Browsing by Author "Ssetaba, Leoson Junior"

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    Coronavirus disease–2019 Morbidity and Mortality among Health Care Workers in Uganda
    (Therapeutic Advances in Infectious Disease, 2022) Ssetaba, Leoson Junior; Mirembe, Joy; Omega, Jotham; Okot, Jerom; Kiguli, Sarah; Nakwagala, Frederick Nelson; Bongomin, Felix
    Health care workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of acquiring coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to determine and compare the morbidity and mortality rates due to COVID-19 among the HCWs and the general population (non-HCWs). We conducted a retrospective chart review. We accessed electronic database of participants admitted at Mulago National Referral Hospital COVID-19 Treatment Unit (CTU) between March 2020 and September 2021. Participants with missing occupations were excluded. Of 594 eligible participants, 6.4% (n=38) were HCWs. Compared with non-HCWs, HCWs were much younger (48 versus 55 years, p=0.020). The proportion of participants with severe disease (73.7% versus 77.6%, p=0.442), who had not received COVID-19 vaccine (91.2% versus 94.7%, p=0.423), mortality rate (44.7% versus 54.8%, p=0.243) and the median length of hospitalization (6 versus 7 days, p=0.913) were similar among HCWs and non-HCWs, respectively. A higher proportion of HCWs required oxygen therapy (24.3% versus 9.7%, p<0.01). At admission, the presence of cough (p=0.723), breathlessness (p=0.722), fever (p=0.19), sore throat (p=0.133), comorbidities (p=0.403) and headache (p=0.162) were similar across groups. Rhinorrhoea was more common among HCWs (34.4% versus 16.6%, p=0.017). Among HCWs, nurses had the highest morbidity (52.6%) and mortality (58.8%). The morbidity and mortality among HCWs in Uganda were substantial, with a low COVID-19 vaccination rate and a higher requirement for oxygen therapy despite a younger age.
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    Workshop-based learning and networking: a scalable model for research capacity strengthening in low- and middle-income countries
    (Global Health Action, 2022) Perier, Celine; Nasinghe, Emmanuel; Charles, Isabelle; Ssetaba, Leoson Junior; Ahyong, Vida; Bangs, Derek; Beatty, P. Robert; Czudnochowski, Nadine; Diallo, Amy; Birungi, Joanah; Kalantar, Katrina; Kateete, David; Mwesigwa, Savannah; Joloba, Moses L.; Schaletzky, Julia
    Science education and research have the potential to drive profound change in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through encouraging innovation, attracting industry, and creating job opportunities. However, in LMICs, research capacity is often limited, and acquisition of funding and access to state-of-the-art technologies is challenging. The Alliance for Global Health and Science (the Alliance) was founded as a partnership between the University of California, Berkeley (USA) and Makerere University (Uganda), with the goal of strengthening Makerere University’s capacity for bioscience research. The flagship program of the Alliance partnership is the MU/UCB Biosciences Training Program, an in-country, hands-on workshop model that trains a large number of students from Makerere University in infectious disease and molecular biology research. This approach nucleates training of larger and more diverse groups of students, development of mentoring and bi-directional research partnerships, and support of the local economy. Here, we describe the project, its conception, implementation, challenges, and outcomes of bioscience research workshops. We aim to provide a blueprint for workshop implementation, and create a valuable resource for bioscience research capacity strengthening in LMICs.