An assessment of the knowledge, practices and resources during the delivery of malaria health care services among private health care practitioners: a cross section study in the Mid-Western Region of Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 50 % of the population in Uganda seeks health care from private facilities but there is limited data on the quality of care for malaria in these facilities. This study aimed to document the knowledge, practices and resources during the delivery of malaria care services, among private health practitioners in the Mid-Western region of Uganda, an area of moderate malaria transmission. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study in which purposive sampling was used to select fifteen private-for-profit facilities from each district. An interviewer-administered questionnaire that contained both quantitative and open-ended questions was used. Information was collected on availability of treatment aides, knowledge on malaria, malaria case management, laboratory practices, malaria drugs stock and data management. We determined the proportion of health workers that adequately provided malaria case management according to national standards. RESULTS: Of the 135 health facilities staff interviewed, 61.48 % (52.91-69.40) had access to malaria treatment protocols while 48.89 % (40.19-57.63) received malaria training. The majority of facilities, 98.52 % (94.75-99.82) had malaria diagnostic services and the most commonly available anti-malarial drug was artemether-lumefantrine, 85.19 % (78-91), followed by Quinine, 74.81 % (67-82) and intravenous artesunate, 72.59 % (64-80). Only 14.07 % (8.69-21.10) responded adequately to the acceptable cascade of malaria case management practice. Specifically, 33.33 % (25.46-41.96) responded correctly to management of a patient with a fever, 40.00 % (31.67-48.79) responded correctly to the first line treatment for uncomplicated malaria, whereas 85.19 % (78.05-90.71) responded correctly to severe malaria treatment. Only 28.83 % submitted monthly reports, where malaria data was recorded, to the national database. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed sub-optimal malaria case management knowledge and practices at private health facilities with approximately 14 % of health care workers demonstrating correct malaria case management cascade practices. To strengthen the quality of malaria case management, it is recommended that the NMCD distributes current guidelines and tools, coupled with training; continuous mentorship and supportive supervision; provision of adequate stock of essential anti-malarials and RDTs; reinforcing communication and behavior change; and increasing support for data management at private health facilities.

Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine is highly effective in the Ugandan routine immunization program: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccination program in Uganda. METHODS: Case-control study of Hib vaccine effectiveness against Hib meningitis. Cases were children hospitalized with Hib meningitis confirmed by culture and/or latex agglutination. Cases were identified retrospectively from July 2002 to July 2004, and prospectively from July 2004 to July 2005. Each case-patient was matched by age to three neighbourhood and three hospital controls; all children were eligible to receive Hib vaccine through the routine schedule. Vaccine effectiveness was evaluated by conditional logistic regression, controlling for confounding variables. RESULTS: We enrolled 41 cases; their median age was 6 months. Only six (15%) cases, all HIV-negative, had received >/=2 doses of Hib vaccine, compared with 64% of neighbourhood controls and 70% of hospital controls. Controlling for maternal education, the only variable which remained in the multivariable model, vaccine effectiveness for two or three doses vs. no dose was 99% [95% confidence intervals (CI) 92-100%] and 96% (95% CI 80-100%) when cases were compared with neighbourhood and hospital controls, respectively. CONCLUSION: In Uganda, Hib vaccine was highly effective in the context of the routine immunization schedule. Sustained routine use of Hib vaccine will contribute to the prevention of childhood morbidity and mortality.