Job Wasonga | Maseno University (original) (raw)
Papers by Job Wasonga
Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health Reviews, 2020
Introduction: In order to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in Kenya the Ministry of Hea... more Introduction: In order to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in Kenya the Ministry of Health (MoH) issued unprecedented guidelines to be followed by all citizens. Adherence to the MoH COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines in rural areas is generally a function of the residents' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP). Evidence shows that public knowledge is important in tackling pandemics. Objective: The overall objective of this study was to assess the determinants of adherence to the COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines by the rural small scale shop operators (SSSOs) in Siaya County, Kenya. Method: This is a cross sectional survey conducted in sixteen randomly selected market centres across Siaya County in May, 2020. The SSSOs were identified using a systematic random sampling technique. One hundred and seventy two rural SSSOs were requested to answer simple semistructured questions posed by the enumerators. The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and practice of the rural SSSOs toward COVID-19 prevention and control. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26. Descriptive analysis focused on frequencies and percentages while chi-square test was applied to determine the differences between groups for selected study variables. Result: The response rate was 100% (172) with male being 71.5% (123) and female 28.5% (49). Majority, that is 32.6% (56) of the SSSOs were in the age group, between 2s1-25. About 32.6% (56) had poor knowledge of COVID-19; (χ 2 (4 N=172)=25.965, p=.000), while only 12.2 % (21) had good knowledge. About 40.7% (70) of the respondents had poor attitude (χ 2 (4, N=172)=103.756, p=.000) towards COVID-19; equally, 33.1% (57) had poor practice (χ 2 (3, N=172)=13.814, p=.000). Conclusion: The rural SSSOs in Siaya County have basic awareness about COVID-19 which is not translated into the knowledge about the cause prevention and control of the disease. Interventions aimed at improving the KAP of the rural SSSOs should be undertaken in order to enhance adherence to the COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines. This will also assist in cascading the right COVID-19 information in the rural villages across the County.
Background Animal bites in humans provide an important source of epidemiological information whic... more Background Animal bites in humans provide an important source of epidemiological information which is crucial in enhancing rabies surveillance in humans and animals. Rabies post exposure prophylaxis consumes substantial resources and exerts a lot of financial burden on animal bite injury victims and consumes resources and time. The overall objective of this study was to conduct a rapid epidemiological appraisal of animal bite injury and rabies post exposure prophylaxis in Kisumu County, Kenya.Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 32 administrative units (Sub-locations or wards) in Kisumu County, Kenya. Data was collected from outpatient department (OPD) registers in four peri-urban health centres in Kisumu East Sub County, Kenya. An integration of epidemiological tools for disease mapping was applied in the study. Quantum Geographic Information System was used to create a thematic map and spatial distribution of the animal bite injuries in Kisumu County.Resu...
AAS Open Research
Background: The burden of malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminthes (STH) in the i... more Background: The burden of malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminthes (STH) in the islands of Lake Victoria, Kenya, poses a considerable public health challenge. Although many studies have been conducted on the co-infection arising from these parasites, few have evaluated communities’ knowledge of the same. Increasing the level of knowledge about a disease or preventive chemotherapy is important, but efforts need to be focused on community perception and understanding of the problem so as to encourage engagement with the proposed control measures. This study aimed at understanding a community’s knowledge of malaria, schistosomiasis and STH in Lake Victoria island where an integrated preventive chemotherapy intervention was implemented. Methods: This study was conducted in Ngodhe Island in Lake Victoria in Homa Bay County, western Kenya region between April and May 2016. The study adopted a mixed method approach where both qualitative and quantitative data collection was...
Journal of Anthropology, Nov 10, 2014
The global problem of access to improved sanitation and water management practices has been compo... more The global problem of access to improved sanitation and water management practices has been compounded by the gap existing between knowledge and practice as well as attitude. The aim of this study was to assess households' knowledge and attitude on water, sanitation, and hygiene practices through a school health programme. Semistructured questionnaires, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and observation checklist were used to obtain information from 95 households which were systematically sampled. It was found that a school programme may not improve the gap between knowledge, attitude, and practice but may be good for future generations. This was found to be due to sociocultural issues which impede hygiene transformation. The implication is that health programmes must find innovative ways of bridging this gap in order to bring change in households through culture sensitive interventions.
