Connect with us

Health

MakSPH Position: Program Officer – Uganda DDP for WH

Published

on

Makerere University School of Public Health (Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences) in collaboration with Vital Strategies is looking for a Program Officer for an exciting new program to reduce maternal mortality in Uganda.

Vital Strategies also promotes public health programs that include road safety, mental health, and activities to strengthen public health data systems and the use of public health data to guide policy and decision-making in Uganda.

About the Program

Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) with funding from Vital Strategies will implement a program to promote women’s health by address leading causes of morbidity and mortality. This program under the name Data-Driven Policy Initiative to Improve Women’s Health (DDP for WH) aims to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality resulting from unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and complications of pregnancy and childbirth in Uganda. Other countries where this project is being implemented are Bangladesh and Rwanda.

The program officer will work closely with ministry of health to strengthen capacity to collect, analyze and apply data to develop evidence-based policies. This Initiative applies a data-to-policy model to support improved access to, and surveillance of, family planning, contraceptives, abortion care, and other sexual and reproductive health services. The program complements existing efforts in Uganda and leverages Vital Strategies’ expertise in health data, epidemiology, surveillance, health policy and public health law, and strategic communication and advocacy.

The program’s theory of change is based on the assumption that clear and compelling data and evidence, along with effective advocacy, is fundamental to create meaningful and impactful policy and program improvements. Anchoring the first-year activities in building capacity and understanding in the data and its gaps will serve as the basis for policy analysis and development. Also through support and partnership with others currently working in this space, will complement ongoing advocacy and communications, and implementation efforts in the initial year and beyond.

The Position

This is a two-year, grant funded position but may extend for additional years. The Program Officer will be responsible for supporting Uganda-specific program results. S/he will serve as a subject matter expert in epidemiology/health data/Health Management Information Systems and will guide and provide technical support to Ministry of Health (MoH) of Uganda counterparts. The program officer will report to the Principal Investigator at the MakSPH. Progress will be discussed with Program Director based at Vital Strategies, the MoH and the Kampala based Investigators. The primary responsibilities of this position will be to ensure that the implementation of Initiative-activities in Uganda are country-owned and country-driven, technically sound and sustainable. They should also be in line with program goals and objectives, best practice standards, approved work plans, and budgets. S/he will ensure that Initiative activities are continuously monitored, and that implementation obstacles are identified and reported in a timely manner.

This position requires expertise and experience in the technical dimensions of this work, i.e., reproductive and sexual health, familiarity with sources and analytic approaches for data related to reproductive health, safe abortion and post-abortion care, and the use of data for policymaking and program management. The officer will be embedded in the Ministry of Health and MakSPH with dual accountability to MakSPH and Vital Strategies.

Read more

Term of Service

Initial consultant contract will be 12 months and may be renewed, subject to satisfactory performance. A three-month probationary period will apply.

How to Apply

Please submit your application, a CV including salary expectations to the Dean, MakSPH via the link below.

Application link: https://forms.gle/w5GPpqTCVgftQJvFA

The deadline for applications is August 6th 2021. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Mark Wamai

Health

Call For Applications: MakNCD Masters and PhD Training Opportunities

Published

on

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 Non-Communicable Disease (MAK-NCD) Research Training Program is a research capacity building program based at Makerere University College of Health Sciences with collaboration at John Hopkins University and funded by the United States National Institute of Health-Fogarty International Centre (D43TW011401). The overall goal of this training program is to develop a comprehensive mentored research-training program in Uganda that will build local capacity to address the challenges of NCD control and management and promote the use of research findings to inform decision-making and policy.

PhD Fellowship

The PhD fellowship support is for up to three (3) years (full-time), subject to annual performance reviews and progress milestones. Successful scholars will be registered at Makerere University and may undertake sponsored didactic research methods training at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU), USA, to receive additional skills development and mentorship in NCD research. This call is targeting mainly junior researchers with interest in building an independent research career in noncommunicable diseases research with focus on Epidemiology, Data Science and Implementation Science research to strengthen evidence-based interventions, policy and control in Uganda.

