Hypoglycemic, Antihyperglycemic, and Toxic Effects of L. Aqueous and Methanolic Leaf Extracts in Wistar Rats.

Background: L. (Solanaceae) is a plant widely used in traditional medicine systems to manage various diseases, including diabetes mellitus, which remains a global health problem in developing and developed countries. This study aimed to scientifically evaluate its antidiabetic bioactivity and short-term toxicity in rats.

Effects of the Oral Administration of Aqueous and Methanolic Leaf Extracts of L. (Amaranthaceae) on Blood Glucose Levels in Wistar Rats.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that poses a major global health threat. The current diabetes mellitus uses insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents, which have limitations, including adverse effects and secondary failures. Herbal medicine is being evaluated for its role in the pharmacotherapy of diabetes.

Antibacterial prescription and the associated factors among outpatients diagnosed with respiratory tract infections in Mbarara Municipality, Uganda.

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTI) are the second most frequent diagnosis after Malaria amongst Outpatients in Uganda. Majority are Non pneumonia cough and flu which are self-limiting and often do not require antibacterials. However, antibiotics are continuously prescribed for these conditions and are a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance and wastage of health resources.

Antidiabetic Medicinal Plants Used in Democratic Republic of Congo: A Critical Review of Ethnopharmacology and Bioactivity Data.

Several studies have been conducted and published on medicinal plants used to manage Diabetes Mellitus worldwide. It is of great interest to review available studies from a country or a region to resort to similarities/discrepancies and data quality. Here, we examined data related to ethnopharmacology and bioactivity of antidiabetic plants used in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ethnotherapeutic Uses and Phytochemical Composition of L.: An Overview.

Background: Plant-derived medicines are widespread and continue to increase in traditional and modern medicine, especially in developing countries. L. is among the most used plants in conventional medication worldwide.

Understanding the Effect of a Healthcare Provider-Led Family Planning Support Intervention on Contraception use and Pregnancy Desires among Postpartum Women Living with HIV in Southwestern Uganda.

Modern contraceptive prevalence among women living with HIV (WLWH) in Uganda is still low at 45%, and up to a third of women are likely to discontinue the method within the first year of initiation. This increases risks of unplanned pregnancies, perinatal HIV transmission and pregnancy complications. We aim to explore and explain the mechanism of effect of a family planning support intervention investigated in a randomized controlled trial conducted between October 2016 and June 2018 among 320 postpartum WLWH at a referral hospital in Southwestern Uganda that led to improved uptake, decreased contraception discontinuation and lowered pregnancy rates.

Structured and sustained family planning support facilitates effective use of postpartum contraception amongst women living with HIV in South Western Uganda: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Despite low pregnancy intentions, many women accessing contraception discontinue use, increasing the risk of unwanted pregnancies among women living with HIV (WLWH). We evaluate whether a family planning support intervention, inclusive of structured immediate one-on-one postpartum counseling, and a follow-up mechanism through additional health information and SMS reminders affects continuous contraceptive use and pregnancy incidence among recently postpartum WLWH.

Methods: We performed a randomized controlled trial between October 2016 and June 2018 at a referral hospital in southwestern Uganda.

Registration and local production of essential medicines in Uganda.

Background: Universal access to high quality essential medicines is critical to sustainable development (SDG 3.8). However low- and middle-income countries struggle to ensure access to all medicines on their national essential medicines lists (EML).

Provision of family planning vouchers and early initiation of postpartum contraceptive use among women living with HIV in southwestern Uganda: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Unwanted pregnancies remain a burden for women living with HIV (WLWH). Family planning prevents unplanned pregnancies while promoting longer birth intervals, key strategies to eliminate perinatal transmission of HIV and promote maternal and child health. We evaluated the effect of a family planning voucher, inclusive of immediate postpartum counseling, on uptake, early initiation, and continuation of modern contraceptive methods among recently postpartum WLWH delivering at a publicly funded regional referral hospital in rural, southwestern Uganda.

Factors Associated with Pregnancy Intentions Amongst Postpartum Women Living with HIV in Rural Southwestern Uganda.

Comprehensive HIV treatment and care makes it safer for women living with HIV (WLWH) to have the children they desire, partly through provision and appropriate use of effective contraception. However, nearly one third of WLWH in-care in a large Ugandan cohort became pregnant within 3 years of initiating ART and half of these incident pregnancies (45%) were unplanned. We therefore describe future pregnancy plans and associated factors among postpartum WLWH in rural southwestern Uganda in order to inform interventions promoting postpartum contraceptive uptake.

Measuring Post-Partum Haemorrhage in Low-Resource Settings: The Diagnostic Validity of Weighed Blood Loss versus Quantitative Changes in Hemoglobin.

Background: Accurate estimation of blood loss is central to prompt diagnosis and management of post-partum hemorrhage (PPH), which remains a leading cause of maternal mortality in low-resource countries. In such settings, blood loss is often estimated visually and subjectively by attending health workers, due to inconsistent availability of laboratory infrastructure. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of weighed blood loss (WBL) versus changes in peri-partum hemoglobin to detect PPH.

Civil Society Organizations and medicines policy change: a case study of registration, procurement, distribution and use of misoprostol in Uganda.

Misoprostol use for postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) has been promoted by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) since the early 2000s. Yet, CSOs' role in improving access to misoprostol and shaping health policy at global and national levels is not well understood. We document the introduction of misoprostol in Uganda in 2008 from its registration, addition to treatment guidelines and national Essential Medicines List (EML), to its distribution and use.

The availability of six tracer medicines in private medicine outlets in Uganda.

Objectives: Many low income countries struggle to provide safe and effective medicines due to poor public health care infrastructure, budgetary constraints, and lack of human resource capacity. Private sector pharmacies and drug shops are used by a majority of the population as an alternative to public pharmacies. This study looks at the availability of six essential medicines in private drug outlets across Uganda.

Sublingual misoprostol versus intramuscular oxytocin for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage in Uganda: a double-blind randomized non-inferiority trial.

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal death in sub-Saharan Africa. Although the World Health Organization recommends use of oxytocin for prevention of PPH, misoprostol use is increasingly common owing to advantages in shelf life and potential for sublingual administration. There is a lack of data about the comparative efficacy of oxytocin and sublingual misoprostol, particularly at the recommended dose of 600 µg, for prevention of PPH during active management of labor.

The analgesic and antiplasmodial activities and toxicology of Vernonia amygdalina.

Vernonia amygdalina possesses several bioactive compounds and is used in traditional medicines of southwestern Uganda, along with other regions. Its analgesic potential has not been investigated thus far. The present study examines the antinociceptive potential of the aqueous leaf extract (50-200 mg/kg) using three models of nociception (acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin test, and tail-flick test), antiplasmodial activity, and toxicology of the extract.