Gulu University Research Articles

Exploring How Female Scientists are Uplifted in Research Networks in STEM Fields in Public Universities in Uganda

Participation in research networks is inevitable for the female scientists in the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields because they provide a platform for collaborative activities. New research communities of women are created to support each other through mentoring, advancing shared research interests, co-organizing conferences with men, participating in the editorial and the publications. It was on this basis that this study explored how female scientists were uplifted by research networks in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda. This study was anchored on the existential phenomenology by Martin Heidegger in the interpretive world view. Eight female scientists in research networks in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda were interviewed and they were selected from the hard applied and hard pure disciplines as classified in Becher and Biglan’s typology of academic disciplines. Using thematic analysis, two themes such as research collaboration activities and capacity development emerged in this study. This qualitative study set out to explore how female scientists were uplifted in research networks in public universities in Uganda.The public universities included Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Gulu University and Busitema University. Both semi-structured interviews and document check data generation strategies were used in this study. In semi-structured interviews, a sample comprising eight female academics with not less than five years in research networks in public universities were selected, while documents such as the annual reports and strategic plans were used. This study concludes that research networks are uplifting the female scientists in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda because they were internationally exposed, networked, funded, research skills were strengthened, and progressed in career. This study concludes that it was important for female scientists to access physical and human resource in their research networks as this increased their research performance and outputs in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda. This study therefore recommends that, to uplift female scientists in research networks in STEM fields in public universities in Uganda, female scientists in the research networks and senior colleagues should act as ambassadors and mentors to young female scientists in STEM fields

Condom Use Rate and Associated Factors among Undergraduate Students of Gulu University, Uganda

Condom Use Rate and Associated Factors among Undergraduate Students of Gulu University, Uganda

Community Perceptions on the Contributions of Public Universities to Community Transformation

Much as the role of higher education has been recognised for promoting development globally, communities surrounding universities in Sub-Saharan Africa are still grappling with poor quality health, low income, poor housing, unreliable electricity and other social amenities. This study determined community perceptions of the contributions of Gulu University to community transformation in post-conflict northern Uganda. A cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data while using researcher-administered questionnaires and geospatial techniques. Questionnaire data was analysed using principal component analysis, and descriptive statistics while geospatial data was analysed using buffers, spatial join tool, and overlay analysis in GIS environment. Findings revealed that the economic, political, spiritual and physical dimensions were important in explaining the transformation of communities surrounding Gulu University. The community surrounding Gulu University is perceived to have progressed well in terms of savings, business, commercial farming, and civil service; consumption of more than 3 meals per day, access to credit and remittances; easy access to health care, and quality education. The majority of the population can make free and independent decisions, are good at self-expression, exercise love for one another, enjoy living with community members, are at peace with one another, exercise kindness, waste is properly managed, and there is good access to water. However, there is slow progress in having alternative sources of income, only a few community members perceived: their level of education to have improved, participate in leadership and are taking part in politics. There is also a scarcity of respect for one another, endurance and faithfulness. The study concludes that (i) households need to think of alternative ways of generating income, given its relevance in enabling households to meet their daily income, (ii) education policies and other stakeholders need to provide more support for community members to pursue higher levels of education, (iii) more civic education to create awareness on the importance of participating in leadership and politics, and (iv) a need by religious sects to continue with more teachings on respect for one another, endurance and faithfulness in the community surrounding Gulu University

Dietary diversity, undernutrition, and predictors among pregnant adolescents and young women attending Gulu University teaching hospitals in northern Uganda.

