Treatment success and mortality among people with multi-drug resistant and rifampicin resistant-tuberculosis on bedaquiline-based regimen at three referral hospitals in Uganda: A retrospective analysis.

Introduction: In Uganda, people with multi-drug resistant and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) have been treated with a bedaquiline-based regimen since 2020. Still, their treatment outcomes have not been rigorously studied. We describe the treatment outcomes of people with MDR/RR-TB treated with a bedaquiline-based regimen and analyze the factors associated with their treatment success at three referral hospitals in Uganda.

Quality of newborn care and associated factors: An analysis of the 2022 Kenya demographic and health survey.

Kenya one of the African countries has pledged to reduce neonatal death as per the 2030 World Health Organization target. Providing high-quality newborn care is critical in minimizing neonatal mortality. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the quality of newborn care in Kenya.

Iatrogenic Female Genitourinary Fistula in Uganda: Etiology, Twelve-Year Trends, and Risk Factors for Development Following Cesarean Section.

Purpose: To describe the magnitude and trend of the iatrogenic genitourinary fistula in Uganda, and the risk factors for development following the Cesarean Section (CS).

Methods: A retrospective review of charts of women with a confirmed diagnosis of genitourinary fistula at four regional fistula repair sites in Uganda between 2010 and 2021 was conducted. A fistula was classified as iatrogenic if it was; ureteric, vesico-cervical, vesico-uterine, or vaginal vault fistula that followed an obstetric or gynecological surgery.

Determinants of quality antenatal care use in Kenya: Insights from the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey.

Provision of quality antenatal care (ANC) is important to reduce maternal and newborn fatalities worldwide. However, the use of quality ANC by women of reproductive age and associated factors remain unclear in many developing countries. Therefore, this study aimed to determine factors associated with receiving quality ANC in Kenya among women of reproductive age.

Characteristics of paediatric injuries as predictors of 24-hour disposition from the Emergency Department of a teaching hospital in Southwestern Uganda.

Background: Paediatric injuries are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to characterize paediatric injuries as predictors of disposition from Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital Emergency Department (ED) Southwestern Uganda.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study done from 12th December 2022 to 31st March 2023.

Transition to dolutegravir-based ART in 35 low- and middle-income countries: a global survey of HIV care clinics.

Objective: We studied the transition to dolutegravir-containing antiretroviral therapy (ART) at HIV treatment clinics within the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA).

Design: Site-level survey conducted in 2020-2021 among HIV clinics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods: We assessed the status of dolutegravir rollout and viral load and drug resistance testing practices for persons on ART switching to dolutegravir-based regimens.

Effects of Alcohol Use on Patient Retention in HIV Care in East Africa.

We sought to investigate the association between hazardous alcohol use and gaps in care for people living with HIV over a long-term follow-up period. Adults who had participated in our previously published Phase I study of hazardous alcohol use at HIV programs in Kenya and Uganda were eligible at their 42 to 48 month follow-up visit. Those who re-enrolled were followed for an additional ~ 12 months.

Provider perceptions of young people living with HIV and unhealthy alcohol use in Southwestern Uganda: a qualitative study.

Background: Unhealthy alcohol use is a common public health problem in HIV care settings in Africa and it affects the HIV continuum of care. In Uganda and other low-income countries, HIV care providers are a key resource in caring for young people (15-24 years) living with HIV (YPLH) with unhealthy alcohol use. Caring for YPLH largely depends on care providers' perceptions of the problem.

Clinical profiles, incidence and predictors of early neonatal mortality at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, south-western Uganda.

Background: The current neonatal mortality rate in Uganda is high at 22 deaths per 1000 live births, while it had been stagnant at 27 deaths per 1000 live births in the past decade. This is still more than double the World Health Organization target of < 12 deaths per 1,000 live births. Three-quarters of new born deaths occur within the first week of life, which is a very vulnerable period and the causes reflect the quality of obstetric and neonatal care.

Association between dyslipidemia and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: A case-control study in south-western Uganda.

Background: Altered lipid levels may be associated with the development of a number of malignancies, including cancer of the cervix. However, there is limited understanding of this relationship in the rural Ugandan context.

Objective: We investigated the connection between dyslipidaemias and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) among women attending the cervical cancer clinic at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in south-western Uganda.

The epidemiology and risk factors for postnatal complications among postpartum women and newborns in southwestern Uganda: A prospective cohort study.

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for two-thirds of the global burden of maternal and newborn deaths. Adverse outcomes among postpartum women and newborns occurring in the first six weeks of life are often related, though data co-examining patients are limited. This study is an exploratory analysis describing the epidemiology of postnatal complications among postpartum women and newborns following facility birth and discharge in Mbarara, Uganda.

