Rural Communities In Uganda Research Articles

Secondary distribution of HIV self-test kits from males to their female sexual partners in two fishing communities in rural Uganda.

Secondary distribution of HIV self-test kits from females to their male partners has increased HIV testing rates in men but little evidence exists on the potential for HIV self-test kits distribution from males to their female partners. We assessed the acceptability of secondary HIV self-test kits distribution from males to their female sexual partners in a fishing community context. This secondary analysis used data from the PEer-led HIV Self-Testing intervention for MEN (PEST4MEN), a pilot interventional study in Buvuma and Kalangala districts in Uganda. At the baseline visit, in July 2022, data were collected from 400 men aged 15+ years who self-reported a HIV-negative or unknown HIV status. Enrolled men were asked to pick two oral fluid HIV self-test kits from a trained male distributor. At the first follow-up visit, in September 2022, men were asked about the number of kits that they received and if they gave kits to anyone, including to their female sexual partners. We used a modified Poisson regression model to determine the factors independently associated with giving kits to sexual partners. Data were analyzed using STATA version 16.0. Of 361 men interviewed at follow-up, 98.3% (355) received at least one kit; 79.7% (283) received two kits. Of those who received two kits, 64% (181) gave the second kit to anyone else; of these, 74.6% (132/177) gave it to a sexual partner. Being currently married (adjusted prevalence ratio [adj. PR] = 1.39; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.10, 1.75) and having difficulty in reading text prepared in the local language (adj. PR = 1.26; 95%CI: 1.03, 1.55) were significantly associated with men giving kits to their female sexual partners. Ninety-seven per cent (112/132) of the men reported that they knew their sexual partners' HIV self-test results. Of these, 93.7% (n = 105) reported that their partners were HIV-negative while 6.3% (n = 7) reported that they were HIV-positive. Only 28.6% (n = 2) of the HIV-positive sexual partners were reported to have initiated HIV care. Secondary distribution of HIV self-test kits from males to their female sexual partners is well accepted by women in the fishing communities, suggesting that distribution of kits through men in the fishing communities can help to improve HIV testing uptake among their female sexual partners.

Immigration, ethnic diversity and public goods provisioning: Evidence from rural communities in Uganda

A considerable body of literature suggests that immigration undermines voluntary contributions to public goods because it leads to ethnic diversity, which erodes social trust. This article posits that the effect of immigration outweighs that of ethnic diversity, so that immigration may explain why ethnic diversity is negatively associated with social trust and public goods provisioning. I also highlight a need to emphasize the moderating influence of transaction costs when analyzing provisioning problems associated with immigration and ethnic diversity. To examine my hypotheses, I use a mixed-method research design to study public goods management in randomly selected communities in rural Uganda whose rates of immigration and levels of ethnic diversity vary. I analyze community-level attempts at collective action that involve substantially different costs; that is, contributing to toilet construction and participating in litter pickup programs. The findings suggest that socio-political barriers to collective action for public goods provisioning may have less to do with the stock of demographic diversity than the flow rate of demographic change. The same findings suggest a more micro-level explanation that transcends the erosive effects (of immigration and ethnic diversity) on social trust to emphasize the moderating influence of transaction costs.

Researching Without “Methods”: An Experiment in Socio-Ecological Sustainability Research With Rural Communities

This article describes an improvisatory or ‘no method’ research approach in socio-ecological sustainability in two rural Ugandan communities. A team of multidisciplinary researchers purposed to understand how rural community members make sense of their role in, and relationship with, the environment. In addition, they sought to unsettle pre-existing assumptions, categories of knowledge, and methods of knowledge generation, through a practical and conceptual exploration of community-academy collaboration in research. The authors present an account of the research process as an experiment towards a decolonial, context-specific, and post-qualitative practice of inquiry and collaboration. The paper describes the context of the Ugandan communities involved and the socio-ecological issues that impact their lives. Related methodological practices are discussed to support the description and discussion of the improvised methods employed in this study. The methodological findings that conclude this paper have implications for global sustainability research, partnership, and action.

