Francis Bajunirwe

Biographic Data

ID1738753
NAMEFrancis Bajunirwe
GIVEN NAMESFrancis
FAMILY NAMEBajunirwe
SIGNATUREBAJUNIRWE F
AFFILIATIONSMbarara University of Science and Technology
ORCID0000-0002-1326-5230
VERIFIEDYes
TOTAL WORKS31
TOTAL CITATIONS82
WORKS AS AUTHOR31
WORKS AS EDITOR0
FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR2005
LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR2026
H-INDEX2

  • Kidney disease screening at ART initiation among adults with HIV in Uganda

    Open AccessGrace Kansiime, Joseph Baruch Baluku et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2026

    Kidney disease affects 850 million people worldwide, with Sub-Saharan Africa bearing a significant burden. People living with HIV (PWH) are at increased risk due to nephrotoxicity of antiretroviral therapy (ART), in part due to widespread use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. In response, Uganda recommends routine kidney disease screening by doing a serum creatinine test at ART initiation. However, the extent of adherence to these guidelines rema…

  • Prevalence and factors associated with the multiple morbidity of postpartum depression, diabetes mellitus and hypertension among mothers in Mbarara district, south western Uganda

    Open AccessCatherine Atuhaire, Kabanda Taseera et al.ARTICLESSM - Mental Health2025

    Background: The occurrence of multiple morbidities of postpartum depression (PPD), hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) among postpartum mothers poses a health care challenge because it not only affects the mother but also the life of the new born baby and that of close family members. Therefore, this study aimed at examining the prevalence and factors associated with these comorbidities among mothers in public health facilities in Mbarara, so…

  • Appropriateness, barriers, and facilitators of multi-month dispensing of tuberculosis drugs in rural eastern Uganda

    Open AccessJonathan Izudi, Francis Bajunirwe et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2025

    Multi-month dispensing of tuberculosis (TB) drugs is an innovative strategy that may reduce frequent clinic visits and travel costs among people with TB (PWTB) in rural areas. To inform a planned trial, we explored the appropriateness, barriers, and facilitators to multi-month dispensing among PWTB and healthcare providers in rural eastern Uganda. We used qualitative methods situated within the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research t…

  • Risk factors for catastrophic healthcare expenditure and high economic burden for children with anorectal malformations in Southwestern Uganda

    Open AccessFelix Oyania, Caroline Q Stephens et al.ARTICLEInternational Journal for Equity…2025

    Identifying methods to provide financial protection from CHE is essential for all children. ARM patients are at particularly high risk for CHE and high OPP expenditures, especially those living far from healthcare services and in rural areas

  • Magnitude and trends in cervical cancer at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in South Western Uganda

    Open AccessRogers Kajabwangu, Francis Bajunirwe et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2024

    High-income countries have documented a significant decline in the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer over the past decade but such data from low and middle-income countries such as Uganda is limited to ascertain trends. There is also paucity of data on the burden of cervical cancer in comparison to other gynaecologic malignancies and there is a likelihood that the incidence might be on the rise. To describe the current trends and magnitu…

  • Trust in Medical Research

    Open AccessJafesi Pulle, Sana Loue et al.ARTICLEJournal of Empirical Research on…2024

    Events such as the Tuskegee syphilis study shaped how the public perceives and trusts medical research globally. However, few studies have examined trust in medical research in developing countries. We tested the hypothesis that levels of trust may be lower among community members compared to hospitalized persons in Uganda. We enrolled 296 participants in rural northern Uganda, and 148(50%) were from the community, 192(65%) were female. Mean leve…

  • Ebola incidence and mortality before and during a lockdown

    Open AccessJonathan Izudi, Allan Komakech et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2023

    On September 20, 2022, an Ebola Disease (EBOD) outbreak was declared in Mubende district, Central Uganda. Following a rapid surge in the number of cases and mortality, the Government of Uganda imposed a lockdown in the two most affected districts, Mubende and Kassanda. We describe the trends in EBOD incidence and mortality nationally and in the two districts before and during the lockdown and the lessons learned during the epidemic response. We r…

  • Utilization of health insurance by patients with diabetes or hypertension in urban hospitals in Mbarara, Uganda

