Despite her troubling background, Ms. Faith Atai, 33, has emerged as the overall best student for Makerere University School of Public Health’s Bachelors of Environmental Health Science.
Ms. Atai, will, during Makerere University‘s 71st graduation ceremony this year walk away with a First-Class Honors with a CGPA of 4.46. She becomes MakSPH best student, according to Ms. Gladys Khamili, the School of Public Health’s Registrar. This also makes her qualify for a Vice Chancellor’s list, of the best students in the University.
Born to Naume Ariimi and Ebwaat Jonathan, a firstborn and the only child from a father, she lost before birth.
Her mother, Ariimi, an enrolled nurse at Asamuk HCIII, in the Amuria district struggled to raise her single-handedly since her birth in November 1988.
“My mother being a single parent needed to fully work to provide for the family, I had to grow up with my grandmother Atai Faith Odongo, in Telamot village, Omugenya parish, Gweri Sub County in Soroti District,” she recounts.
Growing up in a rural setting, Atai engaged in several home chores but that did not disrupt her focus in School. She went to Jameler Primary School for her early education, until she sat her Primary Leaving Examination in 2001, at the age of 13. It was here that she became a Health Prefect.
“I would wake up as early as 4:00 AM to do home chores (wash utensils, sweep the compound and leave beans set on fire) and be at school 6:00 AM,” Atai recalls.
She would later, in 2002, join Ngora High School in Kumi district for Secondary education, some 50kilometers from her home district.
In 2003, the LRA rebels entered Teso, in eastern Uganda, Atai was in Senior three, and learning processes in all schools in the region were suspended for over a month. During this period, Atai recalls she stayed with her grandmother but under tense moments.
“Our movements were restricted. You would hear the open fire in the neighborhood and that whole time we were confined at home; you would pray to be alive the next day. I remember hiding under the bed always. Amidst fire exchanges, I was still optimistic about School,” she says.
Upon returning to School, Atai concentrated and completed O’ Level, scoring 23 aggregates in 2005. With this performance, her dream of becoming a lawyer was in sight. However, in 2006 when she joined Nabumali High School for her Advanced Level of education she was inspired to offer Science subjects. Here, she took Biology, Chemistry, Geography, and Agriculture but she says School fees was a major hurdle that kept her in and out of school.
“The environment was not friendly after I switched from my former school. I faced a lot of challenges in accessing school fees. This affected me both emotionally and academically. Catching up with the rest of the students. Sometimes I would take two weeks at home as my mother looked for fees and I would only return to school whenever money would be available,” Atai recounts.
Adding that; “My A level results were very disappointing. I got 5points in BCG/A. I was taken up by sports also. I thought of repeating the class. However, one of my maternal uncles who happened to have done Environmental Health Science for a career advised me to enroll at Mbale School of Hygiene for the same course.”
She enrolled for a certificate course in Environmental Health Science at Mbale School of Hygiene in 2008 and completed it in 2010.
Her desire and passion to challenge her background inspired her to enroll for a diploma. But her mother’s health had begun to deteriorate and this forced her to look for work.
At the time, Soroti Municipal Council had advertised for a health assistant job, which she applied for and got in 2013. But she wasn’t contented with a certificate alone.
“Conditions at work were not favorable. I asked if I could get a study leave as I continue to work. I had applied for a Diploma Course at Mbale School of Hygiene but I could not join because I was denied permission. But my immediate supervisor stepped in for me and would fill the gap when I enrolled the next year,” she says.
Despite the divided attention, Atai managed to enroll for her Diploma in 2014-2016 where she left a mark, as the best student.
Atai Faith, Bachelor of Bachelor of Environmental Health Science, MakSPH
As she pursued her diploma program, Abel Walekhwa, then a student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health Science at Makerere School of Public Health visited Mbale School of Hygiene where he extended a career talk to the students. It is here that Ms. Atai inspired, felt she was closer to fulfilling her dream.
“I got his contact and further engaged him. He told me that I would still join Makerere University after my Diploma. I goaled towards applying for the same program at MakSPH in 2017. Luckily, I was admitted on government sponsorship Diploma Entry,” says Atai.
According to Faith, having a social life does not deter a student from being an academic genius. In addition to reading books, Atai loved leadership and student politics as well as the church. She was a General Secretary to MUEHSA, an association that unites undergraduate students at the School of Public Health, Makerere University. She spearheaded discussion groups and indulged in all school projects. This was in addition to reading and holding discussions and consulting her lecturers.
Asked about what she felt when she was told she was the best student, Atai said it was an honorable thing to find she had topped the class.
