General

IDI Voluntary Male Circumcision Training Covers Preparation for COVID-19

Published

1 year ago

March 13, 2020

Mark Wamai

The Head, IDI Global Health Security Programme (GHSP)-Dr. Mohammed Lamorde (Left) listens to feedback from VMMCs during the three-day training in March 2020, IDI-McKinnell Knowledge Centre, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.

The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Global Health Security Programme (GHSP) and Health Systems Strengthening E-AMAKA project organized a three-day Infection Prevention and Control training for 20 Voluntary Medical Male Circumcisers (VMMCs). The training took place at the IDI-McKinnell Knowledge Centre, Makerere University from 3^rd to 5^th March 2020.

The training was aimed at increasing institutional capacity as well as making the VMMCs better equipped to handle individual cases. VMMCs by the nature of their work interact with many people while training workers in other facilities on circumcision and are therefore able to act quickly in the event of an outbreak.

The main facilitators of the training were Dr. Mohammed Lamorde, Head of GHSP and Dr. Maureen Kesande, the Project Officer for Infection Prevention and Control in GHSP. So far similar trainings have taken place at Entebbe General Hospital and at the Naguru China-Uganda Friendship Hospital.

The Project Officer for Infection Prevention and Control, IDI GHSP- Dr. Maureen Kesande takes VMMCs through a case definition as part of the three-day training.

The training was an avenue for the teams of IDI Wakiso and Kampala to get to know each other and share best practices, learning the different causes of respiratory tract infections, outbreak management, quarantine criteria for infectious diseases, steps of sterilization and decontamination (for both reusable and disposable kits) and new ideas around personal protective equipment. The training mainly covered Ebola and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) as infectious diseases.

“This is the first Coronavirus with an infection rate this high, threatening over a million to a billion people,” Dr. Larmode said. He also went ahead and explained that there are 7,500 cases reported in Italy, which figure kept growing, with the virus highlighted in a few countries such as South Africa and Nigeria.

Dr. Kesande advised the trainees on how to deal with outbreaks and listed different pillars to guide them. These included a coordination pillar to link all outbreaks in the country, a surveillance pillar that is supposed to give you the epidemiology and where the outbreak is going, the Case management pillar, pillar of psychosocial support, and finally the Risk communication pillar.

Article by Winifred Nyapendi, IDI Communications Office

General

Veteran Professor changed Makerere and Higher Education

Published

1 day ago

June 21, 2021

Mark Wamai

Professor Pancras John Mukasa Ssebuwufu (L) receives a plaque and citation from RUFORUM Board Member and Vice Chancellor Ndejje University-Professor Eriabu Lugujjo (Right) on 6th May 2021 at the RUFORUM Secretariat, Plot 155 Garden Hill, Makerere University Main Campus,

When Professor John Ssebuwufu ambled up to receive a certificate of recognition for his ‘exceptional’ contribution to higher education from the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) at Makerere University (MU), he was thinking of many things, such as rewarding staff, that he could have done differently to impact university education more.

But he did what he could have done, under the circumstances.

He presided over MU (in 1993) when student enrolment was 5,000 and left in 2004 when the population was surging to more than 15,000.

He emphasised the use of information communication technologies in almost all the institutions he had been involved in and sent many academic staff on exchanges to boost research and innovation. Now, more African universities engage in ground-breaking research.

So, he proceeded to accept his recognition and make his acceptance speech, which was mostly about gratitude.

Ssebuwufu, 74, who is currently the chancellor at Kyambogo University and the vice-chancellor of the University of Kisubi, is credited for his exemplary leadership and pragmatic methods that have shaped higher education in Uganda and Africa as a whole.

General

Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program 2021/2022

Published

1 day ago

June 21, 2021

Mark Wamai

Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program 2021/2022. Photo credit: AfDB

The Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program is a capacity building project by the AfDB and Japan which was initiated in 2017 with the aim of providing two-year scholarship awards to highly achieving African graduate students to enable them to undergo post-graduate studies (i.e. a two-year Master’s degree program) in selected priority development areas on the continent and Japan. The overarching goal the AfDB and the Government of Japan seek to attain is to enhance skills and human resources development in Africa in under the Bank’s High 5s agenda (i.e. “Feed Africa”, “Light up Africa”, “Industrialize Africa”, “Integrate Africa” and “Improve the quality of life of the people of Africa”) and key Japanese development assistance initiatives. JADS core areas of study focus include energy, agriculture, health, environmental sustainability, and engineering. The program also seeks to promote inter-university collaboration and university-industry partnerships between Japan and Africa. Upon completion of their studies, the JADS scholars are expected to return to their home countries to apply and disseminate their newly acquired knowledge and skills in the public and private sectors, and contribute to national and continental socio-economic development.

About the JADS program

The JADS Program is open to applicants from AfDB member countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a graduate degree program in energy development and related discipline. The program does not provide scholarships to any other graduate degree program.

The scholarship program provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance.

Upon completion of their studies, the beneficiary scholars are expected to return to their home countries to apply and disseminate their newly acquired knowledge and skills, and contribute to the promotion of sustainable development of their countries.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

The program is open to those who have gained admission to an approved Masters degree course at a Japanese partner university. Candidates should be 35 years old or younger; in good health; with a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in the energy area or related area; and have a superior academic record. Upon completion of their study programs, scholars are expected to return to their home country to contribute to its economic and social development.

Application Procedures

Applicant requests for information and application forms and procedures from the chosen JADS partner university. For any inquiries, please contact JADS@AFDB.ORG
Applicant completes required documents and sends them to the university.
University evaluates and selects applicants.
University sends selected candidates to the AfDB.
AfDB reviews submissions from universities, prepares and approves the final list.
AfDB contacts selected awardees, and informs the universities.