Utilisation of priority traditional medicinal plants and local people's knowledge on their conservation status in arid lands of Kenya (Mwingi District)

Mwingi District lies within the Kenyan Arid and Semiarid lands (ASALs) in Eastern Province. Although some ethnobotanical surveys have been undertaken in some arid and semiarid areas of Kenya, limited studies have documented priority medicinal plants as well as local people's awareness of conservation needs of these plants. This study sought to establish the priority traditional medicinal plants used for human, livestock healthcare, and those used for protecting stored grains against pest infestation in Mwingi district. Further, the status of knowledge among the local people on the threat and conservation status of important medicinal species was documented. This study identified 18 species which were regarded as priority traditional medicinal plants for human health. In terms of priority, 8 were classified as moderate, 6 high, while 4 were ranked highest priority species. These four species are Albizia amara (Roxb.) Boiv. (Mimosacaeae), Aloe secundiflora (Engl. (Aloaceae), Acalypha fruticosa Forssk. (Euphorbiaceae) and Salvadora persica L. (Salvadoraceae)

Safety and Efficacy of miltefosine alone and in combination with sodium stibogluconate and liposomal amphotericin B for the treatment of primary visceral leishmaniasis in East Africa: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Treatment options for Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in East Africa are far from satisfactory due to cost, toxicity, prolonged treatment duration or emergence of parasite resistance. Hence there is a need to explore alternative treatment protocols such as miltefosine alone or in combinations including miltefosine, sodium stibogluconate (SSG) or liposomal amphotericin B. The aim of this trial is to identify regimen(s) which are sufficiently promising for future trials in East Africa.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>A phase II randomized, parallel arm, open-labelled trial is being conducted to assess the efficacy of each of the three regimens: liposomal amphotericin B with SSG, Liposomal amphotericin B with miltefosine and miltefosine alone. The primary endpoint is cure at day 28 with secondary endpoint at day 210 (6 months). Initial cure is a single composite measure based on parasitologic evaluation (bone marrow, spleen or lymph node aspirate) and clinical assessment. Repeated interim analyses have been planned after recruitment of 15 patients in each arm with a maximum sample size of 63 for each. These will follow group-sequential methods (the triangular test) to identify when a regimen is inadequate (<75% efficacy) or adequate (>90% efficacy). We describe a method to ensure consistency of the sequential analysis of day 28 cure with the non-sequential analysis of day 210 cure.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>A regimen with adequate efficacy would be a candidate for treatment of VL with reasonable costs. The design allows repeated testing throughout the trial recruitment period while maintaining good statistical properties (Type I & II error rates) and reducing the expected sample sizes.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01067443">NCT01067443</a></p

Validation of Two Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Visceral Leishmaniasis in Kenya

BACKGROUND: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a systemic parasitic disease that is fatal unless treated. In Kenya, national VL guidelines rely on microscopic examination of spleen aspirate to confirm diagnosis. As this procedure is invasive, it cannot be safely implemented in peripheral health structures, where non-invasive, accurate, easy to use diagnostic tests are needed. METHODOLOGY: We evaluated the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of two rapid diagnostic tests (RDT), DiaMed IT LEISH and Signal-KA, among consecutive patients with clinical suspicion of VL in two treatment centres located in Baringo and North Pokot District, Rift Valley province, Kenya. Microscopic examination of spleen aspirate was the reference diagnostic standard. Patients were prospectively recruited between May 2010 and July 2011. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Of 251 eligible patients, 219 patients were analyzed, including 131 VL and 88 non-VL patients. The median age of VL patients was 16 years with predominance of males (66%). None of the tested VL patients were co-infected with HIV. Sensitivity and specificity of the DiaMed IT LEISH were 89.3% (95%CI: 82.7-94%) and 89.8% (95%CI: 81.5-95.2%), respectively. The Signal KA showed trends towards lower sensitivity (77.1%; 95%CI: 68.9-84%) and higher specificity (95.5%; 95%CI: 88.7-98.7%). Combining the tests did not improve the overall diagnostic performance, as all patients with a positive Signal KA were also positive with the DiaMed IT LEISH. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The DiaMed IT LEISH can be used to diagnose VL in Kenyan peripheral health facilities where microscopic examination of spleen aspirate or sophisticated serological techniques are not feasible. There is a crucial need for an improved RDT for VL diagnosis in East Africa

