Hematological and biochemical data obtained in rural northern Uganda.

Reference intervals for common hematological and clinical chemistry parameters constitute an important basis for health care. Moreover, with increasing priority in drug and vaccine development for infectious diseases in Africa, the first priority is the safety evaluation and tolerability of the candidate interventions in healthy populations. To accurately assess health status and address adverse events, clinical reference intervals in the target population are necessary. We report on hematological and biochemical indices from healthy volunteers who participated in a clinical trial in Lira, northern Uganda. Median and nonparametric 95% percentiles on five hematology and 15 biochemistry analytes are shown. Although most hematological analytes conformed to reported reference intervals and trends in Africa, literature review from different African countries highlight the need for a region-specific children reference interval that can be appropriate for the population.