In-depth Analysis of Kisii County Based on the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey
The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) provides comprehensive insights into Kisii County’s socio-economic, health, and demographic characteristics. This analysis highlights key findings, comparing them to national averages, to offer a detailed understanding of Kisii’s status in various domains.
Household Characteristics
- Basic Services:
- Access to basic drinking water services is significantly lower in Kisii County (44%) compared to the national average (68%).
- Sanitation services also lag behind, with only 29% of households having basic sanitation, compared to 41% nationally.
- Only 10% of Kisii households use clean fuels for cooking, space heating, and lighting, against the national rate of 21%.
- Education Levels:
- The rate of women (15–49 years) without formal education is 1%, much lower than the national average of 6%. Among men, this rate is even lower (<1% vs. 3% nationally).
Fertility and Family Planning
- Fertility:
- Kisii’s total fertility rate (3.0 children per woman) is below the national average (3.4 children per woman).
- Teenage pregnancy affects 14% of women aged 15–19 in Kisii, nearly matching the national rate (15%).
- Family Planning:
- Modern family planning methods are utilized by 64% of married women in Kisii, outperforming the national average (57%).
- 76% of Kisii women’s demand for family planning is satisfied with modern methods, slightly above the national figure (75%).
Maternal and Child Health
- Maternal Care:
- Skilled providers assist in 94% of births in Kisii, surpassing the national average of 89%.
- Postnatal checkups within the first two days are more common in Kisii (91%) compared to the national rate (83%).
- Child Vaccination:
- Vaccination rates in Kisii are commendable, with 90% of children aged 12–23 months receiving all basic antigens, compared to 80% nationwide.
- Child Mortality:
- Kisii matches the national neonatal mortality rate (21 deaths per 1,000 live births) and shows slightly lower infant mortality (24 vs. 32 nationally).
Nutrition
- Malnutrition:
- The stunting rate in Kisii (16%) is slightly better than the national average (18%).
- Underweight and wasting rates are also lower in Kisii, at 8% and 3%, respectively, compared to 10% and 5% nationally.
- However, Kisii has a higher rate of overweight children under five (6%) compared to the national figure (3%).
Malaria Prevention
- Use of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs):
- Access to ITNs in Kisii is significantly higher (79%) than the national average (50%).
- A notable 71% of Kisii residents used ITNs the night before the survey, compared to 43% nationally.
Gender-Based Violence
- Prevalence:
- Kisii County reports higher instances of physical violence among women aged 15–49 (36%) than the national rate (34%).
- Recent physical violence (within the past year) is also more prevalent in Kisii (20%) compared to the national figure (16%).
- Sexual Violence:
- 16% of Kisii women report experiencing sexual violence, above the national rate of 13%.
- Intimate Partner Violence:
- More than half of Kisii women (53%) have experienced physical, sexual, or psychological violence from a partner, compared to 40% nationwide.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Kisii County exhibits both strengths and challenges in health and socio-economic aspects:
- Strengths: High skilled birth attendance, effective use of modern family planning, and robust child vaccination rates.
- Challenges: Limited access to basic water and sanitation services, low adoption of clean fuels, and elevated levels of gender-based violence.
For sustainable development, Kisii requires targeted interventions to improve household infrastructure, reduce gender-based violence, and promote clean energy technologies. The high vaccination rates and skilled maternal care offer a foundation to build upon for achieving health equity and resilience.
Kenya-Demographic-and-Health-Survey-2022-Factsheet-Kisii
