"If you find that I am HIV positive, don't tell me": Exploring the barriers and recommendations for HIV prevention services utilization among youth in rural southwestern Uganda.

Globally, the majority of new HIV infections are recorded in Eastern and Southern Africa, with the youth being disproportionately affected. HIV prevention is the cornerstone of controlling the spread of HIV and ending this epidemic by 2030. However, barriers to the utilization of HIV prevention services remained underexplored especially among the youth in rural settings in sub-Saharan Africa.

Coping strategies, challenges and potential interventions among adult patients with HIV and mental illness comorbidity in southwestern Uganda.

HIV and mental illness comorbidity presents significant healthcare challenges, especially in low- and middle-income countries where healthcare systems often address individual conditions rather than comorbidities. This results in poor coping, increased vulnerability and diminished health-related quality of life. This study investigated coping strategies, challenges and potential interventions for individuals with HIV-mental illness comorbidity in Southwestern Uganda.

Cognitive impairment and the associated factors among women with a history of pregnancy complications in rural southwestern Uganda.

Background: Worldwide, there is a growing concern about the rising number of people with declining cognitive functioning. However, findings on this phenomenon are inconclusive. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of cognitive impairment and the associated factors in women with a history of pregnancy complications in rural southwestern Uganda.

Barriers and Facilitators to Utilization of Community Drug Distribution Points Among People Living with HIV in Bushenyi District, South-Western Uganda: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: People living with HIV (PLHIV) still have challenges in accessing HIV services in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In Uganda, community drug distribution points (CDDPs) are part of interventions to improve access to anti-retroviral medications. However, there is still low enrollment in CDDPs among PLHIV in south-western Uganda, particularly in Bushenyi district.

Prevalence of dementia and its association with central nervous system infections among older persons in northern Uganda: cross-sectional community-based study.

Background: Dementia is a condition in which there is deterioration in cognitive function beyond what might be expected from the usual consequence of biological aging. Few studies have been conducted on the prevalence of dementia and its association with central nervous system (CNS) infections among older persons in African settings, particularly in Uganda. Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence of dementia and its association with CNS infections among older persons in Lira District, northern Uganda.

A qualitative investigation of the psychosocial services utilised by care-givers of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in southwestern Uganda.

Individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias often require substantial support from other people. Much of the care-giving is from family members who eventually experience physical, emotional and financial stress, depression and fatigue. In Uganda, families are a cornerstone in providing care to individuals with dementia.

Barriers and facilitators to cognitive impairment screening among older adults with diabetes mellitus and hypertension by primary healthcare providers in rural Uganda.

Background: The burden of non-communicable diseases and cognitive impairment exhibit a linear rise in sub-Saharan Africa due to the increase in life expectancy. Non-communicable diseases like diabetes mellitus and hypertension increase the risk for cognitive impairment. To improve our understanding of the underpinnings of the cognitive impairment screening, this study explored the barriers and facilitators of routine cognitive impairment screening in a primary healthcare setting guided by the Capacity, Opportunity, Motivation Behavioral change (COM-B) model.

Cognitive impairment following traumatic brain injury in Uganda: Prevalence and associated factors.

Background: As the burden of dementia continues to rise in sub-Saharan Africa, it is crucial to develop an evidence base for potentially modifiable risk factors such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Cognitive impairment may result from TBI and since it is an established prodromal form of dementia, we investigated the burden of cognitive impairment and associated factors in persons with a history of TBI in southwestern Uganda.

Methods: This was a community-based quantitative study with a cross-sectional design among 189 persons with a history of TBI in southwestern Uganda.

Enhancing the Capacity of Providers in Mental Health Integration (ECaP-MHI) in Rural Uganda: The Adaptation Process.

Purpose: Uganda adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) model of creating district health management teams (DHMT) comprised of public health officials and administrators to supervise health service delivery at the community level. The purpose of this study was to characterize the perspectives of the DMHT in providing support supervision to primary health-care providers implementing mental health integration using the pre-recorded material. Our aim was to identify barriers to individual uptake and contextual fit, and to solicit solutions for co-designed improvements.

Enrollment and retention of female sex workers in HIV care in health facilities in Mbarara city.

Background: Sex work is a global driver of the HIV epidemic, and the risk of acquiring HIV is 13 times higher for female sex workers (FSWs) compared to the general population. The enrollment and retention of FSWs in HIV care is a challenge and has been a major contributing factor to increased new HIV infections.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study among 30 FSWs and 21 healthcare workers (HCWs) working in antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics at the selected three primary health facilities in Mbarara City, Southwestern Uganda.

Behavioral and psycho-social impairments among people living with dementia and their management by caregivers in South-Western Uganda: a qualitative study.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the behavioral and social impairments among people living with dementia (PLWD) in rural southwestern Uganda. It also explored the burden of caregivers for people living with dementia.

Methods: This was a qualitative study among people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Caregiver's perspectives on the Central Nervous System infection illness trajectory among older persons with dementia in Northern Uganda-a qualitative community-based study.

Background: Few studies have explored the Central Nervous System (CNS) infection illness trajectory among older persons with dementia in sub-Saharan African (SSA) settings. This study explored the Caregiver's perspectives on the Central Nervous System infection illness trajectory among the older persons with dementia in Northern Uganda.

