The National Research Repository of Uganda - NRU

Welcome to the National Research Repository of Uganda, abbreviated as "NRU". NRU was established in 2021. NRU is a collection of scholarly output by researchers from the UNCST Community, including scholarly articles and books, electronic theses and dissertations, conference proceedings, journals, technical reports and digitised library collections. It is the official Institutional Archive (IA) of UNCST.

For information about the publishers' copyright policy on archiving your articles online or in an institutional archive, visit the Sherpa Site at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo.php The site gives a summary of the permissions normally given as part of each publisher's copyright transfer agreement. If you wish to publish your research findings in the NRU, please contact NRU administrator at admin@uncst.go.ug for details. NRU operates both open access and closed access models. Access to fulltext has been restricted in adherence to the UNCST Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Copyrights policies.

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Africa Portal is an online repository of open access library collection with over 3,000 books, journals, and digital documents on African policy issues. This is an initiative by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Makerere University (MAK), and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Please visit the Africa Portal at http://www.africaportal.org/library.

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Books and Book Abstracts
This community contains Open Access Books and Book Abstracts
Conference Proceedings
This community contains Ugandan Conference proceedings
Institutional Annual Research Reports
This community contains consolidated Ugandan Institutional Annual Research Reports on a broad range of subjects
Institutional Repository Policies
This community contains approved and running institutional repository policies from different research institutions
IT DevOps Communinity
IT DevOps Community

