People In Uganda Research Articles

Impaired renal function in a rural Ugandan population cohort.

Background: Kidney disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally. However, there are limited data on the prevalence of impaired kidney function in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to determine the prevalence of reduced kidney function and associated factors in a rural Ugandan population. Methods: We undertook a study of a representative sample of the General Population Cohort in South-western Uganda. We systematically collected data on cardiovascular disease risk factors, anthropometric measurements and blood tests including haemoglobin, HIV, HbA1c and serum creatinine. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the CKD-Epi equation, without the race component of the equation. Results: A total of 5,979/6,397 (93.5%) participants had valid creatinine results. The mean age was 39 years (Range:16-103 years) and 3,627 (60.7%) were female. HIV prevalence was 9.7% and about 40% of the population were pre-hypertensive or hypertensive. The mean serum creatinine level was 0.75 mg/dl (95% CI 0.74-0.75), and the average eGFR was 109.3 ml/min/1.73 m 2 (95% CI 108.8-109.9). The overall prevalence of eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m 2 was 1.64% (98/5,979) (95% CI 1.34-1.99). Additionally, 4,792(80.2%) were classified as normal eGFR (≥90 ml/min/1.73 m 2), 1,089(18.2%) as low eGFR (60-89 ml/min/1.73 m 2), 91(1.52%) as moderately reduced eGFR (30-59 ml/min/1.73 m 2), 4(0.07%) as severely reduced eGFR (15-29 ml/min/1.73 m 2), and 3(0.05%) classified as having kidney failure (eGFR<15 ml/min/1.73 m 2). When age-standardised to the WHO Standard Population the prevalence of eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m 2 was 1.79%. Age above 35 years and the presence of hypertension (OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.15-7.08) and anaemia (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.12-4.09) were associated with eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m 2. Conclusion: In a systematic survey of people in rural Uganda, we found a substantial proportion had eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m 2. More population based studies are needed to further characterize kidney disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

The knowledge-risk-behaviour continuum among young Ugandans: what it tells us about SRH/HIV integration

BackgroundWith a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence of 2.1% among 15–24 year olds, opportunities for further integration of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV prevention services for young people in Uganda exist. We examine a range of factors that contribute to variance in risky sexual behaviour among young Ugandans.MethodsA cross-sectional, nationally representative household survey was conducted between February and March 2016. The questionnaire used assessed knowledge, attitudes and practices related to SRH among young people aged 10–24 years. A composite indicator was constructed to assess risky sexual behaviour, defined as being involved in sexual relations under the influence of alcohol or drugs, engaging in sexual activities without a condom, and having multiple sexual partners in the 6 months preceding the survey. Exploratory analysis was conducted to provide descriptive statistics. Logistic regression was conducted to determine the factors associated with risky sexual behaviour. This analysis focuses on the sub-category aged 15–24 years, comprised of 2725 respondents.ResultsKnowledge levels of family planning (FP), sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV across all respondents were high (above 82%). Self-reported perceived risk of STIs and pregnancy was consistently higher among 20–24 year old respondents, with 61.5% feeling at risk of STIs compared to 46.2% of 15–19 year olds. A total of 22.7% of respondents reported having been involved in risky sexual behaviour. Factors associated with risky sexual behaviour among the 15–19 years group included gender, single orphanhood, casual work, schooling status, FP knowledge and self-perceived risk of STIs/HIV. For the 20–24 year old respondents, significantly associated factors included gender, educational level, relationship to head of household, place of residence, and self-perceived risk of pregnancy.ConclusionsDespite high general SRH/HIV knowledge and perceived risk of pregnancy and HIV, risky sexual behaviour among young Ugandans remains high. Effectiveness gaps in the integrated SRH/HIV response for young people should be addressed and targeted interventions focused on holistic prevention at individual level through information, risk awareness, and skill development should be combined with interventions targeting social structures affecting individual behaviour.

Prevalence of high blood pressure and associated factors among adolescents and young people in Tanzania and Uganda.