    Open AccessPeter Kangwagye, Laban Waswa Bright et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2023

    Background Diabetes and hypertension are among the leading contributors to global mortality and require life-long medical care. However, many patients cannot access quality healthcare due to high out-of-pocket expenditures, thus health insurance would help provide relief. This paper examines factors associated with utilization of health insurance by patients with diabetes or hypertension at two urban hospitals in Mbarara, southwestern Uganda. Met…

  • Willingness of caregivers to donate a kidney to a patient with end-stage renal disease

    Open AccessHope Bunori, Jonathan Izudi et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2022

    Most patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) benefit from a kidney transplant but there is limited information from developing countries like Uganda about the willingness of caregivers for patients with end-stage kidney disease to donate a kidney. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the magnitude and factors associated with the willingness of caregivers to donate a kidney to their patient with ESRD in Kampala, Uganda. The study was co…

  • Adaptations to HIV services delivery amidst the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in Kampala, Uganda

    Open AccessJonathan Izudi, Agnes Kiragga et al.ARTICLEPLOS Global Public Health2022

    The enforcement of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions disrupted health services delivery and currently, there is a limited understanding regarding measures employed by health facilities to ensure delivery of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services amidst the interruptions. We, therefore, designed a qualitative study to explore the measures for continuity of HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Kampal…

  • Alcohol consumption and sports-betting among young male motorcycle taxi boda boda riders in urban southwestern Uganda

    Open AccessStella Cheryl Nabifo, Jonathan Izudi et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2021

    Sports-betting is common among these young male motorcycle riders, and is associated with both alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking. Interventions to regulate sports-betting may be co-packaged with those to reduce alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking among young adult males

  • Effectiveness of a mobile antiretroviral pharmacy and HIV care intervention on the continuum of HIV care in rural Uganda

    Francis Bajunirwe, Nicholas Ayebazibwe et al.ARTICLEAIDS Care2020

    Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical in order to achieve viral suppression. We designed an intervention, Mobile Antiretroviral Therapy and HIV care (MAP-HC) in rural southwestern Uganda aimed to reduce travel distance and hypothesized that MAP-HC would improve ART adherence and rates of viral load suppression. The study was conducted at two district hospitals, among patients who lived >5 km from the hospital. For each hospital, w…

  • Treatment success and mortality among adults with tuberculosis in rural eastern Uganda

    Open AccessJonathan Izudi, Imelda K Tamwesigire et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2020

    Treatment success rate among adult persons with BC-PTB in rural eastern Uganda is suboptimal and mortality rate is high. HIV infection and older age reduce chances of treatment success, and increase mortality rate. Older and HIV infected persons with BC-PTB will require special consideration to optimize treatment success rate and reduce mortality rate

  • Geographic location of health facility and immunization program performance in Hoima district, western Uganda

    Open AccessNicholas Magambo Kwikiriza, Francis Bajunirwe et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2020

    Proximal location to the urban setting near district headquarters was strongly associated with poor immunization program performance. To be able to reach larger numbers of children for vaccination, interventions to improve performance should target health facilities in urban settings

  • Social support, gender and pill burden influence viral load suppression among HIV-infected adolescents and young adults in rural south-western Uganda

    Whitney Elena Brown, Hakim Malagala et al.ARTICLEVulnerable Children and Youth…2020References: 3

    Adolescents and young adults (AYA) carry a significantly higher risk for HIV infection compared to the general population. HIV-infected AYA also have poorer adherence and viral load (VL) suppression compared to older adult patients. Social support may provide an avenue for interventions to improve adherence and VL suppression in this population. We conducted a cross-sectional study in rural southwestern Uganda to examine the association between s…

  • Retention of HIV exposed infants in care at Arua regional referral hospital, Uganda

    Open AccessPontius Apangu, Jonathan Izudi et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2019

    Retention was suboptimal. Older maternal age, ANC visits at last pregnancy, and timely NVP initiation increased retention

  • Burden of depressive symptoms and non-alcohol substance abuse; and their association with alcohol use and partner violence

    Open AccessFrancis Bajunirwe, Samuel Maling et al.ARTICLECambridge Prisms Global Mental…2018

