kenya

toc  =Disease and Health: Kenya=

==**The [|Gapminder (Fig. 1)]**== [|Source] As shown in Figure 1, Kenya is in a similar position to other countries in Africa in terms of both Infant Mortality and Life expectancy. Kenya's life Expectancy (57.9 years) is similar to the other countries in its surrounding region (Ethiopia 55.41 & Uganda 52.72) but well below the world average of 67.2 years. However, Kenya is closer to world averages in IMR (49.4 per 1000) than many of the other countries in its surrounding region (Somalia 109.19, Djibouti 97.51, and Ethiopia 80.80). [|Source]

**Infant Mortality**

 * Kenya 2010 Infant Mortality Rate: 53.49 deaths/1,000 live births**
 * Global Infant Mortality (Fig. 2)**

[[image:IMR.jpg width="800" height="269"]]
[|source]

[|Source] **Trend:** From 1955 until 1985, Kenya expereinced a massive decrease in their Infant Mortality Rate from 140 deaths per 1000-63 deaths per 1000. However, in the earlier 1990s, Kenya's IMR began rapidly increasing (jumping from the mid 60s to mid 80s) in just a few short years and stayed the same until roughly 2006. However, recent improvements in medical care (particularly infant vaccinations) have helped Kenya bring the number of infant deaths down to 53.49 deaths per 1000.
 * Kenya' Infant Mortality 1990-2006 (Fig. 3)**

**Life Expectancy:**
-Current Life Expectancy for Men //**= 57.8 years**// -Current Life Expectancy for Women =//**58.2 years**// //**Kenya's Life Expectancy 1990-2006 (Fig. 4)**// [|Source]


 * Trend:** From 1970 to approximately 1985, Kenya saw a steady increase in Life Expectancy. However, in 1985 Kenya's LE leveled off and began to decline rapidly in approximately 1988. In 1990 Kenya's LE was 61 years and would continue to fall until 2000, when LE leveled off at 53 until 2006. However, after 2006, Kenya's LE began to improve once again and is now at approximately the same level it was in 1970.

Leading 15 causes of death in Kenya

 * Disease || Number of total deaths by disease || % of total Deaths || **Cause (may fit more than one category)** //Nutrition, degenerative, water/vector borne, accidental// ||
 * HIV/AIDS || 129,946 || 32.55% || water/vector borne ||
 * Influenza and Pneumonia || 35,998 || 9.02% || Water/vector borne ||
 * Tuberculosis || 28,104 || 7.04% || Water/vector borne ||
 * Diarrhoeal diseases || 26,681 || 6.68% || Water/vector borne ||
 * Malaria || 27,762 || 6.45% || Water/vector borne ||
 * Stroke || 14,792 || 3.71% || Degenerative ||
 * Birth Trauma || 12,601 || 3.16% || poor medical care ||
 * Coronary Heart Disease || 12,250 || 3.07% || Degenerative ||
 * Low Birth Weight || 12,116 || 3.03% || Nutrition ||
 * Road Traffic Accidents || 8,560 || 2.14% || Accidental ||
 * Violence || 7,221 || 1.81% || Other ||
 * Other Injuries || 6,621 || 1.66% || Other ||
 * Maternal Conditions || 6,365 || 1.59% || poor medical care ||
 * Diabetes || 5,743 || 1.44% || Degenerative ||
 * Lung Disease || 4,349 || 1.09% || Degenerative ||
 * [|source] **

Conclusion:
In terms of health, Kenya is best categorized as improving, however with significant improvements yet needed. According to their recent trends in both LE and IMR, Kenya experienced a massive setback in terms of its Epidemiolgical Tranisition in late 1980s, early 1990s. During this time, IMR increased rapidly (reaching upwards of 83 deaths per 1000) and LE decreased profoundly (hitting bottom at approximately 50 years). This setback was most likely caused by the out break of the AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s, as this collates with similar trends in the surrounding countries and the high % of AIDs victims still present in Kenya today (32% of all deaths in 2010). This was a significant set back because, as mentioned previously above, Kenya was steadily improving. Similarly, Kenya shows evidence of a low level of health development in the types of diseases that it suffers from. The top four causes of death are all water/vector borne diseases, indicative of a low level of health development. 32.22% of all deaths are caused by preventable diseases (e.g. Influneza, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, Diarrhoeal diseases, and malaria =29.19%) or are preventable (poor nutrition accounts for 3.03% of all deaths). AIDs alone accounted for nearly 130,000 deaths (32.55%) in 2008. While AIDs is not a cureable disease, it is treatable and prevention techniques can be put in place to slow down the spread of AIDS. However, as stated above, Kenya is making dramatic improvements since outbreak of AIDS and hopefully will be able to continue this progress into the future.