“When I received a phone call about this, I cried with tears of joy, prayed, and thanked God for the journey this far. My mother was equally overwhelmed with joy,” Atai says.
COVID-19 and Studies
Since March 2020, schools and education institutions in Uganda were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of closure, Atai and her colleagues were anticipating completing their course on time.
One would have equally thought that this abrupt closure would affect her performance in the final semester examinations. “I didn’t abandon the need to keep in the books as I read, researched in hope of resumption soon,” she says.
The lockdown set in when she had conceived and her expected date of delivery was 15th October 2020, a time School was to resume for final students.
“It was hard for me as I had to do zoom lectures that were ineffective, approached exams and yet a first-time mother with a newly born baby. I had thoughts of a dead year however resolved to carry my 1week and 3days old baby to Kampala to finish my studies,” she recalls.
A first-class honors & What It takes
Faith says a first-class degree is attainable if, as a student, one knows what they want. She adds that it takes being committed, time management, and the right attitude.
“Good grades are attainable. As a student, there are a few values that you should work on; self-esteem, commitment, time management, and teamwork. I want to especially thank my classmates for their moral support, encouragement, and contribution to my success in this program,” Atai says.
Atai has also hailed the MakSPH administration for supporting her through her studies.
I thank the selfless and committed team at School. Thank you for putting everything in place for a convenient learning environment. The lecturers have been so supportive to me and my classmates. Am grateful for the mentorship I have received especially from the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health,” she says.
The Lord’s Resistance Army’s (LRA) reigned in Uganda between 1987 and 2006, spreading terror through the country’s northern-most region.
The group, now believed to operate in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, pursued its vision of a new state based on his interpretation of the Ten Commandments combined with local Acholi traditions.
Although it is not known how many people were mutilated by the guerrilla group, but at least 20,000 children were abducted and more than 1.9 million people forced to leave their homes. Atai could have fallen into the LRA trap at a tender age she recounts, but she survived.
The 92nd Guild Ministry of Health is set to host the Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp, a three-day outreach that will bring free and essential medical services to students, staff, and the surrounding community. The camp will run from 17th to 19th September 2026, from 8:00am to 5:00pm each day, at the Freedom Square.
Themed around promoting student wellness for academic excellence, the medical camp is organised under the leadership of Hon. Wamezaya Ebenezer, the Minister of Health in the 92nd Guild Government, in alliance with several partner organisations supporting the university’s health and wellness agenda. The initiative reflects a growing recognition within student leadership circles that academic performance is closely tied to the physical and mental wellbeing of the university community.
Comprehensive Range of Services
The medical camp will offer a wide range of services designed to address both routine and specialised health needs. On the general health side, attendees will have access to general and specialist medical consultations, allowing students, staff, and community members to seek professional advice on a variety of health concerns without the usual costs associated with private or even public healthcare.
A female medical personnel attends to a male client.
Screening services will also be a central feature of the camp. Organisers have confirmed that sickle cell testing, malaria rapid diagnostic testing, and HIV screening will be available on site, giving participants the opportunity to know their status and receive guidance on appropriate next steps. Eye care services and laboratory diagnostics will round up this category, addressing common but often neglected areas of student health.
Beyond diagnostics and consultations, the camp will provide free essential medicines to those who need them, easing the financial burden that often accompanies treatment even after a diagnosis has been made. Reproductive health counseling will also be offered, giving students a confidential space to discuss matters that are frequently overlooked in general campus health conversations. Mental health counseling completes the list of available services, an inclusion that speaks to the increasing attention being paid to psychological wellbeing within the university community.
A Camp Open to the Wider Community
While the camp is organised by the Guild Ministry of Health and centred on student welfare, its reach extends beyond the student body. Organisers have made it clear that the free medical services will be available to students, staff, and members of the whole Makerere community, positioning the event as a broader public health contribution rather than a strictly internal university affair. This inclusive approach mirrors similar outreach efforts previously undertaken by student leadership and university departments, which have sought to position Makerere University not just as a centre of learning but as an active contributor to community welfare in the areas surrounding its campuses.
A male client gets his BMI checked.
Freedom Square, long regarded as the symbolic heart of student activity and expression at Makerere University, was selected as the venue for the three day event. Its central location and historic significance make it an accessible and fitting site for an initiative of this scale, expected to draw considerable numbers of participants over the course of the camp.