Undernutrition has deleterious consequences to both the mother and the unborn child, significantly contributing to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. We assessed dietary diversity, the prevalence, and predictors of undernutrition among pregnant adolescents and young women (PAYW) attending antenatal clinic (ANC) at two large teaching hospitals in northern Uganda. Between 12th June 2023 to 27th October 2023, we conducted a facility-based, cross-sectional study at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital (GRRH) and St Mary's Hospital Lacor (SMHL), both in Gulu district, Uganda. We recruited PAYW aged 15-24 years attending ANCs. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the study participants were collected using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. Undernutrition was defined as a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of < 23 cm. Modified Poisson regression analysis was performed to determine factors independently associated with undernutrition. Data analyses was performed using STATA version 17.0. A p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 324 participants, with a mean age of 21.2±2.2 years were enrolled. About 62.0% (n = 201) of the participants dewormed during pregnancy. The prevalence of undernutrition was 12.7% [n = 41]. Prevalence was higher among participants who maintained pre-pregnancy diet (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 2.27, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.26-4.05, p = 0.006), those who did not receive nutritional education (aPR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.21-4.20, p = 0.011) and consumption of non-green leafy vegetables (aPR = 4.62 95% CI: 1.64-13.01, p = 0.004). The prevalence of undernutrition was lower among participants who consumed milk and milk products (aPR = 0.44 95% CI: 0.24-0.81, p = 0.009) and among those who consumed fish and seafood compared to those who did not (aPR = 0.45 95% CI: 0.20-1.00, p = 0.050). About 1 in 8 of PAYW attending GRRH or SMHL had undernutrition, particularly those who lacked education about feeding habits during pregnancy and limited access to milk and milk products, fish and seafoods. We recommend health workers to offer timely education of pregnant adolescent and young women mothers about good feeding habits during pregnancy, appropriate monitoring of weight gain and physiological changes during pregnancy.

Factors Influencing Public University’s Role in Community Transformation

Paucity of knowledge exists on the factors that influence the capacity of universities to transform communities, particularly in the Ugandan context. This study examined the internal factors that influence the capacity of Gulu University to contribute to community transformation in Gulu City in Northern Uganda. A cross-sectional study design was used while employing self-administered questionnaire to sample 390 households. Logistic regression model was used to evaluate the influence of internal factors on Gulu University’s role in transforming the surrounding communities. Findings revealed that scholarships by the university (p=.000), enterprises developed within the community through Gulu University’s engagement (p=.007), religious meetings for spiritual transformation (p=.036), and the teaching done at the university (p=.045) had a statistically significant influence on the university’s role in transforming the surrounding community in Gulu city. The study concludes that universities, the central government, and other stakeholders need to focus more on scholarships for further education, enterprise development, supporting the church, and teaching in the university to realise multiplied transformation of the surrounding communities

Modelling Transformation of Communities by Public Universities in Post Conflict Northern Uganda Using Economic and Demographic factors

Scarcity of knowledge exists on how economic and demographic factors of surrounding communities influence the capacity of universities to transform them. This study examines the dimensions that contribute to community transformation in the context of the community surrounding Gulu University in post-conflict northern Uganda and the economic and demographic factors of the surrounding community that influence their transformation by Gulu University. The study employed a cross-sectional research design with a sample of 390 households. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data on household economic and demographic factors and data on dimensions of community transformation. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine the contributions of the dimensions of community transformation, while logistic regression model was employed to determine economic and demographic factors that influence community transformation by Gulu University. The independent variables tested in the economic and demographic categories included age, gender, household size, occupation, alternative income, savings, credit, remittances, and education, while transformation formed the dependent variable. Findings revealed that the economic, physical, political and spiritual dimensions contribute more to the transformation of the community surrounding Gulu University, while the economic and demographic factors that had a significant influence on community transformation included occupation in civil service, business, and commercial farming (P=.004); and the level of education (P=0.044). The study concludes that the economic, physical, political and spiritual dimensions with their associated variables contributed more to community transformation. These can be used by other related studies to measure community transformation by universities in the context of developing countries. Furthermore, policies need to focus more on supporting the improvement of the business environment to promote commercial farming and university education since they have a higher multiplier effect on community transformation. Consequently, community members need to focus on business, harness commercial farming and achieve university level of education

Perspectives from the Local Community on Strategies for Community Transformation in Uganda’s Public Universities