Masters Fellowship

MakNCD is pleased to invite applications for Master’s level training in the following disciplines: Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Health monitoring and Evaluation. These training opportunities are intended to build a critical mass of professionals equipped with research, leadership, health systems, and management skills relevant to addressing the growing burden of NCDs in low- and middle-income countries.

Application Deadline: 23rd February 2025; Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

See below for detailed adverts

Zaam Ssali
Zaam Ssali

Continue Reading

Health

Course Announcement: Certificate in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (CWASH) – 2026

Published

on

Graduands of the 2025 Certificate Course in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (CWASH) pose for a group photo at the Makerere University School of Public Health, following the successful completion of the short course in July 2025. Makerere University School of Public Health, Mulago Hospital Complex, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) is pleased to announce the Certificate Course in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (CWASH) – 2026.

This intensive and practical short course is designed to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of professionals involved in the planning, implementation, and management of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services. The programme responds to the growing demand for competent WASH practitioners in local government, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector.

Course Highlights

  • Duration: 8 weeks (01 June – 24 July 2026)
  • Mode: Day programme (classroom-based learning and field attachment)
  • Fees:
    • UGX 900,000 (Ugandans / East African Community)
    • USD 500 (International participants)
  • Application deadline: Friday, 27 March 2026

Who Should Apply?

  • Practising officers in the WASH sector
  • Environmental Health workers seeking Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
  • Applicants with at least UACE (or equivalent) and one year of WASH-related work experience

More Information

Additional details on course structure, modules, and delivery are available at: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/academics/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-wash

Important Note for Applicants

Attached to this announcement, interested persons will find:

  1. The course flier, providing comprehensive programme details, and
  2. The application form, which should be completed and returned to MakSPH together with the required supporting documents.

For full course details, application procedures, and contact information, please carefully review the attached documents. Eligible and interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply before the deadline and take advantage of this opportunity to build practical competence in WASH service delivery.

View on MakSPH

Mak Editor

Continue Reading

Health

Holistic Retirement Planning includes Psychological, Emotional & Social well-being across all Career Stages

Published

on

The Chairperson MURBS Board of Trustees-Dr. Michael Kizito (8th Right) with Professor Seggane Musisi (7th Right) and Members after the session on 8th January 2026. Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) Member Sensitisation Session on "Understanding Identity Shifts; Developing Routines; Sustaining Motivation and Purpose", 8th January 2026, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) on Thursday, 8 January 2026 organised a Member Sensitisation Session on “Understanding Identity Shifts; Developing Routines; Sustaining Motivation and Purpose”. The session focused on holistic retirement planning, emphasising that readiness for life after work goes beyond finances to include psychological, emotional, and social well-being across all career stages—from early career to post-retirement.

The session featured a keynote presentation by Professor Seggane Musisi, who highlighted how work-related titles and roles often shape personal identity, and how retirement can trigger a sense of loss if individuals are unprepared to redefine themselves. Members were encouraged to consciously design a post-work identity grounded in values, purpose, and community contribution.

Participants learned practical strategies for:

  1. Preparing early for retirement at different career stages;
  2. Developing healthy, meaningful routines that support mental stability and productivity;
  3. Sustaining motivation and purpose beyond formal employment;
  4. Managing stress, maintaining physical and mental health, and nurturing social connections; and
  5. Balancing family responsibilities with personal well-being.

The discussion also addressed cultural realities of retirement in Uganda, including family expectations, social obligations, and financial pressures. Special attention was given to age-related challenges such as dementia, depression, and chronic illness, underscoring the importance of preventive health care, emotional resilience, and timely professional support.

Overall, the session reinforced the message that retirement is a lifelong transition, not a one-time event. Members were encouraged to plan early, adapt continuously, and intentionally design a fulfilling, purposeful life beyond work—psychologically, socially, and financially.

To view the session, please click the embedded video below. Further below is the presentation.


Mak Editor

Continue Reading

Trending