The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), established within Makerere University, is a Ugandan not-for-profit organization which aims to strengthen health systems in Africa, with a strong emphasis on infectious diseases; through research and capacity development. In pursuit of its mission both in Uganda and Sub-Saharan Africa, IDI provides care to People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and other infectious diseases, builds capacity among healthcare workers through training and ongoing support, maintains a focus on prevention, and carries out relevant research.
Swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), which originates from zoonotic transmission of bat coronaviruses in the HKU2 lineage, causes severe illness in pigs and carries a high risk of spreading to humans. At present, there are no licenced therapeutics for the treatment of SADS-CoV. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of recombinant porcine interferon delta 8 (IFN-δ8) against SADS-CoV both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro experiments showed that IFN-δ8 inhibited SADS-CoV proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner, with complete inhibition occurring at a concentration of 5 μg/mL. In vivo experiments demonstrated that two 50 μg/kg doses of IFN-δ8 injected intraperitoneally protected piglets against lethal challenge, blocked viral shedding, attenuated intestinal damage, and decreased the viral load in the jejunum and ileum. Further findings suggested that IFN-δ8 inhibited SADS-CoV infection by increasing the expression of IFN-stimulated genes. These results indicate that IFN-δ8 shows promise as a biological macromolecule drug against SADS-CoV infection.
Cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with HIV, and the importance of cancer screening increases as this population ages. In 2017, 2020, and 2023, cross-sectional surveys were conducted at HIV care sites across 5 continents within the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. We described cancer screening availability in 2023 and over time for cervical and anal cancer screening using generalized estimating equations with a logit link function to account for site clustering, rurality, and country income. Of the 220 sites in the 2023 survey, 61% (134/220) reported cervical cancer screening by cytology or human papillomavirus (HPV) testing on-site, and 88% (194/220) reported cervical cancer screening by any method, including visual inspection. At sites serving predominantly rural populations, 62% (29/47) exclusively performed screening by visual inspection. Overall, 23% (50/220) of sites performed cytology-based anal cancer screening on-site, and 16% (35/220) had availability of high-resolution anoscopy, either on-site or by referral. Screening for cancer of the liver, colon, lung, prostate, or breast (by imaging) were each available at less than 43% of sites. The odds of cervical cancer screening availability increased by 16% annually from 2017 through 2023 (aOR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.07-1.27, p = 0.001), while the relative odds of anal cancer screening availability decreased by 9% annually (aOR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84-0.99, p = 0.023). Lack of trained staff was the most frequently reported barrier, followed by lack of equipment. Understanding current practices and capacity is essential for the continued integration of cancer prevention in HIV care.
Las máquinas expendedoras han evolucionado hacia sistemas automatizados mediante la integración de tecnologías digitales, inteligencia artificial y soluciones de autoservicio. Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar las tendencias investigativas sobre tecnología de máquinas de ventas mediante un análisis bibliométrico de la literatura científica publicada entre 1994 y 2024. La investigación siguió los lineamientos de la declaración PRISMA-2020 y utilizó información procedente de las bases de datos Scopus y Web of Science, identificando un corpus final de 97 artículos después de aplicar los criterios de selección establecidos. Los resultados evidencian un crecimiento de la producción científica, con un incremento del 99,33% durante el periodo analizado y una mayor concentración de publicaciones en 2023. Asimismo, se identificaron autores, revistas y países con mayor influencia en el campo, además de una evolución temática desde enfoques iniciales relacionados con Technology Mapping hacia tendencias actuales asociadas con Technology Adoption, Virtual Reality, Waste Management y Quick-Service Restaurant. El análisis de coocurrencia permitió identificar nueve clústeres temáticos, mientras que las palabras clave emergentes como Community Change, New Technologies, Customer Value y Sustainability muestran nuevas oportunidades de investigación relacionadas con tecnología, usuarios y sostenibilidad.