Journal of Public Health in Africa, 2012
We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to... more We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases and the practice of one health approach in the surveillance of zoonoses in the community. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 randomly selected districts of Nyanza province, Kenya. One hundred and ten randomly-selected PHWs were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected on their knowledge, attitudes and practices about common zoonotic diseases. Eighty-nine (81%) questionnaires were received back. Eighty-seven (98%) said they discuss zoonotic diseases with the local villagers during their community health work. The most commonly discussed disease was rabies (n=39). Seventy-six (85%) respondents reported ever discussing zoonoses with their veterinary colleagues. Over 85% of the PHWs asked for refresher training on H1N1, and 51% require training on highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1). Despite fair knowledge of rabies among the PHWs in Nyanza province, there is need for improving their attitude of the emerging and reemerging zoonoses. There is also need to improve their practice in terms of collaboration with the veterinarians in zoonoses surveillance in the community.
Waterlines, 2013
ABSTRACT WASH infrastructure at schools in Kenya has not kept pace with increasing student enrolm... more ABSTRACT WASH infrastructure at schools in Kenya has not kept pace with increasing student enrolment since the government introduced free primary education in 2002. Nyanza is one of the regions with low coverage in schools, with a deficit of more than 80 per cent of required water and sanitation facilities. While many agencies, including governments, have come up with school-based intervention programmes that alleviate the situation in the short term, sustainability has been a challenge as has monitoring, which is often centralized with little delegated authority at the local level. This paper looks at an innovative approach to delivering WASH services to schools, SWASH+, which piloted a model of devolved monitoring that also addresses sustainability issues.
AAS Open Research
Background: The burden of malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminthes (STH) in the i... more Background: The burden of malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminthes (STH) in the islands of Lake Victoria, Kenya, poses a considerable public health challenge. Although many studies have been conducted on the co-infection arising from these parasites, few have evaluated communities’ knowledge of the same. Increasing the level of knowledge about a disease or preventive chemotherapy is important, but efforts need to be focused on community perception and understanding of the problem so as to encourage engagement with the proposed control measures. This study aimed at understanding a community’s knowledge of malaria, schistosomiasis and STH in Lake Victoria island where an integrated preventive chemotherapy intervention was implemented. Methods: This study was conducted in Ngodhe Island in Lake Victoria in Homa Bay County, western Kenya region between April and May 2016. The study adopted a mixed method approach where both qualitative and quantitative data collection was...
We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to... more We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases and the practice of one
The study assessed the implementation of Kenya comprehensive school health pilot intervention pro... more The study assessed the implementation of Kenya comprehensive school health pilot intervention program. This pilot program has informed the Kenya Comprehensive School Health Policy which is a critical document in the achievement of Millennium Development Goals relating to child health, gender equality, universal education and environmental sustainability. The study was based on focus group discussions, field observations and in-depth interviews with government officers who implemented the pilot program. The findings were categorized into implementation process, what is working well, what is not working well and lessons learned. During the course of the study, it was noted that involvement of all stakeholders enhances program ownership and sustainability but if they are not well coordinated or where supportive supervision and monitoring is not carried out, then some components of the comprehensive school health program may not be sustainable. We learnt that comprehensive school health program increases students' enrolment, attendance and retention, factors that are very important in a country's human resources development. The study has shown that although the formulation of a policy may be participatory and bottom-top, the implementation requires allocation of enough resources and coordination to bridge the gap between policy formulation and implementation.
The global problem of access to improved sanitation and water management practices has been compo... more The global problem of access to improved sanitation and water management practices has been compounded by the gap existing between knowledge and practice as well as attitude. The aim of this study was to assess households' knowledge and attitude on water, sanitation, and hygiene practices through a school health programme. Semistructured questionnaires, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and observation checklist were used to obtain information from 95 households which were systematically sampled. It was found that a school programme may not improve the gap between knowledge, attitude, and practice but may be good for future generations. This was found to be due to sociocultural issues which impede hygiene transformation. The implication is that health programmes must find innovative ways of bridging this gap in order to bring change in households through culture sensitive interventions.
Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health Reviews, 2020
Introduction: In order to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in Kenya the Ministry of Hea... more Introduction: In order to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in Kenya the Ministry of Health (MoH) issued unprecedented guidelines to be followed by all citizens. Adherence to the MoH COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines in rural areas is generally a function of the residents' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP). Evidence shows that public knowledge is important in tackling pandemics. Objective: The overall objective of this study was to assess the determinants of adherence to the COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines by the rural small scale shop operators (SSSOs) in Siaya County, Kenya. Method: This is a cross sectional survey conducted in sixteen randomly selected market centres across Siaya County in May, 2020. The SSSOs were identified using a systematic random sampling technique. One hundred and seventy two rural SSSOs were requested to answer simple semistructured questions posed by the enumerators. The questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and practice of the rural SSSOs toward COVID-19 prevention and control. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26. Descriptive analysis focused on frequencies and percentages while chi-square test was applied to determine the differences between groups for selected study variables. Result: The response rate was 100% (172) with male being 71.5% (123) and female 28.5% (49). Majority, that is 32.6% (56) of the SSSOs were in the age group, between 2s1-25. About 32.6% (56) had poor knowledge of COVID-19; (χ 2 (4 N=172)=25.965, p=.000), while only 12.2 % (21) had good knowledge. About 40.7% (70) of the respondents had poor attitude (χ 2 (4, N=172)=103.756, p=.000) towards COVID-19; equally, 33.1% (57) had poor practice (χ 2 (3, N=172)=13.814, p=.000). Conclusion: The rural SSSOs in Siaya County have basic awareness about COVID-19 which is not translated into the knowledge about the cause prevention and control of the disease. Interventions aimed at improving the KAP of the rural SSSOs should be undertaken in order to enhance adherence to the COVID-19 prevention and control guidelines. This will also assist in cascading the right COVID-19 information in the rural villages across the County.
Background Animal bites in humans provide an important source of epidemiological information whic... more Background Animal bites in humans provide an important source of epidemiological information which is crucial in enhancing rabies surveillance in humans and animals. Rabies post exposure prophylaxis consumes substantial resources and exerts a lot of financial burden on animal bite injury victims and consumes resources and time. The overall objective of this study was to conduct a rapid epidemiological appraisal of animal bite injury and rabies post exposure prophylaxis in Kisumu County, Kenya.Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 32 administrative units (Sub-locations or wards) in Kisumu County, Kenya. Data was collected from outpatient department (OPD) registers in four peri-urban health centres in Kisumu East Sub County, Kenya. An integration of epidemiological tools for disease mapping was applied in the study. Quantum Geographic Information System was used to create a thematic map and spatial distribution of the animal bite injuries in Kisumu County.Resu...
AAS Open Research
Background: The burden of malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminthes (STH) in the i... more Background: The burden of malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminthes (STH) in the islands of Lake Victoria, Kenya, poses a considerable public health challenge. Although many studies have been conducted on the co-infection arising from these parasites, few have evaluated communities’ knowledge of the same. Increasing the level of knowledge about a disease or preventive chemotherapy is important, but efforts need to be focused on community perception and understanding of the problem so as to encourage engagement with the proposed control measures. This study aimed at understanding a community’s knowledge of malaria, schistosomiasis and STH in Lake Victoria island where an integrated preventive chemotherapy intervention was implemented. Methods: This study was conducted in Ngodhe Island in Lake Victoria in Homa Bay County, western Kenya region between April and May 2016. The study adopted a mixed method approach where both qualitative and quantitative data collection was...
Journal of Anthropology, Nov 10, 2014
The global problem of access to improved sanitation and water management practices has been compo... more The global problem of access to improved sanitation and water management practices has been compounded by the gap existing between knowledge and practice as well as attitude. The aim of this study was to assess households' knowledge and attitude on water, sanitation, and hygiene practices through a school health programme. Semistructured questionnaires, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and observation checklist were used to obtain information from 95 households which were systematically sampled. It was found that a school programme may not improve the gap between knowledge, attitude, and practice but may be good for future generations. This was found to be due to sociocultural issues which impede hygiene transformation. The implication is that health programmes must find innovative ways of bridging this gap in order to bring change in households through culture sensitive interventions.
