The leadership impact of Karamojong teachers on the enrolment and retention of learners in Moroto municipality government primary schools, Uganda

Despite the efforts of the government of Uganda to train school leaders in the Karamoja region, the enrolment and completion rate of Karamojong pupils in Moroto municipality primary schools remains low. Previous research attributes this to historical and environmental factors that promote Karamojong parents’ failure to attach value to formal education. This study analyses the leadership impact of Karamojong teachers on the enrolment and retention of learners in schools. It adopts an exploratory qualitative approach to gather data using interviews, informal conversations, field observations, and secondary documents from 15 participants using purposive sampling techniques, namely headteachers, deputy headteachers, directors of studies, heads of departments, and parents to examine the organizational structure of government primary schools in Moroto Municipality and identify the practices that influence enrolment and retention. The intercultural educational leadership framework and the concept of Indigenous relatedness in the educational setting guided the thematic analysis of the data. The findings show that involving learners in cocurricular activities, guidance and counselling, academic performance, provision of meals, and involving parents in decision making were key activities in the retention of learners in school. Some parents do remain opposed to having their children in school and argue that formal education erodes Karamojong traditions and values

Information Needs of Women Market Vendors in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District, Uganda

Information needs are an awareness of the information gap that exist among a group of people and differ from one group to another. The purpose of this study was to establish the information needs of women market vendors in Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso District in Uganda by establishing the information needs of women market vendors, sources of information that are available, barriers faced when accessing information, and making recommendations on the possible measures that can be put in place to address the information needs barriers. The study used a qualitative exploratory research design. Data was collected using interviews and observation, and analyzed using content analysis method. The findings revealed that the most commonly needed information by women vendors was on sources of funding, saving, land and business opportunities. On sources of information, the most used was mobile phones, followed by radios, and suppliers of products for vending which featured both as an information need and information source. The barriers that respondents faced in accessing information included language barrier; lack of airtime; unreliable information; lack of information infrastructure and communication challenges between them and the local authorities. A number of key implications for policy and practices emerged including among others recognition of women market vendors and their inclusion in urban development planning processes by government, provision of relevant training particularly on information literacy and business, and repackaging and dissemination of information in local languages through channels like radios and televisions

Measures to Improve Information Services Provision in Selected Public University Libraries in Western Kenya.

Public university libraries globally in this dynamic and innovative environment strives to satisfy their users’ needs. From time immemorial they have been essential constituents of scholastic enterprise and have been established alongside academic institutions Empirical literature on library service standards assessments and user’s satisfaction is extensive but controversial. The digital age is also changing the methods of producing and disseminating information with a greater emphasis on electronic service delivery. To retain relevance, libraries are expected to adapt to new technologies and position themselves as important learning organizations where services continually change and improve to meet the information demand of all the user community. Most studies in Kenya relating to academic libraries service quality enhancement and awareness is scanty and library service goals and objectives are not in tandem with its stakeholders. Consequently there is need to provide scientific knowledge and suggestive solutions on library information services. The purpose of this study is therefore to assess the predictive variables of library performance in public university libraries of Western Kenya and suggestive measures to improve library information service to the user community. The specific objective of the study includes; assessing compliance of public university libraries in Western Kenya to statutory standards for information services provision; to assess the user satisfaction in relation to information service provision of public university libraries in Western Kenya and to identify the challenges to service provision of information services. The study adopted gap analysis model. Quantitative and qualitative research design was used with a sample size of 507 respondents. Data was collected through questionnaire, interview, observation and document review. The results was presented by the use of percentages, graphs and frequency tables. The findings indicated that library information services for the normal and persons with disabilities users were below normal satisfaction level, inadequacy in funds for physical expansion, service personnel, low competency in service personnel, weak management policies

Assessing Challenges faced by Library Information Service Users in selected Public University Libraries in Western Kenya.

