Benon Kwesiga
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 7750655 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Benon Kwesiga |
| PRENOMES | Benon |
| SOBRENOME | Kwesiga |
| ASSINATURA | KWESIGA B |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Ministry of Health |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0400-8635 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 25 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 0 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 25 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2017 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 0 |
Risk factors for malaria-related mortality among children under five at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda, 2020–2024
Malaria remains a major global health burden, with 264 million cases and 569,000 deaths in 2023. Uganda ranks third globally in malaria cases and tenth in deaths, with 95% of the country endemic and children under five most vulnerable. Despite control efforts, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) in Eastern Uganda reported a pediatric malaria case fatality rate of 2.7% between 2020 and 2024. This study aimed to identify factors associated with…
Using a quality improvement approach to improve reporting of malaria deaths in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda, 2022–2023
Background Reporting malaria deaths is critical for assessing prevention and case management interventions. In Uganda, malaria mortality is recorded in inpatient registers and reported through weekly and monthly surveillance reports. During a data quality assessment in Namutumba District in October 2022, we found more malaria deaths in health facility registers than were reported. We conducted a continuous quality improvement initiative to improv…
Long-term impact of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine among children <5 years, Uganda, 2014–2021
Pneumonia is the second leading cause of hospital admissions and deaths among children 30%) every year while Kasese District had persistently high mortality rates (68–150 deaths per 100,000 children
Use of the Chainchecker application
On September 20, 2022, the Uganda Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of Sudan Virus Disease (SVD). As the outbreak grew, it became imperative to quickly visualize and analyze chains of disease transmission. Determining epidemiological links between cases is critical for outbreak control as incorrect linkages may result in missed case detection and undetected disease transmission. We describe the Uganda Ministry of Health’s experience using C…
Rift Valley fever outbreak among animal handlers in Kinyogoga Village, Nakaseke District, Central Uganda
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis which occurs sporadically in Uganda. On July 24, 2023, a 24-year-old male animal husbandry officer from Nakaseke District presented to a hospital in Kampala District with history of intermittent nosebleeds. He tested positive for Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We investigated to identify the source, estimate the magnitude, and determine the dr…
Assessment of healthcare worker resilience at the epicenter of the 2022 Sudan virus disease outbreak in Uganda
Most HCWs at the SVD outbreak epicenter had low resilience, largely related to fear of infection and stigma. Older age, longer work experience, and access to psychological counselling were associated with higher resilience. Providing targeted mental health support and reducing workplace infection concerns could help strengthen HCW resilience in future outbreaks
Cholera outbreak associated with drinking contaminated lake shore water, Namayingo District, Uganda, July–August 2023
This cholera outbreak in an island community was associated with a traveler's introduction of Vibrio cholerae, followed by community consumption of untreated lakeshore water. Mass distribution of water treatment tablets, repeated OCV, and community mass sensitization about risks associated with drinking untreated lake water helped stop the outbreak
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding anthrax among affected communities, Kazo district, South-Western uganda, May 2022
Good knowledge about anthrax among residents of a repeatedly-affected community may not have translated to safe practices. Compensating farmers for anthrax-positive carcasses in exchange for permitting safe animal disposal might reduce risk of transmission
Improving maternal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women who are HIV-positive or HIV-negative through the Saving Mothers Giving Life initiative in Uganda
HIV infection is associated with poor maternal health outcomes. In 2016, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Uganda was 336/100,000, and the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) was 19/1,000. Saving Mothers, Giving Life (SMGL) was a five-year maternal and neonatal health strengthening initiative launched in 2012 in Uganda. We extracted maternal and neonatal data for 2015–2016 from the initiative’s population-based mortality surveillance system in 123 …
Investigation of Covid-19 outbreak at a refugee transit centre, Kisoro District, Uganda, June–July 2022
