Gertrude Kiwanuka

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Introduction Zinc deficiency (ZnD) impairs the development of acquired immunity and contributes to growth failure in children under five years of age. However, the prevalence of ZnD and its association with immunity in this age group in Uganda have not been well explored. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ZnD and explore the associati...

Background In this cross-sectional study, we aimed at determining the association between the biomarkers of nephropathy and the ACE insertion/deletion gene polymorphisms among type 2 diabetic patients. Methods Data were collected from 237 adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving healthcare at the diabetic clinic of Mbarara Regional Referr...

Background Kidney dysfunction is a common finding among patients with diabetes mellitus. We sought to determine the prevalence and contributors to kidney dysfunction among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) patients. Methods In this descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, we received consent and enrolled 148 T2D patients attending the diabeti...

Purpose We aimed at determining the distribution of the ACE insertion/deletion gene polymorphisms among type 2 diabetic patients and their association with the nephropathy biomarkers and the metabolic indicators. Patients and Methods Data were collected from 237 adult type 2 diabetes mellitus patients receiving healthcare at the diabetic clinic of...

The use of bacteria to clean up oil-contaminated soils is widely considered the most desirable bioremediation strategy. The majority of research has focused on contaminated soils in large oil-producing countries. However, accidental spills or poor handling and disposal of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs) products, which happen at automobile maintenance...

Events such as the Tuskegee syphilis study shaped how the public perceives and trusts medical research globally. However, few studies have examined trust in medical research in developing countries. We tested the hypothesis that levels of trust may be lower among community members compared to hospitalized persons in Uganda. We enrolled 296 particip...

Research ethics education is critical to developing a culture of responsible conduct of research. Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have a high burden of infectious diseases like HIV and malaria; some, like Uganda, have recurring outbreaks. Coupled with the increase in non-communicable diseases, researchers have access to large populations...

Background Population based cancer registries (PBCRs) are accepted as the gold standard for estimating cancer incidence in any population. However, only 15% of the world’s population is covered by high quality cancer registries with coverage as low as 1.9% in settings such as Africa. This study was conducted to assess the operational feasibility of...

Background: Laboratory animals are commonly fed on cereal-based diets (CBDs) whose nutrient composition is unknown and may confound the metabolic response to study interventions. Purified diets such as AIN-93M are therefore recommended, as their nutrient composition is known. However, few studies have evaluated their use as adequate control diets....

Zinc Deficiency And Associated Effects On The Immunity Of Admitted Children Under-5 In Masaka Regional Referral Hospital. Background: Zinc is an essential micronutrient with a variety of physiological functions. Zinc deficiency (ZnD) affects development of acquired immunity and contributes to failure to grow in children under 5. Still, there is pa...

A cross-sectional study was conducted in five districts in South Western Agro-Ecological Zone (SWAEZ), Uganda, to map pig breed distribution and determine their abundance and population structure. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to identify pig farmers whose pigs were included in the study. Pig breeds were identified using the NAA...

Introduction Treatment abandonment contributes significantly to poor survival of children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). In order to inform an approach to this problem, we investigated why caregivers withdraw their children from treatment. Methods In a qualitative study, carried out in October and November 2020, in-depth i...

Introduction - Treatment abandonment contributes significantly to poor survival of children with cancer in low-middle-income countries (LMICs). In order to inform an approach to this problem at our Cancer Unit, we investigated why caregivers withdraw their children from treatment. Methods – In a qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted...

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common finding in diabetic patients. Microalbuminuria is the earliest clinical evidence of DN. Early detection of microalbuminuria is very important; it allows timely interventions to prevent progression to macroalbuminuria and later end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Objectives: To determine the prevalenc...

Background Early diagnosis of suspected malaria cases with a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) has been shown to be an effective malaria control tool used in many resource-constrained settings. However, poor quality control and quality assurance hinder the accurate reporting of malaria diagnoses. Recent use of a portable, battery operated RDT reader (Dek...

Introduction The prevalence of ethanol use in many Sub-Saharan African countries is high, but little research exists on use during pregnancy. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and predictors of ethanol use among pregnant women in Southwestern Uganda. Methods This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in the materni...

Abstract Despite the potential benefit of primaquine in reducing Plasmodium falciparum transmission and radical cure of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale infections, concerns over risk of hemolytic toxicity in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd) have hampered its deployment. A cross-sectional survey was conduc...

A survey of asymptomatic children in Uganda showed Plasmodium malariae and P. falciparum parasites in 45% and 55% of microscopy-positive samples, respectively. Although 36% of microscopy-positive samples were negative by rapid diagnostic test, 75% showed P. malariae or P. ovale parasites by PCR, indicating that routine diagnostic testing misses man...

A survey of asymptomatic children in Uganda showed Plasmodium malariae and P. falciparum parasites in 45% and 55% of microscopy-positive samples, respectively. Although 36% of microscopy-positive samples were negative by rapid diagnostic test, 75% showed P. malariae or P. ovale parasites by PCR, indicating that routine diagnostic testing misses man...

Detailed methods and tables describing risk factors for asymptomatic malaria infections and results of PCR-corrected samples found to be positive by microscopy and rapid diagnostic test.

Introduction The prevalence of ethanol use in many Sub-Saharan African countries is high, but little research exists on use during pregnancy. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and predictors of ethanol use among pregnant women in Southwestern Uganda. Methods This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in the materni...

Background The prevalence of general alcohol use in many countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is high. However, research examining alcohol use in among pregnant women within this population is limited. A review of the current status of research examining the prevalence of alcohol exposed pregnancies (AEP) is required to inform future research aimi...

Background: Given the importance of CD4-T-lymphocyte monitoring in HIV/ART management, we established CD4/CD8 reference ranges in Uganda and studied factors associated with CD4/CD8 in a normal population. Methods: Blood samples for 206 HIV seronegative healthy volunteers from the Mbarara and Kampala districts in Uganda were analyzed using the PanLe...

A major characteristic of human malaria parasites is their genetic diversity and an increasing number of studies have been reported on the epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum, mainly focusing on the polymorphism of merozoite surface protein (MSP) 1 and 2 genes. A myriad of information on the genetic diversity and multiplicity of P. falciparum inf...

We describe the diversity of Plasmodium falciparum populations in western Uganda and assess the role that asymptomatic malaria carriers with sickle cell trait (HbAS) may be playing on the Plasmodium population structure. We genotyped P. falciparum in 291 samples using merozoite surface protein (MSP) 1 and 2 loci. Extensive genetic diversity was det...

An assessment of iron status was made on 96 pregnant women and 29 non-pregnant, non-lactating menstruating women of comparable age group as controls. Anaemia (haemoglobin < 110 g/l) was present in 84.4% of the pregnant women and in 48.3% of the control group. Iron deficiency (serum ferritin < 12.0 micrograms/l) was present in 51.1% of the pregnant...