Several Universities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) rarely have a clearly defined strategy for transforming communities. This is partly because some are still built on colonial models, which place a strong focus on theory, rote learning, and memorisation, where learners duplicate the content during examinations with little or no impact on the community. As a result, the surrounding communities continue to grapple with high levels of poverty, illiteracy, poor housing, disease, and poor-quality health and hygiene. This study explores the strategies Gulu University is using to transform the post-conflict community of Gulu City, northern Uganda. A cross-sectional research design was used involving 390 households. Self-administered questionnaires were employed to collect data on community perceptions of the operationalisation of the different strategies employed by Gulu University to transform the community. Descriptive statistics was used to determine the most outstanding strategies and their associated variables, while chi-square test was performed to assess the relationship between community perception of the existence of Gulu University and the strategies of community transformation. Findings revealed that, first, Gulu University’s strategy of knowledge application has been perceived by the surrounding community to have worked well by increasing employment opportunities, providing young people with opportunities for meaningful livelihood activities, reducing crime, and fostering enterprise development in the surrounding community. Second, the strategy of partnerships and community projects has paid off by providing scholarships to help community members further their education. However, there is still more to be done in terms of knowledge generation strategy through skill training, knowledge transmission strategy through technology transfer, primary health care, better farming engagements, and innovative business services, as well as partnerships and community projects strategy via enterprise development. Furthermore, findings indicated that there was a significant association between community perceptions of transformation and the existence of Gulu University. The findings highlight potential areas of focus for Gulu University and other Ugandan universities for formulating policies that higher institutions of learning can employ to transform communities. Besides, future research should explore the dimensions of community transformation that influence the role of higher institutions of learning in transforming communities

Leadership styles and organisational communication in selected public universities in Uganda

This study aimed to assess the impact of leadership styles on organisational communication in selected public universities in Uganda. Specifically, the study examined the influence of transformational and transactional leadership styles on organisational communication within these universities. The four public universities included in the study were Kyambogo University, Gulu University, Busitema University, and Mbarara University of Science and Technology. A correlational research design was employed, and data was collected from a sample of managerial staff, namely administrative and academic heads, using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) were used to analyse the data using SmartPLS. The descriptive findings indicated that the organisational communication within the university was satisfactory, and the utilisation of transformational leadership styles by the leaders was high, while the use of transactional leadership styles was moderate. The findings from the Structural Equation Modeling confirmed that both transformational and transactional leadership styles had a positive and significant impact on organisational communication, while the passive-avoidant leadership style had a positive but insignificant impact. As a result, it was concluded that while transformational and transactional leadership styles are crucial for enhancing organisational communication in public universities, the passive-avoidant management/laissez-faire style is not. The study recommended that university leaders should emphasise the use of both transformational and transactional leadership styles to improve organisational communication. This study's implication is that it identifies the leadership styles necessary for enhancing organisational communication in universities.

PBL hybrid: An exploration of the concept of hybrid learning in a resource-constrained university context

In this paper, we explore the concept of hybrid learning in the context of a project aiming to transform the master programmes at Gulu University in Uganda by incorporating problem- and project-based learning (PBL) and the use of digital technologies to prepare graduates to lead community transformation and improve employability. Teachers are experimenting and piloting PBL and digital technologies. Based on the teachers' experiences this paper provides insights into how PBL and hybrid learning are being enacted by teachers and learners in the context of a resource-constrained university environment. What are the challenges of bringing these principles of hybrid learning and PBL together in a resource-constrained environment? The paper understands hybrid learning as the development of a new quality of learning environments that goes beyond a mere mixture of elements, e.g. digital and analogue, on-site and off-site. In this paper we are particularly concerned with exploring how the new PBL hybrid practices are developing, with a interest in how digital tools are integrated into teaching and learning. This paper is based on the results of a co-construction workshop with teachers and researchers based on their experiences from the first pilot phase. The results of the study suggest that flexibility is a core concept in relation to PBL-hybrid. Hybrid learning involves flexibility in terms of how learners carry out educational activities, how PBL is implemented, the use of many different technologies and the use of both analogue and digital learning tools and spaces. Moreover, to achieve hybrid learning, the types of flexibility and technologies, as well as the mix of digital and analogue tools, depend on the specific context of the educational activities, as well as on the competences of learners and teachers. As such, hybrid learning needs to be seen as a concept in relation to the contexts in which it unfolds. This insight is important for networked learning, which cuts across contexts, actors, materials/spaces and digital/analogue modalities.