We conducted a cross-sectional study among school/college students in Tanzania and Uganda to determine the prevalence of high blood pressure (BP) and associated factors. Participants were classified to have high BP if they had pre-hypertension or hypertension. Interviews were done using the WHO STEPS instrument. Using data from both countries (n=1596), the overall prevalence of high BP was 40% (95% CI: 37-42). The prevalence of pre-hypertension was 29% (95% CI: 26-31) and that of hypertension was 11% (95% CI: 10-13). High BP was independently associated with obesity (aOR=6.7, 95% CI: 2.2-20.0), male sex (aOR=3.2, 95% CI: 2.4-4.4), and among males aged above 20years (aOR=5.5, 95% CI: 2.9-10.5). Consumption of fruits/vegetables was associated with decreased odds for high BP (aOR=0.7, 95% CI: 0.50-0.98). The increasing burden of pre-hypertension across age groups could explain the early onset of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among young African adults. There is a need for longitudinal studies to explore the drivers of pre-hypertension in East African adolescents.

Impaired renal function in a rural Ugandan population cohort

Background: Kidney disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally. However, there are limited data on the prevalence of impaired kidney function in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to determine the prevalence of reduced kidney function and associated factors in a rural Ugandan population. Methods: We undertook a study of a representative sample of the General Population Cohort in South-western Uganda. We systematically collected data on cardiovascular disease risk factors, anthropometric measurements and blood tests including haemoglobin, HIV, HbA1c and serum creatinine. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the CKD-Epi formula, without the race component of the equation. Results: A total of 5,979/6,397 (93.5%) participants had valid creatinine results. The mean age was 39 years (Range: 16-103 years) and 3,627 (60.7%) were female. HIV prevalence was 9.7% and about 40% of the population were pre-hypertensive or hypertensive. The mean serum creatinine level was 0.75 mg/dl (95% CI 0.74–0.75), and the average eGFR was 109.3 ml/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI 108.8–109.9). The overall prevalence of eGFR &lt;60 ml/min/1.73 m2 was 1.64% (98/5,979) (95% CI 1.34–1.99). Additionally, 4,792 (80.2%) were classified as normal eGFR (≥90 ml/min/1.73 m2), 1,089 (18.2%) as low eGFR (60–89 ml/min/1.73 m2), 91 (1.52%) as moderately reduced eGFR (30–59 ml/min/1.73 m2), 4 (0.07%) as severely reduced eGFR (15-29 ml/min/1.73 m2), and 3 (0.05%) classified as having kidney failure (eGFR &lt;15 ml/min/1.73 m2). When age-standardised to the WHO Standard Population the prevalence of eGFR&lt;60 ml/min/1.73 m2 was 1.79%. Age above 35 years and the presence of hypertension (OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.15-7.08) and anaemia (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.12-4.09) were associated with eGFR&lt;60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Conclusion: In a systematic survey of people in rural Uganda, we found a substantial proportion had eGFR&lt;60 ml/min/1.73 m2, and this was strongly associated with high blood pressure and anaemia.

Hydrology and Hydraulics of the Lubigi Wetland in Uganda

The Lubigi wetland, which is located in the north-western part of Kampala, receives polluted water from Kampala city and discharges it into Mayanja River. However, there is lack of information and knowledge on the hydrology and hydraulics of the Lubigi wetland, which are important for protection of wetland ecosystems and fulfill the Uganda national policy for the conservation and management of wetland resources. The national policy aims at promoting the conservation of Uganda’s wetlands, in order to sustain their ecological and socio-economic functions for the present and future well- being of all the people of Uganda. Pertinent data collection, field tests and surveys were carried out to gather data necessary for establishing the current status of the hydraulics and hydrology of Lubigi wetland. The results revealed that the Lubigi wetland demonstrates considerable impounding reservoir and flood buffering capacity. This is an important service provided by the wetland, to alleviate possible negative impacts of storms and floods events. The Lubigi wetland total influents and effluents discharges, have mean values of 222,377.60±132,365 m3 /day and 221,356.80±122,256 m3 /d, respectively. The wetland water balance is dominated by the influent discharges which account for 93.21% of the total water influx, and the effluent discharges which account for 97.7% of the total water outflow. The wetland main study area hydraulic residence times, varies between 6.0 hours and 10 days. Hence, the wetland is endowed with abundant water fluxes, water impounding capacity and adequate hydraulic retention times. The volumetric efficiency of the wetland main study area is 63% and 38% during wet season and dry season, respectively. This indicates that on average only about 50% of the volume of the Lubigi wetland main study area is lost through short-circuiting. The dispersion number of the wetland was about 0.01 to 0.03, which indicates that the flow regime through wetland is close to plug flow.

