BackgroundCross-border movements between districts bordering Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are common due to the interdependence between populations on either side, though this increases the risk of the international... more
BackgroundCross-border movements between districts bordering Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are common due to the interdependence between populations on either side, though this increases the risk of the international spread of infectious diseases. Due to the nature of their work, boda boda drivers (motorcycle taxis), taxis and truck drivers continue to cross the border during epidemics. However, perceived risk of contracting and spreading communicable diseases may be influenced by several factors such as the level of education, packaging and perception of health care messages, limited interaction with local socio-cultural dynamics or personal experiences. This study aims to explore differences in movement patterns and risk perceptions as factors for transmission among transport drivers in Ugandan border districts during the 2018–2020 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic and the current COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsBetween May and June 2021, in-depth interviews and focu...
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Maternal relatives are increasingly meeting practical and strategic needs of orphans previously provided by paternal kin. With regards to HIV affected homes, maternal kin are increasingly the first line of defence and primary caregivers... more
Maternal relatives are increasingly meeting practical and strategic needs of orphans previously provided by paternal kin. With regards to HIV affected homes, maternal kin are increasingly the first line of defence and primary caregivers for children orphaned by HIV and AIDS. Kinship and being a relative of adults affected by HIV impacts the basic rights for orphans in a patriarchal, low-resource setting. We conducted this qualitative study among the Baganda of Central Uganda relying on 15 in-depth interviews, four focus group discussions and four key informant interviews. A content and thematic analytical approach guided data analysis. Ethical approval was obtained and informed consent provided. Participation in the study was voluntary.
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Culture enshrines diverse resource elements that have potential to protect children against various forms of violence and abuse. Such elements include proverbs embedded in different languages. Proverbs are generally used in various forums... more
Culture enshrines diverse resource elements that have potential to protect children against various forms of violence and abuse. Such elements include proverbs embedded in different languages. Proverbs are generally used in various forums and contexts to communicate messages, beliefs and norms relevant for social and cultural interaction. Some of these proverbs embed messages relevant for child protection and abuse. Available literature shows that the potential carried by proverbs has not been systematically studied and utilized for prevention of child abuse and promotion of child protection across different cultures. Based on data collected from three Bantu languages (Luganda – traditional language of the Buganda community, Lusoga – traditional language of the Busoga community, and Runyankole – traditional language of the Ankole community), the chapter examines the meaning and implication of proverbs for child protection. The paper concludes that proverbs carry latent messages for promoting child protection. However their use could also instigate attitudes, values and practices that expose children to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. Therefore, child protection programs should harness the positive cultural resources as well as develop culturally sensitive interventions that seek to deal with the messages in proverbs that do not match with key values and principles of child protection.
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Drawing from ethnographic data collected between 2012 and 2014 and January and June 2018 in Luwero district, Uganda, this article questions the romanticised depiction of burial groups as a means of enhancing social support, a sense of... more
Drawing from ethnographic data collected between 2012 and 2014 and January and June 2018 in Luwero district, Uganda, this article questions the romanticised depiction of burial groups as a means of enhancing social support, a sense of solidarity and mutual aid. We found that the felt sense of identity and belonging for members is not shared across community members, and that solidary relations between members and non-group members in the community are fraught with tensions and conflicts. Beyond the romanticised view of burial groups, we need to study burial groups as a model of solidarity in disunity and diversity.
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Research Interests:
Community-based programmes, particularly community health workers (CHWs), have been portrayed as a cost-effective alternative to the shortage of health workers in low-income countries. Usually, literature emphasises how easily CHWs link... more
Community-based programmes, particularly community health workers (CHWs), have been portrayed as a cost-effective alternative to the shortage of health workers in low-income countries. Usually, literature emphasises how easily CHWs link and connect communities to formal health care services. There is little evidence in Uganda to support or dispute such claims. Drawing from linking social capital framework, this paper examines the claim that village health teams (VHTs), as an example of CHWs, link and connect communities with formal health care services. Data were collected through ethnographic fieldwork undertaken as part of a larger research program in Luwero District, Uganda, between 2012 and 2014. The main methods of data collection were participant observation in events organised by VHTs. In addition, a total of 91 in-depth interviews and 42 focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted with adult community members as part of the larger project. After preliminary analysis of the ...
