PREVALENCE OF SCABIES AMONG CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS AT

JUA KALI SLUM, NAIROBI KENYA 2014.

BY MBOGORI MAURICE
NURSE-KIAMBU DISTRICT HOSPITAL
VOLUNTEER ADMINISTRATOR-IPNET KENYA
MEMBER-INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR CONTROL OF SCABIES (IACS)

Background
A contagious water washed skin infection
Caused by infestation of sarcoptes scabiei.
Transmitted by direct, prolonged skin-to-skin contact with a person
infested with scabies or contact with infested materials such as
clothes
The most common skin disorder among children worldwide especially
in resource poor communities.
About 300 million cases are reported annually world wide

Background continued
WHO included scabies in the list of Neglected Tropical Diseases
(NTDs) in the year 2012
Scabies has significant economic burden on individuals, families,
communities, and health systems
No policy or guidelines in Kenya on management of scabies in the
community

Complication of scabies

Objective
A study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of scabies among
children under-five years in Jua Kali slum.

Methods
A cross-sectional study
200 households were systematically randomly selected in Jua Kali slum, Nairobi Kenya.
Scabies was defined as any person who had the following:

Itchiness of the body made worse at night or after a hot bath

Rash characterized by red bumps, forming a line,
Scratch marks on the body, scaly patches that look like eczema
Sores on the skin folds
Mite burrows seen as fine, dark or silvery lines on the space's between the fingers, inner surface of wrists
and elbows

A questionnaire was administered to the care givers.

All the children under five years in a household were examined for .
Data was entered using Microsoft Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS

Results

Demographic characteristics of the subjects

variable

Male

155

53.8

Female

133

46.2

< 2year

63

22.0

2 to <3years

52

18.0

3 to <4 years

72

25.0

>4years

101

35.0

Gender

Age

Demographic characteristics of the Household

head
variable

10

5.0

Education

College

Secondary/polytechnic 68

33.8

Primary

122

60.7

Employed

22

10.9

Casual labourer

70

34.8

Self Employed

47

23.4

None

61

30.3

Occupation

Scabies prevalence
Scabies was documented in 29.5 % households under study
24.31% of children under five year in households under study were
infected with equal infection rate across gender

64.4 % of households with infected children, heads of household had

primary level of education
66.1 % of the same households did not have a bathroom

A case Identified during the study

Hygiene promotion facilities in households with infected

children
State of the bathroom

Absent

39

66.1

Present

19

32.2

Present but faulty (not in use)

1.7

Absent

12

20.3

Present

47

79.7

Absent

18

30.5

Present

25

59.3

Present but faulty

10.2

State of cloth lines

Water tap

Performance of hygiene promotion activities in

infected households
Variable
Frequency of bathing

Daily
Thrice in a week

25
23

42.0
40.0

Once in a week
Once in a month
Washing clothes
Daily
Thrice in a week
Weekly
Monthly

9
2

15.0
3.0

20

33.9

13
19
7

22.0
32.2
11.9

Conclusion:
Scabies was prevalent in Jua Kali Slum, Nairobi.
Infection rate increased with the age of the child and low socioeconomic status of their household.
A significant number of infected households lacked hygiene
promotion facilities such as availability of regular source of water and
bathrooms
A significant number of Infected households had poor performance of
hygiene promotion activities

Recommendations
1. National wide survey on prevalence of scabies in Kenyan slums
2. Public education campaigns to encourage construction and
utilization of hygiene facilities in informal settlements
2. Establish guidelines and policy on management of scabies in the
community