Due to conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), approximately 34,000 persons arrived at Nyakabande Transit Centre (NTC) between March and June 2022. On June 12, 2022, Kisoro District reported >330 cases of COVID-19 among NTC residents. We investigated the outbreak to assess its magnitude, identify risk factors, and recommend control measures. We defined a confirmed case as a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in an NTC resident during Ma…
Cross border population movements across three East African states
The frequent population movement across the five East African Countries poses risk of disease spread in the region. A clear understanding of population movement patterns is critical for informing cross-border disease control interventions. We assessed population mobility patterns across the borders of the East African states of Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. In November 2022, we conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs…
Stigma among ebola disease survivors in Mubende and Kassanda districts, Central Uganda, 2022
Ebola disease survivors often experience stigma in multiple forms, including felt (perceived) stigma, enacted (action-based) stigma, and institutional stigma. On September 20, 2022, Uganda declared a Sudan Virus Disease (species orthoebolavirus sudanense ) outbreak after a patient with confirmed Sudan virus (SUDV) infection was identified in Mubende District. The outbreak led to 142 confirmed and 22 probable cases over the next two months. We exa…
Evaluation of response to a cholera outbreak in January 2024 using the 7–1–7 timeliness metrics
Response to an imported cholera outbreak at Elegu border point demonstrated Uganda's preparedness in managing cross-border disease outbreaks. Achieving the 7-1-7 targets highlighted the country's-built capacity to detect, notify, and respond to such events. Continued investment in local-level disease detection, communication, and national-level resource mobilization will be crucial to sustaining future effective cross-border outbreak prevention a…
Community dialogue meetings among district leaders improved their willingness to receive Covid-19 vaccines in Western Uganda, May 2021
COVID-19 dialogue meetings led to district leaders' increased risk perception, reduced concerns, and improvement in perceived vaccine benefits, vaccine access, and willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These could potentially influence public vaccine uptake if leaders are vaccinated publicly as a result. Broader use of such meetings with leaders could increase vaccine uptake among themselves and the community
Timeliness and completeness of weekly surveillance data reporting on epidemic prone diseases in Uganda, 2020–2021
Weekly surveillance reporting on epidemic prone diseases improved modestly over time, but timeliness of reporting was poor. Further investigations to identify barriers to reporting timeliness for surveillance data are needed to address the variations in reporting
Malaria outbreak facilitated by engagement in activities near swamps following increased rainfall and limited preventive measures
In April 2019, the District Health Office of Oyam District, Uganda reported an upsurge in malaria cases exceeding expected epidemic thresholds, requiring outbreak response. We investigated the scope of outbreak and identified exposures for transmission to inform control measures. A confirmed case was a positive malaria rapid diagnostic test or malaria microscopy from 1 January—30 June 2019 in a resident or visitor of Acaba Sub-county, Oyam Distri…
Evaluation of public health surveillance systems in refugee settlements in Uganda, 2016–2019
The surveillance system in the refugee settlements was functional with many performing attributes but with many remaining gaps. There was low capacity for detection, response and data analysis and interpretation in all the refugee settlements. There is need for improvement to align surveillance systems in refugee settlements with the mainstream surveillance system in the country. Implementing Partners should be urged to offer support for surveill…
Large outbreak of Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) poisoning due to consumption of contaminated humanitarian relief food
This was the largest documented outbreak caused by food contamination with tropane alkaloids. Implicated food was immediately withdrawn. Routine food safety and quality checks could prevent future outbreaks
Malaria outbreak facilitated by increased mosquito breeding sites near houses and cessation of indoor residual spraying, Kole district, Uganda, January-June 2019
Stagnant water formed by increased rainfall likely provided increased breeding sites that drove this outbreak. Cessation of IRS preceded the malaria upsurges. We recommend re-introduction of IRS and removal of mosquito breeding sites in Kole District
Risk perception and psychological state of healthcare workers in referral hospitals during the early phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, Uganda
