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Mak Successfully Pioneers One Health Residency Program in Africa
The pioneer One Health Residency Program in Africa has successfully been completed at Makerere University under the auspices of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB). The former residents comprising 2 Veterinarians; Dr. David Muwanguzi, Dr. Shamilah Namusisi, and one nurse, Ms. Jacinta Waila (in absentia) received their postgraduate certificates of completion during a ceremony held in Kampala on 1st April 2015. Following a rigorous and highly competitive interview process, the residents were selected in 2012 to undergo this 2-year unique residency, the first of its kind in Africa.
Hosted by the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), the One Health Residency was modelled along the lines of a Veterinary Public Health Residency Program offered by the University of Minnesota, where a team from CoVAB travelled to receive first-hand experience on how to run the program at Makerere. However, the program was upgraded to a One Health Residency to accommodate not just veterinarians, but other professionals in the health sector.
CoVAB and the School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences (CHS) are members of One Health, East and Central Africa (OHCEA), which was instrumental in funding the residents during their stay on the program.
Recruits on the One Health Residency program are mentored to become One Health practitioners through applied, problem-based training. The program targets a combination of early- to mid-career health professionals such as Veterinarians, Nurses, Public Health specialists and Medical Doctors to work as a team while applying general knowledge towards complex health challenges. They are expected to participate in One Health projects comprising “practice” or “clinical” component in industry, government agencies, intergovernmental agencies and university faculty. The residents are also required to get a service component of 75%, working with the private sector, public sector & academia on competency based projects and an optional 25% towards an advanced degree for those who need academic growth. All the 3 residents enrolled for a Masters’ degree and are currently in the process of completing them. Dr. Namusisi and Ms. Waila enrolled for a Masters in Public Health while Dr. Muwanguzi, opted for a Masters in Infectious Diseases Management at Makerere University.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Shamila Namusisi said that the residency program was a turning point in her life. “I needed something fresh to rejuvenate myself to go back to communities and the Residency Program did it for me. Not only has my thinking and approach to issues changed,butI have also made a lot of connections, acquired skills and stepped beyond my comfort zone”, Dr. Namusisi noted.
Both Dr. Namusisi and Dr. Muwanguzi appealed to OHCEA to give an opportunity to as many professionals as possible to undergo this unique program, which according to them, is different from the one-way education system that is offered to students at University.
Prof. Francis Ejobi, the in-charge of the program at CoVAB explained that since this was the pioneer program, a lot of challenges were met but at the same time, a lot was learnt and that enough experience was therefore gained to make the next phase even better. “We hope to attract more residents and are looking into alternative funding for the second phase of this project,” he said.
The program Manager OHCEA Uganda, Dr. Geoffrey Kabagambe congratulated the residents upon the successful completion of the residency program. He encouraged them to document their experiences for purposes of promoting acceptability and understanding of the program within the University and beyond.
Dr. innocent Rwego, the representative from the University of Minnesota noted that his university was still interested and committed to supporting the residency program. He was also happy to note that unlike in 2010 when the University of Minnesota first approached CoVAB, the residency program has gained a little more acceptance and understanding within the College.
Dr. Kabagambe expressed optimism that under the new One Health Task force project, there is hope for further funding of the One Health residency program, which he said should be evaluated and findings used to assess its impact.
The Deputy Principal CoVAB praised the One Health Residency Program for producing well rounded professionals with a lot of skills that undergraduate students at the University usually lack at the time of graduation.She urged the former residents to be available when called upon in regard to propelling this program further since it has immense potential to contribute to Makerere University’s internationalization agenda.
Article by Ms. Jovia Musubika Kavulu, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity
The Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD), Makerere University on 14th September 2021 presented findings from phase one of the study on Enhancing Women’s Participation and Visibility in Leadership and Decision-Making Organs of Public Universities in Uganda through Action Research. The study team led by the Director GMD and Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine also consists of Assoc. Prof. Consolata Kabonesa, Dr. Anna Ninsiima, Ms. Frances Nyachwo, Ms. Susan Mbabazi and Mr. Eric Tumwesigye.
