Grace Ndeezi
Biographic Data
| ID | 7003677 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Grace Ndeezi |
| GIVEN NAMES | Grace |
| FAMILY NAME | Ndeezi |
| SIGNATURE | NDEEZI G |
| AFFILIATIONS | Makerere University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5557-2733 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 26 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
Clinical and laboratory characteristics of adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease at steady state in Uganda
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with chronic systemic morbidity that extends beyond acute crises. However, data describing the clinical and laboratory characteristics of adolescents and young adults with SCD at steady state in sub-Saharan Africa are limited. We described clinical and laboratory characteristics of adolescents and young adults with SCD at steady state in Uganda. We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study of 60 adol…
Association between early alcohol use and academic achievement among primary school children in Uganda
Child alcohol use is a public health concern in Uganda. This study assessed academic achievement skills and their association with alcohol use among primary school children in Mbale district, Uganda. This cross-sectional study assessed academic achievement skills (word reading, sentence comprehension, spelling, and math computation) in 6–13-year-old primary school children using the Wide Range Achievement Test, Fifth Edition (WRAT-5). Participant…
The missing middle of childhood
Middle childhood, between six and twelve years, is a critical bridge between earlier childhood and adolescence with rapid physical and psychological transitions. Most of the world's 2.6 billion young people, of which the middle childhood age group is a significant portion, live in low- and middle-income countries. Many live in environments that place them at high and growing risk for mental ill-health, injuries, and adoption of risky behaviours t…
Sustainable preventive integrated child health care
Worldwide, 85% of all children who die are under the age of five. A recent scoping review examining the literature from 2000 to 2021 shows the importance of sustainable integrated preventive child health care for improving child health, enhancing the uptake of preventive child health services, and decreasing health-care costs. In 2022, we organised a stakeholder workshop in Uganda to discuss and contextualise the findings of the scoping review. T…
High Burden of Neurodevelopmental Delay among Children Born to Women with Obstructed Labour in Eastern Uganda
Over 250 million infants in low and middle-income countries do not fulfill their neurodevelopment potential. In this study, we assessed the incidence and risk factors for neurodevelopmental delay (NDD) among children born following obstructed labor in Eastern Uganda. Between October 2021 and April 2022, we conducted a cohort study of 155 children (aged 25 to 44 months), born at term and assessed their neurodevelopment using the Malawi Development…
She gives it to her child who doesn’t even talk”
Children eligible for primary education in Uganda can easily access and use AOD. Several factors were identified as contributing to alcohol and other drug use among children, including availability and accessibility, advertising, lack of parental awareness and supervision, peer influence, adverse childhood experiences, socioeconomic factors, and cultural norms. There is a need for multi-sectoral action for awareness of childhood AOD use and delib…
Umbilical Cord Stump Infections in Central Uganda
Umbilical cord stump infection (omphalitis) is a risk factor for neonatal sepsis and death. We assessed the incidence of omphalitis, described the bacteriological and antibiotic-resistance profile of potentially pathogenic bacteria isolated from the umbilical cord stump of omphalitis cases, and evaluated whether bacteria present in the birth canal during birth predicted omphalitis. We enrolled 769 neonates at birth at three primary healthcare fac…
Incidence and Risk Factors for Low Birthweight and Preterm Birth in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda
Background: Annually, an estimated 20 million (13%) low-birthweight (LBW) and 15 million (11.1%) preterm infants are born worldwide. A paucity of data and reliance on hospital-based studies from low-income countries make it difficult to quantify the true burden of LBW and PB, the leading cause of neonatal and under-five mortality. We aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for LBW and preterm birth in Lira district of Northern Uganda. M…
There is nowhere to take the child’
The participants were concerned about childhood alcohol and substance use, but the complexity and magnitude of the problem left them feeling incapacitated in responding. Relevant factors were identified on the community, institutional, and the government level, such as a lack of leadership in addressing it, a loss of mandate to interfere in child-rearing, inadequate services, weak legal structures, and missing government action. A strengthening o…
As soon as they can hold a glass, they begin taking alcohol’
To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe the context and conditions of childhood substance use before age 10 in Mbale District, Uganda. The study shows that community members attributed early childhood substance use to a social context of widespread use in the community, which was exacerbated by conditions of material and emotional deprivation. These social determinants for this practice deserve public health attention and interventi…