Background Persistent global health security risks require countries to establish effective, standards-aligned biosafety and biosecurity systems. Sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionate burden of infectious disease threats, yet systematic laboratory biorisk management (BRM) remains nascent in most low-income countries. Uganda's National Health Laboratory and Diagnostic Services (NHLDS) launched a national, risk- and performance-based BRM programme spanning the human health, animal health, water, and environmental laboratory sectors. This article describes the programme design, implementation trajectory, and outcomes between 2022 and 2025. Methods A national implementation evaluation employing a repeated cross-sectional design with a within-facility matched-cohort sub-analysis was conducted across Uganda’s One Health laboratory sectors. Four national BRM instruments were developed and validated: a biosafety and biosecurity manual, a training curriculum, a structured mentorship toolkit, and an ISO 35001:2019/ISO 15190:2020-aligned assessment checklist. Capacity was built through a three-tier cascade training model. Compliance assessments were conducted in 200 laboratories generating 337 assessment events. Within-facility change was analyzed for 29 mentored laboratories with paired 2023–2025 data; statistical testing used the paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results The programme trained more than 1,500 laboratory personnel, including 25 national master trainers, 41 mentors, and 27 ISO 19011-certified auditors, and provided structured mentorship to 80 laboratories. System-level mean BRM compliance increased from 26.3% in 2022 to 48.7% in 2025 across all assessed laboratories. Within the matched mentored cohort (n = 29), mean compliance rose from 57.2% to 66.3% (within-facility mean change + 9.1 percentage points; 95% CI + 2.0 to + 16.3; p = 0.019; Wilcoxon p = 0.024; Cohen’s d = 0.46). The proportion of mentored laboratories classified as Low Risk or better (≥ 65%) increased from 21% to 55%. An inverse gradient was observed between baseline performance and subsequent gain. Conclusion A standardized, ISO-aligned BRM framework is operationally feasible at national scale in a low-resource, One Health setting. Structured multi-cycle mentorship, cascade training, and engaged leadership were associated with measurable within-facility performance gains. The programme provides a replicable model for countries seeking to operationalize international BRM standards across heterogeneous laboratory sectors.
Introduction: Animal movements across international boundaries are common and have been identified as a major means of spreading transboundary zoonotic animal diseases, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Effective animal health inspection at points of entry (POEs) requires adequate infrastructure, equipment, and operational readiness. However, existing evidence on the operational readiness of POEs to support animal health inspection in SSA is limited. We evaluated the readiness of animal health inspection systems for all designated POEs in Ghana. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey between November and December 2025 in 13 designated Points of Entry (POEs), including two composite POEs serving multiple entry modalities. We collected data using a structured checklist, partly adapted from the International Health Regulations (2005) Core Capacity Assessment Tools for Points of Entry and informed by the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code requirements. The study tool included domains on administrative and regulatory compliance, facility and infrastructure, quarantine and inspection procedures, sampling and laboratory testing capacity, and human resources/equipment. We scored each as follows: Yes = 1, No = 0, and partial/limited = 0.5. A POE was classified as having sufficient readiness if it achieved ≥ 80% of the maximum possible score within a domain or overall. Results We assessed all 13 designated POEs in Ghana; median readiness was 41% (IQR: 18–71), and, critically, only 1 (8%) border met the ≥ 80% overall readiness threshold. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) and holding areas were absent in all 13 POEs, and facility and infrastructure readiness recorded the lowest scores across all the assessed domains (range: 0–59). Quarantine facilities were present on only one POE, while sampling and laboratory capacity fell below 40% at most POEs. Stratified by POE type, readiness at the two dedicated seaports (POE 2 and POE 3) was 72% and 77%, and at the airport (71%), compared to land borders, which had a median readiness of 36% (IQR: 18–59%). The highest individual overall readiness score (80%) was recorded at a land border POE. Conclusion Operational readiness for animal health inspection at POEs is constrained by gaps in infrastructure, quarantine, and diagnostic capacity rather than a lack of policy intent or trained personnel. The complete absence of SOPs across all 13 designated POEs represents an urgent actionable priority. Addressing these deficiencies requires SOP development and dissemination, tiered infrastructure investment guided by animal movement data, and strengthened laboratory referral systems, integrated within a One Health and risk-based surveillance framework to improve countries’ resilience to transboundary animal diseases and support safer regional trade.