Using telehealth to support community health workers in Uganda during COVID-19: a mixed-method study

BackgroundAt the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a local consortium in Uganda set up a telehealth approach that aimed to educate 3,500 Community Health Workers (CHW) in rural areas about COVID-19, help them identify, refer and care for potential COVID-19 cases, and support them in continuing their regular community health work. The aim of this study was to assess the functioning of the telehealth approach that was set up to support CHWs during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsFor this mixed-method study, we combined analysis of routine consultation data from the call-center, 24 interviews with key-informants and two surveys of 150 CHWs. Data were analyzed using constant comparative method of analysis.ResultsBetween March 2020 and June 2021, a total of 35,553 consultations took place via the call center. While the CHWs made extensive use of the call center, they rarely asked for support for potential Covid-19 cases. According to the CHWs, there were no signs that people in their communities were suffering from severe health problems due to COVID-19. People compared the lack of visible symptoms to diseases such as Ebola and were skeptical about the danger of COVID-19. At the same time, people in rural areas were afraid to report relevant symptoms and get tested for fear of being quarantined and stigmatized. The telehealth approach did prove useful for other purposes, such as supporting CHWs with their regular tasks and coordinating the supply of essential products. The health professionals at the call center supported CHWs in diagnosing, referring and treating patients and adhering to infection prevention and control practices. The CHWs felt more informed and less isolated, saying the support from the call center helped them to provide better care and improved the supply of medicine and other essential health products.ConclusionsThe telehealth approach, launched at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided useful support to thousands of CHWs in rural communities in Uganda. The telehealth approach could be quickly set up and scaled up and offers a low cost strategy for providing useful and flexible support to CHWs in rural communities.

Caregiver accounts of unintentional childhood injury events in rural Uganda

Objective: Complex environmental, social, and individual factors contribute to unintentional childhood injury events. Understanding context-specific antecedents and caregiver attributions of childhood injury events can inform the development of locally-targeted interventions to reduce injury risk in rural Uganda. Methods: Fifty-six Ugandan caregivers were recruited through primary schools and completed qualitative interviews regarding 86 unintentional childhood injury events. Descriptive statistics summarized injury characteristics, child location and activity, and supervision at time of injury. Qualitative analyses informed by grounded theory identified caregiver attributions of injury causes and caregiver actions to reduce injury risk. Results: Cuts, falls, and burns were the most common injuries reported. At the time of injury, the most common child activities were farming and playing and the most common child locations were the farm and kitchen. Most children were unsupervised. In cases where supervision was provided, the supervisor was typically distracted. Caregivers most often attributed injuries to child risk-taking but also identified social, environmental, and chance factors. Caregivers most often made efforts to reduce injury risk by teaching children safety rules, but also reported efforts to improve supervision, remove hazards, and implement environmental safeguards. Conclusion: Unintentional childhood injuries have a significant impact on injured children and their families, and caregivers are motivated to reduce child injury risk. Caregivers frequently perceive child decision-making a primary factor in injury events and respond by teaching children safety rules. Rural communities in Uganda and elsewhere may face unique hazards associated with agricultural labor, contributing to a high risk of cuts. Interventions to support caregiver efforts to reduce child injury risk are warranted.

Co-designing with engineers for community engagement in rural Uganda

Abstract Co-design is seen as crucial for designing solutions for resource-constrained people living in developing countries. To best understand their needs, user engagement and co-design strategies need to first be developed. In this Design Practice Brief, a process of co-design was created and used to understand ways telecommunication engineers could engage with rural communities in Uganda. It reports and reflects on (i) the experience of co-designing with nondesigners and (ii) creating a co-design structure and developing co-design methods of engaging with community members living in developing countries. In doing so, it offers a format and case study for future practitioners facilitating and conducting co-design with nondesigners and contributes to a knowledge gap in the reporting and reflection of co-design practice. This case study is unique as the co-design practice was achieved remotely (online), crossed disciplines (designers and telecommunication engineers) and cultural boundaries (European and African). It finds that in co-designing with nondesigners, preparation and structure are key, with acknowledgement and management of cultural and discipline differences.