Methods: This was a qualitative study conducted in Lira District northern Uganda in March 2022 amongst purposively selected 20 caregivers of the older persons aged 50 + years with a positive history of CNS infection and later life dementia.

Self-transfers and factors associated with successful tracing among persons lost to follow-up from HIV care, Sheema District, Southwestern Uganda: retrospective medical records review, 2017-2021.

Background: Due to improved coverage and scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART), patients are increasingly transferring between ART-providing sites. Self-transfers may constitute a high proportion of patients considered lost to follow-up (LTFU), and if overlooked when reporting patients who have dropped out of HIV care, may result in an incorrect estimation of retention. We determined the prevalence of self-transfers, and successful tracing, and identified associated factors among people living with HIV (PLHIV) LTFU from care at public health facilities in Sheema District, Southwestern Uganda.

Barriers and facilitators to the utilization of the intensive adherence counselling framework by healthcare providers in Uganda: a qualitative study.

Background: Uganda Ministry of Health (UMOH) embraced the World Health Organization recommendation for people living with human immunodeficiency virus with a detectable viral load (VL) exceeding 1000 copies/mL to receive intensive adherence counselling (IAC). The IAC framework was developed as a step-by-step guide for healthcare providers to systematically support persons with non-suppressed VL to develop a comprehensive plan for adhering to treatment. The objective of this study was to explore the current practice of the healthcare providers when providing IAC, and identify the barriers and facilitators to the utilization of the UMOH IAC framework at two health centers IV level in rural Uganda.

Perceptions of Undergraduates and Mentors on the Appropriateness, Acceptability, and Feasibility of the HEPI-TUITAH Micro-Research Approach to HIV Training in Uganda.

Purpose: To evaluate the perceptions of undergraduates and mentors on the appropriateness, acceptability, and feasibility of a mentored seed-grant (micro-research) by Health Professions Education Partnership Initiative - Transforming Ugandan Institutions Training Against HIV/AIDS (HEPI-TUITAH) program on HIV training in Uganda.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive qualitative study with focus groups, on HIV micro-research training, with undergraduate health professions students and faculty mentors across three partner institutions in rural Uganda.

Results: A total of 24 students and 13 mentors (5-8 per group) took part in the focus group discussions.

Lay Health Workers in Community-Based Care and Management of Dementia: A Qualitative 'Pre' and 'Post' Intervention Study in Southwestern Uganda.

Background: The global need for efficient and cost-effective use of healthcare resources in low-income countries has led to the introduction of lay health workers (LHWs) as a link of the community to healthcare services. As such, the LHWs perform a variety of tasks such as education, support for care delivery, and social support across all disease types. However, little is known about their ability to support dementia care and management in the community.

Mbarara University Research Training Initiative: Experiences and Accomplishments of the MEPI Junior D43 TW010128 Award in Uganda.

Objective: In 2015, Mbarara University of Science and Technology was awarded the Mbarara University Research Training Initiative (MURTI) under grant number D43 TW010128 to build capacity of junior faculty to become the next generation of researchers in Africa. In this paper, we document the experiences and achievements of the research capacity building efforts at MUST.

Methods: We conducted a descriptive evaluation study which involved document review and in-depth interviews.

Adherence to clinical guidelines in integration of mental health services into primary health care in Mbarara, southwestern Uganda: a medical records review.

Background: The Ugandan Ministry of Health decentralized mental healthcare to the district level; developed the Uganda Clinical Guidelines (UCG); and trained primary health care (PHC) providers in identification, management, and referral of individuals with common mental disorders. This was intended to promote integration of mental health services into PHC in the country. 'Common mental disorders' here refers to mental, neurological and substance use conditions as indicated in the UCG.

Caring for people with dementia in rural Uganda: qualitative study of caregiving burden experienced by informal and formal caregivers.

Background: The rising incidence of Alzheimer's disease among older-age adults worldwide has been accompanied by an increase in caregiving burden. Limited work has examined the lived experiences of both formal and informal caregivers of people living with dementia in low-income countries.

Methods: We conducted one-on-one, in-depth qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of 10 informal caregivers and 5 formal caregivers of people living with dementia in Mbarara, Uganda.

Caregiving burden and mental health problems among family caregivers of people with dementia in rural Uganda.

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are associated with increasing health burden in low- and middle-income countries. Less well-recognized is the potential health burden experienced by other affected individuals, such as family caregivers. In this study, we sought to profile the burden of care and its association with symptoms of depression and anxiety among informal caregivers of people living with dementia in rural southwestern Uganda.

Exploring pathways to Hospital Care for Patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in rural South Western Uganda.

Background: In order to analyze use of health services and identify sources of delays in accessing the right care for patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD), understanding of care seeking pathways is needed. The objectives of this study were: (i) to explore pathways to hospital care for patients with AD/ADRD and (ii) to describe challenges experienced by the patients and their families while seeking health care.

Methods: Using purposive sampling, 30-in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted among caregivers of older adults diagnosed with dementia from rural Southwestern, Uganda.

Informal support for people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in rural Uganda: a qualitative study.

Background: The generation of people getting older has become a public health concern worldwide. People aged 65 and above are the most at risk for Alzheimer's disease which is associated with physical and behavioral changes. This nurtures informal support needs for people living with dementia where their families together with other community members are the core providers of day to day care for them in the rural setting.