Table 1

Epidemiological and socioeconomic characteristics in the two study areas

BungomaKwale CountyNational averageSource
Helminth infections
 STHs combined (%)49.333.632.4*27
 Hookworm (%)44.327.715.6*27
 Ascaris lumbricoides (%)28.20.818.0*27
 Trichuris trichiura (%)0.88.96.6*27
 Schistosoma haematobium (%)non-endemic17.514.8*27
 Wuchereria bancrofti (%)non-endemicendemicendemic in 6 of 47 counties28
Socioeconomic conditions
 Poverty rate (%)†52.272.946.629
Access to water and sanitation
 Improved drinking water (%)72.151.255.130
 Improved sanitation (%)71.234.464.930
School system
 Primary school attendance (%)‡94.687.285.630
 Literacy rate (%)60.566.566.431
Health system
 Full immunisation coverage (%)§84.477.583.032
 Doctors (per 100 000 people)41732
 Nurses (per 100 000 people)37374932
  • *Among schools included in the monitoring and evaluation of the national school-based deworming programme.

  • †Percentage of population living below the Kenya poverty line (Ksh 1562 per person per month in rural areas and Ksh 2913 in urban areas).

  • ‡Percentage of the official primary school-age population that attends primary school.

  • §Percentage of population that completed 3+ doses of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccination.

  • STH, soil-transmitted helminth.