Makerere University

About: Makerere University is a education organization based out in Kampala, Uganda. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 7220 authors who have published 12405 publications receiving 366520 citations. The organization is also known as: Makerere University Kampala & MUK.

Incidence of Viruses and Virus like Diseases of Sweetpotato in Uganda

Abstract: Mukasa, S. B., Rubaihayo, P. R., and Valkonen, J. P. T. 2003. Incidence of viruses and viruslike diseases of sweetpotato in Uganda. Plant Dis. 87:329-335. Sweetpotato plants were surveyed for viruslike diseases and viruses in the four major agroecological zones of Uganda. Testing of 1,260 sweetpotato plants, of which 634 had viruslike symptoms, showed that virus disease incidence ranged from 2.7% (Soroti district, short grassland–savannah zone) to 20% (Mukono district, tall grass–forest mosaic zone). Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV), Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweet potato mild mottle virus (SPMMV), and sweet potato chlorotic fleck virus (SPCFV) were serologically detected and positive results confirmed by immunocapture reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (IC-RT-PCR) and subsequent sequence analyses of the amplified fragments, except SPCFV, which lacked sequence information. SPCSV and SPFMV were detected in all the 14 districts surveyed, whereas SPMMV and SPCFV were detected in 13 and 8 districts, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that SPCSV and SPFMV, SPFMV and SPMMV, and SPFMV and SPCFV more frequently occurred together than any other virus combinations or as single virus infections. Co-infections of SPCSV with SPFMV and/or SPMMV were associated with more severe and persistent symptoms than infections with each of the viruses alone. Several plants (11%) displaying viruslike symptoms did not react with the virus antisera used, suggesting that more viruses or viruslike agents are infecting sweetpotatoes in Uganda.

Hormonal contraceptive use and HIV-1 infection in a population-based cohort in Rakai, Uganda.

Abstract: Background: Hormonal contraceptives have been associated with increased risk of HIV acquisition. Methods: The association between hormonal contraception use and HIV acquisition was assessed in a rural community-based cohort in Rakai District, Uganda. A group of 5117 sexually active HIV-negative women were surveyed at 10 month intervals between 1994 and 1999. Information on demographic and sociobehavioral characteristics, use of hormonal contraception (pill and injectable methods), condoms and the number of sexual partners was obtained by home-based interview. HIV incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) associated with hormonal contraception were estimated by multivariate Poisson regression after adjustment for age, condom use, number of sexual partners, marital status, education and history of genital ulcer disease. Results: At one or more interviews, 16.6% of women reported use of hormonal contraceptives and 23.0% reported condom use. HIV incidence was 2.3/100 personyears in hormonal contraceptive users compared with 1.5/100 person-years in non-hormonal contraceptive users (unadjusted IRR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.00–2.33). After multivariate adjustment, the IRR associated with hormonal contraceptives was reduced to 0.94 (95% CI, 0.53–1.64). The adjusted IRR was 1.12 (95% CI, 0.48–2.56) with oral contraceptive use and 0.84 (95%CI, 0.41–1.72) with injectable methods. Conclusion: Use of hormonal contraception is not associated with HIV acquisition after adjustment for behavioral confounding.

Combination implementation for HIV prevention: moving from clinical trial evidence to population-level effects.

Abstract: Summary The promise of combination HIV prevention—the application of multiple HIV prevention interventions to maximise population-level effects—has never been greater. However, to succeed in achieving significant reductions in HIV incidence, an additional concept needs to be considered: combination implementation. Combination implementation for HIV prevention is the pragmatic, localised application of evidence-based strategies to enable high sustained uptake and quality of interventions for prevention of HIV. In this Review, we explore diverse implementation strategies including HIV testing and counselling models, task shifting, linkage to and retention in care, antiretroviral therapy support, behaviour change, demand creation, and structural interventions, and discusses how they could be used to complement HIV prevention efforts such as medical male circumcision and treatment as prevention. HIV prevention and treatment have arrived at a pivotal moment when combination efforts might result in substantial enough population-level effects to reverse the epidemic and drive towards elimination of HIV. Only through careful consideration of how to implement and operationalise HIV prevention interventions will the HIV community be able to move from clinical trial evidence to population-level effects.

Artemisinin combination therapies for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Uganda.

Abstract: Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of artemisinin combination therapies for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Uganda.