Health
Rising Childhood Obesity: Mak Researchers Investigate Unhealthy Food and Beverage Advertising to Children
By Joseph Odoi
In Uganda, many children are exposed to aggressive advertisement of unhealthy foods and sugar sweetened non-alcoholic beverages which in turn prepares their mind as future potential clients. Unfortunately, there is little understanding on the extent, nature and impact of children’s exposure to food and non-alcoholic beverage advertising trends in Uganda.
Driven by this worrying trend and increasing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), researchers at Makerere University have embarked on a study to promote regulated unhealthy food and sugar sweetened beverage advertising.
A research project titled Food and beverage Advertising to Children in Uganda(FACe-U), with funding from Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (MakRIF), has been commissioned to understand advertising patterns of unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages towards children below 18 years. This study comes at a time when there’s coinciding increase in overweight and obesity cases among children in Uganda. The project will also investigate the extent to which content influences children’s food choices and suggest changes for more responsible food and beverage advertising. This will contribute towards creating a healthy food environment in Uganda.
According to Dr. Gloria Seruwagi, the Project lead and Principal Investigator, young children are gaining more weight early, mostly because of the foods they eat, pushed by advertising.“We are seeing an increase in waist size. Children are becoming more obese and overweight mostly because of the foods that they consume, the lifestyles we are allowing them as parents and caretakers. This brings complications to children which may affect their overall development and academic performance. We need to protect impressionable children and adolescents. Recently the World Health Organisation through the Global RECAP program and engagement of policymakers in Uganda, confirmed that ‘marketing restrictions to children’ is a number one priority issue in Uganda. We need to support global and national effort to strengthen capacity of key actors in promoting healthy diets and increase physical activity for the prevention of NCDs.
We hope that our study findings will inform and support policy actions to regulate irresponsible production and advertising; create healthy food environments that prevent childhood obesity; and contribute towards achieving the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan II (2020-2025) and the country’s Strategic Development Goals” she remarked. This study is foundational and shall begin by undertaking a situation analysis. For example; we shall assess how often unhealthy food and beverages adverts feature on TV, the airing period (at what time), how many times, and the persuasive content targeting children and adolescents.” she added. The study will use empirical and media monitoring data to determine trends of magnitude of advertising and types of food and non-alcoholic beverages advertised to children in Uganda.
According to the Study Co-PI Florence Tushemereirwe, this one year study is a partnership between a team of researchers at Makerere University School of Public Health(MakSPH) and the School of Social Sciences (CHUSS). The project team also includes Maureen Nabatanzi (Research Fellow), Dr. Priscilla Cheptyo (Research Officer), Maria Ssematiko and Flavia Nakacwa (Project Liason and Administrator respectively).The team has mentors based at MakSPH, APHRC in Nairobi, Sciencano and Institute of Tropical Medicine, in Belgium.
Expected Outcomes of Face-U Project
- Increased understanding on the nature and extent of food and non-alcoholic beverages advertising to children. We shall use real time television, radio and newspaper data, including video clips and pictures where appropriate, to generate this outcome.
- Categories of food and non-alcoholic beverages advertised to children using the AFRO nutrient profile model. Categorizing the types of food and beverages advertised shows the nature of food advertised to influence children’s food choices and diets.
- Analysis and documentation of the persuasive techniques used to promote food and sweetened beverages to children and children’s preferred media channels. Food and non-alcoholic beverages advertisers use content to persuade children and capture innocent children’s minds early in life to prepare them as future clients for their products. This outcome will directly contribute towards food and beverage regulation – specifically on marketing to children in Uganda.
In her remarks, Florence Basiimwa Tushemerirwe, a public health nutritionist and Co-Principal Investigator of the project said the study will be implemented in Mbale, Kabale, Kampala and the surrounding areas. Ms. Tushemerirwe said that the team chose study sites like Kabale owing to the fact that it’s a meeting place for more than 3 countries; e.g. Uganda , Rwanda, Burundi and DRC Congo. Mbale district receives products from South Sudan and Kenya. The Kampala Metropolitan area represents urban settings with higher exposure to advertising among children, partly due to TV access and billboard adverts among others.
Dr. Cheputyo Priscilla, a member of the research team, gave insight into how Uganda is currently undergoing a nutrition transition with many children becoming overweight and obese, according to national data.Obesity is caused by many factors but the most common is consumption of foods that are high in calories. “We get most of the calories from sweet sugars, added to processed foods like sodas, yogurts and baked products in the supermarkets; we get calories from fatty foods like chips, fried foods like chicken, chaps, rolex, and more from fast food restaurants,” she explained.Florence Tushemereirwe, the Study Co-PI from Makerere University School of Public Health makes a point
National Obesity Statistics
In 2016, Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) found: 4% of children under five years, and 16% of adolescent girls were obese, a rise from 2.4% of boys and 2.1% of girls in 2014. Therefore, it is the right time for Uganda to nip these health conditions in the bud.
More information on the FACe-U study, including updates, stakeholder engagement and research outputs can be found here
A Voice for Excellence, Equity and African Sovereignty
When Dr. Michael Makanga walked onto the stage at the 8th Galien Forum Africa in Dakar on 31 October 2025 to receive the Special Career Achievement Galien Prize, presented by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye under the theme Health sovereignty: an imperative for Africa, the moment carried weight beyond any medal or citation. “It is a celebration of a lifelong commitment,” he said, “but also a reminder of a responsibility I have never been willing to compromise: to inspire others to raise their voices for excellence, science, and equity.”
