Factors associated with access to food and essential medicines among Ugandans during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study
Introduction: Many sub-Saharan African countries implemented lockdowns, curfew, and restricted movements among other strategies to control and prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures caused problems of access to food and essential medicines. We evaluated the importance of this problem in Ugan...
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African Field Epidemiology Network
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.afenet-journal.net/content/series/4/2/4/full/ |
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| author | Elizabeth Katana Bob Omoda Amodan Lilian Bulage Alex Riolexus Ario Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo Robert Colebunders Rhoda Wanyenze |
| author_facet | Elizabeth Katana Bob Omoda Amodan Lilian Bulage Alex Riolexus Ario Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo Robert Colebunders Rhoda Wanyenze |
| author_sort | Elizabeth Katana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Many sub-Saharan African countries implemented lockdowns, curfew, and restricted movements among other strategies to control and prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures caused problems of access to food and essential medicines. We evaluated the importance of this problem in Uganda.
Methods: In April 2020, we organized an online survey using a questionnaire to investigate the adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and the impact of COVID-19. We used a modified Poisson regression analysis to identify factors associated with difficulties to access food or essential medicines.
Results: Of the 1,726 study participants, 1,015 (58.8%) were males, 1,660 (92.6%) had at least tertiary level of education, 734 (42.5%) reported difficulties to obtain food. Of the 300 with a chronic illness, 107 (35.7%) experienced difficulties in accessing medication and 40 (13.3%) completely discontinued medication in the past week. Experiencing violence (Adjusted POR=1.61 CI:1.31 -1.99) was associated with difficulties accessing food or essential medicines while increasing age was associated with lower odds of experiencing difficulties (Adjusted POR= 0.97 CI: 0.96 – 0.98).
Conclusion: This study confirms the reports that the strict lockdown measures implemented in Uganda made it difficult for Ugandan citizens to access food and essential medicines. Lockdown measures should be accompanied by interventions that ensure the continuity of access to food and essential medicines. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ec719f5e31254ca8a0871eb19a76c7ab |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2664-2824 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | African Field Epidemiology Network |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-ec719f5e31254ca8a0871eb19a76c7ab2025-08-20T03:08:28ZengAfrican Field Epidemiology NetworkJournal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health2664-28242021-10-0144https://doi.org/10.37432/jieph.supp.2021.4.4.02Factors associated with access to food and essential medicines among Ugandans during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional studyElizabeth Katana0Bob Omoda Amodan1Lilian Bulage2Alex Riolexus Ario3Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo4Robert Colebunders5Rhoda Wanyenze6Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program, Ministry of Health, Kampala, UgandaUganda Public Health Fellowship Program, Ministry of Health, Kampala, UgandaUganda Public Health Fellowship Program, Ministry of Health, Kampala, UgandaUganda Public Health Fellowship Program, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda; Uganda National Institute of Public Health, Kampala, UgandaGlobal Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumGlobal Health Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumSchool of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaIntroduction: Many sub-Saharan African countries implemented lockdowns, curfew, and restricted movements among other strategies to control and prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures caused problems of access to food and essential medicines. We evaluated the importance of this problem in Uganda. Methods: In April 2020, we organized an online survey using a questionnaire to investigate the adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and the impact of COVID-19. We used a modified Poisson regression analysis to identify factors associated with difficulties to access food or essential medicines. Results: Of the 1,726 study participants, 1,015 (58.8%) were males, 1,660 (92.6%) had at least tertiary level of education, 734 (42.5%) reported difficulties to obtain food. Of the 300 with a chronic illness, 107 (35.7%) experienced difficulties in accessing medication and 40 (13.3%) completely discontinued medication in the past week. Experiencing violence (Adjusted POR=1.61 CI:1.31 -1.99) was associated with difficulties accessing food or essential medicines while increasing age was associated with lower odds of experiencing difficulties (Adjusted POR= 0.97 CI: 0.96 – 0.98). Conclusion: This study confirms the reports that the strict lockdown measures implemented in Uganda made it difficult for Ugandan citizens to access food and essential medicines. Lockdown measures should be accompanied by interventions that ensure the continuity of access to food and essential medicines.https://www.afenet-journal.net/content/series/4/2/4/full/covid-19pandemicaccess to essential medicineslockdownugandaaccess to foodcontrol and prevention measures |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth Katana Bob Omoda Amodan Lilian Bulage Alex Riolexus Ario Joseph Nelson Siewe Fodjo Robert Colebunders Rhoda Wanyenze Factors associated with access to food and essential medicines among Ugandans during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health covid-19 pandemic access to essential medicines lockdown uganda access to food control and prevention measures |
| title | Factors associated with access to food and essential medicines among Ugandans during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Factors associated with access to food and essential medicines among Ugandans during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Factors associated with access to food and essential medicines among Ugandans during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors associated with access to food and essential medicines among Ugandans during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Factors associated with access to food and essential medicines among Ugandans during the COVID-19 lockdown: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | factors associated with access to food and essential medicines among ugandans during the covid 19 lockdown a cross sectional study |
| topic | covid-19 pandemic access to essential medicines lockdown uganda access to food control and prevention measures |
| url | https://www.afenet-journal.net/content/series/4/2/4/full/ |
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