Browsing by Author "Kisaakye, Esther"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Fatal Rift Valley Fever Outbreak Caused By Exposure To Meat FromSick And Dead Livestock: Uganda, July 2018
    (Research Square, 2021) Mirembe, Bernadette B; Ario, Alex R.; Birungi, Doreen; Bulage, Lilian; Kisaakye, Esther; Kwesiga, Benon; Kabwama, Steven N.; Muwanguzi, David; Kadobera, Daniel; Balinandi, Steven; Birungi, Deo N.
    Page2/12AbstractBackground: Rift Valley Fever (RVF) is a viral hemorrhagic fever that can be fatal to humans and livestock. During June-October 2018,reported RVF cases increased sharply in eight western and central Ugandan districts. We investigated to identify the scope of theoutbreak, determine risk factors, and recommend control measures.Methods: We de
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Health facility readiness to screen, diagnose and manage substance use disorders in Mbale district, Uganda
    (Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 2023) Aber‑Odonga, Harriet; Nuwaha, Fred; Kisaakye, Esther; Engebretsen, Ingunn Marie; Babirye, Juliet Ndimwibo
    Background Substance use disorders (SUD) pose a significant public health problem in Uganda. Studies indicate that integrating mental health services into Primary Health Care can play a crucial role in alleviating the impact of SUD. However, despite ongoing efforts to integrate these services in Uganda, there is a lack of evidence regarding the preparedness of health facilities to effectively screen and manage SUD. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the readiness of health facilities at all levels of the health system in Mbale, Uganda, to carry out screening, diagnosis, and management of SUD. Methods A health facility-based cross-sectional study was carried out among all the 54 facilities in Mbale district. A composite variable adapted from the WHO Service Availability and Readiness Assessment manual (2015) with 14 tracer indicators were used to measure readiness. A cut-off threshold of having at least half the criteria fulfilled (higher than the cutoff of 7) was classified as having met the readiness criteria. Descriptive analyses were performed to describe readiness scores across various facility characteristics and a linear regression model was used to identify the predictors of readiness. Results Among all health facilities assessed, only 35% met the readiness criteria for managing Substance Use Disorders (SUD). Out of the 54 facilities, 42 (77.8%) had guidelines in place for managing SUD, but less than half, 26 (48%), reported following these guidelines. Only 8 out of 54 (14.5%) facilities had staff who had received training in the diagnosis and management of SUD within the past two years. Diagnostic tests for SUD, specifically the Uri stick, were available in the majority of facilities, (46/54, 83.6%). A higher number of clinical officers working at the health centres was associated with higher readiness scores (score coefficient 4.0,95% CI 1.5–6.5). Conclusions In this setting, a low level of health facility readiness to provide screening, diagnosis, and management for substance use disorders was found. To improve health facility readiness for delivery of care for substance use disorders, a frequent inventory of human resources in terms of numbers, skills, and other resources are required in this resource-limited setting.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Outbreak of Anthrax Associated with Handling and Eating Meat from a Cow, Uganda, 2018
    (Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2020) Kisaakye, Esther; Riolexus Ario, Alex; Bainomugisha, Kenneth; Cossaboom, Caitlin M. Ping Zhu; Lowe, David; Bulage, Lilian; Kadobera, Daniel; Sekamatte, Musa; Lubwama, Bernard; Tumusiime, Dan; Tusiime, Patrick; Downing, Robert; Buule, Joshua; Lutwama, Julius; Salzer, Johanna S.; Matkovic, Eduard; Joy Gary, Jana Ritter,; Zhu, Bao-Ping
    On April 20, 2018, the Kween District Health Office in Kween District, Uganda reported 7 suspected cases of human anthrax. A team from the Uganda Ministry of Health and partners investigated and identified 49 cases, 3 confirmed and 46 suspected; no deaths were reported. Multiple exposures from handling the carcass of a cow that had died suddenly were significantly associated with cutaneous anthrax, whereas eating meat from that cow was associated with gastrointestinal anthrax. Eating undercooked meat was significantly associated with gastrointestinal anthrax, but boiling the meat for >60 minutes was protective. We recommended providing postexposure antimicrobial prophylaxis for all exposed persons, vaccinating healthy livestock in the area, educating farmers to safely dispose of animal carcasses, and avoiding handling or eating meat from livestock that died of unknown causes.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Sporadic outbreaks of crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever in Uganda, July 2018- January 2019
    (PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2019) Mirembe, Bernadette Basuta; Musewa, Angella; Kadobera, Daniel; Kisaakye, Esther; Birungi, Doreen; Eurien, Daniel; Nyakarahuka, Luke; Balinandi, Stephen; Tumusiime, Alex; Kyondo, Jackson; Mbula Mulei, Sophia; Baluku, Jimmy; Kwesiga, Benon; Ndugwa Kabwama, Steven; Zhu, Bao-Ping; Harris, Julie R.; Lutwama, Julius Julian; Alex, Riolexus Ario
    Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne, zoonotic viral disease that causes haemorrhagic symptoms. Despite having eight confirmed outbreaks between 2013 and 2017, all within Uganda’s ‘cattle corridor’, no targeted tick control programs exist in Uganda to prevent disease. During a seven-month-period from July 2018-January 2019, the Ministry of Health confirmed multiple independent CCHF outbreaks. We investigated to identify risk factors and recommend interventions to prevent future outbreaks. We defined a confirmed case as sudden onset of fever (�37.5 ̊C) with �4 of the following signs and symptoms: anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, abdominal pain, joint pain, or sudden unexplained bleeding in a resident of the affected districts who tested positive for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFv) by RT-PCR from 1 July 2018–30 January 2019. We reviewed medical records and performed active case-finding. We conducted a case-control study and compared exposures of case-patients with age-, sex-, and sub-county-matched control-persons (1:4). We identified 14 confirmed cases (64% males) with five deaths (case-fatality rate: 36%) from 11 districts in the western and central region. Of these, eight (73%) case patients resided in Uganda’s ‘cattle corridor’. One outbreak involved two case-patients and the remainder involved one. All case-patients had fever and 93% had unexplained bleeding. Case-patients were aged 6–36 years, with persons aged 20–44 years more affected (AR: 7.2/1,000,000) than persons �19 years (2.0/1,000,000), p = 0.015. Most (93%) case-patients had contact with livestock �2 weeks before symptom onset. Twelve (86%) lived <1 km from grazing fields compared with 27 (48%) controls (OR M-H = 18, 95% CI = 3.2-1) and 10 (71%) of 14 case-patients found ticks attached to their bodies �2 weeks before symptom onset, compared to 15 (27%) of 56 control-persons (OR M-H = 9.3, 95%CI = 1.9–46). CCHF outbreaks occurred sporadically during 2018–2019, both within and outside the ‘cattle corridor’ districts of Uganda. Most cases were associated with tick exposure. The Ministry of Health should partner with the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries to develop joint nationwide tick control programs and strategies with shared responsibilities through a One Health approach.