HIV/AIDS Stigmatization, the Reason for Poor Access to HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) Among the Youths in Gulu (Uganda).

HIV/AIDS-related stigma still exists in many communities in Uganda. Stigma perpetuates discrimination and this may be a key contributor to the spread of HIV/AIDS in this country. Right from the beginning, HIV/AIDS epidemic has been accompanied with fear, ignorance and denial, leading to stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. A study conducted by Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) in Uganda indicated that 64% of the people who tested for HIV/AIDS did not disclose status to their partners due to fear of stigmatization. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Gulu District, Pece sub County among the youths 15 to 35 years old. A structured questionnaire was administered to 86 consented youths who were consecutively selected. Ethical approval was obtained from Gulu Hospital. Most youths (90%) practiced stigmatization, (93.1%) respondents had adequate knowledge on HIV counseling and testing (HCT). However, only (36.1%) had undertaken HCT and the majority did not do because of fear of stigmatization. There is sufficient knowledge, a positive attitude but a poor practice to HCT. There is high level of HIV/AIDS stigmatization among the youths.

HIV/AIDS stigmatization, the reason for poor access to hiv counseling and testing (HCT) among the youths in Gulu (Uganda)

HIV/AIDS-related stigma still exists in many communities in Uganda. Stigma perpetuates discrimination and this may be a key contributor to the spread of HIV/AIDS in this country. Right from the beginning; HIV/AIDS epidemic has been accompanied with fear; ignorance and denial; leading to stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. A study conducted by Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) in Uganda indicated that 64 of the people who tested for HIV/AIDS did not disclose status to their partners due to fear of stigmatization. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Gulu District; Pece sub County among the youths 15 to 35 years old. A structured questionnaire was administered to 86 consented youths who were consecutively selected. Ethical approval was obtained from Gulu Hospital. Most youths (90) practiced stigmatization; (93.1) respondents had adequate knowledge on HIV counseling and testing (HCT). However; only (36.1) had undertaken HCT and the majority did not do because of fear of stigmatization. There is sufficient knowledge; a positive attitude but a poor practice to HCT. There is high level of HIV/AIDS stigmatization among the youths.nef Gene Products; Human Immunodeficiency Virus bAdolescent Medicine cDiscrimination

Antibiotic susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus in suppurative lesions in Lacor Hospital, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus, a mainly acquired hospital infection is responsible for many suppurative lesions and has demonstrated the ability of developing resistance to many antimicrobial agents leading to life threatening infections and long hospital stay. OBJECTIVE: To determined the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus in suppurative lesions of the surgical ward and outpatients of Lacor Hospital (Uganda). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at St. Mary's Hospital Lacor to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Staphylococcus aureus in suppurative lesions in both surgical inpatients and outpatients. Using culture techniques on MacConkey and blood agar, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated based on the colonial characteristics and confirmed by Catalase and tube Coagulase tests. The antibiotic susceptibility test was done using Kirby-Buer disk diffusion method on 4% Salt Muellar Hinton II agar for the Methicillin and non salted Muellar Hinton II agar for the other antibiotics (NCCLS M100S9). RESULTS: The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in 122 patients sampled was 59.4% for the surgical inpatients and 48.3% for outpatients giving an average prevalence of 53.9% for both groups of patients. The average antibiotic susceptibility patterns for the 8 antibiotic tested were: Ampicillin (75.0%), Chloramphenicol (34.4%), Ciprofloxacin (1.6%), Erythromycin (7.8%), Gentamycin (0%), Methicillin (1.6%), Tetracycline (45.3%) and Co-trimoxazole (50.0%). The resistance in surgical inpatients was significantly higher than outpatients (t=1299, p<0.05) and Methicillin resistance was confirmed by PCR. CONCLUSION: Staphylococcus aureus is highly prevalent and more resistant in inpatients. There is a higher risk of acquiring drug resistant staphylococcus aureus infection in inpatients of Lacor Hospital with a Methicillin resistance of 0% and 2.6% for out and inpatients respectively.

Severe malaria in children in areas with low, moderate and high transmission intensity in Uganda.

OBJECTIVES: Age and transmission intensity are known to influence the manifestations of severe falciparum malaria in African children. However, it is unclear how specific clinical features such as seizures, impairment of consciousness, or respiratory distress vary with the parasite load and transmission intensity. We examined how the peripheral parasite load varies with transmission intensity and how this influences the symptoms and manifestations of severe malaria in children under 5 years in three areas with different malaria transmission intensity across Uganda. METHODS: We consecutively recruited 617 children with severe malaria presenting to three hospitals in areas with very low (51), moderate (367) and very high (199) transmission intensities and compared the age, admission parasite density and proportions of patients with different manifestations of severe disease. RESULTS: The median age (months) was inversely proportional to transmission intensity and declined with rising transmission (26.4 in very low, 18.0 in moderate and 9.0 under very high transmission). The highest proportion of patients reporting previous malaria admissions came from the area with moderate transmission. The geometric mean parasite density (18,357, 32,508 and 95,433/microl) and the proportion of patients with seizures (13.7%, 36.8% and 45.7%, P < 0.001) from very low, moderate and very high transmission respectively, increased with rising transmission. A linear increase with transmission was also observed in the proportion of those with repeated seizures (9.8%, 13.4% and 30.2%, P < 0.001) or impaired consciousness (7.8%, 12.8% and 18.1%, P = 0.029) but not respiratory distress. The proportion of patients with severe anaemia (19.6%, 24.8% and 37.7%, P = 0.002) mirrored that of patients with seizures. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that heavy Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia may be important in development of seizures, severe malarial anaemia and impaired consciousness in children under 5 years of age but may not be important in the development of respiratory distress.