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Article History

Received: 11 May 2026

Accepted: 20 July 2026

First Online: 23 July 2026

Declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Stellenbosch University Health Research Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa (Reference No. S20/08/216); the Makerere University School of Public Health Research Ethics Committee, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda (REC No. 940); and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) (Reference No. HS1549ES).All study procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant national and institutional guidelines and regulations. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their participation in the study. For participants who were unable to read or write, the consent form was read aloud in the local language, and informed consent was documented using a thumbprint in the presence of an independent witness. Participation was voluntary, and participants were informed of their right to decline participation or withdraw from the study at any time without any consequences.

Consent for publication: Not applicable.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.