Forty-four percent of HCWs surveyed in hospitals treating COVID-19 patients during the early COVID-19 epidemic in Uganda reported psychological distress related to fear of infection, stigma, and inadequate PPE. Higher perceived personal risk towards COVID-19 was associated with increased psychological distress. To optimize patient care during the pandemic and future outbreaks, workplace management may consider identifying and addressing HCW conce…
Early cases of Sars-CoV-2 infection in Uganda
BACKGROUND: On March 13, 2020, Uganda instituted COVID-19 symptom screening at its international airport, isolation and SARS-CoV-2 testing for symptomatic persons, and mandatory 14-day quarantine and testing of persons traveling through or from high-risk countries. On March 21, 2020, Uganda reported its first SARS-CoV-2 infection in a symptomatic traveler from Dubai. By April 12, 2020, 54 cases and 1257 contacts were identified. We describe the e…
Uganda’s experience in Ebola virus disease outbreak preparedness, 2018–2019
BACKGROUND: Since the declaration of the 10th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in DRC on 1st Aug 2018, several neighboring countries have been developing and implementing preparedness efforts to prevent EVD cross-border transmission to enable timely detection, investigation, and response in the event of a confirmed EVD outbreak in the country. We describe Uganda's experience in EVD preparedness. RESULTS: On 4 August 2018, the Uganda Ministry of…
Uganda public health fellowship program’s contribution to building a resilient and sustainable public health system in Uganda
Background: Low-income countries with relatively weak-health systems are highly vulnerable to public health threats. Effective public health system with a workforce to investigate outbreaks can reduce disease impact on livelihoods and economic development. Building effective public health partnerships is critical for sustainability of such a system. Uganda has made significant progress in responding to emergencies during the past quarter century,…
Fatal cases associated with eating chapatti contaminated with organophosphate in Tororo District, Eastern Uganda, 2015
Few cases of organophosphate poisoning in developing countries have been investigated using clinical and epidemiological methods. On 30 October 2015, 3 students at Mukuju School, Tororo District, Uganda, died soon after eating chapatti (locally-made flat bread) from the same food stand. Ministry of Health investigated to identify the cause and recommend prevention measures. We defined a case as onset during 30–31 October 2015 in a resident of Muk…
A large and persistent outbreak of typhoid fever caused by consuming contaminated water and street-vended beverages
Contaminated water and street-vended beverages were likely vehicles of this outbreak. At our recommendation authorities closed unsafe water sources and supplied safe water to affected areas
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A large and persistent outbreak of typhoid fever caused by consuming contaminated water and street-vended beverages
Contaminated water and street-vended beverages were likely vehicles of this outbreak. At our recommendation authorities closed unsafe water sources and supplied safe water to affected areas
Uganda public health fellowship program’s contribution to building a resilient and sustainable public health system in Uganda
Background: Low-income countries with relatively weak-health systems are highly vulnerable to public health threats. Effective public health system with a workforce to investigate outbreaks can reduce disease impact on livelihoods and economic development. Building effective public health partnerships is critical for sustainability of such a system. Uganda has made significant progress in responding to emergencies during the past quarter century,…
Fatal cases associated with eating chapatti contaminated with organophosphate in Tororo District, Eastern Uganda, 2015
Few cases of organophosphate poisoning in developing countries have been investigated using clinical and epidemiological methods. On 30 October 2015, 3 students at Mukuju School, Tororo District, Uganda, died soon after eating chapatti (locally-made flat bread) from the same food stand. Ministry of Health investigated to identify the cause and recommend prevention measures. We defined a case as onset during 30–31 October 2015 in a resident of Muk…
Early cases of Sars-CoV-2 infection in Uganda
BACKGROUND: On March 13, 2020, Uganda instituted COVID-19 symptom screening at its international airport, isolation and SARS-CoV-2 testing for symptomatic persons, and mandatory 14-day quarantine and testing of persons traveling through or from high-risk countries. On March 21, 2020, Uganda reported its first SARS-CoV-2 infection in a symptomatic traveler from Dubai. By April 12, 2020, 54 cases and 1257 contacts were identified. We describe the e…
Uganda’s experience in Ebola virus disease outbreak preparedness, 2018–2019
BACKGROUND: Since the declaration of the 10th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in DRC on 1st Aug 2018, several neighboring countries have been developing and implementing preparedness efforts to prevent EVD cross-border transmission to enable timely detection, investigation, and response in the event of a confirmed EVD outbreak in the country. We describe Uganda's experience in EVD preparedness. RESULTS: On 4 August 2018, the Uganda Ministry of…