Process evaluation of a pragmatic implementation trial to support self-management for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes in Uganda, South Africa and Sweden in the SMART2D project

IntroductionType 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications are increasing rapidly. Support for healthy lifestyle and self-management is paramount, but not adequately implemented in health systems. Process evaluations facilitate understanding why...

The Association Between Social Network Characteristics and Tuberculosis Infection Among Adults in 9 Rural Ugandan Communities.

Social network analysis can elucidate tuberculosis transmission dynamics outside the home and may inform novel network-based case-finding strategies. We assessed the association between social network characteristics and prevalent tuberculosis infection among residents (aged ≥15 years) of 9 rural communities in Eastern Uganda. Social contacts named during a census were used to create community-specific nonhousehold social networks. We evaluated whether social network structure and characteristics of first-degree contacts (sex, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] status, tuberculosis infection) were associated with revalent tuberculosis infection (positive tuberculin skin test [TST] result) after adjusting for individual-level risk factors (age, sex, HIV status, tuberculosis contact, wealth, occupation, and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin [BCG] vaccination) with targeted maximum likelihood estimation. Among 3 335 residents sampled for TST, 32% had a positive TST results and 4% reported a tuberculosis contact. The social network contained 15 328 first-degree contacts. Persons with the most network centrality (top 10%) (adjusted risk ratio, 1.3 [95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.1]) and the most (top 10%) male contacts (1.5 [1.3-1.9]) had a higher risk of prevalent tuberculosis, than those in the remaining 90%. People with ≥1 contact with HIV (adjusted risk ratio, 1.3 [95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.6]) and ≥2 contacts with tuberculosis infection were more likely to have tuberculosis themselves (2.6 [ 95% confidence interval: 2.2-2.9]). Social networks with higher centrality, more men, contacts with HIV, and tuberculosis infection were positively associated with tuberculosis infection. Tuberculosis transmission within measurable social networks may explain prevalent tuberculosis not associated with a household contact. Further study on network-informed tuberculosis case finding interventions is warranted.

Diet patterns in the context of climatic changes and Covid-19 among Indigenous and rural Ugandan communities

Diet patterns in the context of climatic changes and Covid-19 among Indigenous and rural Ugandan communities

The power of language: Exploring values, empowerment dynamics and communication strategies for gender-inclusive energy service design in rural Uganda

Understanding consumer needs and values is crucial to the sustainable delivery and uptake of energy access projects in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Nevertheless, many energy projects aim to empower women without first assessing gendered roles, needs, values, and relations for both men and women in project communities. Neglecting these can be detrimental to the end-users of energy projects, exacerbating conflict within households rather than empowering vulnerable groups. We propose a value-based approach to elicit the varying priorities and values of men and women and assess how these may shape energy access project design and communication in LMICs. Data from 84 qualitative individual interviews, equally split between men and women, and 28 gender-disaggregated focus-group discussions in seven rural Ugandan communities were used. We find that men and women in rural Uganda held largely the same high-priority underlying values focused on basic human needs such as income, healthcare, information services, food security, and water security. However, the language used to communicate these values differed in small but significant ways. Based on this, we offer two potential solutions for a more balanced gender-inclusive approach to energy service project design and communication: (1) Design projects and messaging based on underlying values of both genders while avoiding inadvertently reproducing patriarchal norms; and (2) use gender-specific messaging and vocabulary11In this research, vocabulary refers to the words, which vary from person to person, used to form associated meanings around the UPVs. linking energy projects to underlying values to increase buy-in. This work constitutes a first step in better understanding the importance of gender-disaggregated data in decision-making for energy access initiatives in LMICs.

