Exploring ethnobotanical remedies: Medicinal plants for snakebite envenoming treatments in the Oued Righ region (Northern Algerian Sahara).

Snakebites present a significant health risk in the Sahara, where access to modern medical facilities is limited, leading local populations to rely on traditional remedies. The medicinal plants used by indigenous communities in the Oued Righ region of the Northern Algerian Sahara are vital for treating envenomation from snakebites. This study provides an ethnobotanical inventory of medicinal plants used by local communities in the Oued Righ region for snakebite treatment and evaluates their therapeutic potential.

The Management of Iatrogenic Ureterovaginal Fistula in a Resource-Limited Setting: A 12-Year Experience at Four Fistula Surgery Centers in Uganda.

Background Ureterovaginal fistulae usually follow iatrogenic injury to the ureter during pelvic surgery. This manifests as urine incontinence and results in serious psychosocial effects on women. Ureterovaginal fistulae unlike vesicovaginal fistulae present challenges in diagnosis and management especially in resource-constrained settings.

Examination of adolescent and youth modern contraceptive users' perceptions on how religion influences contraceptive use and their rationale and circumstances of use: qualitative evidence from Burkina Faso, Kenya and Niger.

While religion is a key determining factor of contraceptive use, few studies examine how religion influences adolescent and youth contraceptive attitudes, beliefs, and use. We use recently collected (August-November 2022) qualitative data from Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Niger among young users of modern contraception who practice Christianity or Islam. In-depth interviews with married and unmarried young women ages 18-24 years were conducted in two sites in each country to obtain a mix of religions and method users.

Predictors of insecticide-treated nets utilization among children under five years in refugee settlements in Uganda: analysis of the 2018-2019 Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey.

Background: Despite significant distribution of insecticide-treated net (ITNs) by the Government of Uganda to refugees, malaria is major cause of mortality and morbidity among children under five years in refugee settlements. This highlights the persistent challenges and complexities surrounding malaria control and prevention efforts in these settings. Studies that focus on the determinants of ITN utilization among children under five years in refugee settlements in Uganda are not available.

Examining the integration of refugees into the national health system in Uganda: an analysis using the policy triangle framework.

Background: Uganda has been confronted with a sustained influx of refugees for decades. This prompted the government to explore opportunities to integrate refugees into local service structures including its national health system. This paper chronicles the history of policies and strategies that have influenced the integration of refugees into the national health system in Uganda and investigates factors that impacted policy evolution and progression.

Beyond the fever: shotgun metagenomic sequencing of stool unveils pathogenic players in HIV-infected children with non-malarial febrile illness.

Background: Non-malarial febrile illnesses (NMFI) pose significant challenges in HIV-infected children, often leading to severe complications and increased morbidity. While traditional diagnostic approaches focus on specific pathogens, shotgun metagenomic sequencing offers a comprehensive tool to explore the microbial landscape underlying NMFI in this vulnerable population ensuring effective management.

Methods: In this study, we employed shotgun metagenomics to analyse stool samples from HIV-infected children at the Baylor Children's Clinic Uganda presenting with non-malarial febrile illness.

Prevalence of epilepsy across 25 sub-counties in three districts of northern Uganda.

Introduction: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions worldwide, with large variation in prevalence across Sub-Saharan Africa countries. Northern Uganda is one of the poorest areas of the country and has seen high density of pigs and prevalence of Taenia solium, a zoonotic tapeworm transmitted which cause neurocysticercosis in humans. The objective of this study was to estimate the population-level prevalence of active epilepsy in 25 sub-counties of northern Uganda.

Community Perspectives on Optimizing Community Health Volunteer Roles for HIV Prevention Services in Kenya and Uganda.

Community health workers (CHWs) play a significant role in supporting health services delivery in communities with few trained health care providers. There has been limited research on ways to optimize the role of CHWs in HIV prevention service delivery. This study explored CHWs' experiences with offering HIV prevention services [HIV testing and HIV pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP)] during three pilot studies in rural communities in Kenya and Uganda, which aimed to increase biomedical HIV prevention coverage via a structured patient-centered HIV prevention delivery model.

West Nile Fever- a looming risk and a call for effective response.

West Nile Virus (WNV) is an arboviral single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. Initial reports of the virus were found in 1937 when the WNV was isolated from a febrile individual from Uganda and later reported from Algeria, West Africa, and the Middle East. Since then, every year cases of WNV infections are emerging and posing a threat to public health.

Phylogenetic and structural characterization of Kentomonas inusitatus n. sp.: Unique insect trypanosomatid of the Strigomonadinae subfamily naturally lacking bacterial endosymbiont.

All insect trypanosomatids of the subfamily Strigomonadinae harbor a proteobacterial symbiont in their cytoplasm and unique ultrastructural cell organization. Here, we report an unexpected finding within the Strigomonadinae subfamily: the identification of a new species lacking bacterial symbiont, represented by two isolates obtained from Calliphoridae flies in Brazil and Uganda. This species is hereby designated as Kentomonas inusitatus n.

Comparative Analysis of Virology and Pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and HIV Infections: Implications for Public Health and Treatment Strategies.

