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Article History

Received: 24 July 2024

Accepted: 13 January 2025

First Online: 24 January 2025

Declarations

:

: All the data collection protocols were approved by Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Côte-d’Ivoire research ethics committee. Before actual field data collection, the researcher applied for an introduction letter from graduate school University Felix Houphouet-Boigny’s research ethics committee. The introduction letter was presented to National Council for Science and Technology in Uganda (NCST) to get a clearance letter for field data collection. The clearance letter from NCST and UFHB research ethics committee acted as a binding document between researchers, institutions, and communities during data collection and copies of both documents were presented to local authorities and respondents whenever requested during data collection. Participation of all respondents was purely voluntary since the study was not for commercial but for academic purposes.

: All participants who participated in the study provided informed consent before their inclusion. The informant consent included but was not limited to information about the purpose of the study, procedures involved and benefits, and the right to withdraw at any time without penalty. Personal data including names, dates of birth, and other characteristics were anonymized to protect participant privacy. I therefore confirm that all data collection and analysis were performed following relevant guidelines and regulations.

: The authors declare no competing interests.