Impaired renal function in a rural Ugandan population cohort

Background: Kidney disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally. However, there are limited data on the prevalence of impaired kidney function in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to determine the prevalence of reduced kidney function and associated factors in a rural Ugandan population. Methods: We undertook a study of a representative sample of the General Population Cohort in South-western Uganda. We systematically collected data on cardiovascular disease risk factors, anthropometric measurements and blood tests including haemoglobin, HIV, HbA1c and serum creatinine. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the CKD-Epi equation, without the race component of the equation. Results: A total of 5,979/6,397 (93.5%) participants had valid creatinine results. The mean age was 39 years (Range:16-103 years) and 3,627 (60.7%) were female. HIV prevalence was 9.7% and about 40% of the population were pre-hypertensive or hypertensive. The mean serum creatinine level was 0.75 mg/dl (95% CI 0.74–0.75), and the average eGFR was 109.3 ml/min/1.73 m 2 (95% CI 108.8–109.9). The overall prevalence of eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m 2 was 1.64% (98/5,979) (95% CI 1.34–1.99). Additionally, 4,792(80.2%) were classified as normal eGFR (≥90 ml/min/1.73 m 2), 1,089(18.2%) as low eGFR (60–89 ml/min/1.73 m 2), 91(1.52%) as moderately reduced eGFR (30–59 ml/min/1.73 m 2), 4(0.07%) as severely reduced eGFR (15-29 ml/min/1.73 m 2), and 3(0.05%) classified as having kidney failure (eGFR<15 ml/min/1.73 m 2). When age-standardised to the WHO Standard Population the prevalence of eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m 2 was 1.79%. Age above 35 years and the presence of hypertension (OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.15-7.08) and anaemia (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.12-4.09) were associated with eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m 2. Conclusion: In a systematic survey of people in rural Uganda, we found a substantial proportion had eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m 2. More population based studies are needed to further characterize kidney disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

P2.06-15 Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in Young Adult People in Uganda

Objectives: malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is characterized by long latency period between exposure to asbestos and development of the disease so we hypothesize that MPM in the young has different characteristics This is a retrospective study including all eligible patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma presenting to Uganda Cancer Institute, Makerere University during the period from 2014 to 2017. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1: patients aged ≤ 45 years. Group 2: Patients aged > 45 years. Both groups were assessed regarding different clinic-pathological features .Primary Objectives: comparison of different epidemiological features of both groups. Secondary Objectives: Assessment of clinical response (CR), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in both groups 102 Patients were included with median follow up of 14.4 months. Group (1) included 35 patients with mean age 40± 3.65 years (31 to 45 years).Group (2) included 67 patients with mean age of 58.6± 8.5 years (46 to 87 years). 68% of group (1) came from endemic areas which is significantly higher than group (2): (35.8%), p = 0.02. History of Asbestos exposure was highly significantly different between the 2 groups, 77.1% in group (1) versus 38.8% in group (2), p < 0.001. Other factors showed no significant differences between the two groups. Overall clinical response (CR+PR) was 20% in group (1) versus 17.9 % in group (2). P=0.7. There was a trend towards longer median PFS in young patients, (19.8 ± 8.4 versus 6.9 ± 1.4 months). p = 0.09. The median OS of young patients is significantly longer (20.6± 6.3 months) than older patients (11.4 ± 3.6).p = 0.05. Mesothelioma in the young adult is more sensitive to asbestos exposure, has better OS and likely a different disease entity which needs further studies to understand its underlying biological features.

Precision global health and comorbidity: a population-based study of 16 357 people in rural Uganda.