A qualitative study of the perspectives of health workers and policy makers on external support provided to low-level private health facilities in a Ugandan rural district, in management of childhood …
BACKGROUND: With the under-five child mortality rate of 46.4 deaths per 1000 live births, Uganda should accelerate measures to reduce child deaths to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3. While 60-70% of frontline health services are provided by the private sector, many low-level private health facilities (LLPHF) are unregistered, unregulated, and often miss innovative and quality improvement strategies rolled out by the Ministry of Health.…
Perinatal death in Northern Uganda
The incidence of perinatal death in this region was higher than had previously been reported in Uganda. Risk factors for perinatal mortality were nulliparity and maternal age >30 years. Pregnant women in this region need improved access to care during pregnancy and childbirth
Longitudinal Follow-Up of Blood Telomere Length in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Children Having Received One Year of Lopinavir/Ritonavir or Lamivudine as Prophylaxis
Telomere shortening can be enhanced upon human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and by antiretroviral (ARV) exposures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute and long-term effect on telomere shortening of two ARV prophylaxes, lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) and lamivudine (3TC), administered to children who are HIV-exposed uninfected (CHEU) to prevent HIV acquisition through breastfeeding during the first year of life, and to investiga…
A Qualitative Exploration of the Referral Process of Children with Common Infections from Private Low-Level Health Facilities in Western Uganda
Over 50% of sick children are treated by private primary-level facilities, but data on patient referral processes from such facilities are limited. We explored the perspectives of healthcare providers and child caretakers on the referral process of children with common childhood infections from private low-level health facilities in Mbarara District. We carried out 43 in-depth interviews with health workers and caretakers of sick children, purpos…
Appropriateness of Care for Common Childhood Infections at Low-Level Private Health Facilities in a Rural District in Western Uganda
In Uganda, >50% of sick children receive treatment from primary level-private health facilities (HF). We assessed the appropriateness of care for common infections in under-five-year-old children and explored perspectives of healthcare workers (HCW) and policymakers on the quality of healthcare at low-level private health facilities (LLPHF) in western Uganda. This was a mixed-methods parallel convergent study. Employing multistage consecutive sam…
Neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm babies during infancy in Eastern Uganda
BACKGROUND: Complications due to prematurity are a threat to child survival and full developmental potential particularly in low-income settings. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the neurodevelopmental outcomes among preterm infants and identify any modifiable factors associated with neurodevelopmental disability (NDD). METHODS: We recruited 454 babies (242 preterms with birth weight <2.5 kg, and 212 term babies) in a cohort study…
Adding video-debriefing to Helping-Babies-Breathe training enhanced retention of neonatal resuscitation knowledge and skills among health workers in Uganda
BACKGROUND: Skilled birth attendants must be competent to provide prompt resuscitation to save newborn lives at birth. Both knowledge and skills (competence) decline with time after training but the optimal duration for refresher training among frontline-skilled birth attendants in low-resource settings is unknown. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the effect of an innovative Helping-Babies-Breathe simulation-based teaching method using video-debriefing co…
Exclusive breastfeeding among HIV exposed infants from birth to 14 weeks of life in Lira, Northern Uganda
BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding is important for growth, development and survival of HIV exposed infants. Exclusive breastfeeding reduces the risk of morbidity, mortality and increases HIV free survival of infants. Evidence on risk factors for inappropriate breastfeeding in Northern Uganda is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study determined the risk factors for non-exclusivity of breastfeeding in the first 14 weeks of life. METHODS: This prospective cohort st…
Fetal heart rate monitoring practices at a public hospital in Northern Uganda – what health workers document, do and say
When compared to national and international guidelines, FHR monitoring is sub-optimal in the studied setting. Approximately one in four women was not monitored during the first stage of labor. Barriers to appropriate FHR monitoring included shortage of staff and devices, institutional challenges and mother's negative attitudes. These barriers need to be addressed in order to reduce neonatal mortality
Feasibility and acceptability of a midwife-led health education strategy to reduce exposure to biomass smoke among pregnant women in Uganda, A FRESH AIR project