Health as a Pillar of Academic Success
The organisers have anchored the medical camp around the message of promoting student wellness for academic excellence, a theme that underscores the connection between health and academic performance. University life often places significant demands on students, both physically and mentally, and untreated health concerns can quietly undermine academic progress long before they become visible crises. By bringing screening, treatment, and counseling services directly to students at no cost, the Guild Ministry of Health is addressing barriers that might otherwise prevent students from seeking care, whether due to cost, distance, or stigma, particularly around mental health and reproductive health matters.
The 91st Guild Minister of Health, Hon. Bbosa Sharif (L) poses by the event banner in the Freedom Square.
The inclusion of mental health counseling alongside more traditional physical health services is particularly notable. It signals an evolving understanding among student leaders that wellness cannot be addressed through physical checkups alone, and that psychological support deserves equal standing within campus health initiatives. Similarly, the presence of reproductive health counseling reflects an effort to normalise conversations that many young people find difficult to initiate on their own.
What to Expect
Over the three days, participants can expect a structured environment at Freedom Square, with separate service points catering to the different categories of care on offer. Medical professionals will be on hand to conduct consultations and screenings, while counselors will provide guidance on reproductive and mental health matters in a setting designed to protect privacy and encourage openness.
Given the scale of services on offer and the open invitation extended to staff and community members in addition to students, organisers anticipate strong turnout throughout the three day period. Those interested in attending are encouraged to plan their visits within the stated hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm to take full advantage of the services available.
H.E. Bbosa Sharif receives female students at the Medical Camp.
For any inquiries regarding the medical camp, members of the university community and the public have been directed to reach out to Hon. Wamezaya Ebenezer, the Minister of Health, through the contact provided by the Guild Ministry of Health.
Building on a Guild Tradition
The Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp is not a new concept within student governance at the university. Successive Guild Ministries of Health have used the medical camp as a recurring platform through which they translate campaign promises around student welfare into visible action. Each edition tends to build on the lessons of the one before it, with organisers typically expanding the range of services offered as new partnerships are secured and as feedback from previous camps is incorporated into planning.
Sickle Cell Screening (Left Tent) was one of the services offered.
This year’s edition, organised under the 92nd Guild Ministry of Health, appears to place particular emphasis on breadth of service, combining preventive screening, curative consultation, and psychosocial support within a single three-day window. The decision to bundle sickle cell testing, malaria and HIV screening alongside eye care and laboratory diagnostics suggests an intention to make the camp a one stop point for health assessment, reducing the need for participants to seek out multiple providers across the city for basic checks they might otherwise postpone indefinitely.
Why Timing Matters
The scheduling of the camp in September places it at a point in the academic calendar when many students are settling back into campus life after recess, a period during which health concerns accumulated over the break, whether physical ailments left unattended or emerging mental health pressures tied to academic anxiety, tend to surface. Offering free consultations and counseling at this juncture allow students to address these concerns early, before they compound into more serious complications that could interfere with coursework, examinations, or general campus participation.
A female medical personnel attends to a female client.
For staff members and residents of the areas surrounding the university, the timing also offers a convenient opportunity to access services that might otherwise require travel to distant health facilities or extended waiting periods within an already strained public health system. In this sense, the camp functions as a modest but meaningful supplement to existing healthcare provision in the vicinity of the university.
As the 17th of September approaches, the Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp stands as another example of the Guild Ministry of Health stepping beyond the boundaries of policy and advocacy into direct, hands-on service delivery, a model that continues to shape the character of guild ministries at Makerere University. Students, staff, and members of the surrounding community are encouraged to take advantage of the free services on offer and to look out for further communication from the Guild Ministry of Health as the event draws closer.
For more info, reach Hon. Wamezaya on +256784541248
Makerere University School of Public Health, in collaboration with Jhpiego, invites applications for 49 short-term positions under the Scaling the Optimal Use of Multiple ACTs to Prevent Antimalarial Drug Resistance (STOP-AMDR) Project.
The short-term assignments will support data collection in Buikwe and Busia districts, with some national-level activities. Applicants are encouraged to review the requirements for their preferred position before applying.
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) for Preparedness and Response to Pandemics and Shocks, has shared findings from its study of Uganda’s Mpox response with stakeholders in Kasese, Amuru, Nakasongola and Mayuge districts to strengthen district preparedness for future outbreaks.
The Africa-Europe CoRE is a partnership co-led by MakSPH and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UCLouvain, Belgium. It brings together universities in Africa and Europe to strengthen research, training and preparedness for pandemics and other public health shocks.