The team is also made of coordinators from participating Universities such as Busitema University-Ms. Elizabeth Birabwa, Kabale University-Sr. Dr. Eva Tumusiime, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)-Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko, Muni University-Ms. Amandru Stella Wawa, and Gulu Univeristy-Sr. Rosalba Aciro.
Funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF), the study was inspired by the fact that women are persistently few in numbers as staff, more so in leadership and decision-making organs of Ugandan Public Universities. “This is despite all the various efforts at national and international levels; the numbers are not growing as fast as needed to meet development goals of the country” explained Dr. Euzobia.
Based on this background, the study team therefore sought to conduct a situational analysis of the gender terrain of the six public universities to obtain baseline information encompassing the composition of governance and leadership organs and senior staff by sex, as well as a needs assessment and profiles of potential mentors and mentees.
Furthermore, the team sought to explore the capacity to conduct gender-responsive research as well as the role of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions within the universities as the drivers of development.
Dr. Mugisha-Baine shared that results of the baseline would then be used to design participatory training manuals or guides on gender and leadership. The manuals would cover; Institutionalized mentorship, How to conduct gender-responsive research, gender and equity budgeting, among others.
“Within these manuals, we shall have a male staff engagement strategy in gender equity interventions in universities” she explained.
The development of the aforementioned materials would then be followed by their adoption and use to build capacity for women not only in leadership of participating and other public university but also beyond. “We shall periodically evaluate whether the capacity we have built has influenced women’s participation in leadership and decision-making organs of the university” supplemented the PI.
The capacity building trainings for women, it is envisaged, will lay the foundation for the formation of a functional Uganda University Women’s Think Tank, starting with the six participating universities. Dr. Mugisha Baine added that through this Think Tank, a monitoring and tracking system for gender representation in recruitment, promotion, retention/turnover and leadership of public universities shall be established and maintained.
At the conclusion of phase one, the study team had drafted participatory training manuals in gender and leadership with content on; gender specific critical analysis of the leadership spectrum of public universities, positioning of individual women within the institutional framework and strategies for their advancement, gender equity advocacy in the university setting, institutional mentorship, building capacity in conducting gender-responsive research, among others.
“This content will be validated by the participating universities before the actual research training is conducted” added the PI.
On behalf of the research team, Dr. Mugisha Baine thanked the Government of Uganda for providing the resources that facilitated phase one of the study and prayed that the Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC) would support the next phase of capacity building.
Speaking on behalf of the Mak-RIF GMC Chairperson, Prof. William Bazeyo, Dr. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala thanked and congratulated the team led by the Director GMD upon the milestones registered in the critical research.
“We are very proud of that work that is being done by all researchers in Mak-RIF and we would like to most sincerely thank Management for all the support throughout this process” she remarked.
Dr. Nkabala encouraged the research team to continue disseminating and using the findings for the furtherance of gender mainstreaming, particularly through the aspect of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions.
Prior to delivering the keynote address of the day, the Executive Director National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Prof. Mary Okwakol thanked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe for inviting her to the important forum, noting that women’s participation in decision making and governance is a priority area of the Uganda Gender Policy 2007.
She commended Makerere University for being at the forefront of gender mainstreaming in Uganda, noting that this prominence was one of the reasons why the Gender in Education Policy 2007 provides for replicating the institution’s strategy in all other Higher Education Institutions.
Prof. Okwakol whose keynote address was punctuated incisive personal examples reaffirmed the statistics that women are generally not visible in leadership of Universities. That notwithstanding, in instances where they rise to leadership and decision-making positions, they are regularly subject to roles traditionally deemed as women’s inconsiderate of their managerial seniority and experience.
She nevertheless rallied the women to play their respective roles in enhancing participation and visibility at a personal level. The following were some of the strategies she proposed; work hard to acquire academic credentials so as to compete favourably with men, acquire necessary administrative training and experience, network among women, join professional networks as well as do research and publish.
