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Per-andpoly-fluoroalkylsubstancesinaquaticecosystemsandwastewater treatmentworksinAfrica:Occurrence,ecologicalimplications,and futureperspectives
(Elsevier, 2025) Miiro, Ashirafu; Oghenekaro Nelson Odume; Nyakairu, George William; Odongo, Silver; Matovu, Henry; Drago, Charles Kato; Sp´anike, Ivan; Sillanpa, Mika; Mubiru, Edward; Ssebugere, Patrick
The increasing levels of industrialization and urbanization have led to the generation of significant amounts of wastewater and waste products, often containing chemicals like per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) commonly found in consumer products. PFAS sare known for their persistence, ubiquity, and ecotoxicological impacts, raising concerns about potential harm to ecosystems. This paper reports the occurrence and evaluates the ecological risks of PFASs in aquatic ecosystems and wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) across Africa. We reviewed 32papers published in the period 2009–2024 and identified a total of 35 PFAS compounds in surface waters, wastewater,s ediments, fish, crocodiles, and invertebrates. Much of the reported studies came from South Africa, followed by Kenya and Nigeria. PFAS concentrations in Africa were<0.7–390.0ngL− 1 in surface waters, 0.05–772 ng g− 1 dw in sediments, and <0.2–832 ng L− 1 in wastewater, while the highest levels in fish and invertebrateswere460.7and35.5ngg− 1 ww, respectively. The PFAS levels were in the same range of data as those reported globally. However, the high concentrations of PFAS s in sediments and wastewater suggest are as of point contamination and a growing risk to aquatic ecosystems from effluent discharges. Calculated risk quotients suggested that, in Africa, organisms in river systems face greater risks due to exposure to PFASs compared to those in lakes, while marine organisms might facehig herrisk compared to freshwater organisms. Future studies should focus on PFAS contamination sources, especially WWTWs, as emerging sources of PFASs in aquatic systems.
Organochlorine pesticides and their markers of exposure in serum and urine of children from a nodding syndrome hotspot in northern Uganda, east Africa
(Elsevier, 2024) Odongo, Silver; Ssebugere, Patrick; Spencer, Peter S.,; Palmer Valerie S.,; Angues, Raquel Valdes; Mwaka, Deogratius Amos; Wasswa, John
Nodding syndrome (NS) is a neurologic disorder of unknown etiology characterized by vertical head nodding that has affected children aged 5–18 years in East Africa. Previous studies have examined relationships with biological agents (e.g., nematodes, measles, and fungi), but there is limited data on the possible contributions of neurotoxic environmental chemicals frequently used as pesticides/insecticides to the development and progression of this disorder. We examined the levels of persistent organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in children (5–18 years old) from Kitgum District, Northern Uganda. These children previously lived in internally displaced people’s (IDP) camps, where they were exposed to various health risks, including contaminated food and water. Exposure to OCPs through contaminated food and water is postulated here as a potential contributor to NS etiology. We analyzed serum (n = 75) and urine (n = 150) samples from children diagnosed with NS, and from
Folic acid supplementation and neural tube defects: a cross-sectional study of knowledge and practice among pregnant mothers in Lira, Northern Uganda
(BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2026) Nakaziba, Rebecca; Muhindo, Miriam
Background and aim: Folic acid requirements increase during pregnancy to meet the metabolic needs, DNA synthesis, and rapid cell division during fetal development. Low levels of folate before and during pregnancy augment the chances of poor pregnancy outcomes, like neural tube defects. Awareness of the importance of folic acid in the prevention of neural tube defects is low among women of childbearing age. This study intended to explore the level of knowledge and practices of pregnant mothers regarding folic acid supplementation in preventing neural tube defects in Lira, northern Uganda. Study design: This study employed a cross-sectional approach of data collection. A consecutive sampling technique was employed to recruit and interview 199 pregnant mothers attending antenatal care at Lira regional referral hospital. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were performed using SPSS V20 to determine the association between knowledge and practices of folic acid supplementation for prevention of neural tube defects. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was statistically significant. Results: The knowledge level regarding folic acid was adequate. 88% had ever heard of it; 73.0% knew its benefits, but only 20.1% knew that it prevents neural tube defects; 83.9% were currently taking it, while only 18.0% took it before conception. In addition, the practice of folic acid supplementation was significantly associated with cues to action (p < 0.001), and perceived risk (p < 0.001) while knowledge was significantly associated with practice (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Pregnant mothers in Lira had limited knowledge of the role of folic acid in preventing neural tube defects. The pre-conception intake of folic acid was very low. Health education should include the role of folic acid in averting neural tube defects among women of childbearing age. Mothers should be encouraged to take folic acid pre- and post-conception, especially during the first trimester.
