Patterns and predictors of mortality in the first 24 hours of admission among children aged 1-59 months admitted at a Regional Referral Hospital in South Western Uganda.

Most deaths among children under 5 years occur within the first 24 hours of hospital admission from preventable causes such as diarrhea, pneumonia, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. The predictors of these deaths are not yet well documented in our setting. This study aimed to describe the patterns and predictors of these mortalities among children aged 1-59 months at a regional hospital in South Western Uganda.

Psychological distress among healthcare professionals in Mbarara, following the 2022 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Uganda: a mixed methods study.

Background: The 2022 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak occurred at a time when Uganda was still battling the social and psychological challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; placing health care professionals (HCPs) at a much higher risk of developing psychological distress. Psychological distress among HCPs can cause decreased workplace productivity and ineffective management of their patients. The current study aimed to investigate and understand psychological distress among HCPS in Mbarara city in Southwestern Uganda following the 2022 EVD outbreak.

Peer Learning and Mentorship for Neonatal Management Skills: A Cluster-Randomized Trial.

Background: Clinical knowledge and skills acquired during training programs like Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) and Essential Care for Every Baby (ECEB) decay within weeks or months. We assessed the effect of a peer learning intervention paired with mentorship on retention of HBB and ECEB skills, knowledge, and teamwork in 5 districts of Uganda.

Methods: We randomized participants from 36 Ugandan health centers to control and intervention arms.

Feasibility of an Interprofessional, Simulation-Based Curriculum to Improve Teamwork Skills, Clinical Skills, and Knowledge of Undergraduate Medical and Nursing Students in Uganda: A Cohort Study.

Introduction: Many deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa are preventable with provision of skilled healthcare. Unfortunately, skills decay after training. We determined the feasibility of implementing an interprofessional (IP) simulation-based educational curriculum in Uganda and evaluated the possible impact of this curriculum on teamwork, clinical skills (CSs), and knowledge among undergraduate medical and nursing students.

Stakeholder perceptions about the establishment of medical simulation-based learning at a university in a low resource setting: a qualitative study in Uganda.

Background: Simulation based learning (SBL) is a technique where teachers recreate "real life" clinical experiences for health care teams for purposes of gaining clinical skills in a safe environment. There is evidence that SBL is superior to the traditional clinical teaching methods for acquisition of clinical skills. Although it is well established in resource rich settings, there is limited experience in resource limited settings and there is uncertainty regarding how SBL will be perceived among the stakeholders in medical education.

Sim for Life: Foundations-A Simulation Educator Training Course to Improve Debriefing Quality in a Low Resource Setting: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: Despite the importance of debriefing, little is known about the effectiveness of training programs designed to teach debriefing skills. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a faculty development program for new simulation educators at Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda, Africa.

Methods: Healthcare professionals were recruited to attend a 2-day simulation educator faculty development course (Sim for Life: Foundations), covering principles of scenario design, scenario execution, prebriefing, and debriefing.