Impact of Building a Locally-Driven Sustainable Ambulatory Surgery Center on a Rural Community in Uganda

Impact of Building a Locally-Driven Sustainable Ambulatory Surgery Center on a Rural Community in Uganda

Integrated malaria prevention in rural communities in Uganda: a qualitative feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundA randomised controlled trial (RCT) on integrated malaria prevention, which advocates the use of several malaria prevention methods holistically, has been proposed. However, before conducting an RCT, it is recommended that a feasibility study is carried out to provide information to support the main study, particularly for such a complex intervention. Therefore, a feasibility study for an RCT on integrated malaria prevention in Uganda was conducted.MethodsThe qualitative study carried out in Wakiso District employed focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) to explore community willingness to participate in the RCT as well as assess stakeholder perspectives on the future study. The participants of the FGDs were community members, while the key informants were selected from malaria stakeholders including Ministry of Health officials, health practitioners, local leaders, district health team members, and community health workers (CHWs). Thematic analysis was employed with the support of NVivo.ResultsA total of 12 FGDs and 19 KIIs were conducted. Five main themes emerged from the study: malaria prevention practices related to integrated malaria prevention; preferred malaria prevention methods in the integrated approach; potential challenges of integrated malaria prevention; perspectives on the proposed RCT; and sustainability of integrated malaria prevention. Despite a few methods being employed holistically in the community, insecticide-treated nets were the most widely used and preferred method for malaria prevention mainly because they were provided free by the government. The main challenges in the integrated approach were the high cost of some methods such as house screening, and concerns about the potential side effects of insecticide-based methods such as indoor residual spraying. Participants expressed high willingness to participate in the RCT to promote the use of multiple methods in their households and community. Involvement of CHWs during implementation was proposed as a sustainability strategy for the RCT interventions.ConclusionThere was high willingness to participate in the proposed RCT on integrated malaria prevention. However, high cost and perceived negative health effects from some methods were identified as potential challenges. The type of methods to be included as well as sustainability mechanisms needs to be considered during the design of the RCT.

Challenging Socio-Economic Marginalization: Freire’s Influence in Rural Uganda

The study explores the work of Atanansi Community Based Organization, grassroots organization focused on the empowerment of marginalized poor, subsistence farming communities in rural Uganda. Through the application of Freirean conscientization and application of ideas from Catholic social teaching and liberation theology, the communities have been able to question their socio-economic realities, questioned the marginalization, and took action to start a community grade school, women income generating activities, and youth skilling programs. Through the process of conscientization, the community has learnt to rely on itself without waiting for the central government or politicians.
 
 
 Key Words: Conscientization, Marginalization, Paulo Freire, Rural Uganda, Theology.

SEARCH Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Streamlined Treatment Intervention Reduces Mortality at a Population Level in Men With Low CD4 Counts.

We tested the hypothesis that patient-centered, streamlined human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care would achieve lower mortality than the standard treatment model for persons with HIV and CD4 ≤ 350/uL in the setting of population-wide HIV testing. In the SEARCH (Sustainable East Africa Research in Community Health) Study (NCT01864603), 32 communities in rural Uganda and Kenya were randomized to country-guided antiretroviral therapy (ART) versus streamlined ART care that included rapid ART start, visit spacing, flexible clinic hours, and welcoming environment. We assessed persons with HIV and CD4 ≤ 350/uL, ART eligible in both arms, and estimated the effect of streamlined care on ART initiation and mortality at 3 years. Comparisons between study arms used a cluster-level analysis with survival estimates from Kaplan-Meier; estimates of ART start among ART-naive persons treated death as a competing risk. Among 13 266 adults with HIV, 2973 (22.4%) had CD4 ≤ 350/uL. Of these, 33% were new diagnoses, and 10% were diagnosed but ART-naive. Men with HIV were almost twice as likely as women with HIV to have CD4 ≤ 350/uL and be untreated (15% vs 8%, respectively). Streamlined care reduced mortality by 28% versus control (risk ratio [RR] = 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI]: .56, .93; P = .02). Despite eligibility in both arms, persons with CD4 ≤ 350/uL started ART faster under streamlined care versus control (76% vs 43% by 12 months, respectively; P < .001). Mortality was reduced substantially more among men (RR = 0.61; 95% CI: .43, .86; P = .01) than among women (RR = 0.90; 95% CI: .62, 1.32; P = .58). After population-based HIV testing, streamlined care reduced population-level mortality among persons with HIV and CD4 ≤ 350/uL, particularly among men. Streamlined HIV care models may play a key role in global efforts to reduce AIDS deaths.