General knowledge and attitude of healthcare professionals and infrastructural readiness prior to implementation of malaria vaccine in selected hospitals in Tororo district, Uganda: a cross-sectional study
(BMC Public Health, 2025) Asio, Lillian; Besigye, Innocent; Puleh, Steven Sean; Nazziwa, Norah; Ocan, Moses
Background The introduction of malaria vaccines (RTS, S/SA01 and R21/Matrix-M) in malaria control brings hope for malaria burden reduction globally. Uganda is one of the countries that applied for support to introduce R21 malaria vaccine and expects to commence with its implementation in April/May 2025. However, as the country prepares for R21 malaria vaccine rollout, the extent to which hospitals are ready for its implementation remains unclear. This study therefore assessed the general knowledge, attitudes of all healthcare professionals regardless of their role in providing immunization services and infrastructural readiness prior to rolling out of R21 malaria vaccine in an endemic setting, Tororo district. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at Tororo General hospital and St. Anthony Hospital in Tororo district. Data was collected before the vaccine was rolled out through interviews with purposively selected healthcare professionals irrespective of their role in vaccination programs. Additional data was collected through inspection of the hospital infrastructure for malaria vaccine implementation. Data on healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes was collected using self-administered questionnaires, while a checklist was used to capture data on the availability and functional state of the infrastructure in hospitals for vaccine roll-out. Fully completed questionnaires were entered into Epi-data version 4.7 for coding and cleaning, thereafter exported to STATA version 16 for analysis. Results A total of 211 healthcare professionals were included into the study. The study participants had predominantly negative attitudes towards the malaria vaccine, with 70% (147/211, 95% CI: 63–76) displaying unfavorable attitudes compared to 30% (64/211, 95% CI: 25–37) with positive attitudes, and the overall mean score (SD) of 3.30 (0.489)., many of whom expressed concerns about its affordability, accessibility and effectiveness. Knowledge on the malaria vaccine was notably low, with 99% (208/211, 95% CI: 96–100) of respondents demonstrating poor knowledge, while only 1% (3/211, 95% CI: 0.5–4.4) had good knowledge. Conclusion The knowledge gap coupled with negative attitudes on malaria vaccine were prevalent among all healthcare professionals prior to the roll-out of R21 vaccine in Tororo district. There was limited preparedness as regards the infrastructure required for the malaria vaccine implementation. The Ministry of Health should consider conducting targeted training programs for all healthcare professionals and provision of additional essential infrastructure to accommodate the inclusion of the malaria vaccine roll-out with other routine vaccines.
Picturing the experiences of the student–supervisor relationship towards completion of doctoral studies in African universities
(African Minds, 2024) Rugut, Cornelius Kipleting
Nations around the globe need scholars and lifelong researchers who can be involved in knowledge creation to meet national and global challenges. Governments are recognising that the foundation of a productive and prosperous country is a welleducated population, especially doctoral graduates who can be involved in research and take the lead in coming up with new and better ways of dealing with various aspects of the development of a country. However, statistics show that the completion rate of doctoral studies in Africa is still very low (Bacwayo et al., 2017). In order to increase the number of doctoral graduates, there must be quality postgraduate supervision which is one of the invaluable areas of higher education. This study, therefore, focused on the experiences of the student–supervisor relationship in postgraduate supervision and the completion of doctoral studies in African universities. The relationship between the supervisor and the doctoral student is paramount to the completion of doctoral studies. Research indicates that the most important factor in students’ decisions to continue and complete their doctoral studies or to withdraw is their relationship with their supervisors (Jones, 2013; Kiley, 2011). Several studies have also revealed that successful supervision is anchored in a quality student–supervisor relationship (Abiddin, 2009; Hodza, 2007) and yet there is no established procedure for effective supervision nor student– supervisor relationship. Individual supervisors seem to approach the student– supervisor relationship differently.