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Four Innovators Win 2020 Social Innovation in Health Awards

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5 years ago

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Dr. Maxwell Otim Onapa, the Director of Science, Research and Innovation at Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (R) hands over a plaque to Dr. Etheldreda Nakimuli (2nd R) and her team at SEEK-GSP project. Their project aimed at narrowing the treatment gap for depression among people living with HIV using group support psychotherapy delivered by community health workers. They are among the winners of the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards organized by the School of Public Health on 17th March 2021.
Dr. Maxwell Otim Onapa, the Director of Science, Research and Innovation at Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (R) hands over a plaque to Dr. Etheldreda Nakimuli (2nd R) and her team at SEEK-GSP project. Their project aimed at narrowing the treatment gap for depression among people living with HIV using group support psychotherapy delivered by community health workers. They are among the winners of the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards organized by the School of Public Health on 17th March 2021.

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.

L-R: Dr. Phyllis Awor, Lecturer and PI of the SIHI Uganda project at MakSPH, Dr. Maxwell Otim, Professor Damalie Nakanjako and Dr. Olaro Charles at the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards organized by the School of Public Health.
L-R: Dr. Phyllis Awor, Lecturer and PI of the SIHI Uganda project at MakSPH, Dr. Maxwell Otim, Professor Damalie Nakanjako and Dr. Olaro Charles at the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards organized by the School of Public Health.

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.

Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor & Dean MakSPH speaking at the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards at Golf Course Hotel.
Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor & Dean MakSPH speaking at the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards at Golf Course Hotel.

“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.

Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, an alumnus receives a certificate of recognition for his innovation Students HIV/AIDs Awareness (SHIVA) Campaign from Professor Damalie Nakanjako, the Principal College of Health Sciences. Alongside his colleagues, at MakSPH have been involved in efforts towards improving HIV awareness among University students.
Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, an alumnus receives a certificate of recognition for his innovation Students HIV/AIDs Awareness (SHIVA) Campaign from Professor Damalie Nakanjako, the Principal College of Health Sciences. Alongside his colleagues, at MakSPH have been involved in efforts towards improving HIV awareness among University students.

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.

The winners of the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards organized by the School of Public Health pose for group photo.
The winners pose with their awards at the Social Innovation in Health Awards held on 17th March 2021, Golf Course Hotel, Kampala.

“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.

Mr. Lubega Martin, the author of a 48-paged, A4 portable short My Pregnancy handbook receives an award from Dr. Maxwell Otim Onapa, the Director of Science, Research and Innovation at Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Mr. Lubega Martin, the author of a 48-paged, A4 portable short My Pregnancy handbook receives an award from Dr. Maxwell Otim Onapa, the Director of Science, Research and Innovation at Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

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.

Dr. Olaro Charles, Director Clinical Services at Ministry of Health hands over a plaque to Dr. Patrick Kerchan, the head of programs at Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau - UPMB and his colleagues for their innovation on Saving lives through community health insurance. They are among the winners of the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards organized by the School of Public Health.
Dr. Olaro Charles, Director Clinical Services at Ministry of Health hands over a plaque to Dr. Patrick Kerchan, the head of programs at Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau – UPMB and his colleagues for their innovation on Saving lives through community health insurance. They are among the winners of the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards organized by the School of Public Health.

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.

Dr. Olaro Charles, Director Clinical Services at Ministry of Health hands over a plaque to Dr. Manasseh Tumuhimbise and colleagues from Ishaka Health Plan, the winners of the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards organized by the School of Public Health.
Dr. Olaro Charles, Director Clinical Services at Ministry of Health hands over a plaque to Dr. Manasseh Tumuhimbise and colleagues from Ishaka Health Plan, the winners of the 2020 Social Innovations in Health Awards organized by the School of Public Health.

Article originally Published on MakSPH website

Mark Wamai

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

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6 days ago

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May 25, 2026

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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 5th July 2026.

Mak Editor

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

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2 weeks ago

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May 20, 2026

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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

Read more and apply here: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/anouncement/allstar-training-program-applications-open-for-ai-and-machine-learning-course-in-tb-research/

John Okeya

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

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3 weeks ago

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May 12, 2026

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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

Mak Editor

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