African health sciences
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African health sciences · Sep 2022
Performance of the allometric power model in scaling from adult to paediatric antiretroviral dose in children at a Referral Hospital in Windhoek, Namibia.
World Health Organization (WHO) advocates use of weight bands in antiretroviral therapy (ART) guidelines. Allometric scaling could be a more reliable method because it uses a non-linear approach in relating dose to body weight. This study evaluates performance of the allometric ¾ power model in comparison to WHO weight band method in children receiving ART. ⋯ WHO weight bands may result in the 25 kg weight category receiving a much higher dose leading to ADRs. Using allometric scaling, we recommend a weight band strategy that could improve paediatric ABC/3TC dosing.
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African health sciences · Aug 2022
Developing capacity for implementation and evaluation of vaccine trials in Uganda: Perspective of the Makerere University Walter Reed Project.
Infectious diseases and neglected tropical diseases continue to be a major challenge in resource limited settings, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Although vaccines are a key biomedical prevention tool, resource limited settings often lack the infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and skilled human resource to conduct vaccine clinical trials. To address this gap, the Makerere University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP) was established and has contributed to vaccine research in Uganda and globally. ⋯ Academia, through establishment of appropriate partnerships can contribute to the identification of solutions to complex public health challenges.
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African health sciences · Aug 2022
ReviewSupport for the response to COVID-19 in Uganda: contribution of the global health security program at Makerere University's Infectious Diseases Institute.
Outbreaks are occurring at increasing frequency and they require multisectoral and multi-stakeholder involvement for optimal response. The Global Health Security Agenda is a framework that governments and other stakeholders can use to strengthen countries' capacities to prevent, detect and respond to outbreaks but there are few examples of academic programs using this approach. ⋯ The IDI Global Health Security program provides a model that can be used by institutions to deliberately develop capacities relevant to outbreak preparedness and response.
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African health sciences · Aug 2022
Makerere's contribution to the development of a high impact HIV research population-based cohort in the Rakai Region, Uganda.
Longitudinal population-based cohort studies can provide critical insights on temporal, spatial and sociodemographic changes in health status and health determinants that are not obtained by other study designs. However, establishing and maintaining such a cohort study can be challenging and expensive. Here, we describe the role of Makerere University in the development and conduct of such a cohort. We chronicle the first academia-led reports of HIV in East Africa; how this led to initiation of the Rakai Community Cohort Study in 1988, the first and oldest HIV cohort in sub-Saharan Africa; its impact on HIV prevention, care and treatment; how the cohort has been maintained; and opportunities, challenges, and future directions including non-communicable diseases.