SOCIOECONOMIC BURDEN OF VECTORS AND ASSOCIATED DISEASES ON HOUSEHOLDS IN KWALE COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Studies on socioeconomic burdens of diseases have mainly focused on either the involved vectors (mosquitoes, tsetse flies and ticks) or the diseases they transmit (malaria, trypanosomiasis and rickettsia, respectively) in exclusion of each other. This study examined the matrix of effects of both key vectors and associated diseases on the socioeconomic status of households in Matuga Sub-County. The objectives were to determine; the socio-economic burden of these key vectors and associated diseases, strategies used to mitigate the socioeconomic burdens imposed by vectors and diseases, and the perceptions towards these mitigating strategies. Cross-sectional survey between household income and costs of controlling mosquitoes in humans and ticks in livestock, respectively. There were no significant associations between costs of controlling tsetse in livestock and humans, control of mosquitoes in livestock as well as ticks in humans (p>0.05). Tsetse and tick-borne diseases were perceived as less risky to humans than animals. Mosquito-borne diseases were perceived as not risky to livestock. It was concluded that the highest socio-economic burdens was due to mosquitoes and malaria on human health as well as ticks and rickettsia diseases on animal health. Mosquitoes and ticks have more contacts to humans and livestock than tsetse flies with the latter being confined to specific microclimates in forested areas. It was recommended that Matuga residents should be educated on the dangers posed by tsetse flies towards human and livestock health. Further studies to correlate the actual numbers of vectors relative to the associated diseases and socio-economic burden on the community within a given time frame were suggested.