Journal of Public Health in Africa, 2012
We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to... more We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases and the practice of one health approach in the surveillance of zoonoses in the community. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 randomly selected districts of Nyanza province, Kenya. One hundred and ten randomly-selected PHWs were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected on their knowledge, attitudes and practices about common zoonotic diseases. Eighty-nine (81%) questionnaires were received back. Eighty-seven (98%) said they discuss zoonotic diseases with the local villagers during their community health work. The most commonly discussed disease was rabies (n=39). Seventy-six (85%) respondents reported ever discussing zoonoses with their veterinary colleagues. Over 85% of the PHWs asked for refresher training on H1N1, and 51% require training on highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1). Despite fair knowledge of rabies among the PHWs in Nyanza province, there is need for improving their attitude of the emerging and reemerging zoonoses. There is also need to improve their practice in terms of collaboration with the veterinarians in zoonoses surveillance in the community.
Waterlines, 2013
ABSTRACT WASH infrastructure at schools in Kenya has not kept pace with increasing student enrolm... more ABSTRACT WASH infrastructure at schools in Kenya has not kept pace with increasing student enrolment since the government introduced free primary education in 2002. Nyanza is one of the regions with low coverage in schools, with a deficit of more than 80 per cent of required water and sanitation facilities. While many agencies, including governments, have come up with school-based intervention programmes that alleviate the situation in the short term, sustainability has been a challenge as has monitoring, which is often centralized with little delegated authority at the local level. This paper looks at an innovative approach to delivering WASH services to schools, SWASH+, which piloted a model of devolved monitoring that also addresses sustainability issues.
AAS Open Research
Background: The burden of malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminthes (STH) in the i... more Background: The burden of malaria, schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminthes (STH) in the islands of Lake Victoria, Kenya, poses a considerable public health challenge. Although many studies have been conducted on the co-infection arising from these parasites, few have evaluated communities’ knowledge of the same. Increasing the level of knowledge about a disease or preventive chemotherapy is important, but efforts need to be focused on community perception and understanding of the problem so as to encourage engagement with the proposed control measures. This study aimed at understanding a community’s knowledge of malaria, schistosomiasis and STH in Lake Victoria island where an integrated preventive chemotherapy intervention was implemented. Methods: This study was conducted in Ngodhe Island in Lake Victoria in Homa Bay County, western Kenya region between April and May 2016. The study adopted a mixed method approach where both qualitative and quantitative data collection was...
We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to... more We sought to determine the knowledge and attitude of public health workers (PHWs) with respect to emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases and the practice of one
The study assessed the implementation of Kenya comprehensive school health pilot intervention pro... more The study assessed the implementation of Kenya comprehensive school health pilot intervention program. This pilot program has informed the Kenya Comprehensive School Health Policy which is a critical document in the achievement of Millennium Development Goals relating to child health, gender equality, universal education and environmental sustainability. The study was based on focus group discussions, field observations and in-depth interviews with government officers who implemented the pilot program. The findings were categorized into implementation process, what is working well, what is not working well and lessons learned. During the course of the study, it was noted that involvement of all stakeholders enhances program ownership and sustainability but if they are not well coordinated or where supportive supervision and monitoring is not carried out, then some components of the comprehensive school health program may not be sustainable. We learnt that comprehensive school health program increases students' enrolment, attendance and retention, factors that are very important in a country's human resources development. The study has shown that although the formulation of a policy may be participatory and bottom-top, the implementation requires allocation of enough resources and coordination to bridge the gap between policy formulation and implementation.
The global problem of access to improved sanitation and water management practices has been compo... more The global problem of access to improved sanitation and water management practices has been compounded by the gap existing between knowledge and practice as well as attitude. The aim of this study was to assess households' knowledge and attitude on water, sanitation, and hygiene practices through a school health programme. Semistructured questionnaires, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and observation checklist were used to obtain information from 95 households which were systematically sampled. It was found that a school programme may not improve the gap between knowledge, attitude, and practice but may be good for future generations. This was found to be due to sociocultural issues which impede hygiene transformation. The implication is that health programmes must find innovative ways of bridging this gap in order to bring change in households through culture sensitive interventions.