In low-income countries, complex comorbidities and weak health systems confound disease diagnosis and treatment. Yet, data-driven approaches have not been applied to develop better diagnostic strategies or to tailor treatment delivery for individuals within rural poor communities. We observed symptoms/diseases reported within three months by 16 357 individuals aged 1+ years in 17 villages of Mayuge District, Uganda. Symptoms were mapped to the Human Phenotype Ontology. Comorbidity networks were constructed. An edge between two symptoms/diseases was generated if the relative risk greater than 1, ϕ correlation greater than 0, and local false discovery rate less than 0.05. We studied how network structure and flagship symptom profiles varied against biosocial factors. 88.05% of individuals (14 402/16 357) reported at least one symptom/disease. Young children and individuals in worse-off households—low socioeconomic status, poor water, sanitation, and hygiene, and poor medical care—had dense network structures with the highest comorbidity burden and/or were conducive to the onset of new comorbidities from existing flagship symptoms, such as fever. Flagship symptom profiles for fever revealed self-misdiagnoses of fever as malaria and sexually transmitted infections as a potentially missed cause of fever in individuals of reproductive age. Network analysis may inform the development of new diagnostic and treatment strategies for flagship symptoms used to characterize syndromes/diseases of global concern.

Patterns and treatment outcomes of anorectal malformations in Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda

Background/purposeAnorectal malformation (ARM) is a common condition. Owing to scarcity of pediatric surgery services in Uganda, however, relatively little is known about this condition. MethodsThis was a retrospective review of medical records of all patients admitted to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) from January 2014 to May 2016. MRRH serves 3–8 million people in southwest Uganda. We also enrolled patients prospectively from June 2016 to December 2016. Results78 patients were enrolled in the study. 63.38% had delayed diagnosis (presenting >48 h after birth), and most of these were self-referrals from home. The most common malformation was a vestibular fistula. Associated congenital anomalies were seen in 20% of patients, and this was associated with increased mortality. These anomalies included limb, eye, ear and genitourinary anomalies as well as ventricular septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus, spina bifida and tracheoesophageal fistula. Posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) was the definitive surgery used. It was performed in 58.97% of the patients. Median age of patients who underwent PSARP was 11 months. 73.91% of PSARP patients had their colostomies closed and 62.5% of these who were ≥3 years old had good continence outcomes. Overall mortality rate was 8.97%. ConclusionThe majority of patients are diagnosed late. Vestibular fistula is the overall most common type of ARM. In males, however, rectourethral fistula is the most common type. Definitive surgery at MRRH is performed late. Continence outcomes are good and comparable to other countries with more resources. Level of evidenceIII.

A Critical Comparative Law Analysis on Challenging Anti-Homosexual Legislation in Uganda

Globalisation has enabled Western countries and international organisations to use donor sanctions and economic trade benefits when trying to pressure non-Western countries to change their anti-sodomy laws. This, in turn, has led legal academics such as Katherine Franke and Stewart Chang to argue that this approach of legalising homosexuality and implementing LGBTQ rights evidences Western-imperialism and neo-colonialism. This paper seeks to contribute to the debate between these polar groups and its main focus is to add to the argument of the latter. This is because whereas there is legal commentary critiquing this aspect of globalisation from the perspective of South East Asian countries and Eastern European countries, there is a gap in the literature coming from African perspectives. Thus the paper will investigate anti-homosexual legislation in Uganda in order to argue that effective legal change to this legislation should come from a change in the normative attitudes of the Ugandan people. It seeks to analyse legal pluralism, legal transplants and legal transfers in order to highlight the importance of normative attitudes in law reform. Thus, the paper will assert that legal reform to anti-homosexual legislation that is resultant of external pressures, as opposed to a change in normative attitudes of the Uganda people, will be detrimental to the development of LGBTQ rights in Uganda. For full text, please click here

Processing gender: lived experiences of reproducing and transforming gender norms over the life course of young people in Northern Uganda

The years between 10–19 represent a critical stage of human development during which boys and girls learn and embody socially constructed gender norms, with long-term implications for their sexual and reproductive health. This ethnographic cohort study sought to understand how gendered norms and practices develop during the transition from child to young adult in post-conflict northern Uganda. A total of 60 girls and boys aged 10–19 were selected using purposive sampling for in-depth interviews over a three-year period; 47 individuals completed all four interviews. Drawing on feminist theory and an ecological perspective, findings were used to create a conceptual framework displaying the experiences of young people navigating patriarchal and alternative norms, emphasising their lived processes of performing and negotiating norms within six key domains (work, puberty, family planning, intimate partner relations, child discipline and alcohol). The framework identifies: (1) personal factors (knowledge, agency and aspirations); (2) social factors (socialisation processes, capital, costs and consequences); and (3) structural factors (health/educational systems, religious institutions, government policies) which may encourage young people towards one norm or another as they age. These findings can inform policies and programmes to transform gender norms and promote equitable, healthy relationships.

