The challenge to restoring basic health care in Uganda

This paper presents the results of a health facility survey conducted in Uganda between June 1992 and December 1993

Dermatological problems of onchocerciasis in Nebbi District; Uganda

A cross-sectional survey of 770 subjects in onchocerciasis hyperendemic villages and 223 subjects from a control community in Nebbi District in the West Nile Region of Uganda revealed a high prevalence of onchocercial skin disease of 48in endemic villages. The most chronic skin problem was troublesome itching (40); and the prevalent skin lesions were chronic popular onchodermatitis (16); depigmentation (4); lichenifield onchodermatitis (2) and acute popular onchodermatitis (1). Other typical varieties of onchocercal skin diseases such as; hanging groin; lymphoedema and marked lymphadenopathy were infrequent; and considered rare. Pityriasis vergicolor was the most common non-onchocercal skin lesion in both control and endemic communities; accounting for 37of all non-onchocercal skin lesions. These skin lesions were associated with a variety of psycho-social and economic impact; and there was a positive correlation between the prevalence of troublesome itching and the prevalence of modules (correlation coefficient r=0.62; p=0.00). Given the prospects of onchorcerciasis control based on mass ivermectin distribution in communities where blindness is less common; but skin disease known to be predominant

Resource utilization patterns in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

A survey in 1991 of resource use patterns and factors affecting the cost of care for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Mulago Hospital; Kampala; Uganda; revealed that drugs constitute 97of the mean cost of care of affected individuals in the outpatient and 37in hospitalised patients. The cost of drugs per treatment episode was Ug.Sh. 5785.00 in the outpatient and Ug.sh. 8.309.00 for inpatients. (The exchange rate for 1991 was US$ = Ug. 910.00). Analysis of an attempt to provide essential drugs for the growing number of AIDS subjects shows that drugs alone could consume the entire health budget of the Ministry of Health in Uganda. There is therefore need to critically consider options to control the high cost for drugs in AIDS care

Absence of bacteremia with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare in Ugandan patients with AIDS

Disseminated infection with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare is the most common systemic bacterial infection in American patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Blood cultures for mycobacteria were obtained from 50 severely ill Ugandan patients fulfilling the World Health Organization criteria for AIDS and considered late in the course of their illness; 98pc had antibody to HIV by ELISA. All blood cultures were negative. These data suggest that disseminated infection with M. avium-intracellulare is infrequent in Ugandan patients with AIDS; if it occurs at all