Uganda did not export Ebola to the DRC despite porous borders

Many livelihoods are reliant on frequent movement across the shared border of the DRC and Uganda, which can complicate procedures to prevent the spread of virulent diseases such as Ebola. Professor Grace Akello describes events surrounding Uganda’s 2019 outbreak, and the effects of government health interventions that seek to remain partial to its citizens

A History of Malaria Control in Uganda: The Limiting Effects of Political and Socio-Economic Inequality in Implementing Global Health Programs

Objective: To analyse the extent to which political and social-economic inequality have affected malaria control programs for prevention and treatment from 1950 to 2011 in Uganda.Methods: My analysis is based on both ethnographic study findings over a one-year period with children who experienced war in northern Uganda in 2004-2005. The main objective of the research was to investigate children's illnesses and quests for therapy during a time of war. Additionally, I conducted a review of all policy documents and strategic plans by Uganda's Ministry of Health capturing experiences in implementing global and national health policies in malaria control.Findings: Wartime children rarely engage in preventive measures, use cheap and affordable antimalarials, most of which have been scientifically proven to be ineffective. In addition the earlier ‘war’ on the malaria mosquito and the more recent recommendation of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (e.g. Coartem) as the first-line drug for uncomplicated malaria have been largely unsuccessful ventures, because malaria control requires programmes focusing on the social determinants of disease, such as poverty, since these factors hinder people's ability to practice recommended measures. Programmes aimed at the zoonoses, parasites, or vectors and pharmaceutical/technological aspects of control and management of malaria, like indoor residual spraying, using insecticide treated nets, spraying with DDT and use of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies for uncomplicated malaria are short-term approaches which do not contribute to eradication, as frequently announced and promoted.Conclusion: Socio-economic and political inequality are obstacles to effective malaria treatment and prevention programmes in Uganda and other resource-poor settings in sub-Saharan Africa

From 'saved' to secularised: the challenges facing former LRA fighters after reintegration into their communities

While rehabilitating and reintegrating former LRA fighters, the international NGO World Vision emphasises Christian values of forgiveness. Despite this, few returnees remain 'saved' once they return to their communities. Dr Grace Akello investigates why this is the case, and what this means for reintegration programmes in the future

Can Uganda’s hydroelectric Karuma dam balance local displacement and promises of modernisation?

A new hydroelectric dam under construction in northern Uganda has promised to promote the country’s socio-economic development, but effects on local communities are hard to reconcile with these aspirations. New research explores the reality of the government’s ‘modernisation’ programme and asks whether social securities are adequate to address the extent of disruption

Epidemics and the Military: Responding to COVID-19 in Uganda

The UN Security Council’s response to Ebola in 2014 legitimised militarised responses. It also influenced re- sponses to COVID-19 in some African countries. Yet, little is known about the day-to-day impacts for ordinary citizens of mobilising armies for epidemic control. Drawing on 18 months ethnographic research, this article analyses militarised responses to COVID-19 during, and following, two lockdowns at contrasting sites in Uganda: a small town in Pakwach district and a village in Kasese district. Both field sites lie close to the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although the practice of health security varied between sites, the militarised response had more impact than the disease in these two places. The armed forces scaled back movement from urban conurbations to rural and peri-urban areas; while simultaneously enabling locally based official public authorities to use the proclaimed priorities of President Museveni’s government to enhance their position and power. This led to a situation whereby inhabitants created new modes of mutuality to resist or subvert the regulations being enforced, including the establishment of new forms of cross-border movement. These findings problematise the widely held view that Uganda’s response to COVID-19 was successful. Overall, it is argued that the on-going securitisation of global health has helped to create the political space to militarise the response. While this has had unknown effects on the prevalence of COVID-19, it has entrenched unaccountable modes of public authority and created a heightened sense of insecurity on the ground. The tendency to condone the violent practice of militarised public health programmes by international and national actors reflects a broader shift in the acceptance of more authoritarian forms of governance

Continuous research monitoring improves the quality of research conduct and compliance among research trainees: internal evaluation of a monitoring programme.

Background: Research site monitoring (RSM) is an effective way to ensure compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP). However, RSM is not offered to trainees (investigators) at African Institutions routinely. The Makerere University/Uganda Virus Research Institute Centre of Excellence in Infection and Immunity Research and Training (MUII-Plus) introduced internal monitoring to promote the quality of trainees' research projects. Here, we share our monitoring model, experiences and achievements, and challenges encountered. Methods: We analysed investigators' project reports from monitoring visits undertaken from April 2017 to December 2019. Monitors followed a standard checklist to review investigator site files and record forms, and toured site facilities. We planned four monitoring visits for each trainee: one at site initiation, two interim, and a closeout monitoring visit. A team of two monitors conducted the visits. Results: We monitored 25 out of the 26 research projects in progress between April 2017 and December 2019. Compliance with protocols, standard operating procedures, GCP, and GCLP improved with each monitoring visit. Median (IQR) compliance rate was 43% (31%, 44%) at site initiation visit for different monitoring items, 70% (54%, 90%) at the 1st interim monitoring visit, 100% (92%, 100%) at 2nd interim monitoring visit and all projects achieved 100% compliance at site closeout.  All investigators had good work ethics and practice, and appropriate facilities. Initially, some investigators' files lacked essential documents, and informed consent processes needed to be improved. We realized that non-compliant investigators had not received prior training in GCP/GCLP, so we offered them this training. Conclusions: Routine monitoring helps identify non-compliance early and improves the quality of research. We recommend continuous internal monitoring for all research studies. Investigators conducting research involving human subjects should receive GCP/GCLP training before commencing their projects. Institutional higher degrees and research ethics committees should enforce this as a requirement for project approvals

Contrasting Computational Models of Mate Preference Integration Across 45 Countries

Humans express a wide array of ideal mate preferences. Around the world, people desire romantic partners who are intelligent, healthy, kind, physically attractive, wealthy, and more. In order for these ideal preferences to guide the choice of actual romantic partners, human mating psychology must possess a means to integrate information across these many preference dimensions into summaries of the overall mate value of their potential mates. Here we explore the computational design of this mate preference integration process using a large sample of n = 14,487 people from 45 countries around the world. We combine this large cross-cultural sample with agent-based models to compare eight hypothesized models of human mating markets. Across cultures, people higher in mate value appear to experience greater power of choice on the mating market in that they set higher ideal standards, better fulfill their preferences in choice, and pair with higher mate value partners. Furthermore, we find that this cross-culturally universal pattern of mate choice is most consistent with a Euclidean model of mate preference integration.The work of Truong Ti Khanh Ha was supported by grants 501.01–2016.02 from the Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED). Anna Oleszkiewicz was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (#626/STYP/12/2017). Tis study was conducted in line with project NIR No. 01201370995 “Cross-cultural and interdisciplinary researches. Biosocial and cross-cultural analysis of models of tolerance and basic values of culture in modern society” (Marina Butovskaya and Daria Dronova). Agnieszka Sorokowska and Piotr Sorokowski were supported by the National Science Center—Poland (2014/13/B/HS6/02644). Petra Gyuris, András Láng, and Norbert Meskó were supported by the Hungarian Scientifc Research Fund — OTKA (K125437). Feng Jiang was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China, grant No. 71971225