Evaluation of the Cooking Cultures and Practices in Rural Uganda

Many communities across the globe still practice poor cooking cultures as part of their well-being to prepare food and other heating activities. Such bad cooking practices are not environmentally friendly, are wasteful and have adverse health effects. This work presents the results of the survey that was conducted to establish the existing cooking practices commonly used in Uganda, identify the commonly used fuel during cooking, identify perceptions on improved cooking stoves (ICS), perceived preferences during cooking as well as identify whether users are aware of the health challenges due to poor cooking and describe community opinions of ICS for rural communities in Uganda. The interviews were conducted on household levels across all the regions covering Uganda’s major rural regions. It was observed that the largest population of rural Ugandans still use the 3 stone stove fire for cooking with a percentage of 53.5%, Charcoal stove, 27.3%, Improved cooking stove, 16.9%, Electric cookers,1.2%, LPG 0.7% and biogas 0.5% for the preparation of their various types of cooked foods while forest firewood is the commonly used biomass fuel for cooking with a percentage of 66.8% compared to Charcoal, Briquettes, Saw dust and others with a percentage of 27.1%, 0.7%, 0.7%, 1.1% respectively. This reveals the great majority of users whose life is at risk as 3 stone stoves are characterized by low efficiency and high smoke production which increases the health risks of the users as well as increase the risk of deforestation rates. Household cooks showed great willingness to pay for a novel stove type in all the 4 regions but from the survey data, it was indicated that the preferences varied from one region to another with a great majority preferring minimal smoke production with increased heat retention capacity. It was revealed that 91.4% of the interviewed households were aware of the health challenges due to poor cooking methods which they resolved by using open space during cooking. There was variation in the quantity of food cooked in a day, time spent on cooking and how often the cooking is done from one region to another due to the difference in economic activities as well as the different climate factors. While using cooking stoves, users preferred large cooking pot space with minimal smoke production and rapid heating. Such information can act as a basis for the design of an improved cooking stove for the rural Ugandan community as engineered products must be designed to suit the needs of the end-user.

Food security and food sources linked to dietary diversity in rural smallholder farming households in central Uganda

<abstract> Undernourishment, low food quantity and poor dietary quality are common among smallholders in rural communities of Uganda. A cross-sectional study of rural smallholder farming households (n = 174) with children under five in Kiboga district, Uganda used a structured questionnaire to assess household food security status, frequency of household food consumption, and dietary diversity for children. Children's height and weight measurements were taken, and Z-scores calculated as indicators for nutritional status. Household typologies were created using principal component analysis. Households had adequate food supply for 7.6 ± 0.2 months a year; and a total of 35% were food secure. Over 7 days, starchy staples and legumes were consumed by all households; other food groups consumed were dark green leafy vegetables (43%), orange and dark-yellow foods (72%), and animal source foods (53%–60%). Roots, tubers, cooking bananas; vitamin A-rich vegetables, and legumes were sourced mainly from on-farm production, while animal source foods were mainly from the market. 76% of children consumed ≤3 food groups the previous day and 33% were stunted. Four household typologies were generated, 1^st (29% households) and 2^nd (23%) had more food secure households, 3^rd (28%) had mild food insecurity and 4^th (20%) had severe food insecurity. The 3^rd and 4^th typologies had the lowest dietary diversity. In summary, limited diversity of crops grown, low consumption of micronutrient-rich foods, child stunting, and household food insecurity were observed, while own production and markets were the main sources of food. The four household typologies can be used to develop context specific strategies to improve dietary diversity. </abstract>

Pathways for reduction of HIV-related stigma: a model derived from longitudinal qualitative research in Kenya and Uganda.

