Gender, livestock and asset ownership

This brief is an excerpt from the book ‘Bridging the Gender Gap: Women, Livestock Ownership and Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa’, produced by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) with funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (www.idrc.ca). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ILRI or IDRC. This is one of a series of six briefs on livestock and gender, designed and produced by WRENmedia (www.wrenmedia.co.uk) for IDRC

Women, livestock markets and income management

This brief is an excerpt from the book ‘Bridging the Gender Gap: Women, Livestock Ownership and Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa’, produced by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) with funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (www.idrc.ca). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ILRI or IDRC. This is one of a series of six briefs on livestock and gender, designed and produced by WRENmedia (www.wrenmedia.co.uk) for IDRC

Water Quality and Management Practices among Parents/ Guardians in Households with Children Aged under Five Years in Munyaka Slum Eldoret

Treating water at the household level has been shown to be one of the most effective means of preventing water-borne disease. Promoting household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) ensures that vulnerable populations take charge of their own water security by providing them with the appropriate knowledge and tools. The main objective of the study was to assess household water quality management practices among parents/ guardians in household with children aged under five years. The specific objectives were; to establish socio-demographic characteristics of parents/guardians with children aged under five, to establish community’s perception and practice towards improving water quality and to determine if there is biological contamination of household water. This was a cross-sectional study of parents/ guardians in the households with children aged under- five years. Interviewer administered questionnaires were used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics of parents/guardians, level of education, occupation, income, marital status, number of children, age range of children, and household water quality management practices: training on water safety practices, place of training, major source of drinking water for children, practices for water safety and reasons for not practicing water safety.  Water samples were collected and analysed for biological contamination. Data was coded and entered using SPSS version 19. A correlation analysis was done between socio-demographic characteristics, and water quality management practice and also relationship between biological quality of water and household water quality management practices. Data were analysed and represented in tables, graphs and pie charts. A total of ninety six (96) households participated in the study. 84 (96.9%) of the respondents  were married, 56 (58.3%) had attained primary education while 47(49%) indicated they were in business or unemployed, 82 (85.4%) earned an income of ten thousand shillings or less, 50 (52%) had  two or three children. 62 (64.6%) had undergone some form of training on water safety whereby most were trained in schools. 41 (42.7%) of households practiced  boiling, 7 (7.3%)  chemical treatment, 1 (1%) hand washing before handling drinking water.  Most households 91 (94.8%) in Munyaka slum used stored water collected from eight (8) communal piped water points. The samples collected from the 8communal water points tested negative for coliform bacteria. At the household level,  10 (10.4%) samples of water  had coliform bacteria contamination above 10 counts/100ml which is not fit for drinking while 15 (16%) of water samples tested positive for E.coli. There was a strong positive correlation between socio-demographic characteristics and household water quality management practices variables whereby Pearson’s r was 0.778. There was a strong positive and significant correlation between biological quality of waterand Household water quality management practices.(r = 0.836, p= 0.000) Majority of the households in Munyaka with children aged under five years had parents/guardians who were married, had primary level of education, were either unemployed  or in business with an income of less than 10,000 Kenyan shillings. Majority of parents/guardians had received training on water safety but few practiced water treatment. Contamination of drinking water occurred during storage. Keywords: Water quality, Household water treatment and Storag

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Non-Typhoidal Salmonella Isolates Obtained from Food Animals in Selected Sites in Kenya