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are significant 21st-century pandemics with distinct virological and clinical characteristics. COVID-19 primarily presents as an acute respiratory illness, while HIV leads to chronic immune suppression. Understanding their differences can enhance public health strategies and treatment approaches.

Patients with advanced cancer in Uganda: Gender, social norms, and family relationship icebergs in the face of terminal illness.

Objectives: Cancer is associated with physical, social, spiritual, and psychological changes in patients and their caregivers. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, there is lack of evidence on the impact of gender, social norms, and relationship dynamics in the face of terminal illness. The aim of this paper is to explore how gender identity, social norms, and power relations are impacted when a person is living in Uganda with advanced cancer.

Socio-economic and demographic determinants of undernutrition among 6-59 months old children living in Malawian stunting hotspots: a cross-sectional community study.

Background: Malnutrition is a global burden, with 171 million under-five children stunted and 45% of child deaths linked to it. Despite high undernutrition such as stunting in Mchinji, Mangochi, and Mzimba, no study has focused on all three hot spots. This study examined socio-economic and demographic determinants of undernutrition among children aged 6-59 months, offering insights to guide targeted interventions in these areas.

Challenges in managing osteogenesis imperfecta in a resource-limited setting: a case report.

Introduction: Osteogenesis imperfecta is a rare inherited connective tissue disorder that results in excessive bone fragility due to defects in collagen production. The majority of osteogenesis imperfecta cases are inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, and 17 genetic causes have been identified. Diagnosis is usually based on clinical presentation and low bone mineral density scores, while treatment involves a multidisciplinary approach using medical therapies such as bisphosphonates, vitamin C, and pamidronate.

Mixed vulnerabilities: the biological risk of high parity is aggravated by emergency referral in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.

Identification of interacting vulnerabilities is essential to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). High parity (≥ 5 previous births) is an underemphasized biological vulnerability linked to poverty and affecting a sizeable proportion of SSA births. Despite increased risk, high parity women rarely use hospitals for childbirth.

Improving diagnostics and surveillance of malaria among displaced people in Africa.

African communities that have been forced to leave their homes experience a considerably greater susceptibility to malaria as a result of densely populated living conditions, restricted availability of healthcare, and environmental influences. Internally displaced individuals frequently live in large settlements with restricted availability to drinking water, essential sanitation, and medical services, intensifying the spread of malaria. As a result, the occurrence of malaria is significantly more common among refugees and internally displaced individuals compared to those who are not displaced.

Emotional and psychological experiences of nursing students caring for dying patients: an explorative study at a national referral hospital in Uganda.

Background: Caring for dying patients is associated with psychological trauma, strong emotions and enormous stress for nursing staff and nursing students who are reliable health care providers in such difficult situations. Nursing students involved in End-of -life care need to work through these emotions during clinical placements. This study explored the lived experiences of nursing students caring for the dying patients at Mulago national referral hospital.

Additive interaction of conjoint tobacco smoking and heavy drinking on hypertension prevalence in rural Uganda: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Background: The prevalence of hypertension is high in Uganda, which places a significant burden on an already strained healthcare system. The behavioural risk factors, such as unhealthy diet, tobacco use, physical inactivity, and heavy drinking, contribute to hypertension development and complications. This study explored the associations of combined tobacco smoking and heavy alcohol consumption with existing hypertension in a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in two rural districts of Uganda.

Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries.

Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists.

Perceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries - the TISP dataset.

Science is integral to society because it can inform individual, government, corporate, and civil society decision-making on issues such as public health, new technologies or climate change. Yet, public distrust and populist sentiment challenge the relationship between science and society. To help researchers analyse the science-society nexus across different geographical and cultural contexts, we undertook a cross-sectional population survey resulting in a dataset of 71,922 participants in 68 countries.

Optimizing emergency response systems in urban health crises: A project management approach to public health preparedness and response.

Effective management of health crises requires public health preparedness and response, especially in urban settings where the complexity and scope of catastrophes provide considerable challenges. The integration of project management frameworks with public health policies is highlighted in this review, which investigates the optimization of emergency response systems using a project management methodology. The adoption of cutting-edge technologies that improve real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and resource allocation such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the Internet of Things (Io-T) is one of the main topics covered.

Relationship of maternal ophthalmic artery Doppler with uterine artery Doppler, hemodynamic indices and gestational age: prospective MATERA study.

Objectives: To examine the relationship of ophthalmic artery (OA) Doppler indices with uterine artery (UtA) Doppler indices, selected maternal hemodynamic parameters and gestational age, and to evaluate the intraobserver reproducibility of OA Doppler indices.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of women recruited between 11 + 0 and 23 + 6 weeks' gestation using a stratified and random sampling approach to ensure adequate distribution across the gestational-age range. OA pulsatility index (PI), first peak systolic velocity (PSV1), second peak systolic velocity (PSV2) and peak systolic velocity ratio (PSV ratio), calculated as PSV2/PSV1, were measured twice in each eye by the same observer.

Climate Change and Malaria: A Call for Robust Analytics.

Mosquito ecology and behavior and malaria parasite development display marked sensitivity to weather, in particular to temperature and precipitation. Therefore, climate change is expected to profoundly affect malaria epidemiology in its transmission, spatiotemporal distribution and consequent disease burden. However, malaria transmission is also complicated by other factors (e.