IntroductionThe rollout of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been associated with reductions in HIV‐related stigma, but pathways through which this reduction occurs are poorly understood. In the newer context of universal test and treat (UTT) interventions, where rapid diffusion of ART uptake takes place, there is an opportunity to understand the processes through which HIV‐related stigma can decline, and how UTT strategies may precipitate more rapid and widespread changes in stigma. This qualitative study sought to evaluate how a UTT intervention influenced changes in beliefs, attitudes and behaviours related to HIV.MethodsLongitudinal qualitative in‐depth semi‐structured interview data were collected within a community‐cluster randomized UTT trial, the Sustainable East Africa Research in Community Health (SEARCH) study, annually over three rounds (2014 to 2016) from two cohorts of adults (n = 32 community leaders, and n = 112 community members) in eight rural communities in Uganda and Kenya. Data were inductively analysed to develop new theory for understanding the pathways of stigma decline.ResultsWe present an emergent theoretical model of pathways through which HIV‐related stigma may decline: internalized stigma may be reduced by two processes accelerated through the uptake and successful usage of ART: first, a reduced fear of dying and increased optimism for prolonged and healthy years of life; second, a restoration of perceived social value and fulfilment of subjective role expectations via restored physical strength and productivity. Anticipated stigma may be reduced in response to widespread engagement in HIV testing, leading to an increasing number of HIV status disclosures in a community, “normalizing” disclosure and reducing fears. Improvements in the perceived quality of HIV care lead to people living with HIV (PLHIV) seeking care in nearby facilities, seeing other known community members living with HIV, reducing isolation and facilitating opportunities for social support and “solidarity.” Finally, enacted stigma may be reduced in response to the community viewing the healthy bodies of PLHIV successfully engaged in treatment, which lessens the fears that trigger enacted stigma; it becomes no longer socially normative to stigmatize PLHIV. This process may be reinforced through public health messaging and anti‐discrimination laws.ConclusionsDeclines in HIV‐related stigma appear to underway and explained by social processes accelerated by UTT efforts. Widespread implementation of UTT shows promise for reducing multiple dimensions of stigma, which is critical for improving health outcomes among PLHIV.

The Role of Para Social Workers in Rural Communities in Uganda: Strengthening Community Resilience for the Protection of Children

Para social workers (PSWs) are widely used in African nations to address inadequate capacity in the professional workforce, but there is to date very little academic commentary on the effectiveness of their role. This article considers the potential efficacy of the PSW model in strengthening child protection at community level in Uganda. Twenty interviews were conducted with local government officers, civil society organisation staff and PSWs (10 in each of 2 rural areas), together with four supplementary expert interviews. The data were analysed using a framework of community resilience. The findings suggest that the model has considerable potential to strengthen community‐level protection of children in circumstances in which the operation of formal systems is limited by resource constraints and outside interventions may struggle to gain understanding and acceptance within communities. Challenges include the potential for conflicts of interest to arise and the implications of increased reporting of child maltreatment for the response of the formal child protection system, including alternative care arrangements. Given its widespread and developing usage, further research to understand the conditions under which the PSW model is most effective and sustainable in different social, economic, political and cultural contexts is essential.‘This article considers the potential efficacy of the PSW [para social worker] model in strengthening child protection at community level in Uganda’Key Practitioner Messages PSWs can provide significant additional capacity to community‐level child protection arrangements at little cost in a culturally appropriate fashion. A key strength of the PSW model lies in its potential to regenerate community resources through the engagement of community members. Developing sustainable community‐based child protection arrangements requires that attention is paid to balancing fiscal considerations against community ownership and also the response of the formal child protection system to increased reporting of child maltreatment.

