Browsing by Author "Ocaido, M."

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    Knowledge gaps, attitude and beliefs of the communities about sickle cell disease in Eastern and Western Uganda.
    (East African medical journal, 2009-09) Okwi, A. L.; Byarugaba, W.; Ndugwa, C. M.; Parkes, A.; Ocaido, M.; Tumwine, J. K.
    Background: The management of sickle cell disease (SCD) has remained insurmountable in developing countries such as Uganda, because most communities are not aware of it. Objective: To determine knowledge gaps, attitudes and beliefs of the communities about sickle cell disease in Eastern and Western Uganda. Design: Cross sectional descriptive study. Setting: The districts of Sironko and Mbale in Eastern Uganda and Mbarara and Ntungamo in Western Uganda. Subjects: Households, students and health workers. Results: Household respondents from Eastern Uganda were more aware of SCD than those from Western (p<0.001), with the majority reporting that they had seen more people with SCD in their communities than those from the West (p<0.001). Fewer (<1.9%) believed SCD was due to witch craft. Eight per cent of household respondents in Eastern believed it was a curse from God compared to 2% in the West. Less than 18% of the household respondents knew they could have children with SCD and (<52%) of health workers knew SCD screening methods. Fewer (<14%) of the health workers had participated in screening. Less than 20% of the respondents knew their sickle cell status. Conclusion: Respondents from Eastern Uganda were more aware of SCD than those from Western. Minority of the respondents knew their SCD status and few health staff knew how to screen it. There is need to sensitise communities and policy makers about prevention, screening and treatment of SCD.
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    Practices in the pig value chain in Uganda; implications to African swine fever transmission
    (Livestock research for rural development, 2014) Muhangi, D.; Masembe, C.; Berg, M.; Ståhl, K.; Ocaido, M.
    Uganda has the largest pig industry in eastern Africa, with majority of farmers still smallholders. African swine fever (ASF) is arguably one of the major constraints in the region, where it is considered endemic. Although the sylvatic cycle exists here, the pig-pig cycle of transmission is more important. The pig value chain is one critical area where there is need for study of the role it plays in the spread of ASF. In this study, different practices and their association with the transmission of ASF within and between farms were investigated on 101 pig farms in Uganda. Practices by 30 traders in pigs and pig products (slaughter slab, pork butchery and roasted pork restaurant operators) were investigated in the districts of Kabarole, Mityana, Moyo, Mukono, Soroti, and Tororo. Key informant interviews with the District Veterinary Officers (DVOs) about pig trade, pig slaughter infrastructure, ASF status and its Management in the districts were conducted as well between May-November 2011. Questionnaires were administered to both pig farmers and the traders.Twenty six percent of the farmers reported having had the disease on the farm in the last one year.Although none of the risk factors was statistically significant for ASF outbreaks, results demonstrated presence of potential risk factors for ASF on the farms and the rest of the pig value chain.