Risk perception and psychological state of healthcare workers in referral hospitals during the early phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, Uganda
Forty-four percent of HCWs surveyed in hospitals treating COVID-19 patients during the early COVID-19 epidemic in Uganda reported psychological distress related to fear of infection, stigma, and inadequate PPE. Higher perceived personal risk towards COVID-19 was associated with increased psychological distress. To optimize patient care during the pandemic and future outbreaks, workplace management may consider identifying and addressing HCW conce…
Malaria outbreak facilitated by engagement in activities near swamps following increased rainfall and limited preventive measures
In April 2019, the District Health Office of Oyam District, Uganda reported an upsurge in malaria cases exceeding expected epidemic thresholds, requiring outbreak response. We investigated the scope of outbreak and identified exposures for transmission to inform control measures. A confirmed case was a positive malaria rapid diagnostic test or malaria microscopy from 1 January—30 June 2019 in a resident or visitor of Acaba Sub-county, Oyam Distri…
Evaluation of public health surveillance systems in refugee settlements in Uganda, 2016–2019
The surveillance system in the refugee settlements was functional with many performing attributes but with many remaining gaps. There was low capacity for detection, response and data analysis and interpretation in all the refugee settlements. There is need for improvement to align surveillance systems in refugee settlements with the mainstream surveillance system in the country. Implementing Partners should be urged to offer support for surveill…
Large outbreak of Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) poisoning due to consumption of contaminated humanitarian relief food
This was the largest documented outbreak caused by food contamination with tropane alkaloids. Implicated food was immediately withdrawn. Routine food safety and quality checks could prevent future outbreaks
Malaria outbreak facilitated by increased mosquito breeding sites near houses and cessation of indoor residual spraying, Kole district, Uganda, January-June 2019
Stagnant water formed by increased rainfall likely provided increased breeding sites that drove this outbreak. Cessation of IRS preceded the malaria upsurges. We recommend re-introduction of IRS and removal of mosquito breeding sites in Kole District
Community dialogue meetings among district leaders improved their willingness to receive Covid-19 vaccines in Western Uganda, May 2021
COVID-19 dialogue meetings led to district leaders' increased risk perception, reduced concerns, and improvement in perceived vaccine benefits, vaccine access, and willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These could potentially influence public vaccine uptake if leaders are vaccinated publicly as a result. Broader use of such meetings with leaders could increase vaccine uptake among themselves and the community
Timeliness and completeness of weekly surveillance data reporting on epidemic prone diseases in Uganda, 2020–2021
Weekly surveillance reporting on epidemic prone diseases improved modestly over time, but timeliness of reporting was poor. Further investigations to identify barriers to reporting timeliness for surveillance data are needed to address the variations in reporting
Improving maternal and neonatal outcomes among pregnant women who are HIV-positive or HIV-negative through the Saving Mothers Giving Life initiative in Uganda
HIV infection is associated with poor maternal health outcomes. In 2016, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Uganda was 336/100,000, and the neonatal mortality rate (NMR) was 19/1,000. Saving Mothers, Giving Life (SMGL) was a five-year maternal and neonatal health strengthening initiative launched in 2012 in Uganda. We extracted maternal and neonatal data for 2015–2016 from the initiative’s population-based mortality surveillance system in 123 …
Investigation of Covid-19 outbreak at a refugee transit centre, Kisoro District, Uganda, June–July 2022
Due to conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), approximately 34,000 persons arrived at Nyakabande Transit Centre (NTC) between March and June 2022. On June 12, 2022, Kisoro District reported >330 cases of COVID-19 among NTC residents. We investigated the outbreak to assess its magnitude, identify risk factors, and recommend control measures. We defined a confirmed case as a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in an NTC resident during Ma…
Cross border population movements across three East African states
The frequent population movement across the five East African Countries poses risk of disease spread in the region. A clear understanding of population movement patterns is critical for informing cross-border disease control interventions. We assessed population mobility patterns across the borders of the East African states of Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. In November 2022, we conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs…