Research Interests: Nursing, Focus Groups, Social Capital, Uganda, Community Health Workers, and 11 moreHumans, Human Resources for Health, Organizations, Interpersonal Relations, Psychology of Power, Government Programs, Rural Health Services, attitude to health, Health Services Accessibility, Delivery of Health Care, and Rural Population
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Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, male involvement in reproductive health issues has been advocated as a means to improve maternal and child health outcomes, but to date, health providers have failed... more
Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, male involvement in reproductive health issues has been advocated as a means to improve maternal and child health outcomes, but to date, health providers have failed to achieve successful male involvement in pregnancy care especially in rural and remote areas where majority of the underserved populations live. In an effort to enhance community participation in maternity care, TBAs were trained and equipped to ensure better care and quick referral. In 1997, after the advent of the World Health Organization's Safe Motherhood initiative, the enthusiasm turned away from traditional birth attendants (TBAs). However, in many developing countries, and especially in rural areas, TBAs continue to play a significant role. This study explored the interaction between men and TBAs in shaping maternal healthcare in a rural Ugandan context. This study employed ethnographic methods including participant observation, which to...
Research Interests: Focus Groups, Social Support, Midwifery, Medicine, Professional Role Socialization, and 15 moreRural Health, Pregnancy, Humans, Reproductive health, Female, Male, Patient Compliance, Adult, Prenatal Care, Prenatal Education, Family Characteristics, professional patient relations, Professional Role, Paediatrics and reproductive medicine, and Culturally Competent Care
Research Interests: Communication, Culture, Uganda, Public Health, Medicine, and 10 moreCommunity Health Workers, Social Stigma, Disease Outbreaks, Humans, Public health systems and services research, Public Health Surveillance, Communicable disease control, Outbreak, anthropology cultural, and Residence Characteristics
ABSTRACT
Research Interests: Nursing, Development Studies, Health Promotion, Rural Development, Uganda, and 15 moreCommunity Health, Health Administration, Cultural Anthropology, Medicine, Community Health Workers, Humans, Human Resources for Health, Personnel Selection, Female, Male, Middle Aged, Adult, Consumer Participation, Clinical Competence, and anthropology cultural
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ABSTRACT
Background: A major challenge to outbreak control lies in early detection of viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) in local community contexts during the critical initial stages of an epidemic, when risk of spreading is its highest (" the... more
Background: A major challenge to outbreak control lies in early detection of viral haemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) in local community contexts during the critical initial stages of an epidemic, when risk of spreading is its highest (" the first mile "). In this paper we document how a major Ebola outbreak control effort in central Uganda in 2012 was experienced from the perspective of the community. We ask to what extent the community became a resource for early detection, and identify problems encountered with community health worker and social mobilization strategies. Methods: Analysis is based on first-hand ethnographic data from the center of a small Ebola outbreak in Luwero Country, Uganda, in 2012. Three of this paper's authors were engaged in an 18 month period of fieldwork on community health resources when the outbreak occurred. In total, 13 respondents from the outbreak site were interviewed, along with 21 key informants and 61 focus group respondents from nearby Kaguugo Parish. All informants were chosen through non-probability sampling sampling. Results: Our data illustrate the lack of credibility, from an emic perspective, of biomedical explanations which ignore local understandings. These explanations were undermined by an insensitivity to local culture, a mismatch between information circulated and the local interpretative framework, and the inability of the emergency response team to take the time needed to listen and empathize with community needs. Stigmatization of the local community – in particular its belief in amayembe spirits – fuelled historical distrust of the external health system and engendered community-level resistance to early detection. Conclusions: Given the available anthropological knowledge of a previous outbreak in Northern Uganda, it is surprising that so little serious effort was made this time round to take local sensibilities and culture into account. The " first mile " problem is not only a question of using local resources for early detection, but also of making use of the contextual cultural knowledge that has already been collected and is readily available. Despite remarkable technological innovations, outbreak control remains contingent upon human interaction and openness to cultural difference.