The World Health Organization declared Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic that is rapidly spreading across the globe. The global count by the time of writing stood at over 1.2 Million COVID-19 confirmed cases, with Fifty-Two (52) in Uganda. Critical COVID-19 cases once hospitalized and placed in the Intensive Care Unit for management require a respiratory assistive technology known as a Ventilator.
Analysts have projected increased global demand for ventilators resultant from the continual increase in severe COVID-19 cases. An increase in conventional ventilator production is very likely to fall short of global demand and with high associated cost. In the United States alone, the COVID-19 pandemic has been projected to result into ventilator shortages in the order of 300,000-700,000 units. Uganda has 12 functional Intensive Care Units equipped with a total of 55 functional beds implying an estimated 55 ventilators; in other words, 1.3 beds (with ventilators) per a million people. The ventilators on the market are prohibitively expensive (Price of USD 25,000 per ventilator) for low income countries like Uganda. There is therefore need for low cost ventilators that can be manufactured locally. Such ventilators would bolster the country's surge capacity to provide critical care in case the demand for such care increases.
Makerere University, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) a project of the School of Public Health, Kiira Motors Corporation, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) have thus scanned the COVID-19 Healthcare Frontline with the view of exploring the Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation contribution to the solution space in averting the pandemic in Uganda. These parties are therefore working round the clock toward the development of an Open Design Low-Cost Ventilator adapting open access designs from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Florida, and other Public License Ventilator Technology Developers, to the needs in Africa placing strategic emphasis on Supply Chain Localization to engender the scaling of production. The capacity developed in the area for local content participation in the manufacture of Low-Cost ventilators will be valuable to Uganda even beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Makerere University has received 700 digital tablets from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), aimed at enhancing statistical research, teaching, and data-driven decision-making across the institution.
The donation was made on June 30, 2025, as part of UBOS’ broader initiative to distribute a total of 3,025 tablets to ten government-funded institutions of higher learning. The handover ceremony was attended by Makerere’s Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi and Mr. Simon Kizito, the Deputy University Secretary among other Vice Chancellors and accounting officers.
Vice Chancellors from government-funded institutions of higher learning that received the donation of tablets from UBOS.
Dr. Allen Kabagenyi, a UBOS Board Director, who coordinated the distribution of the tablets to the respective 10 Public universities, underscored the significance of inter-institutional collaboration in fostering a data-literate and innovative generation. “This initiative is a testament to the power of partnerships between public institutions. In a country like Uganda, with one of the youngest populations globally, equipping our future leaders with the right tools is critical to achieving both national and global development goals,” she remarked.
The tablets had initially been procured and deployed during the recently concluded National Population and Housing Census. UBOS Executive Director Dr. Chris Mukiza explained that their redistribution marks the beginning of the Bureau’s post-census utilization strategy.
Dr. Chris Mukiza (L) flanked by his Board Director Dr. Allen Kabagenyi (R) addressing the meeting.
“We acquired 120,000 tablets to conduct the census, and as we committed earlier, we are ensuring that these resources continue to serve the country even after the census,” said Dr. Mukiza. “Our expectation is that these tablets will strengthen data collection, teaching, and research in universities and higher institutions. We want to see a culture where statistics are not only produced but also actively used to influence development outcomes.”
Dr. Mukiza encouraged academic institutions to take full advantage of the extensive data available at UBOS, emphasizing that greater use of statistical resources will translate into more impactful research and policy interventions.
Some of the accounting officers who attended the handover ceremony.
During the same event – cultural institutions also received tablets.
With this donation, Makerere University is well-positioned to further empower students and researchers in statistical analysis, evidence-based planning, and innovation-driven teaching.
The results for the 2025/2026 special entry examination for the Diploma in Performing Arts held on Saturday 17th May, 2025. Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the Examination and have been recommended to the university’s Admissions Committee for consideration.
The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released full results for the Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations for the Academic Year 2025/2026 held on Saturday 14th December, 2024.
The Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the examination and have been recommended by the Pre-Entry & Mature Age Committee to the University’s Admissions Board for Consideration.