Health

Involve Stakeholders in COVID-19 Vaccine Priority Setting, Mak Bioethicists urge Government

Published

5 years ago

March 24, 2021

Mark Wamai

Assoc. Prof. Joseph Ochieng (R) and Dr. John Barugahare (L) chat during the dissemination of study findings on 'Ethical And Social issues for COVID-19 vaccine priority setting and access in Uganda’, 19th March 2021, Anatomy Department, CHS, Makerere University.

_{By Joseph Odoi}

As Uganda rolls out vaccines in an effort to kick out coronavirus, Bioethicists from Makerere University have urged Government to involve all stakeholders in priority setting for COVID-19 vaccination.

This call follows a latest study which sought to establish ethical and social issues for COVID-19 vaccination in the country.

While disseminating preliminary findings of the study titled ‘Ethical And Social issues for COVID-19 vaccine priority setting and access in Uganda’, Associate Professor Joseph Ochieng from the Department of Anatomy, College of Health Sciences (CHS), Makerere University said one of the most effective ways for public buy-in for new interventions is effective stakeholder engagement using the down-up model so that all stakeholders feel they have a say and their input is valued.

“When people are adequately involved in the decision making, they tend to adequately accept the results and take them up because they feel they own them. So we set out to access the different stakeholders whether they’re aware of the ethical issues associated with priority setting and how they’re going to handle priority of vaccine access in Uganda,” he explained while at Anatomy Department Building on 19^thMarch, 2021.

Prof. Ochieng further noted that there should a proactive, open (to the public) and evidence-based engagement of as many stakeholders as possible in these and related processes.

’This is important to build and sustain public support to and trust in health systems, all of which are critical in ensuring an equitable and efficient health system’’ he added

With regard to priorities, the Bioethicists state that since the quantities for the COVID-19 vaccine coming in are small, there should be a pre-determined evidence-based criterion for deciding who gets what first, and who should lose out or wait for the next opportunity

“Setting those priorities of who is vaccinated when has a number of ethical and social issues with questions.

We came up with this study to see how we can contribute to this issue of priority setting and vaccine access so that everyone feels it’s a fair process. If people believe it’s fair, then it’s ethical and acceptable and likely to be taken up,” Prof. Ochieng explained.

Findings

As Part of the preliminary findings, Dr. John Barugahare, Co-investigator and Senior Lecturer at Department of Philosophy, Makerere University said COVID-19 could be controlled by first attending to people who are likely to spread the disease like travelers; including truck drivers who have been associated with this disease whenever they traverse the country.

“We’ve heard from taxi drivers and conductors saying that they’re exposed to the risk of infections from passengers everyday by virtue of their work and they increase the risk of transmission to other passengers. However, they don’t understand why the elderly in rural areas are having priority over them,” he said.

Dr. Baruhagare further says that there is need to harmonize WHO immunization guidelines by setting priorities which fit into the local context as each country has its unique challenges.

Moving forward, the researchers recommend public engagement to create awareness on vaccination guidelines

“If the guidelines are developed, they should be freely available and well publicized. There should also be a continuous process of priority setting,” Prof. Ochieng noted.

“In future, such processes of setting priorities should be more open and transparent. There should be sufficient efforts to involve the public and seek opinions on what they think as opposed to having a few individuals to guide in the decision making process,” added Dr. Barugahare.

Funded by the World Health Organization (WHO), the study involved key informant interviews and in-depth interviews with a number of key stakeholders in COVID-19 intervention like bioethicists, clinicians, public health experts, policy makers, lawyers, human rights activists and scientists.

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Health

Makerere Health Services Guidance on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

Published

2 hours ago

June 1, 2026

Mak Editor

How to protect yourself and your loved ones from Ebola. Ministry of Health, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda recently reported an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), which is a serious and often deadly disease caused by a person being infected by the Ebola virus.

The virus spreads through direct contact with body fluids such as blood, saliva, faeces, vomit, urine, sweat or genital fluids from a person who is infected with EVD.

The symptoms of EVD usually develop after 8 – 10 days from contact with an infected person and may include fatigue, high fever, headache, sore throat, muscle and joint pains, vomiting and diarrhea and in severe cases, bleeding.

What should we do as the Makerere University community?

The Chief, Makerere Health Services, Prof. J.K. Byamugisha advises as follows:

Avoid unnecessary contact such as shaking hands, hugging etc.
Place alcohol disinfectants or hand washing equipment at all entry points within the University and ensure everyone is using them.
Students should sit in single-person chairs while in class, avoiding contact with their neighbours.
Do not sit too close to one another especially in frequently crowded places such as classrooms, library or any other waiting area.
While at the University Hospital, wash hands a the gate, use alcohol disinfectant at the reception.
All patients should have a maximum of one caretaker – others can check on them by calling.
Avoid bringing luggage to the University Hospital.
Target to do as instructed by the health worker.
For further information and guidance on Ebola, please call Dr. Charles Basigara on Tel: 0702 966652 and Sr. Eunice Namubiru on Tel: 0779 950978 (Contact persons for the University Health Services)

Additionally, always look out for and ensure full compliance with Ministry of Health (MoH) Infection Prevention and Control measures such as the one below.

How to report suspected Ebola cases to Health Authorities. Ministry of Health, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. — ***How to report suspected Ebola cases to Health Authorities.***

Please find attached detailed communications from Prof. Byamugisha and
the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health.

Makerere-Health-Services-Ebola-Virus-Disease-Memo-28-May-2026 Download

Ministry of Health Circular on Mass Gatherings Download

Health

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

Published

7 days 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

ALLSTAR Training Program: Applications Open for AI and Machine Learning Course in TB Research

Published

2 weeks ago

May 20, 2026

John Okeya

Officials pose for a group photo with participants in the specialized short course on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) focused on their application in tuberculosis (TB) research, held from June 23–27, 2025, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), Kololo MakSPH Annex. Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, in collaboration with the Global Health Institute at the University of Georgia, USA, is inviting applications for an intensive five-day short course on the Foundations and Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Tuberculosis (TB) Research.

Date: June 22–26, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (EAT)
Venue: ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), Kololo MakSPH Annex

The course is designed for Master’s and PhD students, research fellows, junior researchers, and professionals in public health, medicine, digital health, TB/HIV, biostatistics, bioinformatics, computer science, geography, nursing, and related fields.

Participants will gain hands-on exposure to AI/ML applications in TB and TB/HIV research, including Generative AI, LLMs, Computer Vision, GeoAI, ethical AI use, data management, and model deployment.

Limited scholarships are available.
Application deadline: June 1, 2026