The School of Public Health (MakSPH), College of Health Sciences, Makerere University together with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the MakSPH-CDC fellowship program organized the Fellowship@12 and grand dissemination workshop to celebrate 12 years of great service to the nation in the area of capacity building for health leadership and management in Uganda.

The workshop held on 17th December 2014 at Silver Springs Hotel, Kampala was also aimed at disseminating the findings of 13 fellows from the 2013/14 intake.
According to the acting Dean, School of Public Health (MakSPH), Prof. Christopher Garimoi Orach, the MakSPH-CDC fellowship program as the oldest and largest capacity building program at the school, has yielded tremendous results in terms of the number of individuals trained and their impact on the Ugandan health sector.

“Individuals who have gone through this program have been able to acquire leadership and management skills in various areas of public health. This has not only credited Makerere University as a training institution but also added value more value to the health and education sectors in Uganda,” he said.

Supported and funded by the US Government, the MakSPH-CDC Fellowship program was initiated in 2002 to develop health leadership and management capacity in Uganda. The program of offers various training sessions including the long and medium term fellowships, short courses and technical placements which all avail students with management and leadership skills in the public health sector.

At the function 13 fellow graduates shared experience, skills and knowledge they attained in social marketing, behavioral change communication, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation programs and communication strategy in public health, for the two years they have been under training. The MakSPH-CDC Fellowship program presented three awards to i) the Most Outstanding Fellow 2013-14, Ms. Joan Kabayambi-attached to the Center for Health, Human Rights & Development (CEHURD), ii) the Best Academic Mentor, Dr. Frank Kaharuza and iii) the Best Host Institution, Jinja District. The 13 graduating fellows of the year 2013-14 were also awarded certificates in recognition of their respective achievements.

In his speech the Makerere University Chancellor Prof. George Mondo Kagonyera, acknowledged the tremendous support from US Government to this program, “I would like to thank the US Government, which has generously supported the Makerere University School of Public Health-CDC fellowship program, for the last 12 years.”

“Through this support we have not only trained over 300 young fellows who have made a great contribution to health sector in the country but also led to the re-establishment and expansion of the field training,” the Prof. Kagonyera added

The US Ambassador to Uganda His Excellency Scott DeLisi, congratulated the fellowship partner members for the visible and wonderful achievements accomplished during the program. The Ambassador therefore urged the fellows to utilize the skills they attained during the training to develop the community.

“Despite your personal successes, however, the challenge of developing Uganda’s human capital more broadly is daunting and will require your committed and focused leadership to make a difference in the years ahead,” the Ambassador said.

Ambassador DeLisi outlined population growth, education and delivery of health services as important variables affecting human capital development in Uganda. He noted that an additional 200million dollars would be needed to fund the Government’s 90-90-90 HIV goal urged Ugandans to think of creative ways to fund this ambitious target. The Government of Uganda’s 90-90-90 goal envisages that by the year 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their status; 90% of all people diagnosed cases will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy; and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.

In his remarks, the Associate Director for Communications at CDC Uganda and Acting Country Director, Mr. Erik Friedley applauded Makerere University School of Public Health for the doubled efforts in controlling health threats from infectious diseases in the country and the world at large.

“What you have done in shaping the country’s education and health future is typically important, besides the many challenges. You have indeed made new strides in the development of your community,” he said.

Honourable Victoria Sekitoleko is a former Minister of Agriculture in the Ugandan Government and former representative for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in China, Mongolia, and South Korea. In her motivational talk to the audience; Seizing Opportunities and Living a Life that matters, she shared that the only way to deal with one’s challenges is to turn them into opportunities. She encouraged the day’s graduates to take advantage of their training as leaders to fight against the inferiority complex which limit individuals from attaining their goals.

“Wherever you are, whichever way life treats you, insist on being leaders. I have been seeing all your articles in the newspapers so please do not stop writing. Family is very important so those of you intending to get into academic writing or research should learn how to optimally balance your time,” Hon. Sekitoleko advised.

The 13 Mak-SPH fellows for 2013-14 and their respective host institutions were; Daniel Mwanja-Mumpe-National Tuberculosis & Leprosy Program; Francis Lwanga-The AIDS Support Organisation; Joan Kabayambi-Center for Health, Human Rights & Development; Michael Kasusse-Central Public Health Laboratories; Sharon Nakanwagi-Reach Out Mbuya; Sharon Ahumuza-AIDS Information Center; Elizabeth Asiimwe-Jinja District; Vincent Kiberu-Ministry of Health Resource Centre; David Roger Walugembe-Knowledge Translation Network, MakSPH; Michael Owor-Baylor Uganda; Anne Nabukenya-Mildmay Uganda; Stephen Alege-Uganda Health Marketing Group; and Rosette Mugumya-Ministry of Health STD/AIDS Control Programme.

Article by Nabatte Prossy, Intern-Public Relations Office