Abstract:
Climate variability has a strong influence on disease prevalence and subsequently on
economic wellbeing of the affected households. In this study, six regions were selected and
clustered into three groups based on their climatic conditions as follows: areas prone to
droughts, floods and those with relatively good weather. Respondents were interviewed and
the effects of prevailing climatic conditions on the prevalence of diseases established.
Malaria, respiratory tract infection, typhoid, pneumonia and diarrhoea were the major
diseases among the Lake Victoria basin residents. The annual disease frequency per
household was highest in Budalang'li, a flood prone region; and lowest in Bomet, a region
with relatively good weather. The findings reveal the often unseen subtle effects of adverse
climatic conditions on economically vulnerable communities in the Lake Victoria basin …