Comprehensive transcriptome of the maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca, from multiple tissue types, developmental stages, and parasitoid wasp exposures

International audienc

UNMITIGATED GLOBALIZATION AND ITS EFFECT ON PERCEPTION, RECEPTION AND TREATMENT OF CHILDREN IN KENYA TODAY / GLOBALIZACIÓN SIN PALIANCIA Y SU EFECTO SOBRE PERCEPCIÓN, RECEPCIÓN Y TRATAMIENTO DE NIÑOS EN KENIA HOY / LA MONDIALISATION SANS RELÂCHE ET SES EFFETS SUR LA PERCEPTION, LA RÉCEPTION ET LE TRAITEMENT DES ENFANTS AU KENYA AUJOURD’HUI / 非限制的全球化及其影響 關於感知、接收和治療今天在肯亞的兒童

Since independence, Kenyan has had to contend with a couple of social evils among them corruption and ruinous negative ethnicisation of national politics. The resolve and effort to fight and eradicate them has not borne any fruit. Today, sexual abuse occasioned by unmannerly pursuit of sexual pleasure by imprudent young and elderly men alike, has been on the increase and has given rise to another potentially devastating malevolence, that is, widespread underage pregnancies culminating in abortions or arduous teenage motherhood. The latest report by the National Council on Population and Development exposes the magnitude of the crisis of teenage pregnancies in Kenya: a nation that boasts of numerous child protection laws, improved access to education and a vibrant economic growth. Cruelties ranging from raping to murdering of girls have hit the ceiling. Although certain brutalities against the girl child may not have been completely unknown in the traditional African times, they were certainly not of the nature and magnitude they are today when civilization has permeated almost every corner of the globe. This paper seeks to juxtapose the portrait of an African child of the gone days against that of the current times with regard to the perception, reception and treatment before birth, up to the time of exiting childhood. The writer argues that, today’s untold cruelty the Kenyan girl child is going through is attributable to the erosion, adulteration and abdication of particular traditional African values through unmitigated globalization and an unwillingness of the current generation to visit the past to reclaim that which was valuable, but which was demonized and wittingly pushed aside at the time of colonization. The author invites the reader to draw justification from his argument for participation in every noble campaign that may seek justice for the besieged child in a bid to secure the future, cognizant of the fact that globalization is an irreversible ‘tsunami’ bearing both merits and demerits. Desde la independencia, Kenia ha tenido que lidiar con un par de males sociales entre ellos la corrupción y la etnicización negativa ruinosa de la política nacional. La determinación y el esfuerzo para combatirlos y erradicarlos no ha dado fruto. Hoy en día, el abuso sexual ocasionado por la persecución no tripulada del placer sexual por jóvenes imprudentes y ancianos por igual, ha ido en aumento y ha dado lugar a otra malevolencia potencialmente devastadora, es decir, embarazos generalizados de menores de edad que culminan en abortos o ardua maternidad adolescente. El último informe del Consejo Nacional de Población y Desarrollo pone de lado la magnitud de la crisis de los embarazos adolescentes en Kenia: una nación que cuenta con numerosas leyes de protección de la infancia, un mejor acceso a la educación y un crecimiento económico vibrante. Las crueldades que van desde violar hasta asesinar chicas han llegado al techo. Aunque ciertas brutalidades contra la niña pueden no haber sido completamente desconocidas en los tiempos tradicionales africanos, ciertamente no eran de la naturaleza y magnitud que son hoy en día cuando la civilización ha permeado casi todos los rincones del mundo. Este artículo busca yuxtaponer