Utilization of modern contraceptives among female health care workers at Gulu university teaching hospitals in Northern Uganda

BackgroundThe global high rate of unintended pregnancy is a direct result of underutilization of contraceptives methods. Healthcare workers (HCWs) play a pivotal role in promoting and facilitating access to modern family planning services. By examining the extent to which healthcare providers practice what they preach, this research aimed to shed light on the prevalence and factors associated with modern contraceptive use among female HCW at two university teaching hospitals in northern Uganda.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among qualified female healthcare workers (FHCWs) at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital (GRRH) and St. Mary’s Hospital-Lacor in Gulu, Uganda. Convenient consecutive sampling was used to enroll study participants. Linear regression analysis was employed to determine factors independently associated with modern contraceptive use. P < 0.005 was considered statistically significant.ResultsWe enrolled 201 female HCWs, with a median age 31 (interquartile range: 27–38) years. Overall, 15 (7.5%, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 4.4 —11.1) participants utilized modern methods of family planning in the last 3 months while lifetime use was at 73.6% (n = 148, 95%CI: 67.3 — 79.4%). Most common method utilized was intra-uterine devices [IUDs] (51%, n = 76), followed by sub-dermal implants (15.4%, n = 23). Eighty-five (42.3%, n = 85) participants had desire to get pregnant. Factors independently associated with utilization of modern methods contraceptives were working at GRRH (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 5.0, 95% CI: 1.59 — 10.0, p = 0.003), and being single (aOR: 3.3, 9%CI: 1.02 —10.57, p = 0.046).ConclusionsUtilization of modern methods of contraceptive among female HCWs in this study is lower than the Uganda national estimates for the general female population. Most utilized method is IUDs followed by sub-dermal implants. More studies are recommended to see if this finding is similar among FHCWs in other regions of Uganda and the rest of Africa while also considering Male Healthcare Workers.

Acute Poisoning Emergencies at Gulu University Teaching Hospitals in Northern Uganda: Prevalence, Outcomes and Clinical Challenges

Acute poisonings, including envenomation as well as toxicological emergencies stemming from accidental or intentional ingestion of poisonous substances or drug overdose, are significant worldwide causes of morbidity and mortality. The study aimed to characterise acute poisoning emergencies admitted to two major hospitals in Northern Uganda. We conducted a retrospective review of charts of all patients admitted with acute poisoning emergencies between January and December 2021, as well as a structured interview of hospital staff working in these hospitals on challenges faced while managing these emergencies. Of the total 40,653 patient admissions, 416 (1%) were due to acute poisonings. The majority were admitted to SMHL (71.4%), 43.3% were between 20 and 40 years of age, and 59.9% were males. The average length of hospital stay was 1 (0-3). The most frequent diagnoses were acute alcohol intoxications (27.2%, n=113), snake bites (26.0%, n=108), and organophosphate poisonings (21.2%, n=88). Only 29.6% (n=123) of patients received antidotes. Peak admissions were observed in February, May, and July. The majority of poisonings were intentional (61.3%), resulting in a Case Fatality Rate of 6.3%. In the qualitative findings, participants highlighted key challenges in managing these conditions, including the lack of antidotes, patients presenting late at the hospital, economic barriers, staff shortages, and limited community awareness. Acute poisoning, especially acute alcoholic intoxication, snake bites and organophosphate poisoning, are common in northern Uganda, with significant numbers dying from it. The lack of antidotes remains a problem in these hospitals. Restriction of alcohol consumption use of agricultural organophosphates, and training of healthcare workers in managing these emergencies are recommended

Efficacy of the Gulu University Reproductive Health Simulation Training for final year medical students and interns: a before-and-after study.

