Rebecca Nantanda

• Makerere University

Background Pulmonary complications are common among children with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, there is little literature on associated lung function abnormalities in Uganda. We aimed to determine the prevalence, patterns, and factors associated with abnormal lung function among children with SCD in a tertiary care hospital in Uganda. Metho...

Introduction Contemporary data on the burden of chronic respiratory diseases in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. More so, their economic burden is not well described. This study aims to establish a chronic respiratory disease observatory for Africa. Specific study aims are (1) to describe the prevalence and determinants of asthma with a target to scr...

Background: Air pollution is a major health challenge worldwide and has dire implications for economic development and the environment. Understanding the knowledge and perceptions of societal actors is key to designing context-specific strategies. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and perspectives of stakeholders whose roles influenced air...

ASTHMA SYMPTOMS AND CONTROL AMONG GHANAIAN CHILDREN

Background: Pneumonia remains the leading cause of mortality in under-five children outside the neonatal period. Progress has slowed down in the last decade, necessitating increased efforts to scale up effective pneumonia interventions. Methods: We used the Lives Saved Tool (LiST), a modelling software for child mortality in low- and middle-inco...

Introduction Poor asthma control in adolescents is partly attributed to inadequate asthma education for self-management. This study is set to determine the effectiveness of the “KmAsthma” self-management app in improving the control of asthma among adolescents in a low-resource setting. Methods The two-arm 6-month cluster randomized controlled tri...

Asthma is the commonest chronic childhood illness but in young children, it is under/mis-diagnosed leading to avoidable morbidity and mortality. We explored the caregivers’ and health care providers’ understanding and practices around diagnosis and management of asthma in children less than 5 years, and how they contribute to diagnostic delays and...

Background Air pollution is the second largest risk to health in Africa, and children with asthma are particularly susceptible to its effects. Yet, there is a scarcity of air pollution exposure data from cities in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to identify potential exposure reduction strategies for school children with asthma living in urban areas i...

Background Globally, pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of under-five mortality, and this can be reduced by prompt healthcare seeking. Data on factors associated with delays in seeking care for children with pneumonia in Uganda is scarce. Objectives The study aimed to determine the prevalence, factors associated with delay, barriers, and fa...

Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease among school-going adolescents worldwide. However, the burden of severe asthma is highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to explore teachers’ perceptions of asthma care across six African countries. We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) using a semi-structured interview guide. Int...

Objectives This study identifies barriers and provides recommendations to improve asthma care in children across sub-Saharan Africa, where qualitative data is lacking despite high rates. Design One of the aims of our National Institute for Health Research global health research group ‘Achieving Control of Asthma in Children in Africa’ was to u...

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4453381

Pneumonia remains the leading cause of mortality in children under five outside the neonatal period. Progress has slowed down in the last decade and increased efforts to scale-up effective pneumonia interventions are needed. We used the Lives Saved Tool (LiST), a modelling software for child mortality in low- and middle-income settings, to prospect...

Background Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease among children and adolescents worldwide. However, the burden of severe asthma is highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of asthma care across six African countries. Methods We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) using a semi-structured i...

One of the major consequences of Africa’s rapid urbanisation is the worsening air pollution, especially in urban centres. However, existing societal challenges such as recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty, intensifying effects of climate change are making prioritisation of addressing air pollution harder. We undertook a scoping review of st...

BACKGROUND Access to affordable inhaled medicines for chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) is severely limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), causing avoidable morbidity and mortality. The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease convened a stakeholder meeting on this topic in February 2022. METHODS Focused group disc...

Background Birth asphyxia is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality worldwide. In Uganda, it accounts for 28.9% of all neonatal deaths. With a view to inform policy and practice interventions to reduce adverse neonatal outcomes, we aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with birth asphyxia at two referral hospitals in Nor...

Asthma is the most common non-communicable disease in children and remains one of the most common throughout the life course. The great majority of the burden of this disease is seen in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), which have disproportionately high asthma-related mortality relative to asthma prevalence. This is particularly true...

Background Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cause a considerable burden of morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable essential medicines is variable. We aimed to review the existing literature relating to the availability, cost, and af...

Objectives: Respiratory rate (RR) measurement is critical to diagnosing pneumonia in resource-constrained settings, but accurate RR measurement is challenging. The Acute Lower Respiratory Illness Treatment and Evaluation (ALRITE) mobile phone application (app), designed to help health care workers (HCWs) manage pediatric respiratory illnesses, inc...

Introduction In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), food insecurity and undernutrition disproportionately affect women of reproductive age, infants and young children. The disease burden from undernutrition in these vulnerable sections of societies remains a major concern in LMICs. Biomass fuel use for cooking is also common in LMICs. Empiric...

Background : Atypical bacteria cause 10–40% of all childhood pneumonia.. Data on the burden of atypical pneumonia in sub-Saharan Africa are limited. Aim : To determine the prevalence, associated factors, and outcome of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children with respiratory symptoms at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala. Methods : Ch...

Rationale Convalescent plasma (CCP) has been studied as a potential therapy for COVID-19, but data on its efficacy in Africa are limited. Objective In this trial we set out to determine the efficacy of CCP for treatment of COVID-19 in Uganda. Measurements Patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR test irrespective of dise...

