Health
Dr. Kakumba Officially Opens HPE Conference 2021
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA, Dr. Umar Kakumba on Thursday 27th May, 2021 officially opened the two-day Health Profession’s Education Conference based on the theme; “Transforming Health Professions Education (HPE) in the 21st Century: From Theory to Practice”. The Conference was organised by the Eastern Africa Health Professions Educators’ Association (EAHPEA), and the Health Professions Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI) Project co-hosted by the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Makerere University.
The project; Health Professions Education and training for Strengthening the Health System and Services in Uganda(HEPI-SHSSU), is an innovative Education Research NIH-funded program implemented by a partnership between CHS, Busitema University School of Health Sciences, Kabale University School of Medicine, Clarke International University, Mulago School of Nursing and Midwifery, The African center for Global health and social transformation (ACHEST), Yale University and John Hopkins University (JHU). Prof. Sarah Kiguli from the School of Medicine, CHS is the project’s Principal Investigator and the Conference’s Chairperson Organising Committee.
The goal of the HEPI program, which started in August 2018 is to improve service delivery of the Ugandan health system through strengthened interdisciplinary health professional education and research training to produce graduates with competencies to address the priority health needs of the population.
Dr. Kakumba in his remarks noted that health is a critical success factor towards sustaining and promoting high levels of human development and it is therefore important that all stakeholders are involved in strengthening education and training systems for Health Professionals.
In this regard, he said that EAHPEA and the HEPI Project both provide opportunities and platforms for stakeholders to collaborate, plan and implement strategies that will improve the competence of educators and ultimately, the quality of graduates and health of communities.
“At institutional level, Makerere is especially aware of the dire need to recruit adequate numbers of well qualified staff, who should be developed in knowledge, and other competencies. Indeed a number of actions continue to be undertaken in the units with most critical need” he shared.
The DVCAA made specific mention of CHS’ proposed; pre-entry exam to improve the process of admitting medical students, and establishment of the Health Professions Education Centre to support faculty development at the college and other Institutions, as interventions that will contribute to the University’s efforts to implement student-centred learning.
“I equally bid to support the establishment of the Health Professions Education Centre” he vouched.
Dr. Kakumba therefore urged the College to strengthen its partnership with Government, particularly the Ministries of Health and Education as well as development partners and the community to ensure that meaningful transformation in Health Professions Education is achieved.
“I extend special thanks to all the Keynote Speakers, Partner Institutions represented, and the National Institutes of Health that has funded the conference through the Makerere University HEPI Project” he concluded.
The Principal CHS, Prof. Damalie Nakanjako thanked Dr. Kakumba for being supportive of the college’s innovations, particularly the proposal to establish the Health Professions Education Centre. She added that CHS had since followed it through to the next level. “The proposal is already under review by the Senate sub-Committee.”
Prof. Nakajanko shared that CHS was proud to have led the transformation of traditional curricular into the student-centred curricular. This curricular is grounded in problem-based learning and community-based education and services. The college has also embraced inter-disciplinary education.
“All these innovations would not have been possible without the efforts of; Prof. Nelson Sewankambo, Prof. Sarah Kiguli and Prof. Elsie Kiguli Malwadde” remarked Prof. Kiguli to applause from the audience.
She added that the Professors have since gone beyond CHS to support and work with all other Health Education Programmes in the country. “It is because of you that our Medical Education continues to be the leader in the region and we thank you very much.”
The Principal said her college was able to carry on teaching despite restrictions to institutions aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 thanks largely to the pedagogical support provided by the HEPI program. She therefore called for the need to reclassify computers and e-Learning equipment as teaching materials at procurement stage, so as to facilitate increased roll-out of online education.
