Makerere University

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

Temporal rainfall variability in the Lake Victoria Basin in East Africa during the twentieth century

Abstract: Water resources systems are designed and operated on assumption of stationary hydrology. Existence of trends and other changes in the data invalidates this assumption, and detection of the changes in hydrological time series should help us revise the approaches used in assessing, designing and operating our systems. In addition, trend and step change studies help us understand the impact of man’s activities (e.g. urbanisation, deforestation, dam construction, agricultural activities, etc.) on the hydrological cycle. Trends and step changes in the seasonal and annual total rainfall for 20 stations in the Lake Victoria basin were analysed. The seasonal rainfall for any station in a given year was defined in two ways: (1) fixed time period where the rainy seasons were taken as occurring from March–May (long rains) and from October–December (short rains); and (2) variable periods where the rainy seasons were taken as the three consecutive months with maximum total rainfall covering the period of January–June (long rains) and July–December (short rains), to take into account the fact that the onset of rainy seasons within the basin varies from year to year and from one station to the next. For each station, sub datasets were derived covering different periods (all available data at the station, 1941–1980, 1961–1990, 1971–end of each station’s time series). The trends were analysed using the Mann-Kendall method, while the step changes were analysed using the Worsley Likelihood method. The results show that positive trends predominate, with most stations showing trend being located in the northern part of the basin, though this pattern is not conclusive. In all, 17% of the cases have trends, of which 67% are positive. The 1960s represent a significant upward jump in the basin rainfall. Seasonal rainfall analysis shows that the short rains tend to have more trends than the long rains. The impact of the varying month of onset of the rainy season is that the results from analyzing the fixed-period and variable-period time series are rarely the same, meaning the two series have different characteristics. It may be argued that the variable-period time series are more reliable as a basis for analysing trends and step changes, since these time series reflect more closely the actual variability in rainy seasons from one year to the next. The fixed-period analysis would, on the other hand, find more practical use in planning.

Which practices co‐deliver food security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and combat land degradation and desertification?

Abstract: There is a clear need for transformative change in the land management and food production sectors to address the global land challenges of climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, combatting land degradation and desertification, and delivering food security (referred to hereafter as "land challenges"). We assess the potential for 40 practices to address these land challenges and find that: Nine options deliver medium to large benefits for all four land challenges. A further two options have no global estimates for adaptation, but have medium to large benefits for all other land challenges. Five options have large mitigation potential (>3 Gt CO2 eq/year) without adverse impacts on the other land challenges. Five options have moderate mitigation potential, with no adverse impacts on the other land challenges. Sixteen practices have large adaptation potential (>25 million people benefit), without adverse side effects on other land challenges. Most practices can be applied without competing for available land. However, seven options could result in competition for land. A large number of practices do not require dedicated land, including several land management options, all value chain options, and all risk management options. Four options could greatly increase competition for land if applied at a large scale, though the impact is scale and context specific, highlighting the need for safeguards to ensure that expansion of land for mitigation does not impact natural systems and food security. A number of practices, such as increased food productivity, dietary change and reduced food loss and waste, can reduce demand for land conversion, thereby potentially freeing-up land and creating opportunities for enhanced implementation of other practices, making them important components of portfolios of practices to address the combined land challenges.

Longitudinal Antiretroviral Adherence in HIV+ Ugandan Parents and Their Children Initiating HAART in the MTCT-Plus Family Treatment Model: Role of Depression in Declining Adherence Over Time

Abstract: We conducted a study to assess the effect of family-based treatment on adherence amongst HIV-infected parents and their HIV-infected children attending the Mother-To-Child-Transmission Plus program in Kampala, Uganda. Adherence was assessed using home-based pill counts and self-report. Mean adherence was over 94%. Depression was associated with incomplete adherence on multivariable analysis. Adherence declined over time. Qualitative interviews revealed lack of transportation money, stigma, clinical response to therapy, drug packaging, and cost of therapy may impact adherence. Our results indicate that providing ART to all eligible HIV-infected members in a household is associated with excellent adherence in both parents and children. Adherence to ART among new parents declines over time, even when patients receive treatment at no cost. Depression should be addressed as a potential barrier to adherence. Further study is necessary to assess the long-term impact of this family treatment model on adherence to ART in resource-limited settings.

Nuclear markers reveal unexpected genetic variation and a Congolese-Nilotic origin of the Lake Victoria cichlid species flock.

Abstract: Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial (mt) DNA have indicated that the cichlid species flock of the Lake Victoria region is derived from a single ancestral species found in East African rivers, closely related to the ancestor of the Lake Malawi cichlid species flock. The Lake Victoria flock contains ten times less mtDNA variation than the Lake Malawi radiation, consistent with current estimates of the ages of the lakes. We present results of a phylogenetic investigation using nuclear (amplified fragment length polymorphism) markers and a wider coverage of riverine haplochromines. We demonstrate that the Lake Victoria-Edward flock is derived from the morphologically and ecologically diverse cichlid genus Thoracochromis from the Congo and Nile, rather than from the phenotypically conservative East African Astatotilapia. This implies that the ability to express much of the morphological diversity found in the species flock may by far pre-date the origin of the flock. Our data indicate that the nuclear diversity of the Lake Victoria-Edward species flock is similar to that of the Lake Malawi flock, indicating that the genetic diversity is considerably older than the 15 000 years that have passed since the lake began to refill. Most of this variation is manifested in trans-species polymorphisms, indicating very recent cladogenesis from a genetically very diverse founder stock. Our data do not confirm strict monophyly of either of the species flocks, but raise the possibility that these flocks have arisen from hybrid swarms.