Public Sector Provision of Free Agricultural Inputs in Uganda: The Rationale and Challenges of Operation Wealth Creation Programme

The paper analyses the rationale and challenges of public sector provision of free agricultural inputs in Uganda focusing on Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) programme. The programme officially started in 2014 and targets subsistence farmers in the country. OWC aims at commercialization of agriculture thus creating wealth and reducing poverty. It uses the military (Uganda Peoples Defence forces) to distribute and supervise delivery of inputs on the assumption that the army is efficient, organized and disciplined. The study was conducted in the new district of Sheema using purely a qualitative approach. We interviewed farmers, local leaders, opinion leaders and central government officials (key stakeholders) and conducted two Focus Group Discussions. Observation was also used to see how input distribution was being done. Our findings revealed that although OWC is well intended (creation of wealth and reduction of poverty at household level), it faces numerous challenges that hamper smooth implementation. The most common identified challenges were: small quantities of inputs supplied due to limited budget, poor quality inputs, elite capture and stringent entry requirements. Others are fear of the military by farmers, late deliveries of inputs and poor information flow between suppliers, district leadership and farmers. We recommend that government should increase agriculture sector budget, improve on quality of inputs and information flow between suppliers, district leaders and farmers but also fully involve the district leadership in programme implementation.

Civic and political rights of the Batwa ethnic minority in local governance at village level: The case of Kanungu District

Since the 1970s, the Batwa ethnic minority group has been considered as a less superior group of human beings. They were forcefully evicted from the forest around Echuya Forest Reserve in Kisoro and Kabale districts of South-Western Uganda. The Batwa in Uganda are one of the most defenceless (vulnerable), marginalised, voiceless (powerless) and endangered ethnic minority group in the districts they live in. In turn, their civic and political rights (the right to vote and the right to be voted) in local council (LC) elections have been ignored partly because of poor sensitisation to and awareness of the Batwa people by all stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the civic and political rights of the Batwa people in Uganda. The key questions to be addressed include: 1. Is the Batwa ethnic minority group aware of the right to vote in Local Council 1 elections in the communities?2. Is the Batwa ethnic minority group aware of the right to be voted for in Local Council 1 elections in their communities?

The Batwa Indigenous People in Uganda and their Detachment from Forest Livehood: Land Eviction and Social Plight

&lt;p&gt;With an aim of examining consequences of eviction and restriction the Batwa’s access to Bwindi and Mgahinga protected areas, the paper reviews available literature on the Batwa indigenous people’s statuses, rights and socioeconomic livelihood especially following the 1991 Bwindi and Mgahinga eviction instrument. The review indicates that their eviction exemplified failure by the government to consult, compensate and involve the Batwa community as indigenous people before expropriation of their land. Secondly, the paramilitary nature of eviction disconnected them from their forest dweller lifestyle spontaneously without a clear resettlement plan or restitution agenda. The paper conclusively recommends for further research to evaluate the increasingly contentious competition between conservationism on one hand and upholding the appropriate property rights of indigenous people on the other.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Published online&lt;/strong&gt;: 11 December 2017&lt;/p&gt;

Development Of A Multilingual System To Improved Automated Teller Machine Functionalities In Uganda

This paper presented a new multilingual language for Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in Uganda which serves as an extension to the existing Languages. The existing ATMs have only English, Kiswahili and Luganda as the only available languages. Hence, findings revealed that there are still some prevalent languages e.g. Ateso language that are widely spoken among the people of Uganda which the present ATMs in the country have not captured. The objective of this paper was to propose the integration of the new language (Ateso language) to the existing languages. In this paper, a new language was adopted when it was realized that some people especially in the Buganda region could not manage to interact with the ATMs because they were illiterate. The developed multilingual system prototype was tested using some empirical data and was found to successfully imitate ATM transactions in the local Uganda languages. The results of the study supported the positive impacts on customers that reside in the rural areas since its improved interaction of more users on the ATMs. This paper demonstrated the use of Ateso language for different transactions on the ATM system. The implementation by the banking institutions can aid the ATM users to make more flexible decisions on the usage of the ATM machines.

