Connect with us

Research

Selected SDGs at Population Level in Eastern Uganda – a Subnational Analysis 2019-2020

Published

on

To achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) signed up in 2015, reliable data will be essential. Without it, governments will be unable to measure progress against the goals, nor to fine tune policies to make their attainment more likely. Testing new policies and programs and monitoring the impact of old ones require robust data collected over a sustained period of time. Accurate and timely data will ensure that resources are not wasted on ineffective interventions, pointing policymakers instead towards programs that will hasten their country’s progress towards the goals. Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSSs) provide methodologies and designs that can be replicated in national statistics and data systems. Many health interventions used routinely across the world were first trailed using HDSS platforms. HDSSs provide the engineering that can be applied in generating valid indicators.

Makerere University Centre for Health and Population Research (MUCHAP) is a research and research training platform of Makerere University. MUCHAP runs the Iganga Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (IMHDSS) that was established by Makerere University in partnership with Karolinska Institutet of Sweden and the district authorities of Iganga and Mayuge districts. IMHDSS conducted a population-based baseline census in 2005 and has been following up that population cohort to-date in selected villages. The primary objectives of setting up the site were to:

  • a) Provide a platform for conducting community-based research, and research training for students and faculty at Makerere University, as well as other researchers from within and outside Uganda
  • b) Register and monitor important health and demographic population indicators that can be used at local and national level planning for population development
  • c) Conduct essential household level policy relevant research tailored to inform local and national policy formulation.

The purpose of the Centre is to generate population based information that is useful to guide policy and the decision making process at district and national level. Information on demographic events at individual and household level data on births, deaths and migrations is monitored and routinely updated twice a year. The cause of every death that occurs in the community is determined through the verbal autopsy approach and evaluated by the physician. As of 2017, the total population under surveillance was 94,568 individuals from over 19,000 households in 65 villages and seven sub counties within the two districts of Iganga and Mayuge.

SDGs are a universal call for action to improve the welfare of populations by striving to end poverty, protect the environment and ensure that people live in peace and prosperity. The 17 SDGs were built on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice amongst other priorities.
While some of the SDGs have been assessed through national periodic surveys like the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS), the National Housing and Population Census and national health indicator survey, it is important to assess SDG indicators at sub-National and regional levels.

Method of measurement

This measurement was conducted on selected indicators to understand the current status and progress of SDGs at a sub national rural population. A descriptive cross sectional survey was conducted in a population-based cohort covering 65 villages in seven sub-counties of Iganga and Mayuge districts in Eastern Uganda. A total of 5500 households were randomly sampled from the population cohort. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect data and information on the indicators of selected SDGs. In this phase of measurement, a survey to assess the progress on indicators for SDGs 1, 2, 3 and 6 was done.

Click here for full report

Mark Wamai

General

Directorate of Graduate Training concludes 9-day Phd Cross Cutting Training

Published

on

By: Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training has completed a 9- day PhD crosscutting training course, inducting three groups of PhD students. The groups of students included those in Cohort 1, Cohort 2 and the Non Cohort PhD students. The number of PhD student participants were over 300 students learning via both face to face and online.

The training that started on Monday 2nd June 2025, took place in the New Library Building.

In his closing remarks, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma encouraged the PhD students to put up a spirited fight that would see them remain in the cohort up to the end of the three years of their doctoral studies.

“Get organized, show seriousness in your doctoral pursuit, stay together, make use of your supervisors as and when you need them. We will fully support you in your Doctoral academic journey.” Prof. Kikooma said.

Prof. Kikooma emphasized the need for PhD graduate training saying, “We need more research for the University and Country. This cannot be achieved without increasing the number of graduate students especially PhDs.”

At their different stages of PhD doctoral training, Prof. Kikooma encouraged the students to give feedback to the Directorate and the supervisors so that they are served seamlessly.

Prof. Kikooma further informed the students that going forward, they must cover all the three mandatory cross cutting courses meant to be taught under the three-year program of their doctoral studies.

“All three foundation courses including Scholarly Writing, Advanced Research Methods and Philosophy of Methods will be covered. Tighten your belts. We want to ensure that all these structured programs prepare you for the foundations you need for next two years of research. Success becomes easy when you undertake foundations.”

He challenged the students to use the program in guiding their research directions, making informed decision, improving their critical thinking and consumption of knowledge.

