"I Haven't Told Other People. I Want to Keep My Dignity": HIV Related Stigma Among the Elderly in Uganda.

Purpose: Numerous studies focus on stigma, HIV disclosure's impact on treatment compliance, especially in younger groups. Limited research exists about older individuals. We therefore explored issues related to disclosure of HIV status and HIV-related stigma in the elderly.

The social, cultural, and health context of controlling behavior and emotional intimate partner violence among adolescent girls and young women living with human immunodeficiency virus in Uganda: A qualitative study.

Background: Many adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) report intimate partner violence (IPV), including emotional IPV and controlling behavior. Yet, few studies have examined the association between these forms of IPV and health outcomes among AGYW living with HIV.

Objectives: We conducted an exploratory qualitative study to understand the contexts in which controlling behavior and emotional IPV might impact the health of AGYW living with HIV in Uganda.

"I was also trying to protect myself and save my life," experiences of people living with severe mental illness and their caregivers regarding COVID-19 response in Uganda.

Introduction: People with severe mental illness (SMI) are highly vulnerable and more affected by epidemics than the general population. They encounter limited access to care, miss out on infection prevention measures and are more prone to relapses.

Objectives: This study explored the experiences of individuals with SMI and their caregivers in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effects of M-DEPTH Model of Depression Care on Maternal Functioning and Infant Developmental Outcomes in the Six Months Post Delivery: Results from a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Perinatal depression has been shown to have deleterious effects on maternal post-partum functioning, as well as early child development. However, few studies have documented whether depression care helps to mitigate these effects. We examined the effects of the M-DEPTH (Maternal Depression Treatment in HIV) depression care model (including antidepressants and individual Problem Solving Therapy) on maternal functioning and infant development in the first 6 months post-delivery in an ongoing cluster randomized controlled trial of 391 HIV-infected women with at least mild depressive symptoms enrolled across eight antenatal care clinics in Uganda.

Psychological distress among family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in Uganda.

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) present growing global health challenges, especially in aging populations, such as Uganda. In Uganda, familial caregiving, predominantly undertaken by female relatives, is the primary form of support provided to patients with ADRD. Cultural stigma around dementia and limited access to support services amplify caregivers' challenges.

Stakeholder views on continuing professional development for doctors working in public primary care facilities in central Uganda: a qualitative study.

Introduction: the primary care workforce in the public sector of Uganda is under the district health system. The doctors in this workforce provide leadership and frontline promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care. Their numbers are still low and therefore need effective support through continuing professional development (CPD).

Psychological Distress among family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Uganda.

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) present growing global health challenges, especially in aging populations such as Uganda. In Uganda, familial caregiving, predominantly undertaken by female relatives, is the primary form of support for patients with ADRD. Cultural stigma around dementia and limited access to support services amplify caregivers' challenges.

Reflections of ageing among older adults in a Ugandan community: A qualitative analysis into the benefits and pains of ageing.

Background: The way societies comprehend and interpret aging has been in constant flux, mainly as life expectancy benchmarks increase and worldwide dynamics transform. Similar to many other nations, Uganda is experiencing this demographic shift. People aged 60 and above, who form a mere 2.

Continuing professional development training needs for primary care doctors in central Uganda.

Background: Continuing professional development (CPD) activities relevant to medical doctors and their patients should be informed by current assessed training needs. The CPD provision is expected to improve the quality of professional practice and ethics. However, the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners' Council still receives about 40 reports of malpractice every month.

A multilevel health system intervention for virological suppression in adolescents and young adults living with HIV in rural Kenya and Uganda (SEARCH-Youth): a cluster randomised trial.

Background: Social and cognitive developmental events can disrupt care and medication adherence among adolescents and young adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. We hypothesised that a dynamic multilevel health system intervention helping adolescents and young adults and their providers navigate life-stage related events would increase virological suppression compared with standard care.

Methods: We did a cluster randomised, open-label trial of young individuals aged 15-24 years with HIV and receiving care in eligible clinics (operated by the government and with ≥25 young people receiving care) in rural Kenya and Uganda.

Treatment of Perinatal Depression and Correlates of Treatment Response Among Pregnant Women Living with HIV in Uganda.

Introduction: Perinatal depression is common among women living with HIV, but depression care is limited in low-resource settings. We examined (1) characteristics of women receiving Problem Solving Therapy (PST) versus antidepressant therapy (ADT), (2) treatment response by modality, and (3) correlates of treatment response.

Methods: This analysis used data from 191 Ugandan women in the intervention arm of a cluster randomized controlled trial of task-shifted, stepped-care depression treatment for pregnant women living with HIV (PWLWH).

Effects of M-DEPTH Model of Depression Care on Maternal HIV Viral Suppression and Adherence to the PMTCT Care Continuum Among HIV-Infected Pregnant Women in Uganda: Results from a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial at Pregnancy Completion.

Perinatal depression has been shown to impede adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) care continuum; therefore, treating perinatal depression may result in increased viral suppression and PMTCT adherence. We examined the effects of the M-DEPTH (Maternal Depression Treatment in HIV) depression care model (including antidepressants and individual Problem Solving Therapy) on depression, maternal viral suppression and adherence to PMTCT care processes in an ongoing cluster-randomized controlled trial of 391 HIV-infected pregnant women (200 usual care; 191 intervention) with at least mild depressive symptoms enrolled across 8 antenatal care clinics in Uganda. At baseline, 68.