For more than two decades, Dr. Makanga has been a quiet architect of Africa’s health sovereignty. His work has unfolded far from cameras: in laboratories constrained by resources, in policy rooms where African priorities demanded a stronger voice, and in mentoring sessions with young scientists seeking reassurance that their ideas mattered.
Born and trained in Uganda, Dr. Makanga earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Makerere University before pursuing a master’s degree and PhD at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. His career spans nearly 30 years, encompassing tropical medicine, clinical trials in Africa and Europe, and senior international management roles. Since joining EDCTP in 2004, he has guided its growth as a unique Africa–Europe partnership, strengthening African capacity for high-quality, ethical clinical research while accelerating solutions for poverty-related diseases. Today, he leads the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.
President Faye captured the essence of Dr. Makanga’s achievement: “Scientific excellence is not negotiable; it is earned. It underpins our credibility and our sovereignty.” For Dr. Makanga, the statement is a call to action. “I hope this recognition reminds us that Africa’s scientists and innovators can lead global health research with excellence and purpose. We owe it to the next generation to build the systems and confidence that make this possible,” he said.
Dr. Makanga’s peers describe him as a “builder”: someone who strengthens research systems, mentors emerging scientists, and fosters equitable partnerships long before “local ownership” became a policy buzzword. In his own words, the award honors his “career’s contribution to advancing Africa’s health sovereignty” while reinforcing his commitment to ensure younger scientists do not have to fight for legitimacy as previous generations did.
The 2025 Prix Galien Africa celebrated Dr. Makanga alongside innovators reshaping African science. La Ruche Health, a Côte d’Ivoire-based digital health platform, won for connecting users to certified providers through an AI-powered system. Senegalese computer scientist Adji Bousso Dieng received a special prize for applying artificial intelligence to the natural sciences, including spotting emerging viral variants using her “Vendi Score” tool. The awards were organised with the support of the Presidency of Senegal, the Gates Foundation, the West African Health Organization, and the Rockefeller Foundation, with a jury co-chaired by Dr. John Nkengasong and Professor Souleymane Mboup.
Yet the award’s true weight lies not in ceremony, but in its symbolism. Dr. Makanga’s career exemplifies how African scientists can lead, shape policy, and influence global health priorities when empowered and supported.
Makerere University colleagues attest to this impact. Dr. Victoria Nankabirwa, a clinical researcher and epidemiologist, reflects: “EDCTP support allowed me to build multidisciplinary teams, enhance laboratory and trial infrastructure, and generate evidence relevant for policy and practice. It strengthened my scientific independence and expanded the long-term sustainability of my research, particularly on childhood vaccines.”
She adds, “Dr. Makanga’s vision and commitment have strengthened institutions, built capacity, and fostered equitable partnerships, enabling African investigators to lead complex studies that address the continent’s priorities. His recognition shows what is possible when scientists are empowered, trusted, and supported.”
Dr. Alex Kayongo, an immunologist at Makerere University, describes EDCTP support as “catalytic,” enabling advanced training and a platform to study microbiome–immune interactions in HIV-associated COPD. His work is shaping mechanistic insights and strengthening Uganda’s capacity for complex respiratory immunology research. “Global health funding is increasingly competitive, making EDCTP’s role even more vital,” he says. “Africa needs sustainable support for complex, lab-intensive research. Continued investment in infrastructure, leadership, and fair partnerships is essential if African institutions are to drive innovation and secure true scientific sovereignty.”
Dr. David Musoke, an associate professor of disease control, credits his EDCTP fellowship with deepening his malaria research and advancing his career. His studies combined housing improvements, environmental management, and behavioural measures to complement traditional malaria prevention, shaping practical, community-informed interventions. “Dr. Makanga’s contribution to African science has been tremendous, and his continued stewardship gives us confidence that evidence generated on the continent will increasingly shape policy and practice,” he observes.
Dr. Makanga’s impact is visible not only in individual careers but across institutions and nations. Through EDCTP, he has championed African-led trials, strengthened laboratory capacity, and fostered cross-country collaboration. Colleagues emphasize that his leadership has created a generation of African scientists who are confident, collaborative, and globally competitive.
“My experience with EDCTP-funded programmes has shown the transformative impact of African-led research,” Dr. Nankabirwa reflects. “Dr. Makanga’s vision and commitment have strengthened institutions, built capacity, and fostered equitable partnerships, enabling African investigators to lead complex studies that address the continent’s priorities. His recognition shows what is possible when scientists are empowered, trusted, and supported, inspiring the next generation of research leaders.”
Dr. Makanga’s recognition is a tribute to perseverance, vision, and mentorship: a scientist who kept going when resources were scarce, a leader who refused partnerships that treated Africans as subjects, and a mentor who reminded young researchers that they belong at the centre of global science.
As he stood among Africa’s leading innovators in Dakar, the message was unmistakable: Africa can lead, Africa must lead, and it will lead, through science, excellence, and equity.
Makerere University is proud to celebrate Dr. Michael Makanga, one of its distinguished alumni, on receiving the Special Career Achievement Prize of the Prix Galien Africa 2025. This honor recognises his exceptional leadership in medical research and his role in advancing African-led science. Through his work, Dr. Makanga continues to strengthen institutions, mentor emerging researchers, and amplify Africa’s voice on the global health stage.
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