Biomass smoke exposure is a threat to child and maternal health in many resource-limited countries and is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes and serious lung diseases in the offspring. We aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability and impact of a midwife-led education programme on biomass risks and prevention for women attending maternity clinics in Uganda. Education materials were co-developed through an iterative process by midwives an…
The Effect of Health Worker Training on Early Initiation of Breastfeeding in South Sudan
Globally, suboptimal breastfeeding contributes to more than 800,000 child deaths annually. In South Sudan, few women breastfeed early. We assessed the effect of a Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative training on early initiation of breastfeeding at Juba Teaching Hospital in South Sudan. We carried out the training for health workers after a baseline survey. We recruited 806 mothers both before and four to six months after training. We used a modifie…
Key Decision Makers and Actors in Selected Newborn Care Practices
Knowledge of key decision makers and actors in newborn care is necessary to ensure that health interventions are targeted at the right people. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Lira district, Northern Uganda. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with mothers being the key decision maker regarding where to give birth from and when to initiate breastfeeding. Fathers were the key decision makers on…
Determinants of Health Facility Utilization at Birth in South Sudan
South Sudan has a high maternal mortality ratio estimated at 800 deaths per 100,000 live births. Birth in health facilities with skilled attendants can lower this mortality. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the level and determinants of health facility utilization and skilled birth attendance in Jubek State, South Sudan. Mothers of children aged less than two years were interviewed in their homes. Multivariable regression analysis was…
Prevalence and determinants of pre-lacteal feeding in South Sudan
BACKGROUND: Pre-lacteal feeding (PLF) is a barrier to optimal breastfeeding and increases the risk of diarrhoea and acute respiratory tract infections in infants.The prevalence and predictors of PLF are not well studied in South Sudan. Understanding the predictors of PLF is crucial in designing interventions to increase exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with PLF in Jubek State, South S…
Factors associated with delayed initiation of breastfeeding
BACKGROUND: Initiation of breastfeeding later than 1 hour after birth is associated with increased neonatal morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with delayed initiation of breastfeeding. METHODS: We conducted a survey in 2016 of 930 children under the age of 2 years in Lira district, northern Uganda. Mothers of the children were interviewed and data was collected on mobile phones using Open Data K…
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Establishing individual peer counselling for exclusive breastfeeding in Uganda
Exclusive breastfeeding remains critical for child survival, potentially reducing childhood morbidity and mortality. In Uganda, 98% of children are ever breastfed, but exclusive breastfeeding levels remain low. Supporting mothers in breastfeeding exclusively can improve breastfeeding practices. This paper describes experiences of establishing individual peer counselling for exclusive breastfeeding in the Uganda site of the Promoting Infant Health…
Factors associated with delayed initiation of breastfeeding
BACKGROUND: Initiation of breastfeeding later than 1 hour after birth is associated with increased neonatal morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with delayed initiation of breastfeeding. METHODS: We conducted a survey in 2016 of 930 children under the age of 2 years in Lira district, northern Uganda. Mothers of the children were interviewed and data was collected on mobile phones using Open Data K…
Prevalence and determinants of pre-lacteal feeding in South Sudan
BACKGROUND: Pre-lacteal feeding (PLF) is a barrier to optimal breastfeeding and increases the risk of diarrhoea and acute respiratory tract infections in infants.The prevalence and predictors of PLF are not well studied in South Sudan. Understanding the predictors of PLF is crucial in designing interventions to increase exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and factors associated with PLF in Jubek State, South S…
Feasibility and acceptability of a midwife-led health education strategy to reduce exposure to biomass smoke among pregnant women in Uganda, A FRESH AIR project
Biomass smoke exposure is a threat to child and maternal health in many resource-limited countries and is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes and serious lung diseases in the offspring. We aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability and impact of a midwife-led education programme on biomass risks and prevention for women attending maternity clinics in Uganda. Education materials were co-developed through an iterative process by midwives an…
The Effect of Health Worker Training on Early Initiation of Breastfeeding in South Sudan
Globally, suboptimal breastfeeding contributes to more than 800,000 child deaths annually. In South Sudan, few women breastfeed early. We assessed the effect of a Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative training on early initiation of breastfeeding at Juba Teaching Hospital in South Sudan. We carried out the training for health workers after a baseline survey. We recruited 806 mothers both before and four to six months after training. We used a modifie…
