Enablers of and barriers to ART adherence among female sex workers in mid-western Uganda: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Female sex workers (FSWs) in Uganda experience numerous barriers to antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. We used the planned behavior theory to help explore the enablers and barriers to ART adherence among FSWs. Understanding the barriers to ART adherence may help contribute to the development of interventions to improve ART adherence among the FSWs.

Long-acting injectable antiretroviral treatment: experiences of people with HIV and their healthcare providers in Uganda.

Introduction: Long-acting injectable antiretroviral treatment (LAI-ART) has emerged as a novel alternative to the burden of daily oral pills. The bi-monthly intramuscular injectable containing cabotegravir and rilpivirine holds the promise of improving adherence to ART. The perspectives of potential users of LAI-ART, the majority of whom reside in Eastern and Southern Africa, are still largely unexplored.

Patient characteristics and predictors of mortality among children hospitalised with tuberculosis: A six-year case series study in Uganda.

Background: The high case-fatality rates among children with tuberculosis (TB) are reportedly driven by in-hospital mortality and severe forms of TB. Therefore, there is need to better understand the predictors of mortality among children hospitalised with TB. We examined the patient clinical profiles, length of hospital stay from date of admission to date of final admission outcome, and predictors of mortality among children hospitalised with TB at two tertiary hospitals in Uganda.

Prevalence of burnout among healthcare professionals: a survey at fort portal regional referral hospital.

The work environment in most hospitals is characterised by activities that are strenuous both physically and mentally. These can result in physical and mental exhaustion, which can lead to burnout if not adequately addressed. Burnout among healthcare professionals can negatively affect their clinical decision-making, quality of communication with patients and colleagues as well as their ability to cope with work-related pressure, and ultimately affect the quality of care and patient outcomes.

Prevalence and Outpatient Clinical Diagnostic Approaches for Common Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Children Under Five Years of Age: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Acute respiratory tract infections are among the leading causes of child morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the diagnosis of acute respiratory tract infections requires simple outpatient medical techniques and care, it is still misdiagnosed among primary care physicians, leading to delayed treatment and increased mortality. This study described the prevalence of common acute respiratory tract infections and simple techniques that effectively detect and diagnose children presenting with acute respiratory symptoms to primary healthcare physicians in remote settings.

Pediatric Emergency Surgery Course in Uganda: Long-Term Follow-Up and Insights From Further Dissemination.

Introduction: Approximately 170 pediatric surgeons are needed for the 24 million children in Uganda. There are only seven. Consequently, general surgeons manage many pediatric surgical conditions.

The Pediatric Emergency Surgery Course: Impact on Provider Practice in Rural Uganda.

Purpose: The Pediatric Emergency Surgery Course (PESC) trains rural Ugandan providers to recognize and manage critical pediatric surgical conditions. 45 providers took PESC between 2018 and 2019. We sought to assess the impact of the course at three regional hospitals: Fort Portal, Kabale, and Kiwoko.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Syphilis among Mothers with Missed Opportunities for Antenatal Syphilis Testing in Rural Western Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Early prenatal syphilis testing and treatment are essential preventative measures for maternal syphilis and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes of pregnancy; however, data shows that two-thirds of all cases are missed among women who visit prenatal care center at least once but are not tested for syphilis. This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with syphilis infection among mothers with missed opportunities for antenatal syphilis testing in rural western Uganda delivered at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital (FRRH).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was done during the period from April 2022 to June 2022.

Delayed access to essential surgical care in Uganda: A tertiary multi-center study.

Background: Surgery has been largely neglected within global public health despite growing evidence that the overall burden of disease requiring surgical intervention is rapidly growing and affordable access to surgical care can avert many deaths and disabilities. This study assessed the factors influencing delayed access to essential surgical care in Uganda.

Methods: A descriptive multi-center cross-sectional survey was carried out in three hospitals designated for major surgeries in Uganda from December 2019 to December 2021 across three regions of the country in a prospective manner.

Predictors of mortality in Ugandan children with TB, 2016-2021.

The burden of pediatric TB is high in Uganda. Our objective was to evaluate predictors of mortality during TB treatment among children at an urban and a rural referral hospital. We designed a historical cohort study of TB cases at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala; and Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Fort Portal, Uganda, in children aged <15 years from 2016 to 2021.

Thirty-Day Outcomes of Young and Middle-Aged Adults Admitted with Severe COVID-19 in Uganda: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: There is scarcity of data regarding young and middle-aged adults hospitalized with severe Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Africa. In this study, we describe the clinical characteristics and 30-day survival among adults aged 18 to 49 years admitted with severe COVID-19 in Uganda.

Methods: We reviewed treatment records of patients admitted with severe COVID-19 across five COVID-19 treatment units (CTU) in Uganda.

Transverse colon volvulus presenting as bowel obstruction, atelectasis, and displacement of the right lobe of the liver into the left upper abdominal quadrant: a case report.

Background: Transverse colon volvulus is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction. It is a surgical emergency that can lead to bowel infarction, peritonitis, and death.

