Assessing the integration of refugee health data into national health information systems in Jordan, Lebanon, and Uganda.

Background: With the increasing number of protracted refugee crises globally, it is essential to ensure strong national health information systems (HIS) in displacement settings that include refugee-sensitive data and disaggregation by refugee status. This multi-country study aims to assess the degree of integration of refugee health data into national HIS in Jordan, Lebanon, and Uganda and identify the strengths and weaknesses of their national HIS in terms of collecting and reporting on refugee-related health indicators.

Methods: The study employs a comparative country analysis approach using a three-phase framework.

Community overview on the differential prevalence of Hepatitis E in two sub-counties in Kitgum District, Uganda: a mixed study design.

Background: An epidemic of Hepatitis E infection occurred in Kitgum district, northern Uganda in 2009. In that epidemic, more than 10,422 people were infected, and over 166 deaths were registered. Kitgum District Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) showed that Hepatitis E cases continued to occur in Mucwini more than in Kitgum Matidi sub-county despite instituting similar epidemic control measures in the two communities.

Decision-making pathways for contraceptive use among refugee and host populations in Adjumani district, Uganda; an exploratory study.

Introduction: Contraceptive use is known to have a positive impact on maternal and child health outcomes; however, its use is still low in low-income countries, especially among people in humanitarian situations. This study explored decision-making processes towards the use of contraceptives by people in humanitarian situations to inform program design and uptake.

Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) and men (15-60 years) living in three refugee settlements of Pagirinya, Nyumanzi, and Mirieyi and the surrounding host communities in Adjumani district, Uganda.

Access to and utilisation of antimicrobials among forcibly displaced persons in Uganda, Yemen and Colombia: a pilot cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: Identifying key barriers to accessing quality-assured and affordable antimicrobials among forcibly displaced persons in Uganda, Yemen and Colombia and investigating their (1) utilisation patterns of antibiotics, (2) knowledge about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and (3) perception of the quality of antimicrobials received.

Design: Pilot cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Data were collected from five health facilities in the Kiryandongo refugee settlement (Bweyale, Uganda), three camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Dar Sad district (Aden, Yemen) and a district with a high population of Venezuelan migrants (Kennedy district, Bogotá, Colombia).

Negative experiences and coping strategies to stressful situations by undergraduate University students during Covid- 19 lockdown period in Uganda.

Aim: To describe the negative experiences, coping strategies for stressful situations, and factors associated with COVID-19 worry among undergraduate students at Makerere University during the second COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study at Makerere University. Negative experiences and coping strategies were measured using a semi-structured questionnaire formulated based on literature and findings from previous studies on mental health and COVID-19.

New sequences from Eastern and Southern Africa alter our understanding of regional cholera transmission.

Despite ongoing containment and vaccination efforts, cholera remains prevalent in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Part of the difficulty in containing cholera comes from our lack of understanding of how it circulates throughout the region. To better characterize regional transmission, we generated and analyzed 118 genomes collected between 2007-2019 from five different countries in Southern and Eastern Africa.

Factors associated with family planning use among refugee and host populations in Adjumani district, West Nile, Uganda: a comparative study.

Introduction: Uganda currently hosts an estimated 1.5 million refugees. The refugees have challenges in accessing family planning (FP) services in the host country.

Exploring women's interpretations of survey questions on pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes: cognitive interviews in Iganga Mayuge, Uganda.

Background: In 2021, Uganda's neonatal mortality rate was approximately 19 deaths per 1000 live births, with an estimated stillbirth rate of 15.1 per 1000 total births. Data are critical for indicating areas where deaths occur and why, hence driving improvements.

Does mHealth influence community health worker performance in vulnerable populations? A mixed methods study in a multinational refugee settlement in Uganda.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) provide healthcare in under-served communities, including refugee settlements, despite various challenges hindering their performance. Implementers have adopted mobile wireless technologies (m-Health) to improve the performance of CHWs in refugee settlements. We assessed the CHWs' performance and associated factors in a multi-national refugee settlement, operating mHealth and paper-based methods.

Diagnostic and pre-treatment intervals among patients with cervical cancer attending care at the Uganda Cancer Institute: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Majority of patients with cervical cancer in the low- and middle-income countries experience long diagnostic and pre-treatment intervals. This study sought to determine the factors associated with the diagnostic and pre-treatment intervals among patients with cervical cancer.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) during October 2019 to January 2020.

Factors associated with diagnostic and pre-treatment intervals among breast cancer patients attending care at the Uganda Cancer Institute: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Most breast cancer (BC) patients in Uganda are diagnosed with advanced-stage disease and experience poor outcomes. This study examined the diagnostic and pre-treatment intervals and factors associated with these intervals among BC patients attending care at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, facility-based study.