el retrato de un niño africano de los días pasados en contra del de los tiempos actuales con respecto a la percepción, recepción y tratamiento antes del nacimiento, hasta el momento de salir de la infancia. El escritor sostiene que, la crueldad incalculable de hoy por la que está pasando la niña keniana es atribuible a la erosión, la adulteración y la abdicación de valores africanos tradicionales particulares a través de la globalización sin paliativa y la falta de voluntad de la generación actual de visitar el pasado para reclamar lo que era valioso pero que fue demonizado y empujado a un lado en el momento de la colonización. El autor invita al lector a obtener la justificación de su argumento para participar en cada campaña noble que pueda buscar justicia para el niño sitiado en un intento de asegurar el futuro, consciente del hecho de que la globalización es un "tsunami" irreversible que tiene tanto méritos como deméritos. Depuis l’indépendance, le Kenya a dû faire face à quelques maux sociaux parmi eux la corruption et l’ethnicisation négative ruineuse de la politique nationale. La détermination et les efforts déployés pour les combattre et les éradiquer n’ont porté aucun fruit. Aujourd’hui, les abus sexuels provoqués par la poursuite sans pilote du plaisir sexuel par des jeunes hommes imprudents et âgés, ont augmenté et ont donné lieu à une autre malveillance potentiellement dévastatrice, c’est-à-dire des grossesses mineures généralisées qui ont abouti à des avortements ou à une maternité adolescente ardue. Le dernier rapport du Conseil national sur la population et le développement expose l’ampleur de la crise des grossesses chez les adolescentes au Kenya : une nation qui se vante de nombreuses lois sur la protection de l’enfance, d’un meilleur accès à l’éducation et d’une croissance économique dynamique. Des cruautés allant du viol au meurtre de filles ont atteint le plafond. Bien que certaines brutalités contre l’enfant fille n’aient peut-être pas été complètement inconnues à l’époque traditionnelle africaine, elles n’étaient certainement pas de la nature et de l’ampleur qu’elles sont aujourd’hui lorsque la civilisation a imprégné presque tous les coins du monde. Cet article cherche à juxtaposer le portrait d’un enfant africain des temps passés à celui de l’époque actuelle en ce qui concerne la perception, la réception et le traitement avant la naissance, jusqu’au moment de sortir de l’enfance. L’écrivain fait valoir que, la cruauté indicible d’aujourd’hui que traverse l’enfant kényane est attribuable à l’érosion, à l’adultération et à l’abdication de valeurs africaines traditionnelles particulières par la mondialisation sans relâche et au refus de la génération actuelle de visiter le passé pour récupérer ce qui était précieux mais qui a été diabolisé et sciemment mis de côté au moment de la colonisation. L’auteur invite le lecteur à tirer la justification de son argument en faveur de la participation à chaque noble campagne qui peut demander justice pour l’enfant assiégé dans le but d’assurer l’avenir, conscient du fait que la mondialisation est un « tsunami » irréversible portant à la fois des mérites et des déméritations. 自獨立以來，肯亞人不得不面對一些社會罪惡，其中包括腐敗和毀滅性的負面的民族化的國家政治。打擊和根除它們的決心和努力沒有取得成果。今天，輕率的年輕和年老男子對性快感的不謹慎追求所導致的性虐待一直在增加，並造成了另一種潛在的毀滅性惡意，即普遍的未成年懷孕，最終導致墮胎或少女母親難以為之。國家人口與發展委員會的最新報告揭露了肯亞少女懷孕危機的嚴重性：肯亞擁有許多兒童保護法律，受教育機會得到改善，經濟增長充滿活力。從強姦到謀殺女孩等殘忍行為都成為天花板。雖然在傳統的非洲時代，對女童的某些殘暴行為可能並非完全不為人知，但當文明幾乎滲透到全球每一個角落時，這些殘酷行為肯定不具有今天的性質和規模。本文力求將非洲兒童在出生前的感知、接受和治療方面的肖像與當前時代的畫像並列，一直並列在離開童年之前。作者認為，肯亞女童今天所經歷的難以言狀的殘酷，是由於全球化的全球化侵蝕、摻假和放棄特定的非洲傳統價值觀，以及這一代人不願意訪問過去，以收回在殖民化時被妖魔化和機智地推開的東西。作者請讀者從他參加每一個為被圍困兒童尋求正義的崇高運動的論點中引出理由，以確保未來，認識到全球化是一個不可逆轉的"海嘯"，既有優缺點，也是有缺點的。 Article visualizations

Socio-Cultural and Economic Drivers for Women Participation in Leadership of Nyeri County Cooperatives, Kenya

