely informal and unregulated, the practice of herbal medicine is more engrained in low and middle income than in industrialized countries. Sesbania sesban, a plant which grows generously across most parts of the world, has been a major target by most traditional health practitioners. The effects so far reported include antimicrobial, anti-fertility, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory among others. No study has reviewed the scholarly works published and jointly reported results. Authros systematically reviewed papers available in different databases to give a hybrid report on the pharmacological effects of Sesbania sesban. A total of three data bases were searched using key terms like: Sesbania sesban, ethno-botany, phytochemical analysis, pharmacological effects etc. A total of 860 papers were initially recovered and further subjected to abstract and title examination which filtered them down to 40 papers. The 40 papers were assessed more against a set of criteria like: in-vivo and in-vitro studies biased to pharmacological effects of the plant, studies that were less than 15 years old and studies that used experimental design. This further scrutiny reduced the number of papers to 25. Most studies reported Sesbania sesban as having great anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic qualities. No study reported any adverse effect of the plant. Authors recommend a dose-effect assessment and mechanism of action of the plant extracts especially with regard to the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-fertility qualities.

Background: Serotype replacement and emergence of multidrug resistant S. pneumoniae has exacerbated the need for continuous regional serotype surveillance especially in the developing world. We investigated S. pneumoniae serotypes circulating among vaccinated and unvaccinated children ≤5 years in Nairobi County post PCV10 era. Methods: A total of 206 vaccinated and unvaccinated children attending Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital (GCH) were recruited for this study. Nasopharyngeal swabs collected using Copan Flocked Swabs were the main study specimen. Culturing and isolation of S. pneumoniae was done on BA with gentamicin and BA plates respectively at the GCH main laboratory. Serotyping was done using the Quellung reaction at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust, Kilifi.  Results: Out of the 206 subjects sampled, 20.39% (42) were found to be carriers of S. pneumoniae. About 52% (n=22) of the S. pneumoniae carriers had received the recommended dose of PCV-10, while 48% (n=20) of the carriers had not. Almost all (n=41; 19.90% of subjects) isolates contained non-vaccine type S. pneumoniae serotypes, while n=1 of the serotypes (in 0.49% of subjects) were untypeable. Serotypes 28F, 6A, 11A, 3 and 7C were prevalent in both vaccinated and unvaccinated children, whereas serotypes 23A, 17F, 35F, 48, 13 and 35B, and 23B, 20, 19B, 21, untypeable, 15B and 39 were found among unvaccinated and vaccinated groups, respectively. Conclusions: All S. pneumoniae serotypes isolated from the subjects sampled were non PCV-10 vaccine type. These results therefore highlight the importance of monitoring and evaluation to provide epidemiological information to determine the effectiveness of PCV10 in Kenya’s Public health services.

Male participation is key in the implementation and use of Antenatal Care (ANC) amenities. Over the years, there has been a slight increase in male participation in reproductive health. However, there is evidence that majority of those who participate do not understand their role in ANC. This study aimed to establish males' knowledge regarding their role in the ANC continuum. The study design was cross-sectional. The study population consisted of males with female partners aged 18-49 years who live in Mangu town, Nakuru County, Kenya, and have had a full-term delivery within the past 5 years. A sample of 73 respondents was recruited for the study. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Majority of the respondents (45.2%) were between ages 31-40 years. The main source of credible knowledge on ANC were health care providers, 71.2% of the respondents who escorted their female partners to ANC clinics waited outside the consultation room as their female partners sought medical attention hence, they either had little or completely no knowledge on ANC. Male's knowledge of ANC is influenced by age, type of family (monogamy or polygamy), level of education and caregiver’s attitude. Male partners should be provided with targeted education regarding their role in the ANC continuum.

Malaria is a deadly infectious parasitic disease that causes devastating morbidity and mortality globally. Despite being a public health concern, an effective vaccine for prevention of the disease remains elusive. Global efforts are exploring possible ways of developing and improving vaccines to counteract the complex nature in which Plasmodium falciparum evades the immune system. A number of vaccines have been developed in the past targeting the various parasitic life cycle stages. Transmission blocker vaccines, such as PpPf S25, target the parasite stages in the mosquito vector. However, these herd vaccines only protect the immunized population. Vaccines targeting blood-stage forms, such as the AMA-1 and MSP-1 vaccines, are challenged by the complex metabolic pathways of erythrocytes and merozoites. Vaccines targeting the pre-erythrocytic sporozoite stage remain the most promising approach thus far. Here, we systematically review the literature on pre-erythrocytic stage vaccines and on-going work in the field. Furthermore, we highlight gaps in current knowledge and point to potential areas of future work. Articles on pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccines were obtained from Google scholar, PubMed and Cochrane starting from the year 2010. Ten papers were reviewed. A number of vaccines were reviewed highlighting; the vaccine type, clinical phase of trial, population demographics, vaccine immunogenicity, efficacy and safety. The RTS,S vaccine is reportedly the most advanced, having been rolled out for phase III clinical trials in a number of malaria-endemic African countries. The pre-erythrocytic vaccines discussed have made milestones in clinical trials. Some of the challenges elicited may be addressed via screening for novel antigens, exploring suitable vaccine administration vehicles,­ as well as using a combined multi-stage vaccine approach.

Discuss this articleAbstract (SP ) serotype replacement and Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae n emergence of multidrug resistant SP has exacerbated the need for continuous n regional serotype surveillance. We investigated SP serotypes circulating n among children ≤5 years in Nairobi County.stocks stored at −70°C in brain heart Methods: Streptococcus pneumoniae infusion medium were thawed at room temperature for 30 minutes. In total, 10 µl of the stored SP cells were suspended in 50 µl PBS and gently vortexed. n About 10 µl of the suspended cells were added on to a glass slide and mixed with 10 µl pooled antisera. The glass slide was swirled gently while observing for any reaction. The process was repeated with individual groups under various antisera pools. Those serotypes that did not belong to any pool were typed directly until a positive agglutination reaction was observed. The cells/PBS/serotype-specific antisera mixture on the glass slide were covered with a coverslip and observed under a phase contrast microscope at ×100 objective lens with oil emulsion.Out of the 206 subjects sampled, 20.39% (n=42) were found to be Results: carriers of SP . About 52% (n=22) of the SP carriers had received the n n recommended dose of PCV-10, while 48% (n=20) of the carriers had not. Almost all (n=41; 19.90% of subjects) isolates contained non-vaccine type SPn serotypes, while n=1 of the serotypes (in 0.49% of subjects) were untypeable. Serotypes 28F, 6A, 11A, 3 and 7C were prevalent in both vaccinated and unvaccinated children, whereas serotypes 23A, 17F, 35F, 48, 13 and 35B, and 23B, 20, 19B, 21, untypeable, 15B and 39 were found among unvaccinated and vaccinated groups, respectively.All SP serotypes isolated from the subjects sampled were non All SP serotypes isolated from the subjects sampled were non Conclusions: n PCV-10 vaccine type. Therefore Kenyan children receiving PCV-10 vaccine are not protected.