Being an 'adolescent': The consequences of gendered risks for young people in rural Uganda.

The behaviour of adolescents is recognised increasingly as having substantial and long-term consequences for their health. We examined the meaning of ‘adolescence’ in southern Uganda with HIV-positive young people aged 11–24 years. Adolescent girls and boys are described differently in the local language (Luganda). Adolescence is described as a behavioural rather than a life course category and an inherently dangerous one. The practices, risks and consequences of ‘adolescent’ behaviour are highly gendered. Local understandings of adolescence are likely to have a significant impact on the efficacy of interventions designed to minimise their ‘risky behaviour’.

The social contagion of aspirations: On the happiness of having a 'life style'

Discussions of health-related behaviors and lifestyle often become theoretical and morally laden owing to their individualistic view on risk factors and life choices. This article uses the analytical concepts of contagion and configuration to explore the spread of aspirations for the good life among young men in Northern Uganda. The potential social contagion of aspirations is unfolded to provide a deeper understanding of social processes not only as dynamics between people but also as processes between people and their surroundings in a society which is subject to rapid change. This understanding will provide a sense of the meaning invested in having a ‘life style’ and the significance of choice. Inspired theoretically by the Weberian concept of life style, it is found that young people in Northern Uganda, although they may be limited in terms of their life chances, live their lives as well as possible by taking advantage of the little space for choice that the reality of their resources and class circumstances allows. Young people in particular seek to engage in and perform what could be described as aspirational consumption in the form of ‘life styles’; and even though they rarely succeed, making some progress along this path seems important and fuels their ongoing aspiration for the good life. Having a ‘life style’ means being able to choose and consume, and getting a ‘life style’ reflects an aspiration for social mobility. Taking the emic approach helps to explain how social contagion occurs and how health-related practices are formed.

Measuring ability to assess claims about treatment effects: a latent trait analysis of items from the ‘Claim Evaluation Tools’ database using Rasch modelling

BackgroundThe Claim Evaluation Tools database contains multiple-choice items for measuring people’s ability to apply the key concepts they need to know to be able to assess treatment claims. We assessed...

Military Courts and Prosecution of Offences by National Defense Forces in the Dawn of the Complementarity Regime: The Case of Uganda

With the coming into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC Statute) and its complementarity regime, much emphasis has been placed on the role of national courts in prosecuting international crimes. Some states have demonstrated their commitment to this regime by; inter alia, ratifying the ICC Statute, enacting national legislation to implement the ICC Statute and establishing national judicial forums for prosecution of international crimes. Uganda is a prime example of states rising up to this challenge. Uganda ratified the ICC Statute in 2002. In 2008, it established the International Crimes Division (ICD) to prosecute international crimes and in 2010, it enacted the International Criminal Court Act to implement the ICC Statute. Even before these reforms, Uganda’s military courts had always relied on service offences to prosecute members of the national defence force. Worthy to note, members of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) have been implicated in a number of atrocities, some of which can be categorised as international crimes. However, military courts continue to prosecute UPDF soldiers for these atrocities on the basis of service offences. The situation current in Uganda highlights a number of legal issues relating to: first, the adequacy of service offences to advance accountability for the international crimes allegedly committed by UPDF soldiers; secondly, the jurisdiction of military courts over international crimes; and thirdly, the effect of concurrent jurisdiction by the ICD and military courts on the rule against double jeopardy.

English

Many people in Uganda, particularly in the rural areas depend on herbal medicine for health care. Although, medicinal plants are collected from different habitats, most of them are collected from the wild. Claims indicate that men use more forest products than women; and that women prefer younger vegetation succession stages as compared to those preferred by men for harvesting medicinal plants. However, there was no documented evidence to ascertain these claims. This study documented medicinal plants and investigated the influence of gender in the collection of these plants around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The plants used by various categories of herbalists were collected, identified and listed. The differences between herbalist categories regarding medicinal plant collection and use were studied using both qualitative and quantitative participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods. Two hundred and ninety five species encompassing all growth forms were listed with herbs and shrubs being most frequently used and majority (70%) of these occurred outside the forest. Most of the mentioned plants were reported to be used in mixtures while leaves were reported as the most frequently used plant part. Key words: Medicinal plants, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, conservation.