Health
Four Innovators Win 2020 Social Innovation in Health Awards
Four innovations identified by external reviewers as the best, received awards from the Makerere University School of Public Health Social Innovation in Health Initiative –SIHI Uganda project.
This was during the 3rd national stakeholders workshop held on March 17, 2021 at Golf Course Hotel, Kampala to reward and recognize the best community-based health solutions in Uganda.
The workshop aimed at strengthening collaboration with stakeholders in advancement of social innovation in health. It also gave an opportunity for the innovators to showcase their social innovations that have enabled the delivery of more inclusive, effective and affordable health services to Ugandans. The even brought together officials from Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Health, Makerere University and members of the public.
The winners of the 2020 social innovations for solutions that improved access and quality of health care were; Ishaka Health Plan Project (Community based health insurance scheme) that facilitates access to quality and affordable healthcare services to communities in Bushenyi district, My Pregnancy Handbook project, a user-friendly portable short handbook prepared to deliver authentic health information concerning pregnancy to pregnant mothers, midwives, and the general population, SEEK-GSP project, a project aimed at narrowing the treatment gap for depression among people living with HIV using group support psychotherapy delivered by community health workers and the Community Health Insurance, an initiative by the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau.
Also awarded were students from the School of Public Health for their innovations. They are; Mr. Filimin Niyongabo who showcased the Student’s HIV/AIDs Awareness campaign (SHIVA), and Mathias Amperiize spearheading Youth-led cancer and diabetes awareness campaign (YCADAC).
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor, and Dean MakSPH hailed the innovators for creativity. She said she was very passionate about social innovations in health and hopped that the Uganda hub of SIHI global can be grown further to enable communities to come with their solutions.
“I also look for the opportunity where we can transform the way we teach. We need to transform the way we teach to enable students to be problem solvers. Are we teaching people to solve problems? Are we teaching them to only see problems or to solve problems? We need to actually empower our students to be able to feel that they have the capacity to innovate and solve problems,” Professor Rhoda Wanyenze.
Professor Damalie Nakanjako, the Principal College of Health Sciences represented the Vice-Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe. She hailed the Uganda hub of SIHI global led by Dr. Phyllis Awor for the good network of identifying and supporting nurture innovations.
“As Makerere University, we want to appreciate Government of Uganda for the big trust that you have put in research and innovation. I think this is an area where we have received support through the Research and Innovations Fund. It has made a difference to impact society. It is our mandate to translate research into policy to benefit the citizens of Uganda. This is very key towards our attainment of Sustainable Development Goals. With support from government, Makerere University has renewed her mandate on intellectual property and working with industry to promote innovators. Our Intellectual Property Office is ready to invest and support innovators to develop further,” said Professor Nakanjako.
Dr. Olaro Charles, Director Clinical Services at Ministry of Health said the ministry looks forward to more partnerships and that they we are ready to support such innovations that help improve the quality of health of Ugandans.
Dr. Maxwell Otim Onapa, the Director of Science, Research and Innovation at Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation said his Ministry certainly is very positioned to work with SIHI Uganda hub because ideally, these social innovations in health bring a whole different perspective hence a need to integrate such innovations.
“Sometimes we focus too much on issues related to the business you look at the big picture and yet there very low hanging fruits that require low input but with immense impact. I believe this is one of them,” said Dr. Maxwell Otim.
He adds that his ministry is already working with Ministry of Health to establish an innovation cluster program, particularly in health. He advances that the Health Information Innovation and Research program under the health ministry is a very strategic one that can enable to support these initiatives.
“We also pick interest in areas where there is a lot of intellectual input. And we shall support in the area of intellectual property,” Dr. Otim.
During the workshop, the SIHI Uganda Hub Director, Dr. Phyllis Awor briefed the participants on SIHI and SIHI Uganda hub activities. She emphasized the need for supporting social innovations to ensure equitable and affordable health services. Since its establishment in 2017, more than 12 innovations have been recognized.
Dr. Awor further noted that the identified innovations could be translated into policy and scaled to improve the well-being of Ugandans.
SIHI Uganda is part of a global collaboration of partners passionate about advancing community-based health solutions. The SIHI network is supported by TDR, the special programme for research and training in tropical disease, co-sponsored by UNDP, UNICEF, the World Bank and WHO. TDR receives core funding from SIDA, the Swedish International Development Agency, used to support SIHI.
Article originally Published on MakSPH website
Agriculture & Environment
Makerere Hosts Inaugural Falling Walls Lab Competition as Innovators Pitch Solutions to National Challenges
Students and researchers from Makerere University and other institutions pitched 12 innovations addressing challenges in healthcare, clean energy, agriculture, waste management and community resilience during the inaugural Falling Walls Lab Kampala, held at the School of Public Health Auditorium, Makerere University.
The competition brought together emerging innovators to present solutions to practical challenges through a three minute pitch, followed by questions from a panel of judges.
Modelled on the Falling Walls format that originated in Berlin, the event required each participant to identify a “wall” a problem or barrier, and demonstrate how their innovation seeks to break it down.
Mudhasi wins with newborn jaundice screening device
Andrew Mudhasi of Makerere University emerged as the overall winner with a score of 90 per cent for a low cost medical device designed to improve newborn jaundice screening across different skin tones.
Mudhasi explained that the device uses optical sensor technology and a skin tone targeting algorithm to provide a rapid reading, with the aim of helping nurses and clinicians identify jaundice more efficiently.
During questions from the jury, Mudhasi said the device had not yet been tested on actual babies but had undergone laboratory testing using simulated skin tones.