Prof. Nelson Sewankambo is a Professor of Internal Medicine in the School of Medicine, CHS. Having served as Associate Dean and Dean of the School of Medicine and thereafter Principal CHS, he has been at the helm of various academic and administrative innovations and dedicated his efforts to improving medical education both in Uganda and internationally. Recently awarded Professor Emeritus of Makerere University, he was therefore the perfect candidate to deliver the opening ceremony’s keynote address on “Transformative Health Professions Education: Owning and Changing Our Future”.
“As we think about transformation of education, we need to link education and health systems. We cannot or should not work with one system and not the other. We as health profession educators should contribute to building the health systems as well” said Prof. Sewankambo as he tackled the need for holistic transformative education.
Reflecting on the three types of learning of health professions education; Transmissional, Transactional and Transformational, Prof. Sewankambo said that the latter; Transformative learning involves experiencing a deep, structural shift in the basic premises of thought, feelings and actions.
“Many of you know that young people join health professions training institutions with a lot of vigour and interest to do wonderful things and by the time they leave these institutions they have given up; they are not thinking the way they did when they were coming in” he shared solemnly.
This point then drove him to ask “So, how can we lay the foundation for transformational learning?” and as his audience pondered he answered, “We need to analyse the main opportunities and challenges which are facing the health workforce… and then we need to recognise and accept the need for change.”
Prof. Sewankambo acknowledged that we are in most cases our own barriers because we do not recognise the need for change. “We have therefore, before we talk about transformative education, to transform our own minds, then we can plunge into transformative education.”
Other factors identified by Prof. Sewankambo in laying the foundation for transformative education included; Strategic vision and change management, Balancing the top-down and bottom-up approach and above all, Transformative leadership and a learning system/institution.
He further warned that a failure to re-lay the foundations would most likely result in Uganda and the region risking a “continued deterioration of service provision, worsening health outcomes and a system poorly equipped to respond to future health challenges.”
Prof. Sewankambo in conclusion tasked the delegates who were drawn from various institutions within Uganda and the region to come up with a call to action. This, he opined, would serve as the turning point for ensuring transformative health professions education in the period following the conference.
Health
Makerere Researchers Find Psychological Therapy Effective in Improving Diabetes Care in Uganda
By Nelson Bahati
Researchers from Makerere University‘s School of Psychology have found that psychotherapy intervention can improve the well-being of adults living with Type II diabetes mellitus, opening the door for integrating psychosocial support into diabetes care in Uganda.
The findings were disseminated on 16 June 2026 during a research dissemination workshop held at the Physiology Lecture Theatre at the College of Health Sciences, Mulago Hospital.
Led by Professor Peter Baguma, the study titled “The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Diabetes Distress, Depression, Health Anxiety, Quality of Life and Treatment Adherence among Adult Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus” investigated whether Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a psychological treatment that has proven effective in Western countries, could also work in the Ugandan context.
Presenting the findings, Professor Baguma said the study was motivated by the growing burden of diabetes and the psychological challenges that often accompany the disease but are rarely addressed in routine healthcare.
“Diabetes affects many people in Uganda and across the world. It kills, and those who live with it face many challenges. While psychological interventions have been developed and applied in the Western world, we did not know whether these approaches could work in Uganda. That is why we decided to undertake this study,” he said.
He explained that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on changing negative thoughts and behaviours that affect people’s wellbeing and ability to manage chronic illnesses.
The researchers sought to determine whether CBT could reduce psychological distress among diabetes patients and improve treatment outcomes.
The controlled study involved 200 adult participants with Type II diabetes mellitus. One hundred participants received the CBT intervention while another 100 formed the control group. Participants in the intervention arm attended eight counselling sessions over four months, with each session lasting between one and one-and-a-half hours.
The therapy covered several modules, including psychoeducation on diabetes, cognitive restructuring, medication adherence, problem-solving, coping strategies, physical exercise, relaxation techniques and strategies for maintaining treatment.
According to Professor Baguma, the findings showed that psychotherapy significantly improved participants’ wellbeing.
“The group that received the intervention experienced reduced stress levels and lower blood sugar levels compared to those who did not receive the therapy. We conclude that CBT is effective and should be adopted as part of diabetes care,” he said.
