Safety monitoring of health outcomes following influenza vaccination during the 2023-2024 season among U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older.

Background: Influenza vaccination is widely recommended for individuals aged 6 months and older in the United States. While the safety of annual influenza vaccines is well established, FDA conducts routine monitoring and safety evaluations. This study assessed the safety of 2023-2024 influenza vaccines among elderly Medicare beneficiaries.

Modeled estimates of HIV-serodifferent couples in tuberculosis-affected households in four sub-Saharan African countries.

Household-based tuberculosis (TB) contact evaluation may be an efficient strategy to reach people who could benefit from oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) because of the epidemiological links between HIV and TB. This study estimated the number of HIV serodifferent couples in TB-affected households and potential HIV acquisitions averted through their PrEP use in 4 TB-HIV high-burden countries. We conducted a model-based analysis set in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda using parameters from population-based household surveys, systematic literature review and meta-analyses, and estimates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019.

Frequency of HIV serodifferent couples within TB-affected households in a setting with a high burden of HIV-associated TB.

Introduction: Strong epidemiological links between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) may make household TB contact investigation an efficient strategy for HIV screening and finding individuals in serodifferent partnerships at risk of HIV and linking them to HIV prevention services. We aimed to compare the proportions of HIV serodifferent couples in TB-affected households and in the general population of Kampala, Uganda.

Methods: We included data from a cross-sectional trial of HIV counselling and testing (HCT) in the context of home-based TB evaluation in Kampala, Uganda in 2016-2017.

Perceived risk and risk reduction behaviours of female first-degree relatives of breast cancer patients attending care at Uganda cancer institute.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the perceived risk of breast cancer (BC) and adoption of risk reduction behaviours among female first-degree relatives (FDRs) of BC patients attending care at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI).

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a questionnaire to collect data between March to October 2019. Adult female FDRs of patients attending care at UCI were recruited consecutively.

Virologic suppression and associated factors in HIV infected Ugandan female sex workers: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Key populations have disproportionately higher HIV prevalence rates than the general population.

Objective: To determine the level of virologic suppression and associated factors in female Commercial Sex Workers (CSW) who completed six months of ART and compare with the female general population (GP).

Methods: Clinical records of CSW and GPs who initiated ART between December 2014 to December 2016 from seven urban clinics were analyzed to determine virologic suppression (viral load < 1000 copies/ml) and associated factors.

One dollar incentive improves tuberculosis treatment outcomes in programmatic settings in rural Uganda.

The study aim was to determine the association of a one United States dollar (USD) dollar incentive and tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes among people with TB receiving treatment at a rural hospital in Uganda under programmatic settings. We conducted a quasi-experiment in which people with TB were randomised (1:1 ratio) to receive either a one USD incentive at months 0, 2, 5 and 6 (Dollar arm) or routine care (Routine arm). A second control group (Retrospective controls) consisted of participants who had a treatment outcome in the preceding 6 months.

Heme oxygenase-1 and neopterin plasma/serum levels and their role in diagnosing active and latent TB among HIV/TB co-infected patients: a cross sectional study.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in the context of HIV co-infection remains challenging. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and neopterin have been validated as potential biomarkers for TB diagnosis. Latent TB infection (LTBI) is diagnosed using tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon gamma release assays (T-Spot and QuantiFERON TB gold tests, respectively).

Diversity of KIR genes and their HLA-C ligands in Ugandan populations with historically varied malaria transmission intensity.

Background: Malaria is one of the most serious infectious diseases in the world. The malaria burden is greatly affected by human immunity, and immune responses vary between populations. Genetic diversity in KIR and HLA-C genes, which are important in immunity to infectious diseases, is likely to play a role in this heterogeneity.

The Potential Teratogenicity Alert for Women Conceiving on Dolutegravir-Based Regimens: An Assessment of Risk Communication by an Urban HIV Clinic in Uganda and Choices made by Women.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: In May 2018, the World Health Organization and other regulatory authorities released a safety alert for dolutegravir related to a risk of neural tube defects among women exposed to dolutegravir at the time of conception. Models of how drug safety information can be shared effectively in the shortest time are necessary to prevent interruptions of public health programs. We sought to describe an implementation process to inform and support women already on dolutegravir-based regimens at the time of conception to make informed choices following the safety alert of a potential teratogenicity risk.

"You would not be in a hurry to go back home": patients' willingness to participate in HIV/AIDS clinical trials at a clinical and research facility in Kampala, Uganda.

Background: Few studies have examined factors associated with willingness of people living with HIV (PLHIV) to participate in HIV treatment clinical trials in Sub-Saharan Africa. We assessed the factors associated with participation of PLHIV in HIV treatment clinical trials research at a large urban clinical and research facility in Uganda.

Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), adult HIV clinic between July 2016 and January 2017.

Prevalence of HIV infection and bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis among individuals found at bars in Kampala slums, Uganda.

Individuals found at bars in slums have several risk factors for HIV and tuberculosis (TB). To determine the prevalence of HIV and TB among individuals found at bars in slums of Kampala, Uganda, we enrolled adults found at bars that provided written informed consent. Individuals with alcohol intoxication were excluded.

Absolute eosinophil count correlates with temperature and CD4 count independently of HIV infection among tuberculosis patients.

Objective: To determine clinical correlates of the peripheral absolute eosinophil count (AEC) among bacteriologically confirmed TB patients in Uganda.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated data of bacteriologically confirmed adult TB patients who had a peripheral blood AEC measurement at the National TB Treatment Center in Uganda during a cross-sectional study. We performed linear regression analysis for correlates of log-transformed AEC.

Herbal medicine use among patients with viral and non-viral Hepatitis in Uganda: prevalence, patterns and related factors.

Background: There is some evidence that patients with liver diseases commonly use complementary and alternative therapies to address general and liver-disease specific health concerns. The purpose of this study was to assess and describe prevalence, patterns and related factors of herbal medicine use among adults diagnosed with viral and non-viral hepatitis in Kampala, Uganda.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 310 adult patients attending the gastrointestinal clinic in Mulago hospital referral hospital in Kampala.

Relationship between socioeconomic status and risk of sexually transmitted infections in Uganda: Multilevel analysis of a nationally representative survey.

Socioeconomic status (SES) appears to have positive and negative associations with sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk in resource-limited settings, but few studies have evaluated nationally representative data. We assessed multiple SES measures and their effect on STI risk. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS 2011).

Socioeconomic position and ten-year survival and virologic outcomes in a Ugandan HIV cohort receiving antiretroviral therapy.

Lifelong ART is essential to reducing HIV mortality and ending the epidemic, however the interplay between socioeconomic position and long-term outcomes of HIV-infected persons receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa is unknown. Furthering the understanding of factors related to long-term ART outcomes in this important region will aid the successful scale-up of ART programs. We enrolled 559 HIV-infected Ugandan adults starting ART in 2004-2005 at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda and followed them for 10 years.

A survey of machine learning applications in HIV clinical research and care.

A wealth of genetic, demographic, clinical and biomarker data is collected from routine clinical care of HIV patients and exists in the form of medical records available among the medical care and research communities. Machine learning (ML) methods have the ability to identify and discover patterns in complex datasets and predict future outcomes of HIV treatment. We survey published studies that make use of ML techniques in HIV clinical research and care.