He reported an accuracy rate of 94 per cent when the device was compared with laboratory spectrophotometers.
The innovation is intended initially for use in clinics and hospitals, with Mudhasi saying the team is also considering a version that could eventually allow mothers to screen babies at home.
Mudhasi’s innovation has previously received recognition at the African Business Concept Challenge and the iF Design Student Award, according to his presentation.
Rhonda’s innovation tackles diaper waste
Rhoda John of the University of Nairobi emerged in second place with 89.6 per cent for an innovation addressing the problem of used diaper waste.
Under the theme “Breaking the wall of diaper waste and drug soils,” Rhonda explained that her team extracts sodium polyacrylate, the absorbent polymer found in diapers, and replaces the sodium with potassium.
The resulting potassium based superabsorbent material is designed to act as a “water battery” in soil by absorbing and retaining water for plants during dry periods.
John said testing showed a 99 per cent increase in germination and a 23 per cent increase in drought resistance.
The innovation also seeks to reduce the amount of used diapers ending up in landfills and the environmental effects associated with their decomposition.
During the question and answer session, John explained that her team was working with government environmental officials in Nairobi on a pilot collection system to address the challenge of gathering used diapers at scale.
Mahera takes third place with herbal peptic ulcer treatment
Stuart Mahera of Makerere University finished third with 86.2 per cent for a herbal formulation targeting peptic ulcers.
Presenting under the theme “Breaking the wall of Nature and Modern Medicine,” Mahera argued that conventional treatment for peptic ulcers can involve multiple medicines and may be associated with side effects and antimicrobial resistance.
His proposed formulation, MARAC capsules, is intended as a monotherapy, combining properties required for peptic-ulcer treatment in a single capsule.
Mahera said his team had carried out quality control work, including characterisation and dose quantification, and had conducted preclinical trials on laboratory mice.
He also told the jury that an application had been submitted to the National Drug Authority as the team awaits the next stage of the regulatory process.
According to Mahera, the proposed seven day treatment would cost about Shs21,000, compared with the existing 14 day treatment approach.
Innovators present solutions to practical challenges
The remaining presentations covered a wide range of challenges.
Esther Nakungu of Utamu University presented Agri-Track, a digital record keeping solution intended to improve visibility, accountability and management of farm operations and financial information.
Dr. Jimmy Chachiga, a Makerere University participant, presented a solar photovoltaic cooker with a heat storage system designed to provide a cleaner and more reliable cooking option during both sunny and non sunny periods.
His presentation focused on reducing dependence on biomass fuels and addressing the challenges associated with intermittent solar energy.
Abdul Noor Luttamaguzi, a PhD student and senior government fisheries officer, presented a mobile application aimed at helping fish farmers and extension officers report, track and manage disease outbreaks.
Henry Duke Tamale presented a herbal cream targeting antibiotic resistant biofilm infections associated with diabetic foot ulcers.
Marvin Seruwu proposed adapting existing near infrared brain monitoring technology to help detect extra-axial brain bleeds in health facilities where access to CT and MRI equipment is limited.
His proposal seeks to repurpose existing technology towards a diagnostic need that could be particularly important in settings where advanced imaging facilities are not readily available.
Kennedy Kisame presented a poultry alert and diagnosis system combining satellite weather information with computer vision disease detection. The proposed system could be accessed through a smartphone application, SMS or USSD, making it potentially usable by farmers with limited internet access.
Frank Atwiine proposed a solar powered mobile diagnostic van designed to bring ultrasound and other diagnostic services closer to rural communities.
Johnson Makmot, a software and blockchain developer, presented a platform that combines GPS tracking and blockchain-based tokens to incentivise and verify plastic-waste collection in Kampala.
Dr. Nelson Ndugu, from a partner university, presented an artificial intelligence tool designed to translate agricultural research publications into local Ugandan languages and generate voice notes for radio-based extension delivery.
The final presentation came from Dr. Juliet Akola, a Ugandan post doctoral researcher at Mangosuthu University of Technology in South Africa.
Akola presented a community digital resilience initiative focused on mapping risks in Kampala’s informal settlements, including flooding, fire, poor sanitation, waste management and inadequate infrastructure.
Her proposal seeks to combine local community knowledge with geographical information systems and link identified risks to action plans involving municipalities and other stakeholders.
Nawangwe calls for more investment in innovation
Closing the event, Prof. Nawangwe congratulated all the participants and described their presentations as an important beginning for Makerere University, Uganda and the wider region.
Drawing on his experience attending the Falling Walls conference in Berlin, the Vice Chancellor said initiatives of this nature are important because innovation will play a major role in determining the future of countries.
He encouraged participants to make their pitches more precise by clearly identifying the problem they are addressing, explaining their proposed solution and demonstrating what they have already achieved.
Prof. Nawangwe also welcomed the participation of innovators from other universities and countries, noting that the Kampala event had attracted participants beyond Makerere.
He thanked the Africa Office of the Falling Walls Foundation for its role in bringing the initiative to Makerere and encouraged continued support for innovation.
The Vice Chancellor further linked innovation to Uganda’s growing youth population and the need to develop home-grown solutions to address challenges such as youth unemployment.
The inaugural Falling Walls Lab Kampala ultimately provided a platform for innovators to move ideas beyond the classroom and laboratory and demonstrate how research, technology and creativity can be applied to challenges affecting communities.
| Position | Winner | Institution | Score |
| 1st | Andrew Mudhasi | Makerere University | 90% |
| 2nd | Rhoda John | University of Nairobi | 89.6% |
| 3rd | Stuart Mahera | Makerere University | 86.2% |
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