Place, displacement, and health-seeking behaviour among the Ugandan Batwa: A qualitative study.

For many Indigenous Peoples, relationships to the land are inherent in identity and culture, and to all facets of health and wellbeing, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. The Batwa are Indigenous Peoples of rural, southwest Uganda who have experienced tremendous social and economic upheaval, due to relatively recent forced displacement and land dispossession. This loss of physical connection to their ancestral lands has significantly impacted Batwa health, and also affected available healthcare options for Batwa. This exploratory study (1) identified and characterized factors that influence Batwa health-seeking behaviour, using acute gastrointestinal illness, a critical public health issue, as a focal point for analysis; and (2) explored possible intersections between the Batwa's connection to place-and displacement-and their health-seeking behaviour for acute gastrointestinal illness. Twenty focus group discussions, stratified by gender, were conducted in ten Batwa settlements in Kanungu District, Uganda and eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary healthcare workers, community health coordinators, clinical officers, and development program coordinators. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed using a constant comparative method. Batwa identified several significant motivators to engage with Indigenous and/or biomedical forms of healthcare, including transition to life outside the forest and their reflections on health in the forest; 'intellectual access' to care and generational knowledge-sharing on the use of Indigenous medicines; and Batwa identity and way of life. These nuanced explanations for health-seeking behaviour underscore the significance of place-and displacement-to Batwa health and wellbeing, and its relationship to their health-seeking behaviour for acute gastrointestinal illness. As such, the results of this study can be used to inform healthcare practice and policy and support the development of a culturally- and contextually-appropriate healthcare system, as well as to reduce the burden of acute gastrointestinal illness among Batwa.

Development of a Scorecard to Monitor Progress toward National Cholera Elimination: Its Application in Uganda.

In 2017, the Global Task Force for Cholera Control (GTFCC) set a goal to eliminate cholera from ≥ 20 countries and to reduce cholera deaths by 90% by 2030. Many countries have included oral cholera vaccine (OCV) in their cholera control plans. We felt that a simple, user-friendly monitoring tool would be useful to guide national progress toward cholera elimination. We reviewed cholera surveillance data of Uganda from 2015 to 2021 by date and district. We defined a district as having eliminated cholera if cholera was not reported in that district for at least 4 years. We prepared maps to show districts with cholera, districts that had eliminated it, and districts that had eliminated it but then "relapsed." These maps were compared with districts where OCV was used and the hotspot map recommended by the GTFCC. Between 2018 and 2021, OCV was administered in 16 districts previously identified as hotspots. In 2018, cholera was reported during at least one of the four previous years from 36 of the 146 districts of Uganda. This number decreased to 18 districts by 2021. Cholera was deemed "eliminated" from four of these 18 districts but then "relapsed." The cholera elimination scorecard effectively demonstrated national progress toward cholera elimination and identified districts where additional resources are needed to achieve elimination by 2030. Identification of the districts that have eliminated cholera and those that have relapsed will assist the national programs to focus on addressing the factors that result in elimination or relapse of cholera.

Policy responses to COVID-19 in Sri Lanka and the consideration of Indigenous Peoples.

COVID-19 has had uneven impacts on health and well-being, with Indigenous communities in the Global South facing some of the highest risks. Focusing on the experience of Sri Lanka, this study identifies key policy responses to COVID-19, documents how they evolved over two years of the pandemic, and examines if and how government responses have addressed issues pertaining to Indigenous Peoples. Drawing upon an analysis of policy documents (n = 110) and interviews with policymakers (n = 20), we characterize seven key policy responses implemented by the Sri Lankan government: i) testing for and identifying COVID-19; ii) quarantine procedures; iii) provisional clinical treatments; iv) handling other diseases during COVID-19; v) movement; vi) guidelines to be adhered to by the general public; and vii) health and vaccination. The nature of these responses changed as the pandemic progressed. There is no evidence that policy development or implementation incorporated the voices and needs of Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous peoples and the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic scoping review.

