African health sciences
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African health sciences · Mar 2009
The dilemma of safe sex and having children: challenges facing HIV sero-discordant couples in Uganda.
Sixty percent of new HIV infections in Uganda occur in stable relationships between HIV discordant couples. Given the importance of fertility in Uganda, we hypothesized that unsafe sexual practices may be used to found a family/replace a dead child. Thus, we explored sexual practices to understand to what extent these are influenced by the desire to have children and the implications for HIV transmission among discordant couples. ⋯ HIV sero-discordant couples with strong desire for childbearing have a dilemma of risking HIV infection or infecting their spouse. Some risk transmission of HIV infection to reproduce. We need to address gender issues, risky behaviour and reproductive health services for HIV sero-discordant couples.
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African health sciences · Mar 2009
Bacterial contamination of donor blood at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana.
Transfusion of bacterially contaminated blood can result in sepsis and will constitute a substantial health burden to the patient. ⋯ All the Staphylococcus aureus isolated were resistant to both ampicillin and cotrimoxazole. Potential dangers and consequences of transfusing multidrug resistance bacteria have been discussed.
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African health sciences · Dec 2008
ReviewResilience research and policy/practice discourse in health, social, behavioral, and environmental sciences over the last ten years.
Resilience research has gained increased scientific interest and political currency over the last ten years. ⋯ Resilience is a dynamic and multi-dimensional process of adaptation to adverse and/or turbulent changes in human, institutional, and ecological systems across scales, and thus requires a composite, multi-faceted Resilience Index (RI), in order to be meaningfully gauged. Collaborative links between interdisciplinary research institutions, policy makers and practitioners involved in promoting sustainable social and health care systems are called for, particularly in Africa.
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African health sciences · Dec 2008
Intravascular catheter related infections in children admitted on the paediatric wards of Mulago Hospital, Uganda.
Worldwide use of intravascular catheters (IVC) has been associated with both local and systemic infections. No studies have been done in the sub-Saharan region on IVC related infections. ⋯ The study showed that infections related to short peripheral venous catheters in paediatric general wards in Mulago Hospital occurs and prevalence was 20.72% for tips and 11.3% for hubs.
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African health sciences · Dec 2008
Factors associated with malnutrition among children in internally displaced person's camps, northern Uganda.
Since mid 1990s, Uganda has had an estimated 1.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the northern and eastern districts. A major cause of morbidity and mortality amongst children in displaced settings is protein energy malnutrition. ⋯ There is high prevalence of protein energy malnutrition (stunting) among children in the internally displaced people's camps in Gulu district. Male children are at an increased risk of stunting while children aged between 3 - 24 months are at an increased risk of suffering from acute malnutrition. Stakeholders including local government and relief organizations should intensify efforts to improve the nutritional status of IDPs especially children in the camp settings. The quantity of and access to household food supplies, health education on infant and child feeding and integrated management of childhood illnesses (IMCI) activities in the camps should be strengthened.