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Article History

Received: 7 September 2024

Accepted: 20 January 2026

First Online: 30 January 2026

Declarations

:

: The study was conducted in accordance with ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, as adopted by the World Medical Association [ , ], and in compliance with national and institutional regulations governing research involving human participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences (Approval No. 044/CMHS IRB/2022).All participants were fully informed about the purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits of the study, as well as their rights to confidentiality and voluntary participation, including the right to withdraw at any time without consequence. Written informed consent and assent were obtained before interviews were conducted, with an advocate present to ensure participants understood their rights. For participants under the age of 16, both informed consent from their parents and assent from the minors themselves were obtained, following ethical guidelines to ensure compliance with the requirements for the participation of minors in the study. All methods in this study were performed in accordance with the national and international guidelines and regulations for research in humans.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.