As part of the Lake Victoria Improved Water Level Management through Advanced Modelling (LIVWA) Project, newly developed tools were unveiled during a dissemination workshop hosted by the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) on August 26^th, 2026. The project seeks to develop advanced hydrological and climate models to enhance water level management in Lake Victoria, East Africa’s largest freshwater resource.

The tools were designed to integrate remote sensing and reanalysis climate datasets with advanced hydrological modeling, enabling researchers and policymakers to better predict fluctuations in water levels in the lake. By combining historical data with AI and Machine Learning forecasting, the models aim to provide actionable insights for sustainable water resource management. Click here for details

For 60 students with disabilities, a computer, Braille reader or scanner is more than just a piece of equipment. It can be the difference between struggling to access information and learning with greater independence.

The students recently received practical training on the use of assistive technology to help them navigate their studies and university life with fewer barriers.

The one-day training was held on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Disability Support Centre in the Frank Kalimuzo Building. It was organised by the Dean of Students’ Office in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University and the Makerere University Disabled Students Association (MUDSA).

Unlike a classroom lecture, the training was largely hands-on. Students were taken through different technologies available at the University and given an opportunity to learn how they can use them in their day-to-day academic work.

Assistive technology includes devices, software and other tools that help people with disabilities access information, communicate, study and perform everyday tasks more independently.

Learning without barriers

Ms Elizabeth Rwabu, the Inclusion Support Services Officer at the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, encouraged students, particularly first-years, to make use of the Disability Support Centre.

“For first-year students, university is a new chapter, and none of you should feel that you have to navigate it alone. Familiarise yourselves with the services at the Centre and seek support whenever they need it,” Ms. Rwabu, said.

Ms. Rwabu also reminded the students to take care of the equipment, saying the facilities are shared by many students.

“These computers and assistive technologies are not simply pieces of equipment; they are tools that open doors to learning, communication and independence,” she said.

Students introduced to Braille technology

Mr Binasali Kyebagadha, an assistive technology expert from the Kyambogo University Disability Support Centre, led the practical session. He introduced students to the ethical use of assistive technology and demonstrated how different devices can support learning.

Among the devices demonstrated were the Orbit Reader 40 and Focus Blue 40 refreshable Braille displays, as well as the Pearl scanner.

Students were also shown how to use a smart interactive board and how it can support learners with different disabilities.

Mr. Kyebagadha told the students that assistive technology should be seen as a tool for independence.

“Assistive technology is meant to remove barriers, not create dependence. When properly used, it gives a student the confidence and independence to learn, communicate and participate on an equal footing with others,” he said.

He also cautioned the students against misusing the equipment, noting that the devices are shared resources.

Disability Support Centre

The training comes as Makerere continues to strengthen its Disability Support Centre, which provides a range of services to students with disabilities.

The Centre has computers fitted with screen readers such as JAWS and Fusion, Braille embossing services, large-print materials, refreshable Braille displays and audiobook reading services.

For students with visual and hearing impairments, such services can make access to learning materials easier and improve their participation in university activities.

The Centre also provides a link between students and academic staff, helping to address challenges that may affect students’ participation in learning.

Makerere established the Disability Support Centre as part of its efforts to promote an inclusive learning environment. The University also adopted its Policy on Persons Living with Disabilities in 2022.

For the students who attended the training, the most important takeaway was whereas having the right technology is useful, knowing how to use it can make an even bigger difference.

As Makerere expands its support for students with disabilities, the focus is increasingly moving beyond providing equipment to ensuring that students have the skills and confidence to use the technology effectively.

_{By Henry Mugenyi}

When the next infectious disease outbreak strikes, the question for African researchers should not be whether they have the capacity to conduct the research, but how quickly they can begin.

That is the gap a new five-year research initiative, Advancing Clinical Trials and Epidemic Preparedness Research Capacity in Africa (ACT-PREP), is seeking to address.

The project will be officially launched in Uganda on September 28^th, 2026, bringing together researchers and partners from universities and research institutions across Africa and Europe. The launch will be held at the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) Auditorium in Kampala.

Led by Makerere University School of Public Health, ACT-PREP is designed to strengthen Africa’s ability to conduct clinical trials and other research before and during infectious disease outbreaks.

Africa has repeatedly faced epidemics of diseases such as Marburg, Ebola, COVID-19 and other emerging infections. Yet when outbreaks occur, the capacity to quickly generate the evidence needed to guide treatment, prevention and public health decisions remains underdeveloped.

ACT-PREP aims to make research part of outbreak preparedness not something that begins only after an epidemic has already spread.

According to Prof Rhoda Wanyenze, the Principal Investigator on the project, “the initiative will establish a framework for more equitable collaboration among 10 African and two European institutions, working alongside Universities and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)”.

The consortium includes institutions from Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan and Senegal, as well as European partners in Sweden and Germany. Africa CDC is also among the participating institutions.

For Uganda, the launch at Makerere University is significant. The university is taking the scientific lead on a programme that places African research institutions at the centre of efforts to prepare for future epidemics.

One of ACT-PREP’s central ambitions is to address the shortage of researchers and systems capable of rapidly conducting high-quality clinical research during emergencies.

The project will strengthen clinical research, ethics and regulatory capacity, while also supporting laboratory and disease surveillance systems. It will integrate training into PhD and postdoctoral programmes, with the consortium aiming to train at least 700 fellows at the end of the project.

“The idea is straightforward: Africa needs not only laboratories and equipment, but also people with the skills to use them when an outbreak begins” – Says Dr Steven Kabwama, ACT-PREP Project Manager.

Researchers will also be supported to share expertise, data, resources and technology across institutions and national borders.

ACT-PREP will further explore One Health approaches and artificial intelligence-supported systems to improve disease prediction, detection and rapid response. The project also seeks to support more streamlined regulatory processes so that clinical trials can be deployed and monitored more quickly when they are needed.

The experience of recent epidemics has shown that time is one of the most valuable resources in an outbreak.

Delays in detecting a pathogen, setting up research sites, securing ethical and regulatory approvals or generating reliable evidence can affect how quickly health authorities are able to respond.

ACT-PREP is built around the idea that many of these systems should already be in place before the next emergency.

That means having trained researchers, functioning laboratories, established regulatory pathways, surveillance systems and relationships between institutions that can be activated when an outbreak occurs.

It also means changing how research partnerships are built.

Rather than relying on external institutions to arrive when a crisis begins, the project seeks to strengthen African institutions themselves and create longer-term collaborations in which expertise, technology, data and resources can be shared across borders.