Coping with ill-health: health care facility, chemist or medicinal plants? Health-seeking behaviour in a Kenyan wetland

摘要: Sub-Saharan African wetlands, settlement areas to growing populations, expose their users diseases as necessary health infrastructure remains underdeveloped. Mixed methods were adopted assess the health-seeking behaviour of different exposure groups (farmers, pastoralists, service sector workers) in a Kenyan wetland community. Based on cross-sectional survey (n = 400), syndromic surveillance was linked event analysis. In-depth interviews with community members (n = 20) and experts (n = 8) enabled integration healthcare user provider perspectives. Health-seeking determined by physical/infrastructural, natural/environmental, financial/socioeconomic social/demographic factors, well human/cultural aspects such traditional preferences rooted beliefs. Community had strategies coping ill-health few symptoms remained untreated. Whether via care facility admission, visit chemist, or intake pharmaceuticals medicinal plants: treatment usually applied either themselves. An undersupply easy-to-reach options detected, services not available accessible all. The widely-practiced self-treatment symptoms, e.g. by use local plants, mirrors both potential gaps cultural communities. Integrated into an overall health-promoting management approach, widely accepted (cultural) realities behaviours could complement provision help ensure healthy lives promote well-being for all wetlands.