Past influenza pandemics including the Spanish flu and H1N1 have disproportionately affected Indigenous Peoples. We conducted a systematic scoping review to provide an overview of the state of understanding of the experience of Indigenous peoples during the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, in doing so we capture the state of knowledge available to governments and decision makers for addressing the needs of Indigenous peoples in these early months of the pandemic. We addressed three questions: (a) How is COVID-19 impacting the health and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples, (b) What system level challenges are Indigenous peoples experiencing, (c) How are Indigenous peoples responding? We searched Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases and UN organization websites for publications about Indigenous peoples and COVID-19. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. A total of 153 publications were included: 140 peer-reviewed articles and 13 from UN organizations. Editorial/commentaries were the most (43%) frequent type of publication. Analysis identified Indigenous peoples from 19 different countries, although 56% of publications were centered upon those in Brazil, United States, and Canada. The majority (90%) of articles focused upon the general adult population, few (<2%) used a gender lens. A small number of articles documented COVID-19 testing (0.04%), incidence (18%), or mortality (16%). Five themes of system level challenges affecting exposure and livelihoods evolved: ecological, poverty, communication, education and health care services. Responses were formal and informal strategies from governments, Indigenous organizations and communities. A lack of ethnically disaggregated health data and a gender lens are constraining our knowledge, which is clustered around a limited number of Indigenous peoples in mostly high-income countries. Many Indigenous peoples have autonomously implemented their own coping strategies while government responses have been largely reactive and inadequate. To 'build back better' we must address these knowledge gaps.

Identifying Predictors for Minimum Dietary Diversity and Minimum Meal Frequency in Children Aged 6-23 Months in Uganda.

Adequate complementary foods contribute to good health and growth in young children. However, many countries are still off-track in achieving critical complementary feeding indicators, such as minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum dietary diversity (MDD) and minimum acceptable diet (MAD). In this study, we used the 2016 Ugandan Demographic Health Survey (UDHS) data to assess child feeding practices in young children aged 6-23 months. We assess and describe complementary feeding indicators (MMF, MDD and MAD) for Uganda, considering geographic variation. We construct multivariable logistic regression models-stratified by age-to evaluate four theorized predictors of MMF and MDD: health status, vaccination status, household wealth and female empowerment. Our findings show an improvement of complementary feeding practice indicators in Uganda compared to the past, although the MAD threshold was reached by only 22% of children. Children who did not achieve 1 or more complementary feeding indicators are primarily based in the northern regions of Uganda. Cereals and roots were the foods most consumed daily by young children (80%), while eggs were rarely eaten. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that health status, vaccination status and wealth were significantly positively associated with MDD and MMF, while female empowerment was not. Improving nutrition in infant and young children is a priority. Urgent nutritional policies and acceptable interventions are needed to guarantee nutritious and age-appropriate complementary foods to each Ugandan child in the first years of life.

Interactions between climate and COVID-19.

In this Personal View, we explain the ways that climatic risks affect the transmission, perception, response, and lived experience of COVID-19. First, temperature, wind, and humidity influence the transmission of COVID-19 in ways not fully understood, although non-climatic factors appear more important than climatic factors in explaining disease transmission. Second, climatic extremes coinciding with COVID-19 have affected disease exposure, increased susceptibility of people to COVID-19, compromised emergency responses, and reduced health system resilience to multiple stresses. Third, long-term climate change and prepandemic vulnerabilities have increased COVID-19 risk for some populations (eg, marginalised communities). The ways climate and COVID-19 interact vary considerably between and within populations and regions, and are affected by dynamic and complex interactions with underlying socioeconomic, political, demographic, and cultural conditions. These conditions can lead to vulnerability, resilience, transformation, or collapse of health systems, communities, and livelihoods throughout varying timescales. It is important that COVID-19 response and recovery measures consider climatic risks, particularly in locations that are susceptible to climate extremes, through integrated planning that includes public health, disaster preparedness, emergency management, sustainable development, and humanitarian response.

Forecasting the Potential Effects of Climate Change on Malaria in the Lake Victoria Basin Using Regionalized Climate Projections.