Objectives Mobile health tools have potential to improve the diagnosis and management of acute lower respiratory illnesses (ALRI), a leading cause of paediatric mortality worldwide. The objectives were to evaluate health workers’ perceptions of acceptability, usability and feasibility of Acute Lower Respiratory Illness Treatment and Evaluation (ALR...

Introduction Evidence that supports the use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) for treatment of COVID-19 is increasingly emerging. However, very few African countries have undertaken the collection and processing of CCP. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of collecting and processing of CCP, in preparation for a randomized clini...

Introduction Globally, acute lower respiratory infections are the leading cause of mortality among children under 5 years. Following World Health Organization primary care guidelines, pneumonia is diagnosed based on cough/difficult breathing and fast breathing. We aimed to describe the practices of healthcare workers in primary care health faciliti...

Under-diagnosis of asthma in ‘under-fives’ may be alleviated by improved inquiry into disease history. We assessed a questionnaire-based screening tool for asthma among 614 ‘under-fives’ with severe respiratory illness in Uganda. The questionnaire responses were compared to post hoc consensus diagnoses by three pediatricians who were guided by stud...

Introduction Evidence that supports the use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) for treatment of COVID-19 is increasingly emerging. However, very few African countries have undertaken the collection and processing of CCP. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of collecting and processing of CCP, in preparation for a randomized clini...

Background: Respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Uganda, but there is little attention and capacity for management of chronic respiratory diseases in the health programmes. This survey assessed gaps in knowledge and skills among healthcare workers in managing respiratory illnesses. Methods: A cross sect...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221389.].

Background Respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Uganda, but there is little attention to chronic respiratory diseases in the health programmes. In general, there is limited capacity and clinical experience for chronic illness. This survey assessed the gaps in knowledge and skills, among healthcare workers...

Background Respiratory disease and, specifically, pneumonia, is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in young children. Diagnosis of both pneumonia and asthma in primary care rests principally on clinical signs, history taking, and bronchodilator responsiveness. This study aimed to describe clinical practices in diverse global primary care se...

Background Acute and chronic respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Uganda, but there is little attention to chronic respiratory diseases in the health programmes. This survey assessed the gaps in knowledge and skills, among healthcare workers in managing respiratory illnesses. Methods A mixed methods study...

Background Respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Uganda, but there is little attention and capacity for management of chronic respiratory diseases in the health programmes. This survey assessed gaps in knowledge and skills among healthcare workers in managing respiratory illnesses. Methods A cross sectional...

Biomass smoke exposure is a threat to child and maternal health in many resource-limited countries and is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes and serious lung diseases in the offspring. We aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability and impact of a midwife-led education programme on biomass risks and prevention for women attending maternity...

The parents of a 3-year old boy are anxious about their son who has recurring episodes of wheezing. They are frustrated that no one seems to be able to give them answers to their questions and would like a referral to a specialist. Does their son have asthma and what is the prognosis; how can the recurrent wheezing be managed and can the risk of as...

Background: In 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the 'make medicines child size' (MMCS) campaign by urging countries to prioritize procurement of medicines with appropriate strengths for children's age and weight and, in child-friendly formulations of rectal and flexible oral solid formulations. This study examined policy provisio...

Background Little attention has been paid to asthma in `under-fives¿ in Sub-Saharan Africa. In `under-fives¿, acute asthma and pneumonia have similar clinical presentation and most children with acute respiratory symptoms are diagnosed with pneumonia according to the WHO criteria. The mortality associated with acute respiratory diseases in Uganda i...

Pneumonia is considered the major cause of mortality among children with acute respiratory disease in low-income countries but may be over-diagnosed at the cost of under-diagnosing asthma. We report the magnitude of asthma and pneumonia among "under-fives" with cough and difficulty breathing, based on stringent clinical criteria. We also describe t...

Asthma is the most common chronic childhood illness, with rapidly increasing prevalence in low-income countries. Among young children, asthma is often under-diagnosed.We investigated the factors associated with asthma among under-fives presenting with acute respiratory symptoms at Mulago hospital, Uganda. A hospital-based cross sectional study of 6...

Bacterial pneumonia has hitherto been considered the key cause of the high respiratory morbidity and mortality in children under five years of age (under-5s) in low-income countries, while asthma has not been stated as a significant reason. This paper explores the definitions and concepts of pneumonia and asthma/wheezing/bronchiolitis and examines...

Improved case management of paediatric pneumonia is recognised as a key strategy for pneumonia control. Since symptoms of pneumonia and malaria often overlap, there are concerns that children with pneumonia are treated with antimalarial drugs. There is a need to describe how children with severe pneumonia have been managed prior to their arrival at...

Pneumonia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the 'under-5s' and in Uganda accounts for 10-30% of childhood deaths. Antibiotic resistance is increasing. To describe the bacterial aetiology, antimicrobial sensitivity and outcome of severe pneumonia among children aged 2-59 months admitted to the Acute Care Unit, Mulago Hospital, Uganda. A...