Makerere College of Health Sciences, and colleagues from Department of Botany (Dr James Kalema and Dr Mary Namaganda), and their research to develop a new way of controlling malaria by controlling the population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.
Prof. Ogwal-Okeng’s project is one of 78 grants announced by the Gates Foundation in the fourth funding round of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to help scientists around the world explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve health in developing countries. The grants were provided to scientists in 18 countries on six continents.
To receive funding, Prof. Ogwal-Okeng’s team showed in a two-page application how his idea falls outside current scientific paradigms and might lead to significant advances in global health. The initiative is highly competitive, receiving almost 2,700 proposals in this round.
Prof. Ogwal-Okeng’s work towards developing a new method of controlling malaria builds from the knowledge that insect-eating plants grow well in swamps and land in Uganda. Those that grow in water may trap and eat mosquito larvae, while those on land may trap and eat adult mosquitoes. When propogated and deployed appropriately in and around houses and in stagnant waters, may reduce the populations of adult mosquitoes and larvae, thereby reducing chances of humans being bitten and acquiring malaria. These plant species have very beautiful flowers and Prof Ogwal-Okeng hopes that they will quickly be accepted, particularly as ornaments around and inside houses.
“The winners of these grants show the bold thinking we need to tackle some of the world’s greatest health challenges,” said Dr. Tachi Yamada, president of the Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program. “I’m excited about their ideas and look forward to seeing some of these exploratory projects turn into lifesaving breakthroughs.”
About Grand Challenges Explorations Grand Challenges Explorations is a five-year, $100 million initiative of the Gates Foundation to promote innovation in global health. The program uses an agile, streamlined grant process – applications are limited to two pages, and preliminary data are not required. Proposals are reviewed and selected by a committee of foundation staff and external experts, and grant decisions are made within approximately three months of the close of the funding round.
Applications for the current round of Grand Challenges Explorations are being accepted through May 19, 2010. Grant application instructions, including the list of topics for which proposals are currently being accepted, are available at www.grandchallenges.org/explorations.
Makerere University School of Public Health, through the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, is accepting applications for a two-week online short course on Introduction to Decision Modelling for Economic Evaluation.
The course will introduce participants to the principles and practical application of decision modelling in economic evaluation, covering Markov modelling, evidence synthesis, model development, validation, sensitivity analysis and interpretation of results to inform policy and resource allocation.
Convened by Dr. Elizabeth Ekirapa, Associate Professor of Health Economics at MakSPH, the course will feature Dr. Joseph Babigumira, Managing Consultant at GHE Consulting, as Guest Lecturer.
The training targets health professionals, researchers, policymakers, students and other individuals interested in applying decision modelling to economic evaluation.
Dates: 9–20 November 2026 Time: 3:00–6:00 PM EAT Mode: Online via Zoom Fees: UGX 800,000 (Ugandans) | USD 270 (non-Ugandans) Application Deadline: 1 November 2026
Makerere University and Xiangtan University are set to update their close to 20-year academic partnership, with a new focus on launching a joint Master’s degree program in Chemical Engineering and expanding student and staff exchange initiatives.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a recent visit by a delegation from Xiangtan University to Makerere University headed by Professor Dingyu Ou, in the company of Mr. Tang Fei and Professor Gilbert Gumshabe, the Chinese and Ugandan Directors of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University respectively.
While addressing the delegation, Professor Nawangwe highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify academic offerings and contribute to national development through training in Chemical Engineering. Through this new initiative, the University will better prepare graduates for the petrochemical industry and support the country’s industrial growth.
The meeting in session.
The Vice Chancellor appreciated that the proposed collaboration aims to address Uganda’s growing need for industrial expertise, particularly as the country develops its petroleum sector. The two universities here are working toward a 1+2 training model, which will enable Makerere students to gain practical experience and access advanced laboratory facilities at Xiangtan University.
Professor Nawangwe further reiterated that “our relationship with the people of China, not just for Makerere but also for a big part of Uganda, has been opened wider by the establishment of the Confucius Institute, considering that many other collaborations like one being discussed now have come through this collaboration.”
The head of the Xiangtan delegation, Professor Dingyu Ou, expressed appreciation for the meeting, and acknowledged the history between the institutions. “As mentioned, we have a very long relationship and a very stable friendship between our two universities.”
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (L) presents an assortment of Makerere Souvenirs to Prof. Dingyu Ou (R).
Professor Ou extended appreciation for the support provided to the Confucius Institute at Makerere, the care shown to his colleagues, and looked forward to the successful start of the Chemical Engineering collaboration.
Assuring the delegation of Makerere’s readiness for the collaboration, Ms. Hawa Ndagire Kajumba the Lead, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, Makerere University Advancement Office, aligned with the Vice Chancellor’s emphasis of University goal to have both theory and practice imparted to the students.
She said “the curriculum of the university and Uganda as a whole is moving towards competence-based education training to ensure students are equipped to demonstrate those skills in the actual field, particularly regarding petroleum exploration.”
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (L) presents an assortment of Makerere Souvenirs to Prof. Zhuoqiong Xia (R).
Ms. Ndagire Kajumba also emphasised a shift in strategy for the partnership office, saying, “we are moving away from just signing MOUs that collect dust, and moving towards those that are more collaborative to benefit our faculty and students, just like this one.”
Professor Gilbert Kumushabe aligned his remarks with those of the Vice Chancellor and Ms. Ndagire Kajumba, and described the method used at Xiangtan University as “actually competence-based teaching.”
Based on his recent visit, Prof. Gumoshabe shared that students in China are divided into groups with dedicated teachers to perform practical, hands-on work beyond the theoretical lecturers. He expressed gladness that the same was being adopted for the Ugandan context.
Both institutions are now working to finalise the specific agreements for the joint degree and exchange programs. Beyond academic training, the collaboration will advance cultural and professional exchange.
Makerere University School of Public Health invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for three positions under the Wellcome Trust-supported NETOMA study, which examines the coexistence of health worker shortages and unemployment among qualified health professionals in Africa.
Available Positions
Research Officer To coordinate longitudinal research, data management, quality assurance, and statistical analysis across study sites. Full details and application: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/careers/?view_job=21465
Policy Scientist To undertake health workforce policy research, evidence synthesis, qualitative analysis and knowledge translation. Full details and application: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/careers/?view_job=21468
Research Assistants To support participant recruitment, field data collection, research documentation, and analysis. Full details and application: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/careers/?view_job=21470
Application deadline: Friday, 16 October 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EAT .