Stigma among ebola disease survivors in Mubende and Kassanda districts, Central Uganda, 2022
Ebola disease survivors often experience stigma in multiple forms, including felt (perceived) stigma, enacted (action-based) stigma, and institutional stigma. On September 20, 2022, Uganda declared a Sudan Virus Disease (species orthoebolavirus sudanense ) outbreak after a patient with confirmed Sudan virus (SUDV) infection was identified in Mubende District. The outbreak led to 142 confirmed and 22 probable cases over the next two months. We exa…
Evaluation of response to a cholera outbreak in January 2024 using the 7–1–7 timeliness metrics
Response to an imported cholera outbreak at Elegu border point demonstrated Uganda's preparedness in managing cross-border disease outbreaks. Achieving the 7-1-7 targets highlighted the country's-built capacity to detect, notify, and respond to such events. Continued investment in local-level disease detection, communication, and national-level resource mobilization will be crucial to sustaining future effective cross-border outbreak prevention a…
Using a quality improvement approach to improve reporting of malaria deaths in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda, 2022–2023
Background Reporting malaria deaths is critical for assessing prevention and case management interventions. In Uganda, malaria mortality is recorded in inpatient registers and reported through weekly and monthly surveillance reports. During a data quality assessment in Namutumba District in October 2022, we found more malaria deaths in health facility registers than were reported. We conducted a continuous quality improvement initiative to improv…
Long-term impact of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine among children <5 years, Uganda, 2014–2021
Pneumonia is the second leading cause of hospital admissions and deaths among children 30%) every year while Kasese District had persistently high mortality rates (68–150 deaths per 100,000 children
Use of the Chainchecker application
On September 20, 2022, the Uganda Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of Sudan Virus Disease (SVD). As the outbreak grew, it became imperative to quickly visualize and analyze chains of disease transmission. Determining epidemiological links between cases is critical for outbreak control as incorrect linkages may result in missed case detection and undetected disease transmission. We describe the Uganda Ministry of Health’s experience using C…
Rift Valley fever outbreak among animal handlers in Kinyogoga Village, Nakaseke District, Central Uganda
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis which occurs sporadically in Uganda. On July 24, 2023, a 24-year-old male animal husbandry officer from Nakaseke District presented to a hospital in Kampala District with history of intermittent nosebleeds. He tested positive for Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We investigated to identify the source, estimate the magnitude, and determine the dr…
Assessment of healthcare worker resilience at the epicenter of the 2022 Sudan virus disease outbreak in Uganda
Most HCWs at the SVD outbreak epicenter had low resilience, largely related to fear of infection and stigma. Older age, longer work experience, and access to psychological counselling were associated with higher resilience. Providing targeted mental health support and reducing workplace infection concerns could help strengthen HCW resilience in future outbreaks
Cholera outbreak associated with drinking contaminated lake shore water, Namayingo District, Uganda, July–August 2023
This cholera outbreak in an island community was associated with a traveler's introduction of Vibrio cholerae, followed by community consumption of untreated lakeshore water. Mass distribution of water treatment tablets, repeated OCV, and community mass sensitization about risks associated with drinking untreated lake water helped stop the outbreak
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding anthrax among affected communities, Kazo district, South-Western uganda, May 2022
Good knowledge about anthrax among residents of a repeatedly-affected community may not have translated to safe practices. Compensating farmers for anthrax-positive carcasses in exchange for permitting safe animal disposal might reduce risk of transmission
Risk factors for malaria-related mortality among children under five at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda, 2020–2024
Malaria remains a major global health burden, with 264 million cases and 569,000 deaths in 2023. Uganda ranks third globally in malaria cases and tenth in deaths, with 95% of the country endemic and children under five most vulnerable. Despite control efforts, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) in Eastern Uganda reported a pediatric malaria case fatality rate of 2.7% between 2020 and 2024. This study aimed to identify factors associated with…
Medicine (24 obras) · Environmental health (16 obras) · Outbreak (12 obras) · Disease (10 obras) · Public health (10 obras) · Virology (10 obras) · Epidemiology (8 obras) · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research (8 obras) · Internal Medicine (7 obras) · Nursing (7 obras)