Reproductive health emergencies, such as postpartum hemorrhage, contribute significantly to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in Uganda due to knowledge and skills gaps. Medical interns, intern midwives, and nurses are crucial as frontline healthcare workers in responding to these emergencies. Our proposed hands-on strategy involves comprehensive simulation-based training (SBT) to equip these healthcare workers with the essential knowledge to manage common reproductive health emergencies and procedures in the country. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of comprehensive SBT in improving the knowledge of interns and fifth-year medical students on reproductive health emergencies and procedures at Gulu University and its Teaching Hospitals in Uganda. A before-and-after study. A 4-day SBT was conducted for fifth-year medical students and interns (nurses, midwives, and doctors) at Gulu University Teaching Hospitals, focusing on reproductive health emergencies. Pre- and post-tests with 40 multiple-choice questions were used to evaluate knowledge enhancement, the scores were summarized as medians and interquartile ranges. Paired sample t-tests was used to test the difference in pre- and post-test scores. Independent sample t-tests compared median post-test results between interns and students, with a p-value <0.05 considered significant. A total of 153 participants were enrolled, the majority being males (78.4%, n = 120) and medical students (73.9%, n = 113). Among the 40 interns, 55% (n = 22) were doctors, 30% (n = 12) were midwives, and 15% (n = 6) were nurses. The study participants showed an increase in knowledge, with median post-test scores higher than pre-test scores for all participants [63% (interquartile ranges, IQR: 57-71%) versus 49% (42-54%), with a median difference of 14% (8-23%), p < 0.001]. The SBT effectively imparts key knowledge competencies to the interns and fifth-year medical students. We recommend that SBT be included as part of the course units that students should take and for continuous medical education for qualified healthcare workers in resource-limited settings.

The experiences and challenges of Doctoral Education in Public Universities compared

Purpose: This article’s purpose is to explore the challenges and experiences PhD students in selected Ugandan state universities endure during their studies. Research methodology: The approach of the research focused on three public universities thus; Kabale University, Makerere University, and Gulu University. To explore these challenges, we undertook an extensive literature review of the external supervisors and evaluations of PhD students who attempted to submit their final dissertations. Results: The main findings of the results indicate that due to institutional, individual, and supervisory inefficiency, many students who enroll in their PhD programs at these universities are unable to graduate within the given timeframe. Limitations: The limitations of the study conclude that the problems addressed in this research and the suggestions presented provide the basis for improving university training programs and facilitating students, timely completion of the PhD program. Contribution: In terms of contribution, this research will improve scholarly writing and publication abilities, in addition to increasing the identity of doctoral education in Uganda. Evidently, there is no substantial work exploring the difficulties and challenges faced by PhD students in Uganda. Novelty: it is crucial to remember that when pursuing their PhDs, scholars are not just learning about the research topic, but are also developing fundamental skills in critical thinking, to construct their own knowledge within their own indigenous context, it is essential that they acquire the capacity to assess assertions, and evaluate arguments in a critical manner.

Motivational pathways for farmer learning behaviour in the student‐to‐farmer university outreach

AbstractIn recent times, calls for practical training of agricultural extension workers, who exhibit the right mix of competences for responsiveness to farmer learning needs, have intensified. This comes at the time when there is an increasingly growing desire for more community‐engaged African universities, and as such, making the integration of agricultural students into community outreach services a necessity. However, empirical evidence on whether student‐led outreach and training models adequately respond to the psychological learning needs of host farmers and subsequent motivation of these farmers for learning is lacking. This study uses a structural equation modelling technique on a sample of 283 farmers who had previously participated in the student‐to‐farmer outreach of Gulu University. Results reveal that satisfying farmer learning needs influences intrinsic motivation, formation of learning intentions and farmer learning behaviour. Intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between satisfying farmer learning needs and the outcome learning behaviour. We conclude that satisfying farmer learning needs is a strong initiator of motivational pathways for farmer learning behaviour in the student‐to‐farmer university outreach. We call for more public financing of university outreach programmes so as to enable not only training for churning out graduates with the right competences of responsiveness to community needs but also fostering creative innovations involving both universities and communities.