"I decided in my heart I have to complete the sessions": A qualitative study on the acceptability of an evidence-based HIV risk reduction intervention among women engaged in sex work in Uganda.

Background: The HIV burden remains a critical public health concern and women engaged in sex work [WESW] are at significantly higher risk compared to the general adult population. Similar to other sub-Saharan African countries, Uganda reports high rates of HIV prevalence among WESW. Yet, they have not been targeted by theory-informed HIV prevention intervention approaches.

Experiences and practices of key research team members in obtaining informed consent for pharmacogenetic research among people living with HIV: a qualitative study.

This study aimed to explore experiences and practices of key research team members in obtaining informed consent for pharmacogenetics research and to identify the approaches used for enhancing understanding during the consenting process. Data collection involved 15 qualitative, in-depth interviews with key researchers who were involved in obtaining informed consent from HIV infected individuals in Uganda for participation in pharmacogenetic clinical trials. The study explored two prominent themes: approaches used to convey information and enhance research participants' understanding and challenges faced during the consenting process.

Contraceptive acceptability and associated factors among young women (15-24) living with HIV/AIDS: a hospital-based study in Kampala, Uganda.

Introduction: In Uganda, over 43% of all pregnancies among young women (15-24 years) living with HIV are either unwanted or mistimed. Unintended pregnancies account for 21.3% of neonatal HIV infections.

Advancing scalability and impacts of a teacher training program for promoting child mental health in Ugandan primary schools: protocol for a hybrid-type II effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized trial.

Background: Children in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) are facing tremendous mental health challenges. Numerous evidence-based interventions (EBIs) have been adapted to LMICs and shown effectiveness in addressing the needs, but most EBIs have not been adopted widely using scalable and sustainable implementation models that leverage and strengthen existing structures. There is a need to apply implementation science methodology to study strategies to effectively scale-up EBIs and sustain the practices in LMICs.

"I expected little, although I learned a lot": perceived benefits of participating in HIV risk reduction sessions among women engaged in sex work in Uganda.

Background: The global HIV burden remains a public health concern. Women engaged in sex work (WESW) are at higher risk of acquiring HIV compared to the general adult population. Uganda reports high rates of HIV prevalence among WESW.

The Africa Ethics Working Group (AEWG): a model of collaboration for psychiatric genomic research in Africa.

The Africa Ethics Working Group (AEWG) is a South-South-North collaboration of bioethics and mental health researchers from sub-Saharan Africa, working to tackle emerging ethical challenges in global mental health research. Initially formed to provide ethical guidance for a neuro-psychiatric genomics research project, AEWG has evolved to address cross cutting ethical issues in mental health research aimed at addressing equity in North-South collaborations. Global South refers to economically developing countries (sub-Saharan Africa in this context) and Global North to economically developed countries (primarily Europe, UK and North America).

"What are you carrying?" Experiences of mothers with preterm babies in low-resource setting neonatal intensive care unit: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Babies born preterm often have challenges in feeding, temperature control and breathing difficulty and are prone to infection during the neonatal period. These usually necessitate admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Admission to NICU disrupts the mother-baby bonding.

Proceedings of an expert workshop on community agreement for gene drive research in Africa - Co-organised by KEMRI, PAMCA and Target Malaria.

Gene drive research is progressing towards future field evaluation of modified mosquitoes for malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa. While many literature sources and guidance point to the inadequacy of individual informed consent for any genetically modified mosquito release, including gene drive ones, (outside of epidemiological studies that might require blood samples) and at the need for a community-level decision, researchers often find themselves with no specific guidance on how that decision should be made, expressed and by whom. Target Malaria, the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the Pan African Mosquito Control Association co-organised a workshop with researchers and practitioners on this topic to question the model proposed by Target Malaria in its research so far that involved the release of genetically modified sterile male mosquitoes and how this could be adapted to future studies involving gene drive mosquito releases for them to offer reflections about potential best practices.

Working with economically vulnerable women engaged in sex work: Collaborating with community stakeholders in Southern Uganda.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03583541.

Mentors' and student nurses' experiences of the clinical competence assessment tool.

Background: The assessment tool for registered comprehensive nursing was introduced in nursing education in Uganda in 2005 with the main purpose of facilitating nurse mentors to easily assess the clinical competency of student nurses. The tool contributes to the formative and summative assessment of students. Despite continued use of the assessment tool over the years, no study has been conducted to explore the perceptions of nurse mentors and students regarding its use.

Use of Technology to Promote Child Behavioral Health in the Context of Pediatric Care: A Scoping Review and Applications to Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

The burden of mental, neurological, and substance (MNS) disorders is greater in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The rapid growth of digital health (i.e.

Consent for mobile phone surveys of non-communicable disease risk factors in low-resource settings: an exploratory qualitative study in Uganda.

Background: Lack of data for timely decision-making around the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) presents special challenges for policy makers, especially in resource-limited settings. New data collection methods, including pre-recorded Interactive Voice Response (IVR) phone surveys, are being developed to support rapid compilation of population-level disease risk factor information in such settings. We aimed to identify information that could be used to optimize consent approaches for future mobile phone surveys (MPS) employed in Uganda and, possibly, similar contexts.