ArticleBMC health services research2023
Readiness of health facilities to manage individuals infected with COVID-19, Uganda, June 2021.
Article in BMC health services research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Syndromic surveillance and immunoprofiling of inbound travelers as a proxy for national SARS-CoV-2 trends in Uganda: implications for border health policy in resource-limited settings.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- A rapid facility-level assessment of oxygen systems in 39 low-income and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional study.The Lancet. Global health · 2025Article
- Healthcare professionals' perceptions of system preparedness during public health emergencies: a path analysis of mental health impacts.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- "Resilience amidst challenges": Healthcare users' experiences of access and utilisation of primary healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic in southwestern Uganda.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Challenges and adaptations of mental health services during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Uganda.The Pan African medical journal · 2024Article
- "We felt so proud by the president calling us my heroes." An exploration of the nurse's experiences in the management of COVID-19 patients in Uganda.BMC nursing · 2023Article
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23 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed the capacity of health facilities globally, emphasizing the need for readiness to respond to rapid increases in cases. The first wave of COVID-19 in Uganda peaked in late 2020 and demonstrated challenges with facility readiness to manage cases. The second wave began in May 2021. In June 2021, we assessed the readiness of health facilities in Uganda to manage the second wave of COVID-19.
methodsReferral hospitals managed severe COVID-19 patients, while lower-level health facilities screened, isolated, and managed mild cases. We assessed 17 of 20 referral hospitals in Uganda and 71 of 3,107 lower-level health facilities, selected using multistage sampling. We interviewed health facility heads in person about case management, coordination and communication and reporting, and preparation for the surge of COVID-19 during first and the start of the second waves of COVID-19, inspected COVID-19 treatment units (CTUs) and other service delivery points. We used an observational checklist to evaluate capacity in infection prevention, medicines, personal protective equipment (PPE), and CTU surge capacity. We used the "ReadyScore" criteria to classify readiness levels as > 80% ('ready'), 40-80% ('work to do'), and < 40% ('not ready') and tailored the assessments to the health facility level. Scores for the lower-level health facilities were weighted to approximate representativeness for their health facility type in Uganda.
resultsThe median (interquartile range (IQR)) readiness scores were: 39% (IQR: 30, 51%) for all health facilities, 63% (IQR: 56, 75%) for referral hospitals, and 32% (IQR: 24, 37%) for lower-level facilities. Of 17 referral facilities, two (12%) were 'ready' and 15 (88%) were in the "work to do" category. Fourteen (82%) had an inadequate supply of medicines, 12 (71%) lacked adequate supply of oxygen, and 11 (65%) lacked space to expand their CTU. Fifty-five (77%) lower-level health facilities were "not ready," and 16 (23%) were in the "work to do" category. Seventy (99%) lower-level health facilities lacked medicines, 65 (92%) lacked PPE, and 53 (73%) lacked an emergency plan for COVID-19.
conclusionFew health facilities were ready to manage the second wave of COVID-19 in Uganda during June 2021. Significant gaps existed for essential medicines, PPE, oxygen, and space to expand CTUs. The Uganda Ministry of Health utilized our findings to set up additional COVID-19 wards in hospitals and deliver medicines and PPE to referral hospitals. Adequate readiness for future waves of COVID-19 requires additional support and action in Uganda.
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