L-R: Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation, Prof. Charles Ibingira, International President World Health Summit 2021 and Prof. Tonny Oyana, Finance Chairperson World Health Summit Regional Meeting at the 2019 Edition, Kish Island, Iran.
The President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will officially open the World Health Summit Regional Meeting Africa on Sunday 27th June 2021. The Regional Meeting is hosted by Makerere University and the Government of Uganda and will run from 27th to 30th June 2021 at the Speke Resort Munyonyo.
During this meeting, the President is expected to have a one-on-one discussion with Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization, where he will advocate for vaccine equity and access for African countries including Uganda.
The World Health Summit held every October in Berlin, Germany is complimented by a Regional Meeting in a different part of the world. Health is a truly global challenge—most health issues affect people everywhere. At the same time, different regions and cultures have different health priorities.
At the World Health Summit Regional Meeting, these local and regional topics come to the forefront. Each meeting is hosted and organized by the M8 Alliance member holding the World Health Summit International Presidency, which rotates every year. M8 Alliance is a consortium of Academic Health Centres, Universities, and National Academies currently with 25 leading medical Schools in the world.
This will be the first time the World Health Summit Regional Meeting is held in Africa. The largely virtual meeting will be conducted under strict observance of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) outlined by the Ministry of Health. Only sixty international and local delegates have been cleared to attend the sessions physically at Munyonyo.
The Central topics of the Regional Meeting are: COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa; Non-Communicable Diseases; Universal Health Coverage; Global Health Security & Infectious Diseases; Advancing Technology for Health in Africa; Intersectoral Action for Health; and The Health of the African Youth.
In his welcome message to delegates, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe noted that the Regional Meeting is being hosted at a trying and therefore particularly important time for the whole world. As such, he said, discussions on the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to take center stage.
He therefore rallied Ugandans as hosts to attend and actively participate in the largely virtual event, which will also feature exhibitions by Makerere University Staff and Students.
“We are extremely delighted to be leading the preparations for the World Health Summit Regional Meeting. With health professionals and other stakeholders in government and the private sector coming together, I’m optimistic that the meeting will stir us all to think better and work harder to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, all of which pertain to health, whether directly or indirectly,” says Prof. Charles Ibingira, International President of the World Health Summit 2021 and former Principal of the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Makerere University.
Explaining how the 80% virtual event will proceed, Prof. Tonny Oyana, Finance Chairperson of the World Health Summit Regional Meeting said, “We have planned the technologies; ZOOM, YouTube and other means to be able to overcome the challenges that arise when you host virtually.
“And so, it is an opportunity to first of all inspire our young people that this is what can happen if you become the best in the country” added Prof. Oyana.
Highlighting the benefits that come with hosting the summit, Dr. Bruce Kirenga, Chairperson of World Health Summit Regional Meeting Scientific Committee says, “It is a very good platform for advocating for Global Health and it happening in Uganda and in Africa at this point in time is going to create an opportunity to bring experts from all over Africa and other continents to discuss the issues concerning how to deal with the pandemic.”
Picking up from where Dr. Kirenga left off, Prof. Damalie Nakanjako, Principal College of Health Sciences (CHS) notes that, “This World Health Summit will give an opportunity for African Scientists and African Investigators to engage on the international scene with scientists, pharmaceutical companies and industry to illustrate that what happens in Africa is of global importance.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely strained the delivery of essential health services. Talking about how the session she will participate in will address this, Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean School of Public Health says, “We have been doing a study in four countries in Africa including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda and we’ll have an opportunity to explore how these countries have performed and what they have done to ensure that we continue to deliver essential health services even as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, Universities and National Academies is the academic foundation of the World Health Summit. It is a growing network and currently consists of 30 members in 20 countries, including the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), which represents the national academies of medicine and science in 130 countries.
The World Health Summit is one of the world’s leading strategic forums for global health with 6,000 participants onsite and online, 300 speakers from 100 nations and 50 sessions. This year’s World Health Summit will take place from October 24-26 in Berlin and virtually.
With over thirty sessions lined up for the Regional Meeting 2021, participants should expect lively discussion, new ideas, and major progress for global health—in the region and around the world.
The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training Course, scheduled to take place from July 30th to August 1st, 2025, at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences’ Conference Room.
Background
The SUSTAIN: Advancing Makerere University Masters of Health Sciences in Bioethics program at Makerere University College of Health Sciences aims at developing and institutionalizing a mentorship program in research ethics that facilitates development of bioethics professionals and health researchers who are committed to the growth and application of research ethics in Uganda’s academic and research institutions to the highest possible degree. The Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) course is one of the short courses that introduces trainees to a framework that involves application of established scientific, professional norms and ethical principles in the performance of all activities related to scientific research.
Course objectives
At the end of this course, trainees should be able to identify, manage and prevent research misconduct.
Course outline
Introduction to RCR; Introduction to Professionalism and Ethics; Human subject’s protection and regulatory framework in Uganda; Humane handling of animal research subjects; Conflict of interest;
Responsible laboratory practices; Mentor-mentee relationships; Collaborative research international, industry); Peer review; Research misconduct (including policies for handling misconduct); Community involvement during research in a low resource setting; Responsibility to society and environment; Responsible financial management; Data acquisition, management, sharing and ownership; Responsible authorship, publication and communication.
