Prevalence Of Anemia Among Teenage Pregnant Girls Attending Antenatal Clinic In Two Health Facilities In Bungoma District, Western Kenya

Severe anemia is an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality among teenage pregnant girls who are susceptible because of their rapid growth and associated high iron requirements. Teenage girls often enter pregnancy with less adequate stores of nutrients and are thus unable to withstand the demands imposed by pregnancy. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among teenage pregnant girls. The study was conducted at Maternal Child Health Clinic of   Bungoma district hospital and Bumula Health Centre. This was a cross section study. Teenage pregnant girls attending ANC were recruited. Food frequency questionnaires were used to assess the dietary intake and factors associated with anemia. Blood sample and stool were used to determine the hemoglobin levels and presence of intestinal worms. The prevalence of anemia was 61% (Hemoglobin < 110 g/L). 20.5% had severe anemia, (hemoglobin < 60 g/L), 31.2% had moderate anemia (hemoglobin < or = 90 g/L), and 48.3% had mild anemia.  Iron intake was significantly associated with perceived food shortage (OR: 2.548; 95% CI: 1.632 – 3.980). Hookworm affected calcium intake (OR: 3.074; 95% CI: 1.089 – 8.698) and malaria parasites affected folate intake (OR: 0.355; 95% CI: 0.226 – 0.557). Those with hookworm were 3 times more likely to have inadequate calcium intake as compared to those without. Anemia was high in the study population. Parasitic infestation and food intake were associated with anemia. De-worming with correction of anemia should be encouraged. Keywords:Anemia, teenage girls, pregnancy, nutrient intake, iro

Community based weighing of newborns and use of mobile phones by village elders in rural settings in Kenya: a decentralised approach to health care provision

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Identifying every pregnancy, regardless of home or health facility delivery, is crucial to accurately estimating maternal and neonatal mortality. Furthermore, obtaining birth weights and other anthropometric measurements in rural settings in resource limited countries is a difficult challenge. Unfortunately for the majority of infants born outside of a health care facility, pregnancies are often not recorded and birth weights are not accurately known. Data from the initial 6 months of the Maternal and Neonatal Health (MNH) Registry Study of the Global Network for Women and Children's Health study area in Kenya revealed that up to 70% of newborns did not have exact weights measured and recorded by the end of the first week of life; nearly all of these infants were born outside health facilities.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To more completely obtain accurate birth weights for all infants, regardless of delivery site, village elders were engaged to assist in case finding for pregnancies and births. All elders were provided with weighing scales and mobile phones as tools to assist in subject enrollment and data recording. Subjects were instructed to bring the newborn infant to the home of the elder as soon as possible after birth for weight measurement.</p> <p>The proportion of pregnancies identified before delivery and the proportion of births with weights measured were compared before and after provision of weighing scales and mobile phones to village elders. Primary outcomes were the percent of infants with a measured birth weight (recorded within 7 days of birth) and the percent of women enrolled before delivery.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The recorded birth weight increased from 43 ± 5.7% to 97 ± 1.1. The birth weight distributions between infants born and weighed in a health facility and those born at home and weighed by village elders were similar. In addition, a significant increase in the percent of subjects enrolled before delivery was found.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Pregnancy case finding and acquisition of birth weight information can be successfully shifted to the community level.</p

Accounting and Auditing of NGO's

In the Czech Republic the legal framework allows for the set-up of many various types of non-profit NGO's. In this country the number of civic associations prevailing is unequivocal. In this thesis, I focus on the specifics of an NGO in the areas of finance, accounting and auditing. And further, I will show these trough the example of the Foundation of Holocaust Victims