Distribution of indoor pests in Sempa Zone, Bwaise I Parish, Kawempe Division, Kampala Capital City Authority.

Abstract

Indoor pests are undesirable mammals, insects or other vermin that have plagued humans for thousands of years in the world. They cause damage, destruction of properties in homes, apartments, hotels, hostels, dormitories, hospitals, care centers and other places of the world causing economic loss, nuisance and transmit pathogens to humans and domestic animals. There has been an increasing public health concern as a result of indoor pest infestation, with devastating effects on health and quality of life in Uganda. This study was intended at identifying the distribution of indoor pests in Sempa Zone ,Bwaise I parish, Kawempe division. The study focused on documenting the different types of indoor pests, control methods used and the risk factors associated with indoor pest distribution. The study design was cross-sectional and descriptive, the study population consisted of 36 households, data was collected using interview schedule, trapping method, observation check lists, questionnaire survey, collected data was analyzed using SPSS v 21 software. Mosquitoes were the most dominant pests with a mean of 25.00, followed by cockroaches with a mean of 23.50 and the least pests were rodents with a mean of 2.75. The most common control methods used were mosquito nets and pesticides 14 (38.89%) followed by screening windows& ventilators, mosquito coil, mosquito nets 7 (19.44%). The most prominent risk factor was food storage in the residential house 26 (24.30%), followed by stagnant pools of water 18(16.82%). There was high pest infestation in many households mainly due to inadequate knowledge about risk factors associated with indoor pests. Health education interventions at household level would be a critical avenue for reducing indoor pest infestations in the community.