Lessons from a community based interdisciplinary learning exposure: benefits for both students and communities in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Makerere University implemented a One Health Institute (OHI) in 2016 involving undergraduate students selected from different disciplines. The students were first taken through theoretical principles of One Health followed by a field attachment in communities. The field attachment aimed to expose students to experiential educational opportunities in the communities in a One Health approach. In this paper, we present students' experiences and their contributions to the communities of attachment. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, utilizing qualitative data collection methods. The study involved students who participated in the OHI field attachment and community members in a One Health demonstration site-Western Uganda. Four focus group discussions (FGDs) and four in-depths interviews (IDIs) were conducted among the students, while four FGDs and twelve IDIs were conducted among community members. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed manually. RESULTS: The four themes that emerged are: students' understanding and appreciation of One Health concept, their experiences and gains from the multi-disciplinary field attachment, students' contributions to the community, and challenges faced by the students. Students had good knowledge of One Health. They appreciated that health cannot be achieved by one discipline or sector and thus the need to collaborate across sectors. Regarding experiences and gains during the multi-disciplinary field attachment, the students appreciated that each discipline had a role to play in achieving health in the community. They appreciated the training citing skills gained in communication, team work and collaboration. They also reported a feeling of gratitude and accomplishment because they felt they made a positive change to the community by putting in place interventions to address some of the community challenges. Similarly, the communities appreciated the students' contribution in solving their health challenges, ranging from conducting health education to improving sanitation and hygiene. CONCLUSIONS: Through the OHI, students gained One Health competencies including communication, teamwork, and collaboration. Adopting an interdisciplinary model in university teaching system especially during field placement would strengthen skills of collaboration, team work and communication which are critical for a multi-disciplinary approach which is needed among the future workforce in order to solve the current health challenges.

Knowledge, attitudes, and adherence relating to COVID-19 and its prevention measures in high-risk districts of Uganda in 2020.

Introduction: COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. There were no licensed vaccines or explicit medicines available for treatment at the time of conducting this study. Public health and social measures (PHSM) have been widely adopted to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Hence, assessing people's knowledge, attitudes, and adherence/practices related to the management of COVID-19 is crucial for identifying the factors that may promote or hinder adherence to the implementation of PHSM. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Amuru, Kyotera, Wakiso, and Kampala districts of Uganda. We used a simple random sampling technique to select households and conducted face-to-face interviews in selected households. We administered questionnaires to respondents to assess the factors that promote or hinder adherence to and knowledge about PHSM implementation. We used a Likert scale to assess respondents' attitudes toward COVID-19. Results: Out of the 270 respondents, 54 (20%), 73 (27%), 42 (15.6%), and 101 (37.4%) were from the Kampala, Amuru, Wakiso, and Kyotera districts, respectively. Most of the respondents had adequate knowledge (72.2%), a high level of adherence (63.7%), and approximately 57.8% had good attitudes relating to COVID-19 and its prevention measures. An inferential analysis revealed that people from the Kampala district had higher chances (odds ratio = 4.668) of having a high level of knowledge compared to people from the Amuru district. It was also found that respondents who had a high level of (adequate) knowledge were twice as likely to have good attitudes compared to those with a low level of knowledge. In addition, people with good attitudes were 2.5 times as likely to adhere to the COVID-19 prevention measures compared to those with poor attitudes. Conclusion: Most respondents had limited knowledge though the majority of them had adopted practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Respondents with low knowledge of COVID-19 need to be targeted, to improve their attitude toward the disease and their adherence to safe prevention practices.

International stakeholder perspectives on One Health training and empowerment: a needs assessment for a One Health Workforce Academy.