Case Presentation: We report a case of transverse colon volvulus in a 35-year-old Congolese immigrant man who had a rare presentation with features of intestinal obstruction associated with right lung collapse and left mediastinal shift.

Sickle Cell Disease in Children and Adolescents: A Review of the Historical, Clinical, and Public Health Perspective of Sub-Saharan Africa and Beyond.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an umbrella term for a group of life-long debilitating autosomal recessive disorders that are caused by a single-point mutation (Glu→Val) that results in polymerization of hemoglobin (Hb) and reversible sickle-shape deformation of erythrocytes. This leads to increased hemolysis of erythrocytes and microvascular occlusion, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and tissue infarction, ultimately causing multisystem end-organ complications. Sickle cell anemia (HbSS) is the most common and most severe genotype of SCD, followed by HbSC, HbS thalassemia, HbS+thalassemia, and rare and benign genotypes.

Patient experiences of sexual dysfunction after transition to dolutegravir-based HIV treatment in mid-Western Uganda: a qualitative study.

Background: The literature on dolutegravir (DTG)-based HIV treatment has focused on assessing therapeutic efficacy particularly with regard to viral load suppression. However, little empirical attention has been devoted to understanding the effects of DTG on quality of life, in particular sexual health and functioning in PLHIV. This study focused on understanding patient experiences of sexual dysfunction, after transition to DTG-based regimens in Rwenzori region in Mid-Western Uganda.

Early detection and intervention for young children with early developmental disabilities in Western Uganda: a mixed-methods evaluation.

Background: Early support for children with developmental disabilities is crucial but frequently unavailable in low-resource settings. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a programme of early detection and intervention for young children with developmental disabilities in Western Uganda.

Methods: Early child development training for healthcare workers (HCWs) was implemented in three rural districts, and attendance was tracked.

Antibiotic resistance profiles and population structure of disease-associated infecting patients in Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Western Uganda.

Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is particularly challenging in low-resource settings such as Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital (FPRRH) in Western Uganda. Specific knowledge of local AMR epidemiology is required to inform evidence-based improvement of antibiotic stewardship measures in the hospital. To address this, we combined existing antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) from FPRRH, with whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 41 isolates (2017-2019).

Socio-economic factors associated with mental health disorders in Fort Portal, western Uganda.

Background: Mental health disorders, which are interlinked with social issues such as poverty and stigma, present a significant burden in Uganda.

Aim: This article explores perceptions about and experiences of mental health disorders in western Uganda, particularly as they pertain to the socio-economic context.

Setting: The research was conducted in the mental health unit at the Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Kabarole District, Uganda.

The Joint Mobile Emerging Disease Clinical Capability (JMEDICC) laboratory approach: Capabilities for high-consequence pathogen clinical research.

Following the 2013-2016 Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, numerous groups advocated for the importance of executing clinical trials in outbreak settings. The difficulties associated with obtaining reliable data to support regulatory approval of investigational vaccines and therapeutics during that outbreak were a disappointment on a research and product development level, as well as on a humanitarian level. In response to lessons learned from the outbreak, the United States Department of Defense established a multi-institute project called the Joint Mobile Emerging Disease Intervention Clinical Capability (JMEDICC).

Healthcare delivery for paediatric and adolescent diabetes in low resource settings: Type 1 diabetes clinics in Uganda.

The management of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) includes setting up organised follow-up clinics. A programme for establishing such clinics in Uganda commenced in 2009. The clinics were established along the chronic care model and were integrated into the health structure of other chronic diseases.

Indications and appropriateness of caesarean sections performed in a tertiary referral centre in Uganda: a retrospective descriptive study.

Introduction: The WHO has identified an ideal caesarean section rate for a nation of 10-15%, but much higher rates are seen in tertiary referral centres in resource-poor countries. Interventions by the author to improve care and reduced unnecessary caesareans were undertaken including staff education and production of clinical guidelines. This study aimed to identify indications for caesareans and whether the decision to perform caesareans was appropriate in order to improve care, and whether the above interventions had an impact on this process.

Posterior uterine rupture secondary to use of herbs leading to peritonitis and maternal death in a primigravida following vaginal delivery of a live baby in western Uganda: a case report.

Uterine rupture is a potentially avoidable complication resulting in poor perinatal and maternal outcomes. This case had a number of unusual features including delivery of a healthy live baby; spontaneous posterior uterine rupture in a primigravida (and unscarred uterus); and delayed presentation with signs of peritonitis and sepsis rather than haemorrhage. A 19-year old primigravida had a vaginal delivery of a live infant at term, reporting having taken herbs to induce labour.

Extent of Use of Aloe vera Locally Extracted Products for Management of Ailments in Communities of Kitagata Sub-county in Sheema District, Western Uganda.

is widely used locally in communities in Uganda as a medicinal plant. It is said to contain various nutrient substances and vitamins that have curative properties. It is said to heal a variety of diseases in various communities.