Dr. Dixon Knanakulya, one of the trainers of the doctoral students said, “At PhD level, it is no longer a normal research. It is at a level of knowledge production. The students must understand the main philosophical assumption behind the research methods they use and they must consider the ethical implications of their research. Philosophy of Methods enables them to go through that.”

“PhD students must be creative, innovative and start at the level of researching in the mind. This challenges them to think differently.” He added.

He further said that Philosophy of Methods helps in researches done at the different aspects of the national development plan. “Usually, the students question how the National plans are come up with and support improvement of government policies.”

Dr. Kanakulya added that the research output can be used by government for improvement because it is done by highly skilled researchers. Adding, “They come with very good insights which can be taken on to improve implementation of government programs such as Emyoga and Parish Development Model (PDM).”

He further said that policies are not enough without the social conditions and mindset of the people, saying that PhD scholars can help government know the social conditions and apply policies better.

The Cohort 1 PhD students’ president Mr. Wanyakoko Ebiru Moses said, “This training is extremely important for each student under taking doctoral studies and without it, they cannot acquire the fundamental skills they need to become independent researchers.”

He added that with the knowledge acquired in the Philosophy of Methods training, they will focus on research that aims to resolve societal and community problems.

Dr. Robert Kakuru, the President of Makerere University Academic Staff Association said that Philosophy of Methods is an important pillar in the doctoral journey of every PhD student.

“The Course, Philosophy of Method provides a critical foundation and Philosophical grounding for research methods that doctoral students use to undertake their respective studies. The course further underlines other critical issues that graduate students ought to know, integrate, adopt or adapt in their doctoral journeys.” He said.

Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo, a senior lecturer and coordinator of the training said, “Philosophy of Methods builds a mass of critical researchers who are able to look at the world not from a narrow point of view but a holistic and broad based sense of understanding reality.”

He added, “Students understand how they can imagine the world to be. They take into account assumptions which inform the methods of research used, how they conduct themselves during research and how they approach respondents during the research process. Such assumptions are laid bear in this training and it helps participants to understand the things they have always held at the back of their minds without deliberately knowing that these are the assumptions they hold and this is how they affect and influence studies.”  

Dr. Ssentongo further said that once PhD students are engaged in reality in its broadness with right assumptions, they are then better placed as researchers to investigate such realities and that whatever they investigate, be it related to the National Development Plan and National Development Initiatives like Emyoga and Parish Development Model. This training positions, them at a more critical level as researchers not only in terms of assumptions but also being thinkers.

The Philosophy of Methods training was supported by the ICARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.

Mak Editor

Continue Reading

Research

CARTA Early Career Researchers in Action

Published

on

A photo montage of Dr. Godwin Anywar at the project ‘Traditional medicine in Transition (TMT)’ at the Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany (ISEB) and Botanical Garden, University of Zurich, Switzerland. 4th-12th June 2025. Photo: LinkedIn/Dr. Godwin Anywar

Godwin Anywar, cohort 6, facilitated a brainstorming session on grant writing and application during the research planning and conceptualization workshop and exhibition from a cooperative research and exhibition project, ‘Traditional Medicine in Transition,’ at the Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany (ISEB) and Botanical Garden, University of Zurich, from June 4 to 12, 2025.

Within the month, Godwin also joined the Rising Scholars as a mentor. Formerly known as AuthorAID, Rising Scholars is a global network offering free support, mentorship, training, and resources to researchers across the Global South.

Source: CARTA Newsletter Issue 90

Mark Wamai

Continue Reading

Research

Advancing Regional Health Priorities Through the CARTA Research Hubs

Published

on

Training of pre-service cadres in outbreak investigation. Photo: CARTA

Strengthening Research Capacity to Tackle Emerging Infectious Diseases in East Africa

Africa continues to shoulder over 80% of the global infectious disease burden, with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs and REIDs) like Ebola, COVID-19, tuberculosis, and Rift Valley fever posing serious threats to health systems, economies, and regional security. In biologically fragile regions like East Africa, home to dense populations, climate-sensitive ecosystems, and porous borders, multidisciplinary, cross-border responses are essential. 

To tackle this, the Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Research Hub has been established under CARTA and is hosted at Makerere University. Led by CARTA graduate Charles Kato, TERID brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers to fill critical gaps in disease surveillance, policy, prevention, and rapid response, strengthening regional capacity through high-impact, locally relevant science. Learn more

Source: CARTA Newsletter Issue 90

Mark Wamai

Continue Reading

Trending