Ishaka Adventist Hospital

Snakebite envenoming is classified as a Neglected Tropical Disease and causes mortality, morbidity, and economic impacts for hundreds of thousands of people per year, particularly in tropical, low- and middle-income countries. Most research on snakebite interventions focuses on improving clinical management rather than bite prevention. However, prevention may provide a better mechanism to minimise snakebite impacts, particularly in rural areas where access to effective medical treatment is limited. This study reports on the preliminary testing phase of a participatory workshop intervention run in rural Uganda in 2022-23, which used a community engagement approach designed to reduce snakebites through discussing snake behaviour and biology. A mixed methods survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted, both with workshop attendees and non-attendees, after the delivery of the workshops. We found that a fearful attitude toward snakes often led to human-snake conflict, with snake killings occurring commonly, and some bites occurring during attempted killings. Workshops appeared to challenge negative attitudes, as understanding snake behaviour seemed to build compassion toward snakes and therefore has the potential to reduce human-snake conflict. Those who attended workshops were more likely to suggest 'giving snakes space,' rather than attempting to kill them, and were more likely to suggest hospital treatment if bitten. We also found that many effective methods for snakebite prevention are already known to the community, but those who attended the workshop were aware of a wider range of prevention methods and were more likely to implement less ecologically damaging and more effective strategies. This emphasises that appropriate knowledge resides within the community to prevent snakebites, and so community engagement approaches can improve prevention practices while recognising that the ownership and knowledge for such changes is generated by the local people themselves.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) still remain a great public health problem of major significance in most parts of the world. The incidence of acute STD is believed to be high among sexually active adolescents worldwide due to changes and development in their lives. The study aims at establishing the attitude, knowledge and practices on STDS among students studying at Kampala International University Western Campus in Ishaka town. The study aims at establishing the attitude, knowledge and practices on STDS among students studying at Kampala International University Western Campus in Ishaka town. A great percentage of anticipated respondents participated in this study making the response rate 96%. Among these respondents (65%) were males and (35%) were females. The age distribution of the respondents showed that most of the respondents (50%) were between 20- 25 years old. Respondents (50%) were followers of the Catholic faith and followed other religions. The majority (76%) of the respondents were living near campus and (24%) of them are from rural areas. The majority of (60%) of respondents were single, and others were in a relationship. During the study period (70.9%) of the respondents were living in a hostel, (15.6%) were living in a rented house, and (13.5%) were living in another relative house. Most of the respondents have knowledge about STIs, but there are still misconceptions and their practice remained quite low. Keywords: STDs, Sexually active adolescents, Females, Sexual transmission infection, Health institutes.

Proper beef handling contributes to achieving sustainable development goals 3 (good health and well-being) and 12 (sustainable consumption and production patterns). This is because it ensures the safety of meat and consumers’ health. However, the meat sector is still underdeveloped in most African countries. In addition, there is limited research addressing meat safety challenges. In Uganda particularly, in the recent past, there was whistle-blowing over contaminated beef on the market, indicating a loophole in food safety. Despite this, studies focusing on beef handling practices have remained scanty. Thus, this study aimed to examine beef handling practices at the abattoirs and butcher shops in Uganda's Central, Western, and Eastern regions. A mixed-methods approach was employed to collect data through a survey, in-depth interviews, and on-site observations. Findings revealed that beef handling practices were poor at abattoirs and butcher shops and that most facilities for safety measures were lacking or inadequate. Only 3% of the respondents had cold room storage facilities, and meat spoilage was relatively high (85.3%). Appropriate knowledge of meat safety among abattoir and butcher operators was inadequate, contributing to low compliance with food safety guidelines. Inappropriate handling practices and poor handling facilities may put consumers at a health risk. The study recommends that responsible authorities should ensure compliance mechanisms and sensitization initiatives are prioritized.