The study also yielded another important discovery.
“We have discovered that CBT as practised in the Western world is somewhat narrow. Their manual contains only eight elements. In Africa, we found that three additional components are necessary: effective communication between patients and health workers, goal setting, and instilling hope among patients. We call this African CBT,” Professor Baguma explained.
He added that the findings had also revealed the need to incorporate psychosocial care into the management of chronic illnesses and to train healthcare workers to address the psychological dimensions of disease.
Professor Andrew Marcel Otim, one of the co-investigators and founder of the Uganda Diabetes Association, said the study had brought to the fore an aspect of diabetes care that has long been neglected.
“There have been many efforts to address the physiological effects of diabetes, but we have largely ignored the psychological part of the disease. Yet the psychological aspect is huge,” he said.
He added that, diabetes management should go beyond medication but rather intergrate other components of care.
“Education, nutrition, exercise and self-monitoring are extremely important. Even simply knowing what to do is a very powerful intervention. Psychological distress and depression can increase blood sugar levels, so we need to help patients remain calm and hopeful,” he said.
Drawing from his experience as a clinician and educator, Professor Otim encouraged people living with diabetes to embrace physical activity.
“I tell my students and my patients to put on some music, dance, sweat and enjoy themselves. Nutrition, education and exercise remain central to managing diabetes.”
Dr. Wilber Karugahe, a counselling psychologist at Makerere University‘s School of Psychology and one of the co-investigators, said the findings demonstrate the need to integrate psychological care into the management of chronic diseases.
“A lot of studies focus on physical illness and not the psychological conditions that accompany these illnesses. This study confirms that diabetes has a significant psychological aspect and that patients need psychological interventions as part of their care,” he said.
Explaining the essence of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dr. Karugahe noted that the approach helps people restructure their thoughts and behaviours.
“Imagine putting a sticker on your fridge that reminds you that some foods are not good for you and that healthier options are better. That is CBT. It helps people change the way they think and behave, and it can be used to address many behavioural challenges.”
The dissemination workshop was also attended by officials from the Ministry of Health, including Mrs. Christine Ninsiima Ahimbisibwe, Senior Programme Officer for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Control, and Mrs. Patience Butesi from the Department of Mental Health and Drug and Substance Abuse.
Mrs. Ahimbisibwe welcomed the findings and emphasised the need to integrate the study’s recommendations into Uganda’s clinical guidelines to enable healthcare workers to provide psychosocial support to patients living with chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
The human impact of the intervention was perhaps best illustrated by testimonies from participants who underwent the psychosocial training.
Tebugulwa Josephine, a retired teacher and employee at Mulago National Referral Hospital, said the intervention restored hope in her life.
“When we first joined the programme, we thought we were moving dead people. But now we have hope. I have hope of reaching 90 years. We were taught how to exercise and take care of ourselves. Even our families no longer treat us as sick people because we can now walk and participate in daily activities.”
Another participant, Bunje Joice, described the intervention as life-changing.
“People had already given up on me and were waiting for me to die. I could hardly walk, but now I can walk long distances and my diabetes levels have improved. Physical exercise has become my first medicine.”
Kyomuhendo Kate said the programme helped her manage stress and improve her health.
“I was so stressed and my legs were swelling, but after attending the treatment sessions, I am now much better.”
Sebuliba Bernard said the training transformed how he manages his condition.
“They taught us how to exercise, how to live and how to eat. If we follow what we were taught, we can change our lives.”
Based on the findings, the researchers recommended scaling up the intervention to district, regional and national referral hospitals, integrating psychosocial interventions into the training of health workers, and undertaking policy reforms to strengthen mental health support for people living with chronic illnesses.
The study was funded by the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) and brought together researchers from psychology and medicine, including co-investigators: Dr. Fredrick Nakwagala, Dr. Wilber Karugahe and Dr. Anne Ampaire.
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