On joining professional networks, she shared her personal experience as a young zoologist who joined UNESCO’s Tropical Biology and Fertility Programme. “Within a short time I was appointed Coordinator for Africa and after two years, I was elected as a Member of the International Board of Management. After serving for two years, I became Vice Chairperson of that Board and finally I became Chairperson of that International Board.”
At the institutional level, Prof. Okwakol appealed to the Chairperson Council and Vice Chancellor to proactively recruit women who meet the requirements for leadership positions even if it means actively seeking out the reluctant ones. In this regard, she shared that it would be useful for the university to develop a database of women and their qualifications to ease this process.
She shared that NCHE has in recognition of female underrepresentation at every level in Higher Education approved the establishment of a Gender and Equity Unit with the aim of promoting inclusive gender participation in the sub-sector.
“This unit has been placed under the Directorate of Quality Assurance and Accreditation which implies that as we look out for and regulate quality, gender will be a very important aspect of that regulation” she reassured.
Prof. Okwakol concluded by urging participants to read the; Third National Development Plan (NDPIII), Uganda Vision 2040, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) noting that there is no way all three can be achieved while women are left behind because they each make a case for inclusion of the female gender.
“What we are addressing here are historical injustices” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe as he commenced his remarks, “And in the case of Makerere University, it is well known that the institution started as a male-only institution and we all know the original motto was ‘Let us be men’” he added.
Citing examples from history such as; Marie Curie – one of the smartest physicists, Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra – prominent Pharaohs of Egypt, George Eliot, Rosa Luxemburg and Hypatia – all great philosophers as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel – first female Chancellor of Germany, the Vice Chancellor said there is no plausible argument that there are things women cannot do as well as their male counterparts.
He said it was against this knowledge and in a bid to correct historical injustices that Makerere University pioneered initiatives such as putting in place affirmative action for girls, establishing a Gender Mainstreaming Directorate as well as a School of Women and Gender Studies. The Vice Chancellor nevertheless stressed the need to go beyond pioneering to protecting these gains through legislation. “Historically we have seen that discrimination can only be addressed by laws and policies.”
Prof. Nawangwe thanked the Government for providing funds to support Mak-RIF as well as the Funds GMC and Secretariat for ensuring that these funds are put to good use. He equally thanked the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara for her not only her support but also sparing time to attend a good number of the research dissemination events.
Delivering the concluding remarks, Mrs. Magara acknowledged that the study was timely and relevant the contemporary University, as one of the critical drivers of the national and international development agenda. She therefore reechoed the Vice Chancellor’s thanks to the Government of Uganda for generously supporting the University’s research through Mak-RIF.
Turning to the keynote speaker she said, “I thank Prof. Okwakol for ardently discussing the critical issues affecting the female gender, the strategies to overcome the challenges, including sharing her inspiring personal experiences.”
Mrs. Magara equally thanked Prof. Okwakol for her very instructional analysis, providing mentorship guidance with the resultant impact of enhancing the female gender in decision-making positions. In the same breath she congratulated the PI and her team upon successfully concluding phase one of the project.
“Phase one has generated insights in understanding the status of women in leadership in public universities, the legal and policy framework and its implications on women’s visibility, the institutional mentoring systems and the gaps therein” she observed.
The Chairperson of Council acknowledged that the challenge of underrepresentation of women in leadership roles cannot be resolved at an individual level. She therefore advocated for broad based strategies that can address deep-seated structural and cultural biases facing women. “These include developing mentorship networks, enacting laws and policies that address the imbalances and providing training programmes to address the leadership gaps.”
She therefore pledged the University Council’s unwavering support to the Gender Mainstreaming Programme by ensuring an enabling policy environment that facilitates gender-responsive teaching, learning, research innovation and community service.
The research dissemination was moderated by the Principal Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ms. Ritah Namisango and the Director Communications, Learning and Knowledge Management, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) and PRO Mak-RIF, Ms. Harriet Adong.
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