BACKGROUND: One Health is defined as an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems; this approach attracts stakeholders from multiple sectors, academic disciplines, and professional practices. The diversity of expertise and interest groups is frequently and simultaneously framed as (1) a strength of the One Health approach in the process of understanding and solving complex problems associated with health challenges such as pathogen spillovers and pandemics and (2) a challenge regarding consensus on essential functions of One Health and the sets of knowledge, skills, and perspectives unique to a workforce adopting this approach. Progress in developing competency-based training in One Health has revealed coverage of various topics across fundamental, technical, functional, and integrative domains. Ensuring that employers value the unique characteristics of personnel trained in One Health will likely require demonstration of its usefulness, accreditation, and continuing professional development. These needs led to the conceptual framework of a One Health Workforce Academy (OHWA) for use as a platform to deliver competency-based training and assessment for an accreditable credential in One Health and opportunities for continuing professional development. METHODS: To gather information about the desirability of an OHWA, we conducted a survey of One Health stakeholders. The IRB-approved research protocol used an online tool to collect individual responses to the survey questions. Potential respondents were recruited from partners of One Health University Networks in Africa and Southeast Asia and international respondents outside of these networks. Survey questions collected demographic information, measured existing or projected demand and the relative importance of One Health competencies, and determined the potential benefits and barriers of earning a credential. Respondents were not compensated for participation. RESULTS: Respondents (N = 231) from 24 countries reported differences in their perspectives on the relative importance of competency domains of the One Health approach. More than 90% of the respondents would seek to acquire a competency-based certificate in One Health, and 60% of respondents expected that earning such a credential would be rewarded by employers. Among potential barriers, time and funding were the most cited. CONCLUSION: This study showed strong support from potential stakeholders for a OHWA that hosts competency-based training with opportunities for certification and continuing professional development.

Operationalizing the One Health Approach in Uganda: Challenges and Opportunities.

Uganda is considered as a 'hot spot' for emerging and re-emerging infectious disease epidemics. The country has experienced several epidemics including; Ebola, Marburg, plague, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever and Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever. Epidemics overwhelm health systems, devastate economies and cause global health insecurity. These public health challenges arising from the interaction of humans-animals-environment link require a holistic approach referred to as One Health (OH). OH is the collaborative effort of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally, and globally, to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment. Given its situation, Uganda has embraced the OH approach in order to be able to predict, prepare and respond to these public health challenges effectively, though still in infancy stages. In this paper, we present major achievements and challenges of OH implementation, and make recommendations for systematic and sustainable OH implementation. Achievements include: formation of the National One Health (NOH) platform with a Memorandum of Understanding between sectors; a national priority list of zoonotic diseases, the NOH Strategic Plan and a One Health communication strategy to strengthen engagement across sectors and stakeholders. There have also been efforts to integrate OH in academia. The challenges are related to inadequate; coordination across sectors, government commitment, advocacy and awareness creation and research. For systematic and sustainable OH engagements, urgent efforts should be made through government support to address current and related future challenges.

Application of one health approach in training at Makerere University: experiences from the one health workforce project in Uganda.

The interconnections of humans, domestic animals, wildlife and the environment have increasingly become complex, requiring innovative and collaborative approaches (One Health approach) for addressing global health challenges. One Health is a multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral collaborative approach to human, animal, plant and environmental health. The role of academia in training professionals oriented in One Health is critical in building a global workforce capable of enhancing synergies of various sectors in improving health. Makerere University, Uganda has implemented pre-service capacity building initiatives aimed to foster One Health competencies among students who are future practitioners. In addition to incorporating the One Health concept in didactic curricula, Student One Health Innovation Clubs, undergraduate field placements in 11 demonstration sites, graduate fellowships, small grants to support research and innovations, and cross-college collaborative training approaches have greatly aided the assimilation of One Health into the fabric of university offerings. Partnerships with government ministries, private sector and international agencies were initiated to benefit the students, as well as chart a path for experiential learning and in-service offerings in the future. One major challenge, however, has been the tendency to focus on infectious diseases, especially zoonoses, with less consideration of other health issues. The opportunity for improvement, nonetheless, lies in the increasing emerging and re-emerging health concerns including epidemics, environmental pollution and related challenges which justify the need for countries and institutions to focus on building and strengthening multidisciplinary health systems.

Building a framework for the design and implementation of One Health curricula in East and Central Africa: OHCEAs One Health Training Modules Development Process.

•Identification of One Health Core Competencies for Africa•Development of One Health training modules for a multidisciplinary workforce•Integration of One Health competencies into courses and curricula•A framework for the design and implementation of One Health curricula for professionals who impact disease detection prevention and response.

Sociocultural factors associated with fish consumption in Lake Albert fishing community: Guidelines for lead and mercury.

