Keywords
Public health
Health risks
Kitata neighborhood
Kenge City
How to Cite
Abstract
Urbanization is a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, affecting infrastructure, healthcare services, and quality of life in urban areas. In Kenge, the Kitata neighborhood illustrates the health risks associated with unplanned urban expansion. This study aims to analyze the effects of urban sprawl on environmental conditions and health risks in the Kitata neighborhood of Kenge. To this end, a cross-sectional observational survey was conducted to describe perceptions and health risks associated with urban sprawl in the Kitata neighborhood, combining document analysis and semi-structured interviews with 160 households. Data processing and analysis were performed using Microsoft Excel. For the analytical phase, we used JASP software, chosen for its robustness in exploring correlations between environmental and health variables. The results reveal that 45% of respondents identified population growth as the main driver of urban sprawl, while 69% of recent construction is located in undeveloped areas. Furthermore, all households surveyed (100%) reported experiencing environmental illnesses, particularly malaria. Access to healthcare remains limited due to insufficient medical infrastructure and restricted access to clean water. These findings underscore the urgent need to rethink urban planning in Kenge, incorporating ecological approaches to strengthen the population's health resilience.
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