“Irrigation and Public Health: A study of the Health problems at Bunyala Irrigation Scheme, Busia District, Kenya”.

Abstract

This study investigated the impacts irrigation scheme in Western investigate the on public health Kenya. The main objective influence of the scheme on of the Bunyala of the study was to prevalence of malaria, schistosomiasis and diarrhoeal diseases in the scheme. All the 131 tenants in the scheme were interviewed. group comparisons To facilitate between adults and children, an additional children were also purposively chosen and interviewed. methods included of human behaviuor observation inter- number of 80 Other data gathering patterns in the scheme, unstructured interviews, and group discussions with the people in the scheme. The results revealed that the scheme has led to an increase in the prevalence of malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and bilharzia. Malaria was identified by the tenants as the principal public health problem in the scheme. This is due to the fact that the numerous encouraged mosquito infection throughout stagnant water surfaces breeding_ and survival enabling in the scheme them to transmit the year. Also, the poor levels of sanitation have the involving surface defecation in the rice fields and the use of irrigation water for domestic purposes have encouraged the spread of diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera, typhoid and amoebic dysentery. In addition, the lack of pit latrines in the scheme for tenants use while working in the fields and the peoples' behaviour patterns involving open defecation, have encouraged poor field sanitation schistosome and high water contact levels infection. The high bird population the rice crop also plays a role in the expansion intermediate hosts for Schistosoma mansoni.