Browsing by Author "Kwaga, T."

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    Diabetic retinopathy screening program in Southwestern Uganda
    (The Journal of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, 2020) Arunga, S.; Tran, T.; Tusingwire, P.; Kwaga, T.; Kanji, R.; Kageni, R.; Hortense, L. N.; Ruvuma, S.; Twinamasiko, A.; Kakuhikire, B.; Kataate, B.; Kilberg, K.; Gibbs, G.; Kakinda, M.; Harrie, R.; Onyango, J.
    Between 2019 and 2045, the prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) will double; associated with this, the burden of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is also expected to increase, especially in low-resourced settings. To prevent avoidable visual impairment and blindness, early detection through screening and early treatment are necessary. To enable access to these services, we developed the Lions Diabetic Retinopathy Project for southwestern Uganda to serve the region including 17 Districts with eight million inhabitants. Methods: A three-pronged strategy for mass screenings levering the existing general health system and opportunistic screening of higher-risk population. Capacity building involved training a vitreoretinal surgeon and allied eye care providers, installing critical infrastructure at the referral eye hospital, and acquiring equipment for primary health centres. Results: In 1.5 years, 60 DR screening camps were implemented; this led to screening of 9,991 high risk individuals for DM and 5,730 DM patients for DR. We referred 1,218 individuals with DR for further management at the referral eye hospital, but only 220 (18%) attended referral. The main barrier for not attending referral was long travel distance and the associated direct and indirect costs. Human resources trained included 34 ophthalmic nurses, five midlevel providers, and one vitreoretinal surgeon. Major equipment acquired included a vitrectomy system, an outreach vehicle, and non-mydriatic fundus cameras. Conclusions: DR screening can be implemented in a resource-limited setting by integrating with the general primary healthcare system. However, geographic barriers stymie delivery of therapeutic services and we need to establish models to bring these services closer to areas with poorer access.
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    Outcomes of trabeculectomy among glaucoma patients in Uganda: A 4-year hospital based audit
    (The Journal of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, 2018) Mbumba, F. B.; Hirnschall, N.; Arunga, S.; Kwaga, T.; Onyango, J.; Rigal, K.
    To determine the outcomes of trabeculectomy surgery and predictors of post-operative Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP) among glaucoma patients attending Ruharo Eye Centre. Materials and Methods: In a clinical audit conducted from January to June 2016, we reviewed records of all patients who had undergone trabeculectomy at Ruharo Eye Centre (REC), at least in one eye prior to recruitment. We made phone calls to patients inviting them for a clinical examination. For the patients who turned up, we recorded their Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), Visual Fields (VFs), Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP), Cup-Disc Ratio (CDR), and any post-operative complications. We also asked patients about their general satisfaction with both the operation and vision. We did a before and after comparison analysis on several outcome measures using STATA v14. These included: visual acuity, intra ocular pressure, cup disc ratio and visual field. We defined treatment success as a post-operative IOP reduction of 40% from baseline and analyzed for its predictors in a multivariate regression model. Results: Sixty-two eyes of 38 patients were included in this study. Median age was 66 years (range 24 to 91 years). Median observation time was 2.8 years (range 0.2-4.6 years). Overall treatment success rate was 95%. Mean IOP pre-and post-operatively was 32 mmHg (95% CI 29.3-34.7) and 12.9 mmHg (11.7-14.2) respectively, P=0.001; there was no significant worsening of visual acuity and visual field loss. Mean visual acuity Log MAR pre and post-operatively was 0.58 (95% CI 0.48-0.68) and 0.65 (95% CI 0.52-0.78), P=0.21. Mean visual field defect was 23.4 (95% CI 21.4-25.5) and 22.9 (95% CI 20-9-25.0), P=0.44. Conclusion: Trabeculectomy in our setting seemed to have a good success rate and provided good IOP control, preservation of vision and visual fields.