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Article History

Received: 20 December 2025

Accepted: 18 May 2026

First Online: 2 June 2026

Declarations

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: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Makerere University College of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee (MAKSHSREC 2024-635) and national clearance from the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (HS6654ES). The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national guidelines. Participation was voluntary, with the right to withdraw at any stage without penalty or consequence. To protect privacy, all data were anonymized using unique identifiers, and no identifying details or images have been published. Audio files and transcripts were stored in password-protected folders accessible only to the research team, in line with national data-protection requirements and international best practice standards. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. For illiterate participants, consent forms were administered in Leb Lango (local language) in presence of a witness to ensure comprehension. All collected data were anonymized to ensure confidentiality.

: The authors declare no competing interests.