Key Decision Makers and Actors in Selected Newborn Care Practices
Knowledge of key decision makers and actors in newborn care is necessary to ensure that health interventions are targeted at the right people. This was a cross-sectional study carried out in Lira district, Northern Uganda. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with mothers being the key decision maker regarding where to give birth from and when to initiate breastfeeding. Fathers were the key decision makers on…
Determinants of Health Facility Utilization at Birth in South Sudan
South Sudan has a high maternal mortality ratio estimated at 800 deaths per 100,000 live births. Birth in health facilities with skilled attendants can lower this mortality. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the level and determinants of health facility utilization and skilled birth attendance in Jubek State, South Sudan. Mothers of children aged less than two years were interviewed in their homes. Multivariable regression analysis was…
Neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm babies during infancy in Eastern Uganda
BACKGROUND: Complications due to prematurity are a threat to child survival and full developmental potential particularly in low-income settings. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the neurodevelopmental outcomes among preterm infants and identify any modifiable factors associated with neurodevelopmental disability (NDD). METHODS: We recruited 454 babies (242 preterms with birth weight <2.5 kg, and 212 term babies) in a cohort study…
Adding video-debriefing to Helping-Babies-Breathe training enhanced retention of neonatal resuscitation knowledge and skills among health workers in Uganda
BACKGROUND: Skilled birth attendants must be competent to provide prompt resuscitation to save newborn lives at birth. Both knowledge and skills (competence) decline with time after training but the optimal duration for refresher training among frontline-skilled birth attendants in low-resource settings is unknown. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the effect of an innovative Helping-Babies-Breathe simulation-based teaching method using video-debriefing co…
Exclusive breastfeeding among HIV exposed infants from birth to 14 weeks of life in Lira, Northern Uganda
BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding is important for growth, development and survival of HIV exposed infants. Exclusive breastfeeding reduces the risk of morbidity, mortality and increases HIV free survival of infants. Evidence on risk factors for inappropriate breastfeeding in Northern Uganda is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study determined the risk factors for non-exclusivity of breastfeeding in the first 14 weeks of life. METHODS: This prospective cohort st…
Fetal heart rate monitoring practices at a public hospital in Northern Uganda – what health workers document, do and say
When compared to national and international guidelines, FHR monitoring is sub-optimal in the studied setting. Approximately one in four women was not monitored during the first stage of labor. Barriers to appropriate FHR monitoring included shortage of staff and devices, institutional challenges and mother's negative attitudes. These barriers need to be addressed in order to reduce neonatal mortality
A qualitative study of the perspectives of health workers and policy makers on external support provided to low-level private health facilities in a Ugandan rural district, in management of childhood …
BACKGROUND: With the under-five child mortality rate of 46.4 deaths per 1000 live births, Uganda should accelerate measures to reduce child deaths to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 3. While 60-70% of frontline health services are provided by the private sector, many low-level private health facilities (LLPHF) are unregistered, unregulated, and often miss innovative and quality improvement strategies rolled out by the Ministry of Health.…
Perinatal death in Northern Uganda
The incidence of perinatal death in this region was higher than had previously been reported in Uganda. Risk factors for perinatal mortality were nulliparity and maternal age >30 years. Pregnant women in this region need improved access to care during pregnancy and childbirth
Longitudinal Follow-Up of Blood Telomere Length in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Children Having Received One Year of Lopinavir/Ritonavir or Lamivudine as Prophylaxis
Telomere shortening can be enhanced upon human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and by antiretroviral (ARV) exposures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute and long-term effect on telomere shortening of two ARV prophylaxes, lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) and lamivudine (3TC), administered to children who are HIV-exposed uninfected (CHEU) to prevent HIV acquisition through breastfeeding during the first year of life, and to investiga…
A Qualitative Exploration of the Referral Process of Children with Common Infections from Private Low-Level Health Facilities in Western Uganda
Over 50% of sick children are treated by private primary-level facilities, but data on patient referral processes from such facilities are limited. We explored the perspectives of healthcare providers and child caretakers on the referral process of children with common childhood infections from private low-level health facilities in Mbarara District. We carried out 43 in-depth interviews with health workers and caretakers of sick children, purpos…