Feasibility and acceptability of a pilot, peer-led HIV self-testing intervention in a hyperendemic fishing community in rural Uganda.

Novel interventions are needed to reach young people and adult men with HIV services given the low HIV testing rates in these population sub-groups. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a peer-led oral HIV self-testing (HIVST) intervention in Kasensero, a hyperendemic fishing community (HIV prevalence: 37-41%) in Rakai, Uganda. This study was conducted among young people (15-24 years) and adult men (25+ years) between May and August 2019. The study entailed distribution of HIVST kits by trained "peer-leaders," who were selected from existing social networks and trained in HIVST distribution processes. Peer-leaders received up to 10 kits to distribute to eligible social network members (i.e. aged 15-24 years if young people or 25+ years if adult man, not tested in the past 3 months, and HIV-negative or of unknown HIV status at enrolment). The intervention was evaluated against the feasibility benchmark of 70% of peer-leaders distributing up to 70% of the kits that they received; and the acceptability benchmark of >80% of the respondents self-testing for HIV. Of 298 enrolled into the study at baseline, 56.4% (n = 168) were young people (15-24 years) and 43.6% (n = 130) were adult males (25+ years). Peer-leaders received 298 kits and distributed 296 (99.3%) kits to their social network members. Of the 282 interviewed at follow-up, 98.2% (n = 277) reported that they used the HIVST kits. HIV prevalence was 7.4% (n = 21). Of the 57.1% (n = 12) first-time HIV-positives, 100% sought confirmatory HIV testing and nine of the ten (90%) respondents who were confirmed as HIV-positive were linked to HIV care within 1 week of HIV diagnosis. Our findings show that a social network-based, peer-led HIVST intervention in a hyperendemic fishing community is highly feasible and acceptable, and achieves high linkage to HIV care among newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals.

Nutritional value of selected wild edible plants in Teso-Karamoja region, Uganda

The use of wild plants for food in the rural communities of Uganda is widespread. This is attributed to food scarcity, perceived nutritional value, medicinal and health benefits and cultural preservation. However, the claims on the nutritional value of some wild edible plant species have not been fully validated. In cognizance of this, the macroelement, beta-carotene and ascorbic acid profile of five wild plants commonly used for food in and around eight forest reserves of Teso-Karamoja region, Uganda, were analysed. The plants prioritized for analysis were Vigna kirkii (Baker) J.B. Gillett, Maerua angolensis D.C., Leptadenia hastata (Schumach. & Thonn.) Decne, Senna obtusifolia (L.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby and Dioscorea sp.). The macro-element, ascorbic acid and beta-carotene composition of these plants was analyzed in triplicate. The variance in parameter means was analysed using one-way Analysis of Variance in SPSS ver. 16.0. The results showed that all the means of species were significantly different at the p=0.05 level. The highest macro-nutrient means were 80.74±0.34 %/100 g moisture content in V. kirkii, 3.95±0.23 g/100 g ash content in M. angolensis, 19.04±0.37 Kcal gross energy in M. angolensis, 27.93±0.85 g/100 g dietary fibre in L. hastata, 3.40±0.13 g/100 g crude fat in L. hastata, 65.43±2.91 g/100 g carbohydrate in Dioscorea sp., 36.37±0.42 g/100 g crude protein in M. angolensis. The highest ascorbic acid mean was 14.71±3.56 mg/100 g in M. angolensis while beta-carotene was 1082.1±0.08 μg/100 g in S. obtusifolia. These results show that these wild edible plants have a significantly variable nutritional value. Some of the macro elements can sufficiently meet the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) and Adequate Intakes (AI) for certain life stages and groups if consumed in ideal quantities. This information is vital in enhancing food and nutrition security awareness in the community and uplifting the social appeal and acceptability of these plants. This can be enhanced by investigating the micro-nutrients of public health significance, anti-nutrient factors, and toxic compounds in these plants. Key words: Nutritional value, wild edible plants, macro-nutrient, ascorbic acid, betacarotene,Teso-Karamoja, Uganda