Target group
The Responsible Conduct of Research course is targeted at Researchers, Research administrators, Research assistants, Study coordinators, Graduate students and Student supervisors. Certificates will only be awarded to participants with 80% attendance.
Course fee: 205,000/=, or 56USD is payable.
The course fee will cater for meals and refreshments during the training period.
Payment & Registration procedure:
9030026194023, Stanbic Bank, Mulago, Makerere University Biomedical Research Center Limited
Dollar Currency:
9030026194147, Stanbic Bank, Mulago, Makerere University Biomedical Research Center Limited
Please Note: Share payment details on email/whatsup and a hardcopy deposit slip delivered on the first day of the training to Miriam Musazi, Department of anatomy, Bioethics Centre, Room C4,
Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS), Kampala, Uganda and Global Health Uganda (GHU); in collaboration with other research consortium partner institutions, including, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya; Training and Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE), Blantyre, Malawi; University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), UK have been conducting clinical research on Malaria Chemoprevention. This research has focused on Malaria Chemoprevention in vulnerable patient populations, including children with severe anaemia, children with sickle cell anaemia and pregnant women. As an example, two of our recently completed studies are “The post-discharge malaria chemoprevention in children with severe anaemia [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33264546/] and Malaria chemoprevention in children with sickle cell anaemia [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39718172/]”.
With support from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) body, the consortium is expanding these studies to children with severe acute malnutrition, by conducting a large multi-centre randomized controlled trial entitled “Chemoprevention of malaria in the postdischarge management of children with severe acute malnutrition in Malawi and Uganda”.
In Uganda, the study will be conducted at one or two of their study sites in Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, Hoima Regional Referral Hospital or Kitgum General Hospital. Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) and Uganda and Global Health Uganda (GHU) seek to appoint a full-time PhD Fellow, on this study. This will be a 4-year post, tenured at Makerere University and hosted at MakCHS.
Expectations of the PhD fellowship:
The PhD fellow will:
Be a part of the main trial team, and participate fully in its implementation. However, he/she will be expected to design and develop his/her PhD research project, nested in the main trial.
The area of study will be around “interactions between anaemia and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children or the interactions between malaria and severe acute malnutrition in children”.
Conduct rigorous research, leading to high quality scientific publications.
Submit a full research concept and obtain registration in the University by end of year-one. As such, there be an initial appointment for one year, renewable upon satisfactory performance.
Academic mentorship and supervision will be provided by the research consortium (see above – composed of national and international researchers).
Doctoral scholarly support and training environment, as well as didactic training in research methods and scientific writing skills will be provided by Makerere University.
The funding support will cover tuition and a competitive monthly stipend for 4 years, scientific conferences fees/travel and other research-related costs.
Prospective candidates must:
Hold Master’s of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health from a recognized university, and licensed to practice medicine in Uganda by the UMDPC.
Possess undergraduate training in Medicine and Surgery (MBChB/MBBS/MD).
Willingness to fully commit time and effort to their PhD studies, expected to start immediately
Candidate should not hold other/concurrent fellowships
Having publication experience will be an added advantage.
Be highly motivated and willing to commit to a career in research and academia.
Application procedure:
Interested applicants should submit their application and supportive documents – listed here below, in one PDF document, in an email titled “PDMC-SAM–PhD Fellowship Application” to hr@globalhealthuganda.org [and cc – chdc.desk@mak.ac.ug] by 25th July 2025. The documents should include the following:
An application letter (Max. 1 page)
Motivation statement (Max. 500 words)
CV (Max. 2 pages), including a list of publications
Two (2) recommendation letters
Academic transcripts and certificates for all university qualifications
A synopsis focusing on the proposed PhD research work, describing briefly what is already known/burden, challenges, the gaps and potential interventions (include references) [Max. 800 words].
KAMPALA, July 9, 2025 — Makerere University has been hailed as a continental and global leader in health policy and systems research. This recognition came during the Partnerships for Stronger Knowledge Systems in Africa (KNOSA) Learning Forum, held July 8–10, 2025, hosted by Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) with support from the WHO Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research.
Delegates from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia applauded Makerere’s role in advancing evidence-informed policymaking and strengthening national knowledge systems. The forum highlighted the institution’s trusted leadership, practical research, and commitment to driving real change.
Dr. Kumanan Rasanathan, Executive Director of the WHO Alliance, praised Makerere’s long-standing role in bridging research and policy:
“You are a shining beacon on the continent and for the world,” he said. “In this moment of crisis, where every health investment must be efficient and equitable, Makerere’s leadership matters more than ever.”
He emphasized the Alliance’s 25-year partnership with Makerere: “We know Makerere University very well. My predecessors have worked with the Alliance since its inception in the 1990s. Makerere has been especially instrumental in advancing the field of health policy and systems.”
