Introduction The second wave of COVID-19 greatly affected the health care and education systems in Uganda, due to the infection itself and the lockdowns instituted. Double masking has been suggested as a safe alternative to double-layered masks, where the quality of the latter may not be guaranteed. This study aimed to determine patterns of double mask use among undergraduate medical students at Makerere University, Uganda. Methods We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire. All students enrolled at the College of Health Sciences; Makerere University received the link to this questionnaire to participate. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with double mask use. Results A total of 348 participants were enrolled. The majority (61.8%) were male; the median age was 23 (range: 32) years. Up to 10.3%, 42%, and 4.3% reported past COVID-19 positive test, history of COVID-19 symptoms, and having comorbidities, respectively. Up to 40.8% had been vaccinated against COVID-19. More than half (68.7%) believed double masking was superior to single masking for COVID-19 IPC, but only 20.5% reported double masking. Participants with a past COVID-19 positive test [aOR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.1–5.8, p = 0.026] and participants who believed double masks had a superior protective advantage [aOR: 20; 95% CI: 4.9–86.2, p < 0.001] were more likely to double mask. Lack of trust in the quality of masks (46.5%) was the most frequent motivation for double masking, while excessive sweating (68.4%), high cost of masks (66.4%), and difficulty in breathing (66.1%) were the major barriers. Conclusion Very few medical students practice double masking to prevent COVID-19. Coupled with inconsistencies in the availability of the recommended four-layered masks in Uganda and increased exposure in lecture rooms and clinical rotations, medical students may be at risk of contracting COVID-19.

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BackgroundSustained motivation is essential for effective use of contraceptive methods by women in low- and middle-income countries as many women are likely to abandon use of contraceptives especially when they continually experience episodes of failure. We aimed to determine contraceptive failure rates and associated factors among Ugandan women using data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey (UDHS).MethodsWe analyzed data collected by the UDHS conducted in Uganda 2016. All eligible women aged 15 to 49 years at the time of the survey were enrolled. Discontinuation of contraceptive use due to failure within a 5-year period preceding the survey was the dependent variable.ResultsA total of 18,505 women were included in this study, 70.8% (n=5153) lived in rural areas while 56.9% (n=5153) owned a mobile phone. The mean age of the women was 29.6years (SD 7.6). The overall prevalence of contraceptive failure was 5.6%, and was higher (7.8%) among women aged 25-29 years or had completed secondary education (7.1%). The odds of contraceptive failure was 38% lower in women who had an informed choice on contraceptives compared to those who didn’t [Adjusted Odd ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.50 – 0.77; p< 0.001].ConclusionThe burden of contraceptive failure among women of reproductive age in Uganda is substantial and significantly varied by socio-demographic characteristics.

Background Sustained motivation is essential for effective use of contraceptive methods by women in low- and middle-income countries as many women are likely to abandon contraceptives, especially when they continually experience episodes of failure. We aimed to determine the prevalence of discontinuation of contraceptives due to failure and its associated factors among Ugandan women aged 14–49 years. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted using the UDHS 2016 data. Multi stage stratified sampling was used to select participants. All eligible women aged 15 to 49 years at the time of the survey were enrolled. Bivariable and Multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to determine the factors associated with contraceptive failure. All analysis were done using Stata version 13. Contraceptive failure (getting pregnant while on contraceptives) within five years preceding the survey was the dependent variable. Results A total of 9061 women were included in the study. The overall prevalence of contraceptive failure was 5.6% [n = 506, 95% CI: 5.1–6.1] and was higher (6.2%) among women aged 20–29 years or had completed secondary education (6.1%). Having informed choice on contraceptives [aOR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.49 – 0.72] and older age [aOR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.24–0.89] were associated with lower odds of contraceptive failure. Conclusion The burden of contraceptive failure among women of reproductive age in Uganda is substantial and significantly varied by women's age, level of education, exposure to the internet, mass media, and informed choice. These findings highlight the need for improved counseling services and contraceptive quality to help women and couples use methods correctly and consistently.

PURPOSE The World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) in 2020 intending to reduce global breast cancer mortality by 2.5% per year until 2040, thereby averting an estimated 2.5 million deaths. In this study, we aimed to determine the coverage and socio-economic inequalities in the screening for breast cancer over one decade before the establishment of the GBCI. METHODS For each country, using STATA 16 software and sampling weights, we analyzed the datasets of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) that included questions on breast cancer screening and were conducted between 2010 and 2019 in low- and middle-income countries. We included women aged 15-49 years and considered screening using breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE), and mammography. Absolute and relative inequalities were determined using the Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Concentration Index (CIX) respectively. RESULTS A total of 18 surveys from 13 countries were included in this study. Only six surveys from five countries measured the rates of screening by mammography which ranged from 5.58% to 12.96%. Considering screening using any method, the proportion that had ever screened for breast cancer ranged from 2.53% to 60.21%. Higher rates of screening were seen in upper-middle-income countries compared to low-income countries. For the CIX for screening using any method, the inequalities were pro-rich in all the countries except the Philippines where it was pro-poor with a CIX of –2.84 ( P value .015). For the CIX and SII for screening using mammography, the inequalities were pro-rich in all the countries. CONCLUSION There exist socio-economic disparities in the coverage of breast cancer using mammography, clinical breast examination, and breast self-exam. There is a need to address these disparities to achieve the targets of breast cancer control by the GBCI.