The district-level dissemination meetings, held from 10 to 14 August 2026, brought together more than 100 local government, health and security officials, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and community representatives. The meetings enabled stakeholders to validate the district-level findings, identify practical actions and provide feedback for the study’s final analysis and national dissemination.
Mr. Philliam Jabim shares the Mpox response study findings with participants during the dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Uganda confirmed its first two Mpox cases on 24 July 2024 at Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. The Ministry of Health declared an outbreak on 2 August 2024. As documented in the study, the response involved health workers, communities, local governments, security agencies, political leaders, and implementing partners.
In response to the outbreak, a MakSPH research team led by Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, Dr. Steven Kabwama and Mr. Douglas Bulafu conducted a study in May 2025 to assess Uganda’s Mpox response, including its policies, interventions, strategies and challenges, and generate lessons to inform recovery and strengthen preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Using purposive sampling, the research team conducted 20 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions in each of the four districts, drawing perspectives from western Uganda in Kasese, northern Uganda in Amuru, central Uganda in Nakasongola and eastern Uganda in Mayuge.
Participants and the MakSPH research team at the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
The study, titled Assessment of the Mpox Response in Uganda: Documenting Challenges, Lessons and Innovations to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacities, was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF).
“This study is helping us move beyond recounting the Mpox response to identifying the actions that districts and national partners can take before the next outbreak. By validating the findings with stakeholders who led and experienced the response, we are ensuring that the evidence reflects local realities and can inform stronger surveillance, risk communication, coordination and community engagement,” said Mr. Bulafu, who led the MakSPH team during the dissemination meeting in Amuru.
Mr. Douglas Bulafu engages participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Amuru District on 10 August 2026.
In Amuru, the 10 August meeting brought together over 25 stakeholders from the district health team, political leadership, security agencies, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and the community. On the same day, a second MakSPH team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, convened stakeholders in Kasese for a parallel validation meeting. The consultations then continued in Nakasongola on 12 August and concluded in Mayuge on 14 August, extending the study’s engagement across all four districts.
Across the districts, stakeholders said the results reflected their experience during the outbreak. They pointed to strengths in leadership, coordination, community engagement and partner support, while also describing gaps in documentation, logistics, diagnostic access, staffing, risk communication, public trust and continuity of essential health services.
They also noted inconsistent implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) 7-1-7 target, which calls for detecting a suspected outbreak within seven days, notifying public health authorities within one day and completing early response actions within seven days.
The MakSPH research team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, with participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Kasese District on 10 August 2026.
In Kasese, stakeholders highlighted gaps in documentation, financial and logistical resources, and human resources. They identified Village Health Teams and grassroots, religious and cultural leaders as important resources for community surveillance and risk communication. They called for stronger collaboration between technical and non-technical leaders, engagement with traditional healers, greater use of local radio for public sensitisation, and better facilitation of district epidemic response teams to reach distant communities.
Amuru participants called for proactive preparedness in the border district, citing misinformation and rumours as barriers to risk communication. They urged timely, accurate information from health workers and other authorities; training in disease surveillance and grant writing to strengthen capacity and resource mobilisation; and compassionate care, psychosocial support and community awareness to reduce stigma and support survivor reintegration.
During the meeting in Nakasongola, stakeholders identified Community Health Workers and Community Health Extension Workers as potential resources for strengthening community surveillance and addressing workforce shortages. Given the district’s position around Lake Kyoga and along the Kampala-South Sudan transit corridor, they also called for stronger documentation, note-taking and reporting, accurate real-time information, closer communication with the Ministry of Health, and collaboration among technical, political, religious and community leaders.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, contributes to the discussion during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, called for a permanent, adequately resourced outbreak-management centre to help protect routine services during future epidemics. “We appeal for better facilities to manage epidemics and outbreaks. At Nakasongola Health Centre IV, spaces previously used for outbreak management have been repurposed for other services, and we have limited staff. During the Mpox response, colleagues assigned to manage patients later returned to the general team, creating fear among staff already under pressure,” she said.
In Mayuge, Dr. Basembeza highlighted leadership, coordination and surveillance structures operating from district to community level as important factors in the response. He said the structures enabled the district to receive and respond quickly to community alerts. “Whenever there is a rumour or an alert, we are able to respond. Within 20 minutes, we had a response because of the structure we have,” Dr. Basembeza said.
Based on the findings, the research team recommends increased preparedness financing, stronger community engagement, decentralised diagnostic services through stronger district laboratory capacity, and improved health information and research systems.
Across the four districts, stakeholders reaffirmed that trusted community structures and coordinated action across sectors are essential to strengthening outbreak preparedness.
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