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Article History

Received: 20 January 2026

Accepted: 21 April 2026

First Online: 4 May 2026

Declarations

:

: The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Uganda Virus Research Institute Research Ethics Committee (UVRI-REC, #874) and registered with the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST, SS #2167). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants after the moderator/interviewer explained the study’s aims, benefits, and potential risks. For illiterate participants, the informed consent process was documented with the help of an impartial witness. All study procedures, including compensation for participants’ time (each received$13.5) were performed in compliance with the principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki, the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and guidelines of respective regulatory bodies. Participants’ anonymity was maintained throughout the research process through the use of identification numbers.

: Not applicable.

: The contents of this manuscript are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the different participating Institutions, neither those of the funder or donor.

: The authors declare no competing interests.