Fish consumption in subsistence fishing community is a life style associated with lead and mercury uptake for humans. Fish consumption is influenced by sociocultural factors, exposure and health risks. Unfortunately, no sociocultural study in the Lake Albert fishing community in light of lead and mercury exists. A cross-sectional sociocultural study was carried out between March and June 2015. A total of 270 household heads in four landing sites in Hoima district completed structured questionnaires and data analyzed using SPSS version 20. The majority of the households (74.8%) had primary education or below, 51.1% drank unboiled water, and 30% perceived lake water safe for drinking. Children under five ate soup (15%) and middle piece of the fish (29%). The Poisson general linear model predicting weekly fish consumption amounts against sociocultural factors showed that household size (p = 0.047), male child presence (p = 0.007), methods of preparation i.e. salting (p < 0.0001), fish parts consumed by adults (p < 0.0001), fish preference (p < 0.0001), awareness about the beach management unit (p < 0.0001), and income from charcoal selling (p < 0.0001) were positive predictors. The negative predictors of weekly fish consumption amounts were awareness about fish consumption benefits (p < 0.0001), eating young fish (p = 0.002), donor agency presence (p < 0.0001), and frying as the method of fish preparation (p = 0.002). In conclusion, knowledge of the sociocultural factors associated with fish consumption determines the amounts and frequency of the predominant fish eaten. Therefore, to establish and adopt fish consumption guidelines for lead and mercury in the Lake Albert, the sociocultural factors should be integrated in the message disseminated.

Perceptions about mercury and lead in fish consumed in Lake Albert fishing communities Uganda.

Fish consumption is a lifestyle in fishing communities influenced by individual and communal perceptions. However, information about individual perceptions about fish consumption in the vulnerable fishing community in a developing country is lacking. Without this study, the benefits of fish consumption in a vulnerable community may not be realized. Data collection was executed using key informant interviews and survey structured questionnaires. The key informants include fisheries, community development, veterinary, community and environmental officers. The household heads were the respondents. The Qualitative data was organized and queried using QSR Nvivo 10 and quantitative data analyzed with SPSS version 22. The perceived benefits of eating fish are health, income, nutrition and manhood. The perceived risks are Stigma and ill health. The factors increasing fish consumption are heedless of fish consumption benefits (p = 0.041) and household size i.e. number of adults more than seven (p = 0.020). Those decreasing are methods of preparation of fish i.e. boiling and frying (p = 0.019 and p = 0.010) and oblivious about organizations dealing with fishing activities (p = 0.029). An awareness campaign is needed to demystify the health benefits and fallacies of fish consumption. The knowledge on individual perceptions associated with fish consumption will increase fish consumption but with fewer risks.

Mercury concentration in muscle, bellyfat and liver from Oreochromis niloticus and Lates niloticus consumed in Lake Albert fishing communities in Uganda.

Without surveillance studies on mercury (Hg) levels in predominant fish species and parts eaten in a fishing community, the FAO/WHO guidelines might be surpassed, hence health risk. A monitoring study in a developing country with 29 Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) and 34 Lates niloticus (Nile perch) from landing sites provided muscle, bellyfat and liver samples for Mercury detection using Inductive Couple Plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. The study shows that fish eaten in the fishing community are small with fewer risks from mercury. Tilapia accumulated more mercury in muscle and liver than Nile perch. Fish consumed has mercury levels higher than FAO/WHO guidelines, and the bellyfat of Nile perch bioaccumulated more mercury than Tilapia. Based on the above, it is clear that some fish species should not be eaten by the vulnerable groups due to levels of Hg found in the muscle and bellyfat. This research will serve as a base for future studies, sensitization campaigns and policy design on mercury uptake through fish in fishing communities of developing countries.