Appropriateness of Care for Common Childhood Infections at Low-Level Private Health Facilities in a Rural District in Western Uganda
In Uganda, >50% of sick children receive treatment from primary level-private health facilities (HF). We assessed the appropriateness of care for common infections in under-five-year-old children and explored perspectives of healthcare workers (HCW) and policymakers on the quality of healthcare at low-level private health facilities (LLPHF) in western Uganda. This was a mixed-methods parallel convergent study. Employing multistage consecutive sam…
Umbilical Cord Stump Infections in Central Uganda
Umbilical cord stump infection (omphalitis) is a risk factor for neonatal sepsis and death. We assessed the incidence of omphalitis, described the bacteriological and antibiotic-resistance profile of potentially pathogenic bacteria isolated from the umbilical cord stump of omphalitis cases, and evaluated whether bacteria present in the birth canal during birth predicted omphalitis. We enrolled 769 neonates at birth at three primary healthcare fac…
Incidence and Risk Factors for Low Birthweight and Preterm Birth in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda
Background: Annually, an estimated 20 million (13%) low-birthweight (LBW) and 15 million (11.1%) preterm infants are born worldwide. A paucity of data and reliance on hospital-based studies from low-income countries make it difficult to quantify the true burden of LBW and PB, the leading cause of neonatal and under-five mortality. We aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for LBW and preterm birth in Lira district of Northern Uganda. M…
There is nowhere to take the child’
The participants were concerned about childhood alcohol and substance use, but the complexity and magnitude of the problem left them feeling incapacitated in responding. Relevant factors were identified on the community, institutional, and the government level, such as a lack of leadership in addressing it, a loss of mandate to interfere in child-rearing, inadequate services, weak legal structures, and missing government action. A strengthening o…
As soon as they can hold a glass, they begin taking alcohol’
To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe the context and conditions of childhood substance use before age 10 in Mbale District, Uganda. The study shows that community members attributed early childhood substance use to a social context of widespread use in the community, which was exacerbated by conditions of material and emotional deprivation. These social determinants for this practice deserve public health attention and interventi…
The missing middle of childhood
Middle childhood, between six and twelve years, is a critical bridge between earlier childhood and adolescence with rapid physical and psychological transitions. Most of the world's 2.6 billion young people, of which the middle childhood age group is a significant portion, live in low- and middle-income countries. Many live in environments that place them at high and growing risk for mental ill-health, injuries, and adoption of risky behaviours t…
Sustainable preventive integrated child health care
Worldwide, 85% of all children who die are under the age of five. A recent scoping review examining the literature from 2000 to 2021 shows the importance of sustainable integrated preventive child health care for improving child health, enhancing the uptake of preventive child health services, and decreasing health-care costs. In 2022, we organised a stakeholder workshop in Uganda to discuss and contextualise the findings of the scoping review. T…
High Burden of Neurodevelopmental Delay among Children Born to Women with Obstructed Labour in Eastern Uganda
Over 250 million infants in low and middle-income countries do not fulfill their neurodevelopment potential. In this study, we assessed the incidence and risk factors for neurodevelopmental delay (NDD) among children born following obstructed labor in Eastern Uganda. Between October 2021 and April 2022, we conducted a cohort study of 155 children (aged 25 to 44 months), born at term and assessed their neurodevelopment using the Malawi Development…
She gives it to her child who doesn’t even talk”
Children eligible for primary education in Uganda can easily access and use AOD. Several factors were identified as contributing to alcohol and other drug use among children, including availability and accessibility, advertising, lack of parental awareness and supervision, peer influence, adverse childhood experiences, socioeconomic factors, and cultural norms. There is a need for multi-sectoral action for awareness of childhood AOD use and delib…
Association between early alcohol use and academic achievement among primary school children in Uganda
Child alcohol use is a public health concern in Uganda. This study assessed academic achievement skills and their association with alcohol use among primary school children in Mbale district, Uganda. This cross-sectional study assessed academic achievement skills (word reading, sentence comprehension, spelling, and math computation) in 6–13-year-old primary school children using the Wide Range Achievement Test, Fifth Edition (WRAT-5). Participant…
Medicine (24 works) · Environmental health (13 works) · Nursing (13 works) · Pediatrics (12 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (11 works) · Global Maternal and Child Health (11 works) · Public health (8 works) · Breastfeeding (7 works) · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences (7 works) · Demography (7 works)