Early contraceptive implant removal and associated factors among women attending public family planning clinics, Mbarara City, Southwestern Uganda: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Early implant removal not only results in method wastage and strains healthcare resources but also exposes women to the risk of unplanned pregnancies and associated complications if an alternative contraceptive is not promptly adopted. Studies have demonstrated that prevalence and factors associated with contraceptive use vary across different cultures and regions even within Uganda. We determined the prevalence and associated factors of early implant removal, among women attending public family planning clinics in Mbarara City, southwestern Uganda.

Effectiveness of Jena DM® Herbal Formulation as Complementary Therapy to Conventional Oral Hypoglycemic Agents in Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Quasi-experimental Study.

Background: There is vast preclinical evidence that indicates that extracts from several Artemisia plant species have significant antidiabetic benefits. However, clinical evidence is limited to this effect.

Objective:  We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of   (an -based poly-herbal formulation) on glycemic control (Hb A1C) and insulin metabolism (HOMA), when administered as a complementary therapy in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Incidence of and Risk Factors for Post-Operative Urinary Retention Following Surgery for Perineal Tears Among Ugandan Women: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Introduction And Hypothesis: We aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for post-operative urinary retention (POUR) following surgery for perineal tears, and to determine the time to normal voiding after POUR.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of women who underwent surgery for old (≥ 3 months) obstetric perineal tears from January 2022 to December 2023. The diagnosis of POUR was made in a woman who completely failed to void despite a full bladder or, one who had post-void residual (PVR) > 150 ml within 10 min of voiding.

Providers and women's perspectives on opportunities, challenges and recommendations to improve cervical cancer screening in women living with HIV at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital: a qualitative study.

Background: Cervical cancer screening uptake remains low despite being a critical prevention method for adult women living with HIV(WLHIV). These women experience greater incidence and persistence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and severe outcomes, including cervical cancer comorbidity and death.

Objective: We explored the opportunities, challenges, and recommendations of clinical care providers and WLHIV to improve cervical cancer screening uptake among WLHIV in Southwestern Uganda.

Strategies for isoniazid preventive therapy in HIV-positive patients who consume alcohol.

WHO guidance to defer isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) among those with regular alcohol use because of hepatotoxicity concerns may exclude many people living with HIV (PLWH) at high TB risk in these settings.To evaluate hepatotoxicity during TB preventive therapy (TPT) in PLWH who report alcohol use in Uganda over 10 years.We developed a Markov model of latent TB infection, isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT - a type of TPT), and TB disease using data from the Alcohol Drinkers' Exposure to Preventive Therapy for TB (ADEPTT) study.

Respiratory support with standard low-flow oxygen therapy, high-flow oxygen therapy or continuous positive airway pressure in adults with acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure in a resource-limited setting: protocol for a randomised, open-label, clinical trial - the Acute Respiratory Intervention StudiEs in Africa (ARISE-AFRICA) study.

Rationale: Acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure (AHRF) is associated with high mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. This is at least in part due to critical care-related resource constraints including limited access to invasive mechanical ventilation and/or highly skilled acute care workers. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and high-flow oxygen by nasal cannula (HFNC) may prove useful to reduce intubation, and therefore, improve survival outcomes among critically ill patients, particularly in resource-limited settings, but data in such settings are lacking.

The feasibility, appropriateness, and usability of mobile neuro clinics in addressing the neurosurgical and neurological demand in Uganda.

Introduction: Uganda has a high demand for neurosurgical and neurological care. 78% of the over 50 million population reside in rural and remote communities where access to neurosurgical and neurological services is lacking. This study aimed to determine the feasibility, appropriateness, and usability of mobile neuro clinics (MNCs) in providing neurological care to rural and remote Ugandan populations.

Understanding the Burden of Pediatric Traumatic Injury in Uganda: A Multicenter, Prospective Study.

Introduction: Traumatic injury is responsible for eight million childhood deaths annually. In Uganda, there is a paucity of comprehensive data describing the burden of pediatric trauma, which is essential for resource allocation and surgical workforce planning. This study aimed to ascertain the burden of non-adolescent pediatric trauma across four Ugandan hospitals.

Cost-effectiveness of village health worker-led integrated community case management (iCCM) versus health facility based management for childhood illnesses in rural southwestern Uganda.

Background: In Uganda, village health workers (VHWs) manage childhood illness under the integrated community case management (iCCM) strategy. Care is provided for malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea in a community setting. Currently, there is limited evidence on the cost-effectiveness of iCCM in comparison to health facility-based management for childhood illnesses.

Exploring the feasibility of pupillometry training and perceptions of potential use for intracranial pressure monitoring in Uganda: A mixed methods study.

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) accounts for the majority of Uganda's neurosurgical disease burden; however, invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is infrequently used. Noninvasive monitoring could change the care of patients in such a setting through quick detection of elevated ICP.

Purpose: Given the novelty of pupillometry in Uganda, this mixed methods study assessed the feasibility of pupillometry for noninvasive ICP monitoring for patients with TBI.