BACKGROUND: Malaria epidemics are increasing in East Africa since the 1980s, coincident with rising temperature and widening climate variability. A projected 1-3.5 °C rise in average global temperatures by 2100 could exacerbate the epidemics by modifying disease transmission thresholds. Future malaria scenarios for the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) are quantified for projected climate scenarios spanning 2006-2100. METHODS: Regression relationships are established between historical (1995-2010) clinical malaria and anaemia cases and rainfall and temperature for four East African malaria hotspots. The vector autoregressive moving average processes model, VARMAX (p,q,s), is then used to forecast malaria and anaemia responses to rainfall and temperatures projected with an ensemble of eight General Circulation Models (GCMs) for climate change scenarios defined by three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5). RESULTS: Maximum temperatures in the long rainy (March-May) and dry (June-September) seasons will likely increase by over 2.0 °C by 2070, relative to 1971-2000, under RCPs 4.5 and 8.5. Minimum temperatures (June-September) will likely increase by over 1.5-3.0 °C under RCPs 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5. The short rains (OND) will likely increase more than the long rains (MAM) by the 2050s and 2070s under RCPs 4.5 and 8.5. Historical malaria cases are positively and linearly related to the 3-6-month running means of monthly rainfall and maximum temperature. Marked variation characterizes the patterns projected for each of the three scenarios across the eight General Circulation Models, reaffirming the importance of using an ensemble of models for projections. CONCLUSIONS: The short rains (OND), wet season (MAM) temperatures and clinical malaria cases will likely increase in the Lake Victoria Basin. Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, including malaria control interventions could reduce the projected epidemics and cases. Interventions should reduce emerging risks, human vulnerability and environmental suitability for malaria transmission.

Do socio-demographic factors modify the effect of weather on malaria in Kanungu District, Uganda?

BACKGROUND: There is concern in the international community regarding the influence of climate change on weather variables and seasonality that, in part, determine the rates of malaria. This study examined the role of sociodemographic variables in modifying the association between temperature and malaria in Kanungu District (Southwest Uganda). METHODS: Hospital admissions data from Bwindi Community Hospital were combined with meteorological satellite data from 2011 to 2014. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the distribution of malaria admissions by age, sex, and ethnicity (i.e. Bakiga and Indigenous Batwa). To examine how sociodemographic variables modified the association between temperature and malaria admissions, this study used negative binomial regression stratified by age, sex, and ethnicity, and negative binomial regression models that examined interactions between temperature and age, sex, and ethnicity. RESULTS: Malaria admission incidence was 1.99 times greater among Batwa than Bakiga in hot temperature quartiles compared to cooler temperature quartiles, and that 6-12 year old children had a higher magnitude of association of malaria admissions with temperature compared to the reference category of 0-5 years old (IRR = 2.07 (1.40, 3.07)). DISCUSSION: Results indicate that socio-demographic variables may modify the association between temperature and malaria. In some cases, such as age, the weather-malaria association in sub-populations with the highest incidence of malaria in standard models differed from those most sensitive to temperature as found in these stratified models. CONCLUSION: The effect modification approach used herein can be used to improve understanding of how changes in weather resulting from climate change might shift social gradients in health.

Antenatal Care Research in East Africa During the Millennium Development Goals Initiative: A Scoping Review.

INTRODUCTION: The global burden of maternal mortality remains high and inequitably distributed between countries. Antenatal care (ANC) was identified as critical component in achieving the Millennium Development Goal of improving maternal health. This scoping review aimed to summarize trends and critically explore research about ANC attendance for East African women conducted during the Millennium Development Goals initiative, with a specific focus on barriers to ANC access. METHODS: Using a scoping review methodology, aggregator databases were searched for relevant articles. Articles were screened by independent reviewers using a priori inclusion criteria. Eligible articles were retained for data charting and analysis. RESULTS: Following screening, 211 articles were analyzed. The number of relevant articles increased over time; utilized primarily quantitative methods; and involved authors with affiliations from various African countries. Many interrelated physical, social, and cultural factors influenced women's seeking, reaching, and receiving of quality ANC. The extent of studies identified suggest that ANC is a priority research area, yet key gaps in the literature exist. Limited qualitative research, and few articles examining ANC experiences of women from vulnerable groups (e.g. adolescents, women with a disability, and Indigenous women) were identified. DISCUSSION: These context-specific findings are important considering the Sustainable Development Goals aim to nearly triple the maternal mortality reductions by 2030. In order to achieve this goal, interventions should focus on improving the quality of ANC care and patient-provider interactions. Furthermore, additional qualitative research examining vulnerable populations of women and exploring the inclusion of men in ANC would help inform interventions intended to improve ANC attendance in East Africa.

'We don't use the same ways to treat the illness:' A qualitative study of heterogeneity in health-seeking behaviour for acute gastrointestinal illness among the Ugandan Batwa.

