Browsing by Author "Bortolussi, Robert"

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    Efficacy of glutamine supplementation on the outcome of children admitted with persistent diarrhea in Uganda: A randomized controlled study
    (Paediatrics & Child Health, 2013) Kamuchaki, Justine M.; Wobudeya, Eric; Kiguli, Sarah; Bortolussi, Robert
    Developing countries have 25% of the global disease burden but only 1.3% of the health care professionals. While donor research focuses on important diagnostic and treatment advances, efforts to build local community-focused research capacity have been limited. Training and support for community based research is needed to address, with evidence, context-specific local problems that can lead to improved health outcomes – a must if Africa is to achieve the Millennium Goals of decreasing maternal mortality rates as well as those of children under five years of age. East Africa has bright young university health faculty who know the local health problems and understand the context but lack research skills and resources to address them. The Canadian Paediatric Society is concerned about child health globally. MicroResearch (MR), sponsored in part by the Canadian Paediatric Society, provides capacity building in community-based research through training, small grants and coaching from Canadian research experts who support eager interdisciplinary MR teams at five sites in East Africa with their local maternal/child health questions. All projects are aimed at improving health outcomes. The present MR brief report summarizes the findings from one MR project that evaluated the efficacy of oral glutamine supplementation in children with persistent diarrhea in Kampala, Uganda. The full project report can be found at www.microresearch.ca.
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    Predictors of Access To Sexual And Reproductive Health Services By Urban Refugees In Kampala City, Uganda
    (Research Square, 2021) Mukama, Semei Christopher; Nakubulwa, Susan; Nyirabega, Esperance; Mugabe, Pallen; Odiit, Mary; Snelgrove-Clarke, Erna; Noni, MacDonald; Bortolussi, Robert; Baluku, Joseph; Graham, Janice; Mukasa, Barbara
    The influx of over 1.3 million refugees in Uganda, with over 10% settling in the capital city Kampala, challenges the ability of urban refugees to access Sexual and Reproductive Health services (SRH) and family planning (FP) amidst the multiple uncertainties of a precarious everyday life. Utilization of SRH services remains low among urban refugees despite the fact that these services are essential to those of reproductive age and vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies and its consequences and contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. Mildmay Uganda conducted a multimethod outreach program to establish the predictors of access to SRH services by urban refugees in Kampala city. This paper reports on social demographic characteristics that influenced the uptake of SRH services by urban refugees. Methods: A participatory, gender based, community-led, empowerment approach known as Gender Action Learning Systems (GALS) was employed to deliver SRH including family planning services to urban refugees in Kampala between March 2018 and September 2019. Urban refugees enrolled in GALS were interviewed at the beginning and end of the GALS intervention, where both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine social demographic factors influencing the uptake of SRH services by urban refugees. Results: The study enrolled 867 participants, with 605 remaining to the end. Median age was 29 (IQR:22- 36) years with a standard deviation of 10.7, 52% of the participants had never married. Retention in the study of the sexually active age cohort of primary interest (15 -34) was higher than the 35-54 cohort for both men and women. There were significant associations between SRH use and age, religion and education level among the urban refugees. Pentecostal religion (Adjusted OR 7.9; 3.5-18) and education level of primary (Adjusted OR 3.4; 1.1-11) were associated with uptake of SRH and FP. Conclusion: The participatory, peer-led community approach to delivering SRH services to urban refugees in this research project boosted uptake by the refugees and supported its successful completion and ability to address previously unknown predictors. A continuous awareness campaign using tested models such as GALS to promote services to refugees is needed to successfully integrate newcomers into Uganda’s general healthcare services.