Browsing by Author "Lagoro Kitara, David"

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    Standardizing assessment practices of undergraduate medical competencies across medical schools: challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from a consortium of medical schools in Uganda
    (Pan African Medical Journal, 2014) Gonzaga Mubuuke, Aloysius; Mwesigwa, Catherine; Maling, Samuel; Rukundo, Godfrey; Kagawa, Mike; Lagoro Kitara, David; Kiguli, Sarah
    Health professions education is gradually moving away from the more traditional approaches to new innovative ways of training aimed at producing professionals with the necessary competencies to address the community health needs. In response to these emerging trends, Medical Education for Equitable Services to All Ugandans (MESAU), a consortium of Ugandan medical schools developed key competencies desirable of graduates and successfully implemented Competency Based Education (CBE) for undergraduate medical students. Objectives: to examine the current situation and establish whether assessment methods of the competencies are standardized across MESAU schools as well as establish the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from the MESAU consortium. Methods: It was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving faculty of the medical schools in Uganda. Data was collected using focus group discussions and document reviews. Findings were presented in form of themes. Results: Although the MESAU schools have implemented the developed competencies within their curricular, the assessment methods are still not standardized with each institution having its own assessment procedures. Lack of knowledge and skills regarding assessment of the competencies was evident amongst the faculty. The fear for change amongst lecturers was also noted as a major challenge. However, the institutional collaboration created while developing competencies was identified as key strength. Conclusion: Findings demonstrated that despite having common competencies, there is no standardized assessment blue print applicable to all MESAU schools. Continued collaboration and faculty development in assessment is strongly recommended.
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    Trusted sources of information on COVID-19 vaccine in Uganda
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2024-05) Nyeko Oloya, Johnson; Onira Alema, Nelson; Okot, Christopher; Olal, Emmanue; Nzirakaindi Ikoona, Eric; Wathum Drinkwater Oyat, Freddy; Steven, Baguma; Omoya Ochula, Denish; Odong Olwedo, Patrick; Pebalo Pebolo, Francis; Okot Atim, Pamela; Smart Okot, Godfrey; Nantale, Ritah; Aloyo, Judith; Lagoro Kitara, David
    Background The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted communities worldwide, particularly in developing countries. To successfully control the pandemic, correct information and more than 80% vaccine coverage in a population were required. However, misinformation and disinformation could impact this, thus increasing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in communities. Several studies observed the effect of misinformation and disinformation on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and other responses to the pandemic in the African continent. Thus, the most trusted sources of information on COVID-19 vaccines are critical for the successful management and control of the pandemic. This study aimed to assess the most trusted sources of information on COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic in Uganda. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study on 587 adult population members in northern Uganda. Single-stage stratified and systematic sampling methods were used to select participants from northern Uganda. An interviewer-administered questionnaire with an internal validity of Cronbach’s α = 0.72 was used for data collection. An Institution Review Board (IRB) approved this study and Stata version 18 was used for data analysis. A Pearson Chi-square (χ2) analysis was conducted to assess associations between trusted sources of COVID-19 vaccine information and selected independent variables. Fisher’s exact test considered associations when the cell value following cross-tabulation was < 5. A P-value < 0.05 was used as evidence for an association between trusted sources of information and independent variables. All results were presented as frequencies, proportions, Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests, and P-values at 95% Confidence Intervals (CI). Results In a study of 587 participants, most were males, 335(57.1%), in the age group of 25–34 years, 180(31.4%), and the most trusted source of COVID-19 vaccine information were the traditional media sources for example, Televisions, Radios, and Newspapers, 349(33.6%). There was no significant association between sex and trusted sources of COVID-19 vaccine information. However, by age-group population, COVID-19 vaccine information was significantly associated with internet use (14.7% versus 85.3%; p = 0.02), information from family members (9.4% versus 90.6%; p < 0.01), and the Government/Ministry of Health (37.9% versus 62.1%; p < 0.01). Between healthcare workers and non-health workers, it was significantly associated with internet use (32.2% versus 67.8%; p = 0.03), healthcare providers (32.5% versus 67.5%; p < 0.018), the Government/Ministry of Health (31.1% versus 68.9%; p < 0.01), and scientific articles (44.7% versus 55.3%; p < 0.01). Conclusion The most trusted sources of COVID-19 vaccine information in northern Uganda were Televisions, Radios, and Newspapers. The trusted sources of COVID-19 vaccine information were not significantly different between males and females. However, there were significant differences among age groups and occupations of participants with younger age groups (≤ 44 years) and non-healthcare workers having more trust in Televisions, Radios, and Newspapers. Thus, for effective management of an epidemic, there is a need for accurate communication so that misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation in the era of “infodemic” do not disrupt the flow of correct information to communities. Peer Review reports