Makerere University

Conflict Legacies in Wild Edible Plant Use Across Acholi and Lango Communities in Northern Uganda

Wild and semi-wild edible plants (WEPs) are critical sources of nutrition, food security, and biocultural heritage in rural communities globally. This study investigates the diversity, use, and drivers shaping differences in WEP knowledge and diversity between Lango and Acholi co...

Disentangling gender stereotypes and gender inequality in Africa's digital sector

Purpose This paper investigates how gender stereotypes evolve in Africa's digital space and how digital gender inequality can be collaboratively tackled. Design/methodology/approach A two-phase qualitative study was undertaken, involving consultations with 21 experts and intervie...

Incidence of hepatic injury in term asphyxiated neonates admitted in three tertiary hospitals in Uganda: a prospective study

Birth asphyxia constitutes a major concern in the pediatric wards due to related increase in morbidity and mortality. Birth asphyxia related complications such as liver dysfunction, among others are well described in the literature, with the liver being at a high risk due to its...

Health services intervention integrating HTN and HIV care improves long-term blood pressure control among people living with HIV in Uganda

Background Globally, the prevalence of hypertension (HTN) among people with HIV (PWH) has increased dramatically over the last decade. In a cluster randomized trial, we evaluated the effect of a multicomponent intervention model on blood pressure (BP) control among PWH in rural U...

Exploring leadership strategies for telemedicine implementation and remote patient care in Ugandan healthcare clinics

PURPOSE: Telemedicine offers a promising avenue for improving healthcare access in low-resource settings, yet its adoption in Uganda remains uneven. Leadership is pivotal in shaping the successful implementation and management of telemedicine programs, influencing infrastructure...

Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Ammonia‐Based Reduction of Natural Hematite

Using hydrogen gas for iron ore reduction offers carbon‐neutral ironmaking, but scaling up faces safety and energy challenges. Ammonia is a safer carbon‐free hydrogen carrier with higher energy density and ease of liquefaction. This study investigates the characteristics of ammon...

Knowledge, attitudes, behaviour and compliance intentions towards the Data Protection and Privacy Act in Ugandan higher education institutions: the moderating role of educational attainment

Purpose This study aims to examine the influence of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour on compliance intentions towards Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act (DPPA) among staff in Ugandan higher education institutions (HEIs). It further investigates the moderating role of educ...

Implementing and Scaling Artificial Intelligence in Low-Resourced Radiation Oncology: A Systematic Review of Deployments

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to address workforce shortages and workflow inefficiencies in radiation oncology, particularly in low-resourced settings where limited specialist capacity constrains access to care. This systematic review evaluated AI deploy...

A systematic review of evidence on weight change following initiation of long‐acting cabotegravir for the prevention or treatment of HIV

Abstract Background Weight gain is an increasingly recognized concern among people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and may increase the risk of non‐communicable diseases. Integrase inhibitors (INSTIs) such as dolutegravir (DTG) have been associated with weight gain, but th...

HPV vaccine uptake and barriers among adolescent girls and young women living in the urban slums of Kampala, Uganda

A high incidence of cervical cancer is evident in several low-income countries, particularly in the urban slums that harbor densely populated poor communities. Even though Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a key strategy for cervical cancer, the uptake remains low in thes...

Stakeholder perspectives on telemedicine acceptance and experiences in Uganda: A qualitative study

In Uganda and other low- and middle-income countries, access to healthcare is constrained by shortages of health workers, long travel distances, and inadequate infrastructure. Telemedicine offers a potential solution, but its effectiveness depends on how key stakeholders perceive...

Productive renewable energy as climate-resilient infrastructure: A conceptual framework for energy–livelihood continuity in climate-vulnerable economies

Climate adaptation planning and energy policy have often evolved along separate analytical and institutional pathways despite the growing dependence of climate resilience on reliable energy services. While the broader Productive Uses of Energy (PUE) literature has demonstrated th...

Survival and factors associated with mortality among children with congenital heart defects at the Uganda Heart Institute, Mulago National Referral Hospital

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) contribute to approximately 220,000 childhood deaths globally each year, with most occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Despite advances in diagnosis and management, survival remains poor in sub-Saharan Africa due to delayed diagnosis and...

Multi-locus genome-wide association analysis of grain yield, plant height, panicle length, and flowering time in the Senegalese pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] germplasm

Pearl millet [ Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is a staple cereal underpinning food and nutritional security across the semi-arid Sahel, yet locally calibrated genomic resources for its improvement in West Africa remain scarce. Improving its key agronomic traits is therefore a br...

Barriers and facilitators to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy among patients with dyspepsia at two national referral hospitals in Uganda: a prospective cohort study

Uganda has a high prevalence of over 50% of uninvestigated dyspepsia, which delays the timely diagnosis of potentially curable diseases like early gastric and oesophageal cancer. Notably, more than 90% of dyspepsia patients in Uganda have structural causes, underscoring the impor...

Pharmacokinetics of Efavirenz in Pregnancy and Postpartum with and Without First-line Tuberculosis Drugs: Results from IMPAACT P1026s

Efavirenz (EFV) pharmacokinetics (PK) may be influenced by both pregnancy-related physiological changes and concurrent treatment for drug-sensitive tuberculosis (DS-TB), and intensive 24-h EFV PK data during rifampin (RIF)/ isoniazid (INH) treatment in pregnant women living with...

Performance evaluation of validated diagnostic assays for Rift Valley Fever: a systematic review

Accurate diagnosis of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) disease is critical for outbreak surveillance, containment, intervention, trade, and public health. In this study, we sought to review available evidence on characteristics of validated RVF diagnostic assays used in livestock, humans...

Systemic inflammation, gut microbiome composition, and cognitive performance among older Ugandans with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

Systemic inflammation is implicated in neurodegeneration; however, evidence linking circulating inflammatory biomarkers to cognitive decline remains inconsistent, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a standard systemic...

Enablers of Sustainable Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery: A Qualitative Exploration of Global Neurosurgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Of 50 million people with epilepsy globally, up to 10 million with lesional drug resistance epilepsy may be able to achieve seizure control with surgical options. Although multidisciplinary surgical care for epilepsy is available in high-income countrie...

“Gender-based violence is the last thing they will think about”: a qualitative study on multilevel factors affecting gender-based violence screening and response in HIV care, Uganda, 2023

Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MOH) adopted the World Health Organization’s guidelines to incorporate routine gender-based violence (GBV) screening, counseling, and referrals in health care settings, including HIV care; however, considerable implementation barriers exist. This stud...