Browsing by Author "Kamali, A."

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    The Medical Research Council (UK)/Uganda Virus Research Institute Uganda Research Unit on AIDS – ‘25 years of research through partnerships
    (Tropical Medicine & International Health, 2015) Kaleebu, Pontiano; Kamali, A.; Seeley, J.; Elliott, A. M.; Katongole-Mbidde, E.
    For the past 25 years, the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute UgandaResearch Unit on AIDS has conducted research on HIV-1, coinfections and, more recently, on non-communicable diseases. Working with various partners, the research findings of the Unit havecontributed to the understanding and control of the HIV epidemic both in Uganda and globally, andinformed the future development of biomedical HIV interventions, health policy and practice. In thisreport, as we celebrate our silver jubilee, we describe some of these achievements and the Unit’smultidisciplinary approach to research. We also discuss the future direction of the Unit; an exemplarof a partnership that has been largely funded from the north but led in the south
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    Prediction of peak expiratory flow rate in a Ugandan population
    (African Journal of Thoracic and Critical Care Medicine, 2015) Nakubulwa, S.; Baisley, K.; Levin, J.; Nakiyingi-Miiro, J.; Kamali, A.; Nunn, A.
    Peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) measurement is one of the commonly used methods for assessing lung function in general practice consultations. The reference values for use by this method are mainly from Caucasian populations; data for African populations are limited. The existence of ethnic and racial differences in lung function necessitates further generation of PEFR reference values for use in African populations. Objective. To generate equations for predicting PEFR in a Ugandan population. Methods. The PEFR study was cross-sectional and based in rural south-western Uganda. Participants were aged 15 years or more, without respiratory symptoms and were residents of the study area. Multiple regression equations for predicting PEFR were fitted separately for males and females. The model used for PEFR prediction was: logePEFR = intercept + a(age, y) + b(logeage) + c(1/height in cm), where a, b and c are the regression coefficients. Results. The eligible study population consisted of 774 males and 781 females. Median height was 164 cm (males) and 155 cm (females). The majority of participants had never smoked (males 76.7%; females 98.3%). The equation which gave the best fit for males was logePEFR = 6.188 – 0.019age + 0.557logeage – 199.945/height and for females: logePEFR = 5.948 – 0.014 age + 0.317logeage – 85.147/height. Conclusion. The curvilinear model obtained takes into consideration the changing trends of PEFR with increasing age from adolescence to old age. It provides PEFR prediction equations that can be applied in East African populations.
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    Sensitivity And Specificity Of Hiv Rapid Tests Used For Research And Voluntary Counselling And Testing
    (African Journals Online (AJOL), 2009-02-04) Anzala, O.; Sanders, J.; Kamali, A.; Katende, M.; Mutua, G. N.; Ruzagira, E.; Stevens G.; Simek, M.; Price, M.
    Background: HIV rapid tests (RT) are a quick and non-technically demanding means to perform HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) but understanding their limitations is vital to delivering quality VCT. Objective: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of HIV rapid tests used for research and voluntary counselling and testing at four sites in East Africa. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Masaka District, Uganda; a sugar plantation in Kakira, Uganda; Coastal Villages in the Kilifi District of Kenya; and the Urban slum of Kangemi located West of Nairobi, Kenya. Subjects: Six thousands two hundred and fifty five consenting volunteers were enrolled into the study, and 675 prevalent HIV infections were identified. Results: The RT sensitivity tended to be high for all assays at all sites (97.63-100%) with the exception of the Uni-Gold assay (90.24% in Kangemi, 96.58% in Kilifi). Twenty four RT results were recorded as ‘weak positives’, 22 (92%) of which were negative by ELISA. There was a high rate of RT false positives in Uganda (positive predictive values ranging from 45.70% to 86.62%). Conclusions: The sensitivity and specificity of the RT varied significantly across sites. The rate of RT misclassification in Uganda suggests that a multiple test algorithm may be preferable to a single test as screener for HIV VCT.