The Batwa (Twa), an Indigenous People of southwest Uganda, were evicted from their ancestral forest lands in 1991 due to establishment of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This land dispossession forced Batwa to transition from a semi-nomadic, hunting-gathering livelihood to an agricultural livelihood; eliminated access to Indigenous food, medicines, and shelter; and shifted their healthcare options. Therefore, this exploratory study investigated why Batwa choose Indigenous or biomedical treatment, or no treatment, when experiencing acute gastrointestinal illness. Ten gender-stratified focus groups were conducted in five Batwa settlements in Kanungu District, Uganda (n = 63 participants), alongside eleven semi-structured interviews (2014). Qualitative data were analysed thematically, using a constant comparative method. Batwa emphasised that health-seeking behaviour for acute gastrointestinal illness was diverse: some Batwa used only Indigenous or biomedical healthcare, while others preferred a combination, or no healthcare. Physical and economic access to care, and also perceived efficacy and quality of care, influenced their healthcare decisions. This study provides insight into the Kanungu District Batwa's perceptions of biomedical and Indigenous healthcare, and barriers they experience to accessing either. This study is intended to inform public health interventions to reduce their burden of acute gastrointestinal illness and ensure adequate healthcare, biomedical or Indigenous, for Batwa.

Socio-economic and environmental factors affecting breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices among Batwa and Bakiga communities in south-western Uganda.

Improving breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices is needed to support good health, enhance child growth, and reduce child mortality. Limited evidence is available on child feeding among Indigenous communities and in the context of environmental changes. We investigate past and present breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices within Indigenous Batwa and neighbouring Bakiga populations in south-western Uganda. Specifically, we describe the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of breastfeeding mothers and their children, and individual experiences of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. We investigate the factors that have an impact on breastfeeding and complementary feeding at community and societal levels, and we analysed how environments, including weather variability, affect breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. We applied a mixed-method design to the study, and we used a community-based research approach. We conducted 94 individual interviews (n = 47 Batwa mothers/caregivers & n = 47 Bakiga mothers/caregivers) and 12 focus group discussions (n = 6 among Batwa & n = 6 among Bakiga communities) from July to October 2019. Ninety-nine per cent of mothers reported that their youngest child was currently breastfed. All mothers noted that the child experienced at least one episode of illness that had an impact on breastfeeding. From the focus groups, we identified four key factors affecting breastfeeding and nutrition practices: marginalisation and poverty; environmental change; lack of information; and poor support. Our findings contribute to the field of global public health and nutrition among Indigenous communities, with a focus on women and children. We present recommendations to improve child feeding practices among the Batwa and Bakiga in south-western Uganda. Specifically, we highlight the need to engage with local and national authorities to improve breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices, and work on food security, distribution of lands, and the food environment. Also, we recommend addressing the drivers and consequences of alcoholism, and strengthening family planning programs.

A Community-Based Approach to Integrating Socio, Cultural and Environmental Contexts in the Development of a Food Database for Indigenous and Rural Populations: The Case of the Batwa and Bakiga in South-Western Uganda.

Comprehensive food lists and databases are a critical input for programs aiming to alleviate undernutrition. However, standard methods for developing them may produce databases that are irrelevant for marginalised groups where nutritional needs are highest. Our study provides a method for identifying critical contextual information required to build relevant food lists for Indigenous populations. For our study, we used mixed-methods study design with a community-based approach. Between July and October 2019, we interviewed 74 participants among Batwa and Bakiga communities in south-western Uganda. We conducted focus groups discussions (FGDs), individual dietary surveys and markets and shops assessment. Locally validated information on foods consumed among Indigenous populations can provide results that differ from foods listed in the national food composition tables; in fact, the construction of food lists is influenced by multiple factors such as food culture and meaning of food, environmental changes, dietary transition, and social context. Without using a community-based approach to understanding socio-environmental contexts, we would have missed 33 commonly consumed recipes and foods, and we would not have known the variety of ingredients' quantity in each recipe, and traditional foraged foods. The food culture, food systems and nutrition of Indigenous and vulnerable communities are unique, and need to be considered when developing food lists.

Factors influencing antenatal care attendance for Bakiga and Indigenous Batwa women in Kanungu District, Southwestern Uganda.

