Effect of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on trends of pneumococcal meningitis in children under five years, Uganda, 2003-2022.

Background: Pneumococcal meningitis, a vaccine-preventable disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) is the leading bacterial meningitis in under five children. In April 2014, Uganda introduced routine immunization with 10-valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV10) for infants. The target coverage for herd immunity is ≥ 90% with three doses (PCV10-dose 3).

Managing hypertension in rural Uganda: Realities and strategies 10 years of experience at a district hospital chronic disease clinic.

The literature on the global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) contrasts a spiraling epidemic centered in low-income countries with low levels of awareness, risk factor control, infrastructure, personnel and funding. There are few data-based reports of broad and interconnected strategies to address these challenges where they hit hardest. Kisoro district in Southwest Uganda is rural, remote, over-populated and poor, the majority of its population working as subsistence farmers.

Identifying and Reengaging Patients Lost to Follow-Up in Rural Africa: The "Horizontal" Hospital-Based Approach in Uganda.

Among the many challenges facing health systems grappling with the explosive growth of chronic disease in Africa are continuity of care, particularly in poor, rural areas. We report the strategy, field experience, and results of an ongoing 6-year follow-up program operating in a rural district hospital in Kisoro, Uganda, that attempts to locate and reengage patients lost to follow-up (LTFU) from communities that are largely without phones, addresses, or paved roads. The program works with diverse hospital clinics, including chronic diseases, HIV, tuberculosis (TB), nutrition, and women's health, to identify patients who have not returned to care, employing a modest staff who spend about 20 days monthly making outreach visits by motorcycle in search of approximately 130 patients.

Evaluation of care access and hypertension control in a community health worker driven non-communicable disease programme in rural Uganda: the chronic disease in the community project.

The burden of non-communicable diseases continues to grow throughout the developing world. Health systems in low- and middle-income regions face significant human resource shortages, which limit the ability to meet the growing need for non-communicable disease care. Specially trained community health workers may be useful in filling that provider gap.

Cash Transfers to Increase Antenatal Care Utilization in Kisoro, Uganda: A Pilot Study.

The World Health Organization recommends four antenatal visits for pregnant women in developing countries. Cash transfers have been used to incentivize participation in health services. We examined whether modest cash transfers for participation in antenatal care would increase antenatal care attendance and delivery in a health facility in Kisoro, Uganda.

Feasibility and cost of a medical student proxy-based mobile teledermatology consult service with Kisoro, Uganda, and Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.

Background: The expansion of mobile technology and coverage has unveiled new means for delivering medical care to isolated and resource-poor communities. Teledermatology, or dermatology consultation from a distance using technology, is gaining greater acceptance among physicians and patients.

Objectives: To evaluate feasibility and cost of a smartphone-based teledermatology consult service utilizing a designated medical student proxy to facilitate all consults on site, and to evaluate the service's effect upon diagnosis and management.

A process evaluation of performance-based incentives for village health workers in Kisoro district, Uganda.

Background: Designing effective incentive systems for village health workers (VHWs) represents a longstanding policy issue with substantial impact on the success and sustainability of VHW programs. Using performance-based incentives (PBI) for VHWs is an approach that has been proposed and implemented in some programs, but has not received adequate review and evaluation in the peer-reviewed literature. We conducted a process evaluation examining the use of PBI for VHWs in Kisoro, Uganda.

Crude tonsillectomy and local concepts of illness in Kisoro, Uganda: community perception of gapfura and its treatment.

The practice of crude tonsillectomy (CT), performed by traditional healers for a locally defined illness known as gapfura, has become increasingly common in south-western Uganda. This study describes perceptions of gapfura and examines the intersection of locally defined and biomedical illness. Kisoro District Hospital (KDH) staff (n=55) were surveyed, with 95% reporting that CT caused death, and 60% estimating that recipients died as a result of the procedure.

A 5-day educational program for teaching cervical cancer screening using visual inspection with acetic acid in low-resource settings.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of an educational program in visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical cancer screening among healthcare providers in 2 low-resource countries.

Methods: A cohort of multidisciplinary healthcare workers in Uganda and El Salvador were recruited to the study. A pretest was administered before the intervention of a 5-day educational program on VIA.