Health

Personal/Community Care after the Loss Due to Fire

Published

6 years ago

September 24, 2020

Mark Wamai

The JICA Roundabout as approached from University Road, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.

Friends, everyone of us was thrown into shock, disbelief, pain, sadness and other feelings. Whereas we were all affected in some way the top university administrators and occupants of the offices on the Main Building lost more than the rest of us. They lost valuables, information, space to work from and any other losses that may not be remembered now but will be recalled when needed in future.

Amidst all this we thank God that no one was physically harmed. However, this doesn’t mean people may not be affected emotionally/psychologically. I wish to share a few tips that we can use as first aid to ensure psychological health.

Use appropriate physical exercises alternated with relaxation. These will alleviate some of the physical reactions.
Structure your time – keep busy.
You’re normal and having normal reactions – don’t label yourself crazy.
Talk to people – talk is the most healing medicine.
Be aware of numbing the pain with overuse of drugs or alcohol. You don’t need to complicate this with a substance abuse problem.
Reach out – people do care.
Maintain as normal a schedule as possible.
Spend time with others and talk about what happened to you.
Help others who were affected as much as possible by sharing feelings and checking on how they are doing.
Give yourself permission to feel bad and share your feelings with others.
Keep a journal. Write down your thoughts and feelings about the incident. Research has shown that this is very effective for symptom reduction and resolution of the trauma.
Do things that feel good to you.
Realise those around you are under stress.
Don’t make any big life changes.
Do make as many daily decisions as possible which will give you a feeling of control over your life, i.e., if someone asks you what you want to eat, answer them even if you’re not sure.
Get plenty of rest.
Reoccurring thoughts, dreams or flashbacks are normal – don’t try to fight them – they’ll decrease over time and become less painful.
Eat well-balanced and regular meals (even if you don’t feel like it).

Some of us have family and friends who are more affected. What will be your role?

For Family and Friends

Listen carefully
Spend time with the traumatised person
Offer your assistance and a listening ear if they have not asked for help
Reassure them that they are safe
Help them with everyday tasks like cleaning, cooking, caring for the family, minding children.
Give them some private time.
Don’t take their anger or other feelings personally.
Don’t tell them that they are “lucky it wasn’t worse” – traumatized people are not consoled by those statements. Instead, tell them that you are sorry such an event has occurred and you want to understand and assist them.

NOTE: Feel free to seek psychosocial support services from the university Counselling and Guidance Centre by walking in, calling to schedule an appointment or using virtual means. We are glad to announce that our professional colleagues from University of California Berkeley have offered to provide staff with free psychosocial support services using virtual means like zoom, skype and so on.

Henry Nsubuga
Manager, Counselling and Guidance Centre,
Plot 106, Mary Stuart Road (Opposite Mary Stuart Hall),
Makerere University
Email: hnsubuga[at]cgc.mak.ac.ug
Tel: +256-772-558022

Click here for more information about the Counselling and Guidance Centre

Related article

Do You Have a Psychological Family?

Related Topics:counselling Fire health Makerere

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Call for Applications: Masters Support in Self-Management Intervention for Reducing Epilepsy Burden

Published

3 hours ago

May 25, 2026

Mak Editor

An aerial photo of the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Makerere University showing Left to Right: The Sir Albert Cook Memorial Library, School of Biomedical Sciences, Davies Lecture Theatre, School of Public Health, Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital (MSWNH)-Background Left and Nakasero Hill-Background Right, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Makerere University College of Health Sciences and Case Western Reserve University, partnering with Mbarara University of Science and Technology, are implementing a five-year project titled “Self-management Intervention for Reducing Epilepsy Burden Among Adult Ugandans with Epilepsy.”

The program is funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). One aspect of the program is to provide advanced degree training to qualified candidates interested in pursuing clinical and research careers in Epilepsy. We aim to grow epilepsy research capacity, including self-management approaches, in SSA.

The Project is soliciting applications for Master’s Research thesis support focusing on epilepsy-related research at Makerere University and Mbarara University, cohort 3, 2026/2027.

Selection criteria

Should be a Master’s student of the following courses: MMED in Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery and Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Public Health, Master of Health Services Research, MSc. Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Nursing, or a Master’s in the Basic Sciences (Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, or any other related field).
Should have completed at least one year of their Master’s training in the courses listed above.
Demonstrated interest in Epilepsy and Neurological diseases, care and prevention, and commitment to develop and maintain a productive career, and devoted to Epilepsy, Clinical Practice, and Prevention.