Public university libraries in this dynamic and innovative environment strives to satisfy their users’ needs. Empirical literature on users’ satisfaction is extensive but controversial when it comes to different categories of users. Therefore, the objectives of this study is to assess challenges 4 public university libraries of western Kenya faces in accessing library and information services with appropriate solutions. Quantitative and qualitative research design was used with a purposive sample size of 378 students, 92 lecturers, 27 library staffs and 10 top management. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, observations and document analysis. The results were presented by use of percentages, frequency tables and bar graphs. The findings indicated that library and information services, the service personnel and persons with special needs did not meet the respondent satisfactions and perceptions as the users wanted more improved services

Widening the options for recurrent malaria.

The global need for new antimalarial drugs and new combinations is enormous and urgent,1, 2 but their successful delivery needs resilience to overcome the barriers imposed by expensive and lengthy clinical development plans. Attention is often directed to areas such as southeast Asia, where some antimalarial combinations are failing but transmission intensities are much lower than in sub-Saharan African countries. Children in Africa have frequent and life-threatening malaria infections as they grow up, and these need to be treated safely

Plasmodium infection and its risk factors in eastern Uganda

BACKGROUND: Malaria is a leading cause of disease burden in Uganda, although surprisingly few contemporary, age-stratified data exist on malaria epidemiology in the country. This report presents results from a total population survey of malaria infection and intervention coverage in a rural area of eastern Uganda, with a specific focus on how risk factors differ between demographic groups in this population. METHODS: In 2008, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in four contiguous villages in Mulanda, sub-county in Tororo district, eastern Uganda, to investigate the epidemiology and risk factors of Plasmodium species infection. All permanent residents were invited to participate, with blood smears collected from 1,844 individuals aged between six months and 88 years (representing 78% of the population). Demographic, household and socio-economic characteristics were combined with environmental data using a Geographical Information System. Hierarchical models were used to explore patterns of malaria infection and identify individual, household and environmental risk factors. RESULTS: Overall, 709 individuals were infected with Plasmodium, with prevalence highest among 5-9 year olds (63.5%). Thin films from a random sample of 20% of parasite positive participants showed that 94.0% of infections were Plasmodium falciparum and 6.0% were P. malariae; no other species or mixed infections were seen. In total, 68% of households owned at least one mosquito although only 27% of school-aged children reported sleeping under a net the previous night. In multivariate analysis, infection risk was highest amongst children aged 5-9 years and remained high in older children. Risk of infection was lower for those that reported sleeping under a bed net the previous night and living more than 750 m from a rice-growing area. After accounting for clustering within compounds, there was no evidence for an association between infection prevalence and socio-economic status, and no evidence for spatial clustering. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that mosquito net usage remains inadequate and is strongly associated with risk of malaria among school-aged children. Infection risk amongst adults is influenced by proximity to potential mosquito breeding grounds. Taken together, these findings emphasize the importance of increasing net coverage, especially among school-aged children

Resistance to Dihydroartemisinin

International audienc

Different methodological approaches to the assessment of in vivo efficacy of three artemisinin-based combination antimalarial treatments for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in African children.

BACKGROUND: Use of different methods for assessing the efficacy of artemisinin-based combination antimalarial treatments (ACTs) will result in different estimates being reported, with implications for changes in treatment policy. METHODS: Data from different in vivo studies of ACT treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria were combined in a single database. Efficacy at day 28 corrected by PCR genotyping was estimated using four methods. In the first two methods, failure rates were calculated as proportions with either (1a) reinfections excluded from the analysis (standard WHO per-protocol analysis) or (1b) reinfections considered as treatment successes. In the second two methods, failure rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier product limit formula using either (2a) WHO (2001) definitions of failure, or (2b) failure defined using parasitological criteria only. RESULTS: Data analysed represented 2926 patients from 17 studies in nine African countries. Three ACTs were studied: artesunate-amodiaquine (AS+AQ, N = 1702), artesunate-sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (AS+SP, N = 706) and artemether-lumefantrine (AL, N = 518).Using method (1a), the day 28 failure rates ranged from 0% to 39.3% for AS+AQ treatment, from 1.0% to 33.3% for AS+SP treatment and from 0% to 3.3% for AL treatment. The median [range] difference in point estimates between method 1a (reference) and the others were: (i) method 1b = 1.3% [0 to 24.8], (ii) method 2a = 1.1% [0 to 21.5], and (iii) method 2b = 0% [-38 to 19.3].The standard per-protocol method (1a) tended to overestimate the risk of failure when compared to alternative methods using the same endpoint definitions (methods 1b and 2a). It either overestimated or underestimated the risk when endpoints based on parasitological rather than clinical criteria were applied. The standard method was also associated with a 34% reduction in the number of patients evaluated compared to the number of patients enrolled. Only 2% of the sample size was lost when failures were classified on the first day of parasite recurrence and survival analytical methods were used. CONCLUSION: The primary purpose of an in vivo study should be to provide a precise estimate of the risk of antimalarial treatment failure due to drug resistance. Use of survival analysis is the most appropriate way to estimate failure rates with parasitological recurrence classified as treatment failure on the day it occurs

Artemether-Lumefantrine versus Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine for Treatment of Malaria: A Randomized Trial

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) for treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Uganda. DESIGN: Randomized single-blinded clinical trial. SETTING: Apac, Uganda, an area of very high malaria transmission intensity. PARTICIPANTS: Children aged 6 mo to 10 y with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. INTERVENTION: Treatment of malaria with AL or DP, each following standard 3-d dosing regimens. OUTCOME MEASURES: Risks of recurrent parasitemia at 28 and 42 d, unadjusted and adjusted by genotyping to distinguish recrudescences and new infections. RESULTS: Of 421 enrolled participants, 417 (99%) completed follow-up. The unadjusted risk of recurrent falciparum parasitemia was significantly lower for participants treated with DP than for those treated with AL after 28 d (11% versus 29%; risk difference [RD] 18%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 11%-26%) and 42 d (43% versus 53%; RD 9.6%, 95% CI 0%-19%) of follow-up. Similarly, the risk of recurrent parasitemia due to possible recrudescence (adjusted by genotyping) was significantly lower for participants treated with DP than for those treated with AL after 28 d (1.9% versus 8.9%; RD 7.0%, 95% CI 2.5%-12%) and 42 d (6.9% versus 16%; RD 9.5%, 95% CI 2.8%-16%). Patients treated with DP had a lower risk of recurrent parasitemia due to non-falciparum species, development of gametocytemia, and higher mean increase in hemoglobin compared to patients treated with AL. Both drugs were well tolerated; serious adverse events were uncommon and unrelated to study drugs. CONCLUSION: DP was superior to AL for reducing the risk of recurrent parasitemia and gametocytemia, and provided improved hemoglobin recovery. DP thus appears to be a good alternative to AL as first-line treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Uganda. To maximize the benefit of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Africa, treatment should be integrated with aggressive strategies to reduce malaria transmission intensity

Using Action Research to Address Poor Waste Management at Kijjabwemi C/U Primary School in Kijjabwemi Suburb, Masaka City.

Background: This action research (AR) project was carried out at Kijjabwemi C/U Primary school at Kijjabwemi suburb of Kimaanya-Kabonera division of the newly formed Masaka City to identify, analyze, prioritize and identify solutions to address a health problem of priority at this setting using the locally accessible and available resources. Methodology: A participatory rural appraisal approach (PRA) guided how this research achieved its objectives right from the collection of information about the health challenges faced by this school. Data was collected using Focus group discussions, interviewing, and transect walk methods. Although the majority of data is qualitative, quantitative data is as well used especially where voting on an issue took place. At prioritization, a two-phase approach conceptualized by 1) multi-level voting techniques and 2) the Hanlon method of specifying criteria, PEARL testing, and Priority scoring was adopted to priorities the most urgent, serious, and feasible problem. The five Why/What for the root cause analysis was used to analyze the problem. Results: Out of the twelve health problems enlisted as urgent and serious by over 50% of stakeholders in the first phase, Poor waste management was identified as a major and priority problem caused by the excessive distance between generation and final disposal point, lack of designated collection points as well as containers, time and irregularity of disposal, shallow waste disposal pit and lack of well develop enforceable guidelines. Conclusion and recommendation: Stakeholder-centered- learning about excellent waste management practices, utilizing transferable plastic bins of 40ml capacity, increasing the depth of the disposal pit as well as fencing it, and developing settings-oriented guidelines to increase vigilance for waste generation reduction, frequency of disposal, and burning of waste was implemented as interventions