INTRODUCTION: The number of maternal deaths remains high in sub-Saharan Africa. Effective antenatal care (ANC) reduces maternal morbidity and mortality; therefore, provision of improved antenatal care services has been prioritised across sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, research is limited on the ANC experiences of Indigenous women in sub-Saharan Africa. This study characterised ANC attendance patterns at a hospital, and characterised factors influencing attendance among Bakiga and Indigenous Batwa women in Kanungu District, Uganda. METHODS: A community-based, mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative data were collected from a local hospital (records for 2299 ANC visits) and analysed by using descriptive statistics and multivariable regression analysis. Qualitative data from eight key informant interviews (n=9 healthcare providers) and 16 focus group discussions (n=120 Batwa and Bakiga women) were analysed by thematic analysis. RESULTS: Most ANC patients attended between one and three ANC visits per pregnancy (n=1259; 92.57%), and few attended the recommended four or more visits (n=101; 7.43%). Distance from a woman's home to the hospital was significantly associated with lower ANC attendance (p<0.05, 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.96), after adjusting for maternal age and number of previous pregnancies. The qualitative data revealed that many factors influenced ANC attendance for both Batwa and Bakiga: long distances from the home to a health centre, high direct and indirect costs of ANC, lack of power in household decision-making, and poor interactions with healthcare providers. While the types of barriers were similar among Batwa and Bakiga, some were more pronounced for Indigenous Batwa women. CONCLUSION: This study partnered with and collected in-depth data with Indigenous Peoples who remain underrepresented in the literature. The findings indicated that Indigenous Batwa continue to face unique and more pronounced barriers to accessing ANC in Kanungu District, Uganda. Ensuring access to ANC for these populations requires an in-depth understanding of their experiences within the local healthcare context. To reduce health inequities that Indigenous Peoples experience, policy-makers and healthcare workers need to adequately understand, effectively address, and appropriately prioritise factors influencing ANC attendance.

Developing an online food composition database for an Indigenous population in south-western Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an online food composition database of locally consumed foods among an Indigenous population in south-western Uganda. DESIGN: Using a community-based approach and collaboration with local nutritionists, we collected a list of foods for inclusion in the database through focus group discussions, an individual dietary survey and markets and shops assessment. The food database was then created using seven steps: identification of foods for inclusion in the database; initial data cleaning and removal of duplicate items; linkage of foods to existing generic food composition tables; mapping and calculation of the nutrient content of recipes and foods; allocating portion sizes and accompanying foods; quality checks with local and international nutritionists; and translation into relevant local languages. SETTING: Kanungu District, south-western Uganda. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-four participants, 36 Indigenous Batwa and 38 Bakiga, were randomly selected and interviewed to inform the development of a food list prior the construction of the food database. RESULTS: We developed an online food database for south-western Uganda including 148 commonly consumed foods complete with values for 120 micronutrients and macronutrients. This was for use with the online dietary assessment tool myfood24. Of the locally reported foods included, 56 % (n 82 items) of the items were already available in the myfood24 database, while 25 % (n 37 items) were found in existing Ugandan and Tanzanian food databases, 18 % (n 27 items) came from generated recipes and 1 % (n 2 items) from food packaging labels. CONCLUSION: Locally relevant food databases are sparse for African Indigenous communities. Here, we created a tool that can be used for assessing food intake and for tracking undernutrition among the communities living in Kanungu District. This will help to develop locally relevant food and nutrition policies.

Seasonality, climate change, and food security during pregnancy among indigenous and non-indigenous women in rural Uganda: Implications for maternal-infant health.

