Regional Alliance for Sustainable Development

ObjectiveTo assess the level of compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures and compliance-associated factors in the Rwanda community.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingsCountry-wide community survey in Rwanda.Participants4763 participants were randomly sampled following the sampling frame used for the recent Rwanda Demographic Health Survey. Participants were aged between 22 years and 94 years.OutcomesThe participants’ compliance with three preventive measures (wearing a face mask, washing hands and social distancing) was the main outcome.MethodsFrom 14 February 2022 to 27 February 2022, a cross-sectional survey using telephone calls was conducted. Study questionnaires included different questions such as participants’ demographics and compliance with COVID-19 preventives measures. Verbal consent was obtained from each participant. The compliance on three main preventive measures (wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing) were the main outcomes. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate factors associated with compliance (age, gender, level of education, socioeconomic status).ResultsCompliance with the three primary preventive measures (washing hands 98%, wearing a mask 97% and observing social distance 98%) was at a rate of 95%. The respondents’ mean age was 46±11 SD (range 22–98) years. In addition, 69% were female and 86% had attended primary education. Bivariate and regression analyses indicated a significant association among the three primary preventive measures (p<0.05). The results showed factors associated significantly between the different models (p<0.05): proper mask use and social distancing in the hand washing model; hand washing, social distancing, avoiding handshakes and not attending gatherings in the proper mask use model; hand washing and avoiding handshakes in the social distancing model.ConclusionCompliance with the three key preventive measures against COVID-19 was high in the Rwandan community and these measures were interdependent. Therefore, the importance of all three measures should be emphasised for effective disease control.

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted socioeconomic situation worldwide, and particularly in Rwanda which was rebuilding its economy in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Recent studies documented the macro-level socio-economic pandemic impact but the impact on a household’s daily life has been scarcely documented especially in low-and-middle income countries. This work reports a country-wide longitudinal community survey and describes the interplay between multiple factors to assess the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 on the Rwandan population at micro-level (household). The survey was conducted in Rwanda between December 2021 and March 2022 and data used comprised a total of 26,412 response forms received from around 4400 participants surveyed in 6 recurrent bi-weekly phases. This study revealed that the income of 57.7% of respondents has decreased and 15.5% of respondents received support to overcome the consequences. The univariate analysis results indicate that the decrease in income is more seen for females than males. The other most affected group is of daily laborer or small business (77.1%), people living in urban area (63.7%), retired people (66.4%), and people with primary school education level (62.0%). The multivariable findings highlighted that vulnerable groups: income-poor households with low socio-economic categories and females living in rural regions are among the most impacted in terms of food security, electricity, water and transport. The findings from this research will be used by policy makers to design and implement preventive and responsive measures for future pandemics that should be multifactorial and tailored to transversal parameters like gender and residence.

Peripheral neuropathy symptoms (PNS) are commonly manifested in HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals, although data are limited on the prevalence and predictors of PNS in HIV+ patients from sub-Saharan Africa. To determine the prevalence and predictors of PNS in HIV+ and HIV-uninfected (HIV-) Rwandan women. Data were analysed from 936 (710 HIV+ and 226 HIV-) women from the Rwanda Women Interassociation Study and Assessment (RWISA), an observational prospective cohort study investigating the effectiveness and toxicity of ART in HIV+ women. Of 936 enrolled, 920 (98.3%) were included in this analysis with 44% of HIV- and 52% of the HIV+ women reporting PNS (p=0.06). CD4+ count was not associated with PNS, although there was a non-significant trend towards higher prevalence in those with lower CD4+ counts. For the HIV- women, only alcohol and co-trimoxazole use were independently associated with PNS. WHO HIV stage IV illness and albumin ≤ 3.5 were associated with PNS in HIV+ women. The rate of peripheral neuropathy symptoms reported in this cohort of HIV-infected African women seems implausible, and rather suggests that the screening tool for peripheral neuropathy in culturally diverse African settings be locally validated.