Recent Submissions

Livelihood security shocks and coping strategies in the drylands of Kenya and Uganda – a seasonal analysis
(Routledge, 2025-06-17)
Nabweteme, Hawah;
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Bostedt, Göran;
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Turinawe, Alice
Recurrent shocks and crises cause significant threats to household livelihood security in dryland Sub-Saharan Africa. In absence of social protection and institutional support, households resort to potentially problematic coping strategies that could trap them in a vicious cycle of livelihood insecurity. This study employs a unique panel data set from 698 households in the drylands of the Karamoja border region of Uganda and Kenya, to assess variations in shocks experienced by households and evaluate coping strategies. Findings indicate that shock incidences are significantly higher in Uganda’s drylands compared to Kenya, particularly during wet seasons. The extent, direction, and significance of influence differ across countries and study locations. However, findings from the multivariate probit model suggest that households led by women, larger households, and those situated in Uganda's drylands are more susceptible and more likely to decrease their food consumption. Reducing food consumption, relying on savings, seeking assistance or loans, and selling livestock are commonly adopted strategies across all shock types. This study advocates strengthening social protection programs and agro-pastoral systems, and prioritizing climate-smart agricultural practices. Financial inclusion, access to extension services, organization of communities into beneficial groups and cooperatives, and human capital investment are recommended, with government and institutional support.
Prevalence, aetiology, and service mapping of dementia in rural Uganda. Part of DEPEND Uganda (Dementia Epidemiology, unmet Need and co-Developing Solutions in Uganda).
(Wellcome, 2025-01-24)
Prynn, Josephine;
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Alinaitwe, Racheal;
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Kimono, Beatrice ;
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Peto, Tunde;
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Ashton, Nicholas J;
Background Dementia prevalence in low- and middle-income countries is increasing, yet epidemiological data from African populations remain scarce. Crucial risk factors differ in Africa from more intensively studied global areas, including a higher burden of cerebrovascular disease and HIV, but lower rates of other risk factors like physical inactivity. Understanding dementia aetiology in African settings has been limited by the expensive and invasive nature of biomarker testing. This study leverages developments in blood-based and retinal imaging biomarker technology to examine the drivers of dementia in older Ugandans. People with dementia have complex needs benefiting from multi-dimensional support. Understanding current services will allow identification of barriers and opportunities to strengthen support available to people with dementia and their families. Methods The study is nested within the General Population Cohort run by the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute & London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Research Unit. All adults aged 60+ (around 1400) are undergoing brief cognitive screening. In Part 1, cohort participants are selected based on screening scores to undergo detailed cognitive assessment, using methods developed by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group. Part 2 is a case control study of people with and without dementia using antecedent data, questionnaires, physical assessment, retinal imaging, and Alzheimer’s blood-based biomarkers. We will also compare disability, frailty, quality of life, and social engagement in people with and without dementia. Part 3 assesses current formal support structures for people with dementia through review of publicly available literature and expert interviews. Conclusions This is the first study in Africa using blood-based and retinal imaging biomarkers to examine pathological processes underlying dementia, and systematically map services available for people with dementia. This paves the way for effective policy strategies and further focused research regarding both dementia prevention and support for affected people and their families.
Exploring perceptions and experiences of gender-based violence among women in a refugee camp setting in Uganda—A qualitative study
(Public Library of Science, 2024-12-17)
Lukasiak, Miriam;
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Palmieri, Jack;
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Svensson, Pia ;
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Tumwine, Gilbert;
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Agardh, Anette
Background Gender-based violence (GBV) is an internationally widespread human rights and public health issue, known to be exacerbated and underreported in humanitarian settings and among conflict-affected populations. A combination of factors including increased vulnerability, lack of protection and marginalization are believed to increase the risk for GBV in settings such as displacement and refugee camps. An increased understanding of GBV in these populations is needed to inform and improve future policy changes and interventions. This qualitative study sought to explore women's perceptions and experiences of GBV in a refugee camp setting in Uganda to increase the understanding of the dynamics and risk contexts of GBV in the context of displacement and refugee camps. Methods This was a qualitative study based on individual semi-structured interviews and content analysis. The interviews were conducted during October 2023 with women living in a refugee camp setting in Western Uganda. The participants (N = 13) included female refugees, residing in the refugee camp, above eighteen years of age and who were survivors of GBV. Results Findings showed no easy escape route from gender-based violence, with a high exposure to GBV throughout the refugee experience. The nature of GBV, the perpetrators and risk contexts however seemed to shift throughout the process from conflict to the refugee camp. Increased marginalization and lack of resources compounded by a shift in gender roles in the refugee camp where women seemed to assume the role of the primary provider increased the risk of violence in pursuit of basic needs. Women described extensive intimate partner violence (IPV) in the camp often connected to new gendered power dynamics and the control of resources. Faced with the struggles of migration, marginalization, and GBV, women displayed various coping mechanisms including rebuilding networks and support systems. Conclusions Our study showed the complexity of GBV in settings such as refugee camps, where various structural and individual changes involved in migration and life in a refugee camp seemed to create new risk contexts for GBV both inside and outside of the household. Interventions across various dimensions including addressing underlying conditions of marginalization and gendered power dynamics are therefore warranted to address GBV in refugee camps. Further research is essential to better understand this complex issue, as well as the perception and effectiveness of services and interventions in place.
Enhanced yield of active case finding for leprosy in Uganda, using an integrated ‘Community door to door Awareness raising, Screening, Testing, Treatment and Prevention’ (CAST) campaign in Uganda
(British Leprosy Relief Association, 2025-06)
Turyahabwe, Stavia;
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Kengonzi, Rose;
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Kawuma, Joseph ;
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Gerwing, Lisa;
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Muzamiru, Bamuloba;
Summary Background Uganda undertook a six-month national-level campaign to improve access to TB and leprosy services following the negative impacts of COVID-19 on health care services. This paper aims to present the results of a detailed case analysis of all patients with leprosy from 2022 to 2023 and to illustrate the benefit of integrating leprosy active case finding in the tuberculosis awareness, screening, testing, treatment, and prevention (CAST) campaign. Methods The activities implemented during the campaign included community awareness raising and screening and management of suspected TB and Leprosy patients. Data collected at the community level was aggregated at the facility level and entered in an online system. Data analysis from a custom database created for the CAST campaign was conducted. Results Three episodes of the CAST campaign were carried out in March 2022, September 2022, and March 2023. Of the 6,715,810 individuals screened for TB and leprosy, 55% were female. 14,560 were diagnosed with TB. In addition, 4302 individuals had skin lesions suspicious of leprosy, and 5% (196) were diagnosed with leprosy and started on treatment. The overall proportion of leprosy patients contributed by the campaign was 49% (196/399), 60% being from the West Nile region. Conclusions The CAST campaign is an innovative strategy to improve TB and Leprosy control in Uganda. It is crucial to continuously monitor and evaluate the campaign progress, making adjustments as needed to ensure its success. The results also justify the integration of TB and Leprosy programmes particularly in remote settings with high disease burdens. Keywords: Leprosy, CAST campaign, COVID 19, integration
Climate shocks and human capital:evidence from Uganda
(Cambridge University Press, 2025-03-24)
Olurotimi, Osaretin
Abstract This research examines whether high temperatures and exposure to childhood rainfall and heat shocks are a cognitive drag on children in Uganda. First, it asks whether students perform worse on a test on hotter days. Second, it examines whether previous longer-term exposure to high temperatures and unusual rainfall influences current test scores and educational outcomes. The analysis shows that high temperatures on test dates harm test performance, especially for girls and children younger than ten, implying additional temperature control considerations for particular demographics. The analysis of childhood climate shocks, which employs within-parish distributions of rainfall and heat, shows that children who experience rain or heat above the percentile of the parish distribution from birth until age 4 have worse learning outcomes in math, English, or local language literacy.