Patients’ attitudes towards involvement of medical students in their care at university teaching hospitals of three public universities in Uganda: a cross sectional study

BackgroundComfort of patients with medical students is important and promotes appropriate clinical reasoning and skills development in the students. There is however limited data in this field in Uganda. In this study, we examined the attitudes and comfort of patients attending care at the medical and obstetrics/gynecology specialties in teaching hospitals of three public universities in Uganda.MethodsWe conducted a cross sectional study among patients attending care at teaching hospitals for three public universities; Makerere University (Mak), Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), and Gulu University (GU). Logistic regression was used to determine the magnitude of associations between independent and dependent variables. Two-sided p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsEight hundred fifty-five patients participated in the study. Majority were aged 18 — 39 years (54%, n = 460), female (81%, n = 696) and married (67%, n = 567). Seventy percent (n = 599) of participants could recognize and differentiate medical students from qualified physicians, and had ever interacted with medical students (65%, n = 554) during earlier consultations. Regarding attitudes of patients towards presence of medical students during their consultations, most participants (96%; n = 818) considered involvement of medical students in patients’ care as essential ingredient of training of future doctors. Most participants prefer that medical students are trained in the tertiary public hospitals (80%; n = 683) where they attend care. Participants who were single/never married were 68% less likely to recognize and differentiate medical students (aOR = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.22 — 0.53) from other members of the healthcare team as compared with married participants. Participants with university education had 55% lower odds of being comfortable with presence of medical students during consultation compared to those with primary education (aOR = 0.45, 95%CI: 0.21 — 0.94). Participants from MUST teaching hospital had twofold higher odds of being comfortable with presence of medical students compared to participants from Mak teaching hospitals (aOR = 2.01; 95%CI: 1.20 — 3.39).ConclusionPatients are generally comfortable with medical students’ involvement in their care; they prefer to seek care in hospitals where medical students are trained so that the students may contribute to their care. Medical students need to introduce themselves appropriately so that all patients can know them as doctors in training; this will promote patients’ autonomy and informed decisions.

Prevalence of and institutional factors associated with depression among undergraduate students at Gulu University

Background: Many institutional factors predispose University students to mental health issues, including depression. However, with no central database for depression in Uganda, literature on depression and associated institutional factors among undergraduate students is scarce. This study examined the prevalence of and institutional factors associated with depression among undergraduate students at Gulu University. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey among 452 undergraduate students at Gulu University in the academic year 2018/2019 in February and March 2019. A stratified simple random sampling was used to identify the participants. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, including mean and frequency, were used. We conducted a bivariate analysis to determine the association between variables employing Pearson’s chi-square test or Fischer’s exact test. We conducted a multivariate analysis with factors that had significant P-values of less than 0.05. Results: The average age of the respondents was 22.4 (SD - 2.4), more than half (53.1%) were male and 38.50% were in the second year. The results show that 31.19% reported depression. After controlling for age and sex, the results showed that there was a statistically significant correlation between depression and faculty (aOR - 1.15), year of study (aOR - 0.77), happiness with the course (aOR - 0-0.49), satisfaction with academic performance (aOR - 0.45), and satisfaction with academic quality (aOR - 0.61). The results indicated that the predictors of depression among undergraduate students were faculty, year of study, satisfaction with academic performance, and satisfaction with academic quality. Conclusion: A substantial proportion of Gulu University undergraduate students reported high levels of depression. The results, therefore, showed that depression in undergraduate students is an identifiable disorder that needs diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Faculty, year of study, satisfaction with academic performance, satisfaction with academic quality were predictors of depression. Thus there is an urgent need for counseling, psychoeducation, and preventive mental health services as an essential part of the university setup.