Dr. Kumanan Rasanathan, Executive Director of the WHO Alliance speaking at the KNOSA East Africa Learning Forum hosted by Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
Dr. Rasanathan called for a move away from siloed approaches toward more adaptive, coherent systems. He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting regional initiatives like KNOSA that are driving this shift across Africa.
The Vice Chancellor, Makerere University Professor Barnabas Nawangwe chats with H.E Rt. Hon. Kenneth M. Lusaka, EGH Governor Bungoma County, Kenya during the KNOSA East Africa Learning Forum at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda on Wednesday, July 10, 2025.
In the face of current funding cuts, Dr. Christine Musanhu of the WHO Uganda Country Office echoed these sentiments with a stern call to action: “In times of uncertainty, we need national systems that not only generate evidence but also understand and communicate it in ways that drive real change.”
She warned of tightening budgets, citing an 11% cut (roughly $67 million) in global funding for Uganda’s public health programs. “We are being asked to do more with less,” she said, urging countries to reprogram resources towards high-impact, evidence-based interventions. Adding that, “Evidence must go beyond routine data—it is a measure of transformation.”
Dr. Christine Musanhu of the WHO Uganda Country Office encouraged participants attending the KNOSA East Africa Learning Forum at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda to leave with shared purpose and concrete steps to advance the use of evidence for healthier communities.
This year’s KNOSA forum focused on sharing country-level progress, refining evaluation approaches, enhancing communication products, including scientific publications, and engaging more deliberately with Uganda’s wider policy and research ecosystem.
Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, while sharing the institutional vision, called for African universities to lead from the front in addressing health and development challenges: “We can do all the research in the world, but unless it moves beyond our laptops and lecture rooms into real decision-making spaces, it won’t change lives.”
He noted that Makerere contributes over 80% of Uganda’s academic output and praised MakSPH and the College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) for innovations that have shaped responses to HIV, Ebola, and COVID-19. “Our work, backed by partnerships with government and global collaborators, is proof that African universities must lead from the front.”
Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, applauds country teams and university partners during the KNOSA Learning Forum for their dedication to building a stronger, more resilient Africa. He emphasized the vital role of universities in low-income countries in driving socio-economic development.
Professor Nawangwe urged deeper collaboration within KNOSA: “Our continent is interconnected. We cannot afford to work in silos. We are stronger together.”
Dr. Aku Kwamie, the unit head at the WHO-Alliance, noted that there is a need for partners to shift their thinking regarding policy. She particularly shared three critical transitions to institutionalize evidence use: embedding knowledge within institutions, not just individuals; linking research directly to decision-making; and advancing from isolated academic work to system-level thinking. These shifts, she noted, are essential for embedding evidence into routine governance.
Dr. Aku Kwamie, the unit head at the WHO-Alliance, during the the KNOSA East Africa Learning Forum hosted by Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
Professor Freddie Ssengooba, a Health Policy and Knowledge Systems expert at MakSPH, reaffirmed Makerere University’s regional leadership in the field and stressed the urgency for African countries to take full ownership of their health systems considering the shifting funding landscape:
“Health policy and knowledge systems research may not be as prominent as epidemiology or disease control,” he said, “but it’s central to how we harvest and connect knowledge with policy and resources. When the vaccine is here and the evidence is clear, that’s when they come to us, asking, “How do we achieve over 80% coverage?”
Professor Freddie Ssengooba, a Health Policy and Knowledge Systems expert at MakSPH speaking during the on-going KNOSA East Africa Learning Forum at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
He praised KNOSA for helping elevate the field’s relevance: “There’s real appreciation for the work we do—not just with Uganda’s Ministry of Health, but across the region.”
Recalling the early collaboration with WHO, he said, “Back in 1997–98, a few of us, myself included, responded to an initial call and began what has now become a long-standing relationship with the WHO Alliance.”
“The Alliance is building capacity across Africa to ensure that research doesn’t stop at findings but goes on to shape decision-making and society,” he disclosed.
Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, the Dean of MakSPH, is currently ambitiously driving her colleagues, staff, and partners to embrace the culture of evidence use. She reiterated the School’s commitment to leading in evidence translation: “I’ve often told the Vice Chancellor—we at the School of Public Health are not in an ivory tower. We are deeply connected to real-world problems.”
Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean of Makerere University School of Public Health, delivers her remarks at the KNOSA East Africa Learning Forum in Kampala, Uganda. She highlighted the School’s deep engagement with policy and practice, noting that over 80% of staff serve on national, regional, or global technical committees—underscoring MakSPH’s commitment to producing grounded research that informs real-world solutions.
To her, the need for a clear framework to improve engagement with decision-makers and address uneven success in research translation has never been greater than now: “Yes, we publish in high-impact journals. But the question is, what change happened because of your evidence?” “I would love to see the School lead in developing a framework that showcases what we’ve done well and identifies where we can grow.”
She also acknowledged Prof. Ssengooba’s influence in broadening the lens on knowledge management: “You’ve challenged us to think beyond institutions, to consider networks and systems. That’s a gap we must fill.”
Participants of the KNOSA East Africa Learning Forum alongside members of the WHO Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research in a group photo with Makerere University leadership at the Forum meeting in Kampala, Uganda.