Neonatal Survival in Sub-Sahara: A Review of Kenya and South Africa

Introduction: The majority (99%) of the children who die during the first 4 weeks of life do so in the poorer parts of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In 2018, sub-Saharan Africa had a neonatal mortality rate of 28 deaths per 1000 live births. The purpose of the review was to explore and describe the trends of neonatal mortality within the two sub-Saharan countries. Methods: We did a literature search in biomedical databases of data published, in English, between Jan 1, 1975, and November 30, 2019. The databases included Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, PUBMED, OVID and Google scholar. The keywords used in the search: “Neonatal Survival”, “Sub-Sahara”, “Kenya” and “South Africa”. Results: The search generated 2209 articles of which only 27 met the inclusion criteria. The present study qualitatively analysed data. Data were presented and organized under two thematic domains: 1) trends of national neonatal mortality rates in South Africa and Kenya and 2) causes of neonatal mortality. Conclusion: The current review results noted that in 2018, the neonatal mortality rate for Kenya was 19.6 deaths per 1000 live births. The neonatal mortality rate has fallen gradually from 35.4 deaths per 1000 live births in 1975. On the other hand, South Africa has had its neonatal mortality rate fall from 27.9 deaths per 1000 live births in 1975 to 10.7 deaths per 1000 live births in 2018. Most neonatal deaths resulted in preterm birth complications followed by intrapartum-related events for the two countries. Within the sub-Saharan region, disparities exist as neonates born in South Africa are more likely to survive during the neonatal period compared to Kenya.Health Studie

Barriers to and Opportunities for Male Partner Involvement in Antenatal Care in Efforts to Eliminate Mother-to-child Transmission of Human Immuno-deficiency Virus in Kenya: Systematic Review

Introduction: Men’s involvement in antenatal care (ANC) is intended to encourage husbands to support women’s care and associated interventions, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission from pregnancy to delivery, and throughout the postnatal period. The present study aimed to systematically review the barriers and opportunities for male partner involvement in antenatal care in efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Kenya. Methods: A systematic search of articles was from the following databases; Scopus, Science Direct, PUBMED, OVID, and Google scholar. The reference list of included studies was manually searched for possible additional eligible articles. The searches were conducted from May 2019 to April 2020. Qualitative analysis was done and data were presented in thematic domains. Results: The search generated 2208 articles, of which only 19 met the inclusion criteria. The major findings were discussed under two thematic domains: 1) Barriers: Knowledge, Social-cultural/economic factors, Institutional factors, and Age. 2) Opportunities: Skilled Birth Attendant, Human Immunodeficiency virus-free infant and Human Immunodeficiency virus testing. Conclusion: The review notes that the main barriers to male partner involvement in antenatal care in efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of Human Immunodeficiency virus in Kenya include; socio-cultural factors, the low maternal-child health education by the male partner, and institutional factors. It further provides insight on the opportunities associated with male partner involvement in antenatal care/prevention of mother-to-child transmission, which includes; having Human Immunodeficiency virus-free infants and increased, skilled birth deliveries. The review strongly calls out for sustainable initiatives to incorporate males into the antenatal care/prevention of mother to child transmission programs.Health Studie

Determinants of Non-Adherence to Treatment Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Kenya: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Non-adherence to the prescribed treatment regimen in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is quite high. Furthermore, it has been associated with higher rates of hospital admissions, suboptimal health outcomes, increased morbidity and mortality, and increased health care costs. The present systematic review study aimed to explore the determinants that contribute to non-adherence to treatment among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Kenya. Methods: A systematic review of studies conducted in Kenya on the present research problem published in English between December 2013 and May 2020. The databases included Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, PUBMED, OVID and Google Scholar. The following were the key words used in the search: “Nonadherence Diabetes Patients”, “Determinants of Non-adherence Diabetes Patients” AND “Health Facilities” AND “Kenya”. Qualitative analysis was used to present data under thematic domains. Results: The search generated 17,094 articles of which only 15 met the inclusion criteria. The major determinants were presented under three thematic domains: 1) Cost – income, insurance, distance, bills of drugs and food; 2) Patient characteristics – perception of (efficacy, severity, effects of non-adherence), knowledge, co-morbidity, family support, self unfounded beliefs; and 3) Health system – health education, multiple drugs, evaluations and support, guidelines, poor perception of system. Conclusion: A multitude of factors including unaffordable care, patient’s poor knowledge on the disease process, less family support in patient’s daily self-care management, complex drug regimen and unsatisfactory health messages from the health providers were observed to be associated with non-adherence. Implementing integrated care programs will help in reducing levels of non-adherence among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.College of Human Science