BACKGROUND: Climate change is expected to decrease food security globally. Many Indigenous communities have heightened sensitivity to climate change and food insecurity for multifactorial reasons including close relationships with the local environment and socioeconomic inequities which increase exposures and challenge adaptation to climate change. Pregnant women have additional sensitivity to food insecurity, as antenatal undernutrition is linked with poor maternal-infant health. This study examined pathways through which climate change influenced food security during pregnancy among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in rural Uganda. Specific objectives were to characterize: 1) sensitivities to climate-associated declines in food security for pregnant Indigenous women; 2) women's perceptions of climate impacts on food security during pregnancy; and 3) changes in food security and maternal-infant health over time, as observed by women. METHODS: Using a community-based research approach, we conducted eight focus group discussions-four in Indigenous Batwa communities and four in non-Indigenous communities-in Kanungu District, Uganda, on the subject of climate and food security during pregnancy. Thirty-six women with ≥1 pregnancy participated. Data were analysed using a constant comparative method and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Women indicated that food insecurity was common during pregnancy and had a bidirectional relationship with antenatal health issues. Food security was thought to be decreasing due to weather changes including extended droughts and unpredictable seasons harming agriculture. Women linked food insecurity with declines in maternal-infant health over time, despite improved antenatal healthcare. While all communities described food security struggles, the challenges Indigenous women identified and described were more severe. CONCLUSIONS: Programs promoting women's adaptive capacity to climate change are required to improve food security for pregnant women and maternal-infant health. These interventions are particularly needed in Indigenous communities, which often face underlying health inequities. However, resiliency among mothers was strong and, with supports, they can reduce food security challenges in a changing climate.

Integrating climate in Ugandan health and subsistence food systems: where diverse knowledges meet.

BACKGROUND: The effects of food insecurity linked to climate change will be exacerbated in subsistence communities that are dependent upon food systems for their livelihoods and sustenance. Place-and community-based forms of surveillance are important for growing an equitable evidence base that integrates climate, food, and health information as well as informs our understanding of how climate change impacts health through local and Indigenous subsistence food systems. METHODS: We present a case-study from southwestern Uganda with Batwa and Bakiga subsistence communities in Kanungu District. We conducted 22 key informant interviews to map what forms of monitoring and knowledge exist about health and subsistence food systems as they relate to seasonal variability. A participatory mapping exercise accompanied key informant interviews to identify who holds knowledge about health and subsistence food systems. Social network theory and analysis methods were used to explore how information flows between knowledge holders as well as the power and agency that is involved in knowledge production and exchange processes. RESULTS: This research maps existing networks of trusted relationships that are already used for integrating diverse knowledges, information, and administrative action. Narratives reveal inventories of ongoing and repeated cycles of observations, interpretations, evaluations, and adjustments that make up existing health and subsistence food monitoring and response. These networks of local health and subsistence food systems were not supported by distinct systems of climate and meteorological information. Our findings demonstrate how integrating surveillance systems is not just about what types of information we monitor, but also who and how knowledges are connected through existing networks of monitoring and response. CONCLUSION: Applying conventional approaches to surveillance, without deliberate consideration of the broader contextual and relational processes, can lead to the re-marginalization of peoples and the reproduction of inequalities in power between groups of people. We anticipate that our findings can be used to inform the initiation of a place-based integrated climate-food-health surveillance system in Kanungu District as well as other contexts with a rich diversity of knowledges and existing forms of monitoring and response.

Neglected Tropical Diseases in the Context of Climate Change in East Africa: A Systematic Scoping Review.

East Africa is highly affected by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which are projected to be exacerbated by climate change. Consequently, understanding what research has been conducted and what knowledge gaps remain regarding NTDs and climate change is crucial to informing public health interventions and climate change adaptation. We conducted a systematic scoping review to describe the extent, range, and nature of publications examining relationships between NTDs and climatic factors in East Africa. We collated all relevant English and French publications indexed in PubMed®, Web of Science™ Core Collection, and CAB Direct© databases published prior to 2019. Ninety-six publications were included for review. Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia had high rates of publication, whereas countries in the Western Indian Ocean region were underrepresented. Most publications focused on schistosomiasis (n = 28, 29.2%), soil-transmitted helminthiases (n = 16, 16.7%), or human African trypanosomiasis (n = 14, 14.6%). Precipitation (n = 91, 94.8%) and temperature (n = 54, 56.3%) were frequently investigated climatic factors, whereas consideration of droughts (n = 10, 10.4%) and floods (n = 4, 4.2%) was not prominent. Publications reporting on associations between NTDs and changing climate were increasing over time. There was a decrease in the reporting of Indigenous identity and age factors over time. Overall, there were substantial knowledge gaps for several countries and for many NTDs. To better understand NTDs in the context of a changing climate, it would be helpful to increase research on underrepresented diseases and regions, consider demographic and social factors in research, and characterize how these factors modify the effects of climatic variables on NTDs in East Africa.