Browsing by Author "Donde, Oscar Omondi"

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  • Publication
    Publication
    COVID-19 pandemic: Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as a critical control measure remains a major challenge in low-income countries
    (2021-03-01) Donde, Oscar Omondi; Atoni, Evans; Muia, Anastasia Wairimu; Yillia, Paul T.
    Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the deadly respiratory disease called coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), an ongoing global public health emergency that has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. We review literature on the transmission and control of SARS-CoV-2 and discuss the challenges of focusing on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as critical control measures in low-income countries. A significantly higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 related deaths has been reported for the United States of America and other high-income countries in Europe and Asia, regardless of advanced medical facilities in those countries. In contrast, much lower COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality rates have been documented in many low-income countries, despite having comparatively higher socioeconomic burdens and suboptimal medical facilities. By September 29, 2020 over one million deaths have been reported. On the same day, the cumulative total of COVID-19 related morbidity for Africa was 35,954 with 3.5% of the global COVID-19 related deaths. We present arguments for the relatively low COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates in many low-income countries and discuss the critical importance of WASH for preventing the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. We observe that the key recommendations put forward by the World Health Organization to effectively control the pandemic have been difficult to implement in low-income countries. We conclude that the pandemic reinforces previous pronouncements that adequate and effective WASH measures are crucial for public health and recommend closer coordination between public health and WASH sectors.
  • Publication
    Publication
    Taxonomic status of fish parasites in Kenyan inland water systems and their significance on the freshwater fisheries and aquaculture productivity within the region
    (Wiley, 2019-10-06) Kibet, Caroline Jepkorir; Donde, Oscar Omondi; Okwiri, Brian; Otachi, Elick Onyango
    Fish are a resource with great economic, nutritional and recreational benefits to humans on a global scale. In Kenya, fish represent an important source of food and income through trade and employment to many communities. In fact, fish are an important alternative source of animal protein, especially in famine-tolerant arid and semi-arid regions such as Turkana, Marsabit, Pokot and Baringo Counties, where annual drought periodically hampers traditional livestock keeping destitute. Kenya freshwater fishes have remained vulnerable to a variety of parasites and related diseases. Approximately 119 fish parasites have been reported in the country, with about 83 being identified to species level and 35 to genus level. Out of the reported parasites, 77% were detected in wild fish, 8% in farm fish and 15% in both wild and farmed fish. The parasites identified by various studies include protozoa (7), myxozoa (7), nematode (20), monogenean (33), digenean (16), cestoda (15), acanthocephalan (6) and crustacean (15). The highly commercialized fishes, such as Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias gariepinus, harbour the highest number of parasites, which greatly hinder fisheries and aquaculture productivity through retarded growth, mechanical damages, reduced reproduction rates and increased mortality of the fish hosts. Thus, there is need for adequate information on the taxonomy and ecology of these parasites as a basis for developing appropriate management and policies to control them. This review article is meant to provide an overview of the distribution, occurrence of fish parasites and their impacts on inland water fisheries and aquaculture in Kenya, while also highlighting the available gaps warranting further studies, with the goal of developing appropriate and accurate control measures to improve the region's fisheries and aquaculture productivity and food security.
  • Publication
    Publication
    Wastewater Management Techniques: A Review of Advancement on the Appropriate Wastewater Treatment Principles for Sustainability
    (Macrothink institute, 2017-03-11) Donde, Oscar Omondi
    Water is an essential resource that is required to sustain life. Its availability has to be adequate, safe and easily accessible. Current trends in climate change and rise in human population has compromised water adequacy, availability and safety. Wastewater managers around the world have the responsibility to ensure that the effluent that is eventually released into the environment does not degrade the quality of the recipient water bodies. Attaining sustainability in wastewater management is top in the of Sustainable Development Goals’ Agenda.  All in all, the realization of a more sustainable wastewater management will require a highly holistic and balanced approach in evaluating a particular management strategy's overall sustainability. Promoting the use of safe, affordable and adequately available wastewater treatment techniques is a step towards wastewater management for sustainability. This review paper therefore discusses some of the currently known and emerging wastewater management techniques that are considered essential in attaining sustainability in water resource management.