Demographic and socio-economic factors with implications for the control of lymphatic filariasis in Kwale District, Kenya
Mwobobia, I.K.; Mitsui, Y.
East African Medical Journal 76(9): 495-498
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X PMID: 10685317 Document Number: 209385
This study examined the demographic and socioeconomic factors with regard to control of lymphatic filariasis in Kwale district, Kenya. It employed cross-sectional data collection via a questionnaire from 891 household heads residing in 3 adjacent villages: Lutsangani, Dzivani, and Gandini. The main outcome measures were the relationship between selected factors, including age, sex, education, employment status, latrine availability, and permanent roofing for the main dwelling, and current use of protection against mosquito bites. Findings revealed that 13.8% of the households were using mosquito bed nets, mosquito repellants, and insecticides, while 86% of the households had no form of protection against mosquito bites. Moreover, education and employment status of the household heads were positively correlated with protection against man-vector contact (P 0.001). Further analyses showed important indicators of low socioeconomic development, including the unavailability of latrines and lack of permanent roofing (tiles or corrugated iron sheets) for the main dwellings in 80% and 95% of households, respectively. Given the intervillage differences in the prevalence of filariasis, wide scale diagnosis for treatment control approach could be prohibitively expensive. A mass treatment with either diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin in combination with albendazole may provide effective control of filariasis in Kwale district and in similar communities.