Occurrence and genetic characterisation of Acanthamoeba spp. from environmental and domestic water sources in Queen Elizabeth Protected Area, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Acanthamoeba is an emerging potentially pathogenic amoeba that has been receiving increasing attention worldwide as a reservoir and potential vector for the transmission of pathogenic bacteria. It is also associated with brain cell damage, keratitis and skin irritation in humans. Its effects are more severe in immunocompromised individuals. This study provides for the first time in Uganda, information on the prevalence and genotypes of Acanthamoeba in environmental and domestic (tap) water. METHODS: A total of 324 environmental and 84 tap water samples were collected between November 2013 and September 2014. The samples were centrifuged, cultured (Non-Nutrient agar seeded with gram-negative bacteria) and observed under a microscope. After confirmation of Acanthamoeba, genomic DNA was extracted for PCR assays by chemical lysis and purification with phenol/chloroform/isoamyl alcohol. Samples that showed the strongest positive bands (400-600 bp) were subjected to cycle sequencing. RESULTS: Among environmental and tap water samples, 107 (33 %) and 36 (42.9 %) tested positive for Acanthamoeba spp., respectively. Prevalence of Acanthamoeba from specific environmental locations was as follows; Kazinga channel banks (60.7 %), Fish landing sites (50 %), River Kyambura (39.6 %) and Kazinga mid channel (5.3 %). There was a significant difference (p = 0.001) in the prevalence of Acanthamoeba between sampling sites. The mean (Mean ± SE) occurrence of the organism was higher in Kazinga channel banks (3.44 ± 0.49) and Fish landing sites (3.08 ± 0.53). Correlation between in situ parameters and Acanthamoeba was insignificant except for the Dissolved Oxygen (mg/ML) which was negatively correlated (r = -0.231, p = 0.001) to Acanthamoeba. Six distinct partial Acanthamoeba T-genotype groups T1, T2, T4, T5, T6 and T11 were obtained. Ultimately, Acanthamoeba spp., Acanthamoeba hatchetti and Acanthamoeba polyphaga were isolated in the current study. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of Acanthamoeba in communal piped tap and environmental water used by communities, indicating poor environmental and domestic water quality.

Prevalence of pathogenic free-living amoeba and other protozoa in natural and communal piped tap water from Queen Elizabeth protected area, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenic water dwelling protozoa such as Acanthamoeba spp., Hartmannella spp., Naegleria spp., Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. are often responsible for devastating illnesses especially in children and immunocompromised individuals, yet their presence and prevalence in certain environment in sub-Saharan Africa is still unknown to most researchers, public health officials and medical practitioners. The objective of this study was to establish the presence and prevalence of pathogenic free-living amoeba (FLA), Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Queen Elizabeth Protected Area (QEPA). METHODS: Samples were collected from communal taps and natural water sites in QEPA. Physical water parameters were measured in situ. The samples were processed to detect the presence of FLA trophozoites by xenic cultivation, Cryptosporidium oocysts by Ziehl-Neelsen stain and Giardia cysts by Zinc Sulphate floatation technique. Parasites were observed microscopically, identified, counted and recorded. For FLA, genomic DNA was extracted for amplification and sequencing. RESULTS: Both natural and tap water sources were contaminated with FLA, Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. All protozoan parasites were more abundant in the colder rainy season except for Harmannella spp. and Naegleria spp. which occurred more in the warmer months. The prevalence of all parasites was higher in tap water than in natural water samples. There was a strong negative correlation between the presence of Acanthamoeba spp., Hartmannella spp., Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. with Dissolved Oxygen (DO) (P < 0.05). The presence of Cryptosporidium spp. showed a significant positive correlation (P < 0.05) with conductivity, pH and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS); whereas the presence of Giardia spp. had only a strong positive correlation with TDS. Molecular genotyping of FLA produced 7 Acanthamoeba, 5 Echinamoeba, 2 Hartmannella, 1 Bodomorpha, 1 Nuclearia and 1 Cercomonas partial sequences. CONCLUSIONS: All water collection sites were found to be contaminated with pathogenic protozoa that could possibly be the cause of a number of silent morbidities and mortalities among rural households in QEPA. This implies that water used by communities in QEPA is of poor quality and predisposes them to a variety of protozoan infections including the FLA whose public health importance was never reported, thus necessitating adoption of proper water safety measures.

One Health capacity building in sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Africa of late has been faced with challenges that require a multidisciplinary and multisectoral approach to address them, and academic and non-academic institutions have played a key role in training and conducting research that would promote the One Health approach. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to document networks and organizations conducting One Health training, research, and outreach in Africa, as one of a series of articles around the world. METHODS: Data for this review were collected from organizations through key contacts of the authors and their knowledge of networks they have worked with. Web searches were conducted using One Health, training, and research as key words for work done in Africa. RESULTS: Africa has major networks involved in One Health training, research, and outreach, with participation of both academic and non-academic institutions. This review highlights an effort in Africa to form networks to conduct multidisciplinary training and research. The main networks include Afrique One, Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (SACIDS), and One Health Central and Eastern Africa (OHCEA). CONCLUSIONS: Both academic and non-academic institutions and organizations have shown an interest to conduct multidisciplinary training and research in Africa for managing challenges that Africa is facing currently, especially the outbreak of infectious diseases.