Social-cultural and economic drivers affect women's involvement and equal participation in leadership in cooperative movements. Although many countries have been able to develop the appropriate measures, implementations are still the major throwback to the realization of these development agendas. For sustainability, an enabling environment should be created to enable all stakeholders to actively take part in cooperative movement regardless of the various challenges. The study aimed to research on how the social, economic and cultural drivers determine women’s ability to participate in the running of and day-to-day activities of the cooperative movement in Kieni East Sub County, in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study used a descriptive research design to accomplish its objectives and the target population was 205 women. The study employed purposive sampling and the target members were identified and then a selection of the members done with regard to the study objectives. The study used primary data and secondary data. The data was collected by use of both semi-structured questionnaires and interview guides. Data analysis was conducted objectively. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 was utilized to analyze the collected data. Data analysis employed both quantitative and qualitative analysis; quantitative analysis used both descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative analysis on the other hand used content analysis. The findings were presented with the help of tables, frequencies, and percentages. Pilot test of the measures was conducted against a prospective sample population to measure validity and reliability. Test re-test method was used to measure the validity of the research instruments. The study concluded that social-cultural factors affect women in participating in leadership positions in cooperative movements. It is therefore the mandate of every individual, the government and the non-governmental organization to look on how to create awareness concerning women in leadership in order to reduce the gap that has been evident in the study. Future studies should try to comparatively compare these results to other sub-county away from Mt. Kenya, or also seek to evaluate how these factors affect women's participation in a leadership position in other sectors like the private sector of employment

Ecological Niche Differentiation and Response to Climate Change of the African Endemic Family Myrothamnaceae

Studying the ecological niches of species and their responses to climate change can provide better conservation strategies for these species. Myrothamnaceae is endemic to Africa, comprising only two species that belong to Myrothamnus (M. flabellifolius and M. moschatus). These closely related species exhibit allopatric distributions, positioning them as ideal materials for studying the species ecological adaptation. This study explores the ecological niche differentiation between M. flabellifolius and M. moschatus and their response capabilities to future climate change. The results indicate that M. flabellifolius and M. moschatus have undergone niche differentiation. The main drivers of niche differences are the minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6) for M. flabellifolius, precipitation of the driest month (Bio14), and precipitation of the coldest quarter (Bio19) for M. moschatus. M. flabellifolius demonstrated a stronger adaptation to environments characterized by lower precipitation, relatively lower temperatures, and greater annual temperature variations compared to M. moschatus. Under future climate scenarios (SSP5-8.5, 2081–2100 years), the results show that approximately 85% of the total suitable habitat for M. flabellifolius will be lost, with an 85% reduction in high-suitability areas and almost complete loss of the original mid-low suitability areas. Concurrently, about 29% of the total suitable habitat for M. moschatus will be lost, with a 34% reduction in high suitability areas and roughly 60% of the original mid-low suitability areas becoming unsuitable. This suggests that M. flabellifolius will face greater threats under future climate change. This study contributes novel insight into niche differentiation in Myrothamnaceae and provides useful information for the conservation of this distinctive African lineage

"How I Wish This Thing Was Initiated 100 Years Ago!" Willingness to Take Daily Oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Kenya.

BACKGROUND:The MSM population in Kenya contributes to 15% of HIV incidence. This calls for innovative HIV prevention interventions. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been efficacious in preventing HIV among MSM in trials. There is limited data on the willingness to take daily oral PrEP in sub-Sahara Africa. PrEP has not been approved for routine use in most countries globally. This study aimed to document the willingness to take PrEP and barriers to uptake and adherence to PrEP in Kenya. The findings will inform the design of a PrEP delivery program as part of the routine HIV combination prevention. METHODS:Eighty MSM were recruited in 2 Counties in December 2013. Quantitative data on sexual behaviour and willingness to take PrEP were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using SPSS. Qualitative data on knowledge of PrEP, motivators and barriers to uptake and adherence to PrEP were collected using in-depth interviews and FGDs and analysed using Nvivo. Analysis of data in willingness to take PrEP was conducted on the HIV negative participants (n = 55). RESULTS:83% of MSM were willing to take daily oral HIV PrEP. Willingness to take PrEP was higher among the bi-sexual and younger men. Motivators for taking PrEP were the need to stay HIV negative and to protect their partners. History of poor medication adherence, fear of side effects and HIV stigma were identified as potential barriers to adherence. Participants were willing to buy PrEP at a subsidized price. CONCLUSIONS:There is willingness to take PrEP among MSM in Kenya and there is need to invest in targeted education and messaging on PrEP to enhance adherence, proper use and reduce stigma in the general population and among policy makers