General
IDI Voluntary Male Circumcision Training Covers Preparation for COVID-19
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 3rd to 5th 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 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
Makerere University, DFCU Bank Sign MoU to Advance Innovation, Student Leadership and Research
By Eve Nakyanzi and Atwenda Nancy
Makerere University and DFCU Bank have today signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster innovation, student leadership, research and community impact initiatives.
The collaboration which will see the equipping of the Disability Support center for students living with disabilities through the MAK run and more leadership trainings for students will begin this July.
“The MoU will strengthen research collaborations across sectors like agriculture and health and it will also support the Mutebile Centre to assist private sector growth, which is crucial in lifting Africa out of poverty,” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor.
Speaking during the event, Mr. Charles M. Mudiwa, the DFCU Bank Chief Executive Officer, welcomed the move, noting its alignment with the bank’s mission to transform lives and support national development through four pillars: funding, financial inclusion, enterprise development, and vocational education.
“This MoU crowns years of effort and shared intent between our institutions,” he stated.
Mr. Mudiwa highlighted the bank’s commitment to skilling youth through internships, curriculum development, and support for innovation hubs and centres of excellence at the university.
“We consume the graduates of Makerere. In our most recent graduate intake of 87, 60% were Makerere alumni. The bank allocates around 30 internship positions annually to equip young people with the skills necessary for future roles within the institution,” Mr. Mudiwa, noted.
Representing the student body, Guild President His Excellency, Sentamu Churchill James, commended the partnership as a timely intervention that will empower youth, support SMEs, and expand internship and leadership development opportunities.
“Students are the heartbeat of the university. This collaboration will empower youth and strengthen their role in national development,” His Excellency Ssentamu, said.
About MAK RUN 2025
The Makerere Run 2025 (#MakRun2025), hosted by the Makerere University Endowment Fund (MAKEF) on 17th August 2025, returns for its fifth edition as Kampala’s premier charity marathon, uniting 8,000+ runners—students, alumni, corporate teams, and elite athletes—to tackle the city’s iconic hills under the theme “Run the Hills for the Future.” This landmark event combines competitive racing with transformative impact, channeling proceeds to strengthen Makerere University’s community programs while offering unmatched branding opportunities for partners through Kampala’s largest university-led sporting spectacle.
The Mak Run, scheduled this year for August 17th, is a flagship initiative that mobilizes students, staff, alumni, and partners to raise funds for projects such as the Disability Support Unit and the Student Centre.
The Writers are Interns in the Public Relations Office, Makerere University
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