Cholera and COVID-19 pandemic prevention in multiple hotspot districts of Uganda: vaccine coverage, adverse events following immunization and WASH conditions survey.

Background: Between March, 2020 and December, 2021 due to cholera and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemics, there were 1,534 cholera cases with 14 deaths and 136,065 COVID-19 cases with 3,285 deaths reported respectively in Uganda. This study investigated mass vaccination campaigns for the prevention of the two pandemics namely: oral cholera vaccine (OCV) and COVID-19 vaccine coverage; adverse events following immunization (AEFI); barriers and enablers for the vaccine uptake and assessed water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions in the six cholera and COVID-19 hotspot districts of Uganda.

Methods: A household survey was conducted between January and February, 2022 in the six cholera hotspot districts of Uganda which had recently conducted OCV mass vaccination campaigns and had ongoing COVID-19 mass vaccination campaigns.

Traditional health practices: A qualitative inquiry among traditional health practitioners in northern Uganda on becoming a healer, perceived causes of illnesses, and diagnostic approaches.

Background: The practice of traditional and complementary medicine is increasing in most low-and middle-income countries especially for chronic communicable and non-communicable diseases. In this study, we aimed to understand how people gain healing power and become traditional health practitioners (THPs), perceived causes of illnesses, and how THPs diagnose illnesses.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional qualitative interview-based study.

Sustainability of health services in refugee hosting districts: a qualitative study of health services in three west Nile refugee hosting districts, Uganda.

Background: Humanitarian health assistance programmes have expanded from temporary approaches addressing short-term needs to providing long-term interventions in emergency settings. Measuring sustainability of humanitarian health services is important towards improving the quality of health services in refugee settings.

Objective: To explore the sustainability of health services following the repatriation of refugees from the west Nile districts of Arua, Adjumani and Moyo.

Prediction of pre-eclampsia at St. Mary's hospital lacor, a low-resource setting in northern Uganda, a prospective cohort study.

Background: Pre-eclampsia is the second leading cause of maternal death in Uganda. However, mothers report to the hospitals late due to health care challenges. Therefore, we developed and validated the prediction models for prenatal screening for pre-eclampsia.

Prediction of stillbirth low resource setting in Northern Uganda.

Background: Women of Afro-Caribbean and Asian origin are more at risk of stillbirths. However, there are limited tools built for risk-prediction models for stillbirth within sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, we examined the predictors for stillbirth in low resource setting in Northern Uganda.

Repatriation of South Sudanese refugees from the West Nile districts, Uganda. What do we learn from the process?

Introduction: Repatriation is a fundamental and often preferred solution to the refugee crisis around the world. This study explored the process of repatriation of the South Sudanese refugees from the West Nile districts in Uganda.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of the process of repatriation of refugees in three west Nile refugee districts of Adjumani, Arua, and Moyo, Uganda.

Adverse pregnancy outcome disclosure and women's social networks: a qualitative multi-country study with implications for improved reporting in surveys.

Background: Globally, approximately 6,700 newborn deaths and 5,400 stillbirths occur daily. The true figure is likely higher, with under reporting of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) noted. Decision-making in health is influenced by various factors, including one's social networks.

Cholera risk in cities in Uganda: understanding cases and contacts centered strategy (3CS) for rapid cholera outbreak control.

Introduction: in the recent past, cities in sub-Saharan Africa have reported serious cholera outbreaks that last for several months. Uganda is one of the African countries where cities are prone to cholera outbreaks. Studies on cholera in Bangladesh show increased risk of cholera for the immediate household members (contacts) yet the control interventions mainly target cases with little or no focus on contacts.

Use of surveys to evaluate an integrated oral cholera vaccine campaign in response to a cholera outbreak in Hoima district, Uganda.

Objectives: To evaluate the quality and coverage of the campaign to distribute oral cholera vaccine (OCV) during a cholera outbreak in Hoima, Uganda to guide future campaigns of cholera vaccine.

Design: Survey of communities targeted for vaccination to determine vaccine coverage rates and perceptions of the vaccination campaign, and a separate survey of vaccine staff who carried out the campaign.

Setting: Hoima district, Uganda.

The quality of drinking and domestic water from the surface water sources (lakes, rivers, irrigation canals and ponds) and springs in cholera prone communities of Uganda: an analysis of vital physicochemical parameters.

Background: Water is the most abundant resource on earth, however water scarcity affects more than 40% of people worldwide. Access to safe drinking water is a basic human right and is a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. Globally, waterborne diseases such as cholera are responsible for over two million deaths annually.