Preliminary Phytochemical Screening of Plumbagozeylanica L. Roots and Its Aphrodisiac Effect in Male Rats

Aim: To perform phytochemical screening of Plumbago zeylanica L. root extracts and assess the claim of its use in traditional management of erectile dysfunction in Uganda through evaluation of the aphrodisiac effect of its aqueous extracts in male Wistar rats.&#x0D; Study Design: This study employed both qualitative and quantitative research designs.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: All research work were performed at the Department of Biological Sciences, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda between August 2019 and December 2019.&#x0D; Methodology: Classical phytochemical screening of aqueous and methanolic extracts of Plumbago zeylanica roots were performed following standard methods. Aqueous extracts were administered to Male Wistar rats and the effect of the extracts on the mounting and intromission frequencies were determined.&#x0D; Results: Glycosides, phenols, saponins, quinones, terpenoids and steroids were present in both methanolic and aqueous extracts. Alkaloids were present in methanolic extracts only while tannins and phlobatannins were only present in aqueous extracts. Flavonoids, coumarins and anthraquinones were not detected in both extracts. Aqueous root extracts of Plumbago zeylanica produced pro-sexual stimulatory effects in male rats when administered at 150, 300 and 450 mg/kg body weight.&#x0D; Conclusion: The results support the use of Plumbago zeylanicaroots by indigenous people in Uganda to increase libido, treat premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. The extracts had low sexual enhancement in sexually inexperienced male rats and therefore, further studies using experienced animal models are needed to better apprehend the prosexual effects of P. zeylanica roots. The toxicity of the extracts as well as structural elucidation and pharmacological evaluation of the responsible bioactive compounds merit further studies.

Short-term outcomes of laparotomy in the two teaching hospitals of gulu university, northern uganda

The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical indication for laparotomy, the intra-operative findings and the 30 days post-operative outcome of laparotomy in Gulu university teaching hospitals.

Training of Geography Teachers for Secondary Schools at University in Uganda: An Analysis of Gulu University Teacher Trainees’ Teaching Practice.

The changes in learner characteristics and the learning environment in the twenty first century calls for adjustments in teacher training to meet the needs of the contemporary learners. This study analyses training of geography teachers at Gulu University with the view of assessing the application of contemporary geography teaching methodologies for the twenty first century learners. Time- series data were collected from teacher trainees’ lesson plans used during school practice running for three consecutive years of 2016, 2017, and 2018. Teaching methods as well as types of instructional materials were extracted from eighty one lessons taught by teacher trainees in thirty six schools in both rural and urban Uganda. Using SPSS 16.0 software, data was analysed to generate frequencies, counts and cross-tabulations. Findings reveal that question and answer method was the most used while guided discovery was the least used, followed by demonstration. Fieldwork and project methods were not used at all. It was also found out that in 12% of all the lessons, there was no use of instructional materials in the teaching/learning process. The study recommends that the curriculum structure of future geography teacher trainees be improved to factor in contemporary teaching styles which use modern teaching equipment relevant to the current generation of technology and learners, and the training of lecturers who mentor geography teacher trainees at universities be institutionalized.

When the guns stopped roaring: Acholi ngec ma gwoko lobo

This article calls attention to the responsibility of universities to transform, through partnership, the community in which they are embedded. The authors suggest that, to find solutions to the various community challenges and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), universities need to engage in partnerships of knowledge co-creation with the community in ways that value local knowledge and experience. The article elaborates on the efforts of Gulu University Centre for Community Based Participatory Research and Lifelong Learning, located in Northern Uganda, to show the potential of co-constructing knowledge for community transformation. The centre is part of the Knowledge for Change (K4C) global consortium, which is a growing network for community-based research. The authors share three research stories of community-based research that reflect distinct challenges faced in Northern Uganda and effective community-engaged solutions. Through an exploration of the Acholi ontology and epistemology of interconnection, the authors demonstrate that local communities have the knowledge and experience to define and address local problems.