The organisms Salmonella are known to be facultative intracellular pathogens that can survive in the host macrophages. The Strains of Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) are a major cause of serious bloodstream infections with a case fatality of 20-25%. In most cases, the clinical presentations include: gastroenteritis, bacteremia, focal infection and enteric fever. In other continents of the world, NTS are associated with other clinical presentations but not majorly diarrhea. This study aims to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and resistance genes transferability of Non Typhoidal Salmonella isolates obtained from food animals (Cattle, Chicken and Pigs) and the environment in selected sites in Kenya at the Center for Microbiology Research (CMR) Institute. During this study, some of the laboratory methods that were carried out included antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the disk diffusion technique for all commonly used antimicrobials and Conjugation Assay to determine Transferable Resistance determinants. This study yielded relevant findings concerning the increasing rate of Salmonellosis in this country. The study first of all agrees with other studies that there is a high rate of NTS in food animals and this has a great connection with the increased population of these organisms in the environment. The high rate in continuous usage of antibiotics for treatment of infections in food animals and also to increase products production especially in chicken has led to the rise of resistance cases to commonly used antibiotics. Conjugation studies carried out revealed that resistant genes transferability from one bacterial species to the other is common.  A total of 289 isolates used in this study, A total of 289 NTS samples were analyzed. Among the 289 samples, 134 (46%; 95% C.I: 40.3%-51.8%) were chicken isolates, 45 (16%; 95% C.I: 11.2%-20.3%) were cow isolates, 27 (9%; 95% C.I: 5.7%-12.3%) were pig isolates, 3 (1%; 95% C.I: -0.15%-2.15%) were isolates from goats and environmental isolates were 80 (28%; 95% C.I: 22.8%-33.2. The highest levels of resistance were against Ampicillin 42.7% had the highest resistance level followed by Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim 38.2% and then Chloramphenicol 22.2%. The proportion of isolates resistant against Gentamicin was 9.4%. Environmental isolates showed a higher resistance profile against Ceftazidime 2.4%, Ceftriaxone 2.4%, Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim 40.2% and Chloramphenicol 25.6% compared to food animal isolates. %). It is of importance that there be strict control on the use of antibiotics in animal production to prevent the emergence of antibiotic resistance in Non-Typhoidal Salmonella. Keywords: Invasive Non-Typhoidal Salmonella, antimicrobial resistance, conjugation, resistance genes transferability, MDRs DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/9-2-0

Women, livestock ownership and food security

This brief is an excerpt from the book ‘Bridging the Gender Gap: Women, Livestock Ownership and Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa’, produced by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) with funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (www.idrc.ca). The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ILRI or IDRC. This is one of a series of six briefs on livestock and gender, designed and produced by WRENmedia (www.wrenmedia.co.uk) for IDRC

Gender Roles and Constraints in Beekeeping: A Case from Kitui County, Kenya

Beekeeping is a form of agriculture that involves management of wild or domesticated bee colonies for production of honey and wax. Generally, in Kenya, women perform most of the agricultural activities (GOK, 2005; Oduol et al., 2013). Even though they play a major role in these activities, they end up receiving a fraction of the income generated. In most of the African countries, beekeeping has often been a male-dominated enterprise (Nel & Illgner, 2004; Ogaba & Akongo, 2001; Shackleton, Paumgarten, Kassa, Husselman, & Zida, 2011). However, with intervention from rural development agencies, a change in this practice could occur..

Variant Anatomy of Intracranial Part of Middle Meningeal Artery in a Kenyan Population

Anatomy of the intracranial part of middle meningeal artery is important during ligation or embolization in epidural haematomas, and in surgical approach to the middle cranial fossa. It shows population variations, but reports from African populations are scanty. This study aimed at describing the variant anatomy of intracranial part of middle meningeal artery in a black Kenyan population. One hundred and sixty middle meningeal arteries and grooves from 80 cadaveric cranial cavities of adult black Kenyans obtained from the Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi Kenya were studied. Measurements taken included length of main trunk, horizontal distance from the branching point to a perpendicular line through midpoint of the zygomatic arch, and a horizontal line from the branching point to a perpendicular line through the tip of the tragus. The branching point of all intracranial divisions was anterior to the tragus and in majority of cases (84.9%) posterior to the mid zygomatic line. The mean distance from the tip of tragus to the point of intracranial division was 30.6 mm, with 57.9% of the cases lying between 20 mm and 35 mm. The average vertical height of the artery from zygomatic point was 10.6 mm, with about two thirds (64.1%) between 3 mm and 22 mm. Majority (51.3%) of the intracranial trunks were between 5 mm and 13 mm long. There were 95.6% and 4.4% bifurcations and trifurcations respectively. The anterior division was deep to the pterion in 66.3%, posterior in 27.5% and anterior in 6.3% of cases. This study revealed that the termination point of the middle meningeal artery in the Kenyan population lies about 14 mm posterior to the mid zygomatic line and about 31 mm from a perpendicular line through the tip of the tragus. It displays variations in stem length, pattern of branching. Only two – thirds of anterior divisions lie deep to the pterion. Neurosurgeons should be aware of these variations during ligation or embolization of the artery and in enlarged middle cranial fossa approach.Keywords: Variations, Landmarks, Middle Meningeal artery, Intracranial, Africa