    In sub-Saharan Africa, there are limited data on burden of non-alcohol substance abuse (NAS) and depressive symptoms (DS), yet potential risk factors such as alcohol and intimate partner violence (IPV) are common and NAS abuse may be the rise. The aim of this study was to measure the burden of DS and NAS abuse, and determine whether alcohol use and IPV are associated with DS and/or NAS abuse. We conducted a cross-sectional study at five sites in …

  • Healthcare providers’ understanding of HIV serodiscordance in South Africa and Uganda

    Ross Greener, Cecilia Milford et al.ARTICLEAfrican Journal of AIDS Research2018

    HIV transmission within stable heterosexual HIV serodiscordant couples accounts for almost half the new incident infections in South Africa and Uganda. Advances in HIV prevention provide opportunities to reduce transmission risk within serodiscordant partnerships (e.g., antiretroviral treatment (ART), pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), medical male circumcision, and couples-based HIV counselling and testing). These interventions require a clinical …

  • Assessing short evolution brucellosis in a highly brucella endemic cattle keeping population of Western Uganda

    Open AccessArnold Ezama, Jean-Paul Gonzalez et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2018

    We identified a high prevalence of short evolution brucellosis in the cattle keeping household members. Prevalence of chronic infection diagnosed with RBT only was higher than the prevalence of short evolution brucellosis. IgM LFA results depict possible cases of cross reaction with Salmonella spp., Plasmodium etc. Ultimately, we identified a consistent prevalence of short evolution brucellosis in the cattle keeping household members. Indeed, the…

  • Consumption of processed food dietary patterns in four African populations

    Open AccessMichelle D Holmes, Shona Dalal et al.ARTICLEPublic Health Nutrition2018

    Objective To identify predominant dietary patterns in four African populations and examine their association with obesity. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting/Subjects We used data from the Africa/Harvard School of Public Health Partnership for Cohort Research and Training (PaCT) pilot study established to investigate the feasibility of a multi-country longitudinal study of non-communicable chronic disease in sub-Saharan Africa. We applied prin…

  • Urban and rural prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes and risk factors associated with diabetes in Tanzania and Uganda

    Open AccessFaraja Chiwanga, Faraja S Chiwanga et al.ARTICLEGlobal Health Action2016

    BACKGROUND: The increase in prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa underlines the importance of understanding its magnitude and causes in different population groups. We analyzed data from the Africa/Harvard Partnership for Cohort Research and Training (PaCT) studies to determine the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes and risk factors associated with diabetes. METHODOLOGY: Participants were randomly selected from peri-…

  • Urban–rural and geographic differences in overweight and obesity in four sub-Saharan African adult populations

    Open AccessIkeOluwapo O Ajayi, Clement Adebamowo et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2016

    The high prevalence of overweight and obesity in these sub-Saharan African countries and the differentials in prevalence and risk factors further highlights the need for urgent focused intervention to stem this trend, especially among women, professionals and urban dwellers

  • Feasibility of a large cohort study in sub-Saharan Africa assessed through a four-country study

    Open AccessShona Dalal, Michelle D Holmes et al.ARTICLEGlobal Health Action2015

    BACKGROUND: Large prospective epidemiologic studies are vital in determining disease etiology and forming national health policy. Yet, such studies do not exist in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) notwithstanding the growing burden of chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE: We explored the feasibility of establishing a large-scale multicountry prospective study at five sites in four sub-Saharan countries. DESIGN: Based on country-specific considerations of feasibil…

  • The burden of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa

    Open AccessD Guwatudde, Joan Nankya-Mutyoba et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2015

    The prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension are high, and differ by population group defined by occupation and degree of urbanization. Only half of the populations with hypertension are aware of their hypertension, indicating a high burden of undiagnosed and un-controlled high blood pressure in these populations

  • Alcohol use and HIV serostatus of partner predict high-risk sexual behavior among patients receiving antiretroviral therapy in South Western Uganda

    Open AccessFrancis Bajunirwe, David R Bangsberg et al.ARTICLEBMC Public Health2013

    Younger persons receiving ART are more likely to be sexually active. ART clients are more likely to engage in unprotected sex when sero-status of partner is unknown or report use of alcohol. Counseling on alcohol use and disclosure of sero-status may be useful in reducing high risk sexual behavior