Assessing the Impact of Haulage Drivers in Uganda's COVID-19 Delta Wave
Abstract Background Haulage truck drivers connect distant communities, posing potential disease introduction risks. However, interventions must balance public health protection, economic continuity, and individual rights. This study examines the role of haulage in disease introduction and onward spr...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-025-00387-w |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850153898729275392 |
|---|---|
| author | Adrian Muwonge Paul R. Bessell Mark Barend de Clare Bronsvoort Ibrahim Mugerwa Erisa Mwaka Emmanuel Ssebaggala Bryan Aidan Wee Aggelos Kiayias Christine Mbabazi Mpyangu Moses Lutakome Joloba |
| author_facet | Adrian Muwonge Paul R. Bessell Mark Barend de Clare Bronsvoort Ibrahim Mugerwa Erisa Mwaka Emmanuel Ssebaggala Bryan Aidan Wee Aggelos Kiayias Christine Mbabazi Mpyangu Moses Lutakome Joloba |
| author_sort | Adrian Muwonge |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Haulage truck drivers connect distant communities, posing potential disease introduction risks. However, interventions must balance public health protection, economic continuity, and individual rights. This study examines the role of haulage in disease introduction and onward spread in Uganda during the Delta wave of COVID-19. Methods Using 625,422 national surveillance records, we fitted a susceptible-infectious-recovered model to assess whether haulage drivers were a “core-risk group.” Although they accounted for only 0.036% of COVID-19 cases, border districts associated with haulage registered 12.02% more cases than inland districts, suggesting a role in disease introduction. The risk varied by location, with Tororo experiencing a higher burden than Amuru and Kyotera, which border South Sudan and Tanzania, respectively. Mandatory COVID-19 testing and result waiting at the Malaba border crossing increased disease risk in Tororo by up to 6%. While haulage-targeted interventions reduced cases in border districts, they had minimal impact on inland districts, indicating a limited role in onward spread. Our findings also suggest that integrating haulage-specific measures with vaccination would further reduce case-load. Conclusions Our findings suggest that truck drivers were a transient core risk group with limited impact on onward spread. However, uncertainties remain regarding the extent of their role, and interventions like testing and result waiting at border crossings may have inadvertently heightened risk. Pandemic preparedness strategies should carefully assess risks in key sectors like supply chains to balance public safety with individual rights. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e24cf79c617b45acb5674f80bbe90390 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2210-6014 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-e24cf79c617b45acb5674f80bbe903902025-08-20T02:25:36ZengSpringerJournal of Epidemiology and Global Health2210-60142025-04-0115111410.1007/s44197-025-00387-wAssessing the Impact of Haulage Drivers in Uganda's COVID-19 Delta WaveAdrian Muwonge0Paul R. Bessell1Mark Barend de Clare Bronsvoort2Ibrahim Mugerwa3Erisa Mwaka4Emmanuel Ssebaggala5Bryan Aidan Wee6Aggelos Kiayias7Christine Mbabazi Mpyangu8Moses Lutakome Joloba9Digital One Health Laboratory, The Roslin Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of EdinburghIndependent ConsultantDivision of Epidemiology, The Roslin Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of EdinburghMinistry of HealthIndependent ConsultantBodastage SolutionsDigital One Health Laboratory, The Roslin Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of EdinburghBlockchain Technology Laboratory, School of Informatics, University of EdinburghCollege of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere UniversitySchool of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Makerere UniversityAbstract Background Haulage truck drivers connect distant communities, posing potential disease introduction risks. However, interventions must balance public health protection, economic continuity, and individual rights. This study examines the role of haulage in disease introduction and onward spread in Uganda during the Delta wave of COVID-19. Methods Using 625,422 national surveillance records, we fitted a susceptible-infectious-recovered model to assess whether haulage drivers were a “core-risk group.” Although they accounted for only 0.036% of COVID-19 cases, border districts associated with haulage registered 12.02% more cases than inland districts, suggesting a role in disease introduction. The risk varied by location, with Tororo experiencing a higher burden than Amuru and Kyotera, which border South Sudan and Tanzania, respectively. Mandatory COVID-19 testing and result waiting at the Malaba border crossing increased disease risk in Tororo by up to 6%. While haulage-targeted interventions reduced cases in border districts, they had minimal impact on inland districts, indicating a limited role in onward spread. Our findings also suggest that integrating haulage-specific measures with vaccination would further reduce case-load. Conclusions Our findings suggest that truck drivers were a transient core risk group with limited impact on onward spread. However, uncertainties remain regarding the extent of their role, and interventions like testing and result waiting at border crossings may have inadvertently heightened risk. Pandemic preparedness strategies should carefully assess risks in key sectors like supply chains to balance public safety with individual rights.https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-025-00387-wCore risk groupHaulageCOVID-19Mathematical modelsPandemic interventionPreparedness |
| spellingShingle | Adrian Muwonge Paul R. Bessell Mark Barend de Clare Bronsvoort Ibrahim Mugerwa Erisa Mwaka Emmanuel Ssebaggala Bryan Aidan Wee Aggelos Kiayias Christine Mbabazi Mpyangu Moses Lutakome Joloba Assessing the Impact of Haulage Drivers in Uganda's COVID-19 Delta Wave Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health Core risk group Haulage COVID-19 Mathematical models Pandemic intervention Preparedness |
| title | Assessing the Impact of Haulage Drivers in Uganda's COVID-19 Delta Wave |
| title_full | Assessing the Impact of Haulage Drivers in Uganda's COVID-19 Delta Wave |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the Impact of Haulage Drivers in Uganda's COVID-19 Delta Wave |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the Impact of Haulage Drivers in Uganda's COVID-19 Delta Wave |
| title_short | Assessing the Impact of Haulage Drivers in Uganda's COVID-19 Delta Wave |
| title_sort | assessing the impact of haulage drivers in uganda s covid 19 delta wave |
| topic | Core risk group Haulage COVID-19 Mathematical models Pandemic intervention Preparedness |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-025-00387-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adrianmuwonge assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave AT paulrbessell assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave AT markbarenddeclarebronsvoort assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave AT ibrahimmugerwa assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave AT erisamwaka assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave AT emmanuelssebaggala assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave AT bryanaidanwee assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave AT aggeloskiayias assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave AT christinembabazimpyangu assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave AT moseslutakomejoloba assessingtheimpactofhaulagedriversinugandascovid19deltawave |