Research Programs:

The following are the broad Epilepsy research priority areas (THEMES), and applicants are encouraged to develop research concepts in the areas of: Applicants are not limited to these themes; they can propose other areas.

The epidemiology of Epilepsy and associated risk factors.

Determining the factors affecting the quality of life, risk factors, and outcomes (mortality, morbidity) for Epilepsy, epilepsy genetics, and preventive measures among adults.
Epilepsy in childhood and its associated factors, preventative measures etc.
Epilepsy epidemiology and other Epilepsy related topics.
Epilepsy interventions and rehabilitation

In addition to a formal master’s program, trainees will receive training in bio-ethics, Good Clinical Practice, behavioral sciences research, data and statistical analysis, and research management.

The review criteria for applicants will be as follows:

· Relevance to program objectives

Quality of research and research project approach
Feasibility of study
Mentors and mentoring plan; in your mentoring plan, please include who the mentors are, what training they will provide, and how often they propose to meet with the candidate.
Ethics and human subjects’ protection.

Application Process

Applicants should submit an application letter accompanied by a detailed curriculum vitae, two recommendation letters from Professional referees or mentors, and a 2-page concept or an approved full proposal describing your project and addressing Self-Management Intervention for Reducing Epilepsy Burden Among Adults or an epilepsy-related problem.

For more information, inquiries, and additional advice on developing concepts, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the following:

Makerere University College of Health Sciences

Prof. Mark Kaddumukasa: kaddumark@yahoo.co.uk

Mbarara University

Ms. Josephine N Najjuma: najjumajosephine@yahoo.co.uk

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for Interviews.

A soft copy should be submitted to the Administrator of the Epilepsy Project. Email: smireb2@gmail.com; Closing date for the Receipt of applications is 5^th July 2026.

Health

MNCH e-Post Issue 132: Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems Takes Centre Stage at World Health Summit

Published

2 weeks ago

May 12, 2026

Mak Editor

Prof. Peter Waiswa (C) with participants at the World Health Regional Summit on 29 April 2026 in Nairobi Kenya. Photo: MNCH. Makerere University Center of Excellence for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), based at the Makerere University School of Public Health in Kampala Uganda

Prof. Peter Waiswa was among key experts who featured at the World Health Regional Summit in Kenya. The high-level meeting ran under the theme Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and health leaders to discuss how the continent can build resilient and equitable health systems in the face of climate and environmental shocks.

Prof. Waiswa participated in a panel discussion under the sub-theme Women, Adolescents, Child Health and Nutrition, which took place on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, from 09:30 to 11:00 EAT in Room CR3.

The session, chaired by Dr. Malachi Ochieng Arunda, focused on the growing intersection between environment, climate change, and health outcomes for mothers, adolescents, and children.

During the panel, Prof. Waiswa highlighted the urgent need to integrate climate adaptation into maternal and child health programming. He noted that rising temperatures, food insecurity, and extreme weather events are already disrupting health services and worsening nutrition outcomes across Africa. The discussion emphasized practical solutions, including strengthening primary healthcare, protecting vulnerable groups, and promoting cross-sector partnerships.

Click here to View the full MNCH e-Post Issue 132

Health

Announcement: 2026 Intake – Certificate in Applied Health Systems Research

Published

3 weeks ago

May 6, 2026

Mak Editor

Announcement: 2026 Intake – Certificate in Applied Health Systems Research. Photo: Nano Banana 2

Makerere University School of Public Health invites applications for the 2026 intake of the Certificate in Applied Health Systems Research, a short, intensive virtual programme designed for professionals working at the intersection of research, policy, and health system practice.

Why this course matters

Health system challenges are rarely linear. They are shaped by institutional complexity, political realities, and competing stakeholder interests. In many cases, the issue is not the absence of evidence, but the difficulty of producing research that is relevant, timely, and usable within real decision-making environments. This course is designed to address that gap, equipping participants to generate and apply evidence that responds to actual system constraints.

Apply via: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SjPWK37nZGuLb25S2X6d9NPtME2AKlEW_kJjCimivhY/viewform?ts=6821a62d&edit_requested=true

What you will gain

Participants will develop the ability to:

frame research problems grounded in real system conditions
analyse complex interactions within health systems
design policy-relevant and methodologically sound studies
translate findings into actionable insights for decision-making

Course format and key details

The programme runs virtually from 6^th to 17^th July 2026 (2:00–5:45 PM EAT) and combines interactive sessions, applied learning, and expert-led discussions across: