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Article History

Received: 28 January 2024

Accepted: 18 November 2024

First Online: 24 November 2024

Declarations

:

: The study received ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Rwanda, College of Medicine and Health Sciences (approval reference: CMHS/IRB/046/2019). Authorization to collect data was obtained from school headmasters and local government representatives. The researchers explained the study objectives to the children, emphasizing their rights to participate voluntarily, withdraw at any time without explanation, and assured confidentiality by not collecting names. Consent forms were distributed to children to obtain parental/legal guardian consent. All children returned signed consent forms from their parents/guardians, allowing them to participate in the study. Assent was also obtained from children aged 8 years and above.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.