It is my pleasure to present to you the report of the Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS), for the year 2020. This report highlights broad activities of the College in our key mandates of teaching, research and service delivery.
I congratulate you for completing 2020 as winners, despite all the challenges that came with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. MakCHS faculty rose up to take the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to grow, innovate and serve humanity by taking leading roles in the national response to COVID-19 pandemic. My special thanks go to all MakCHS faculty who kept on their feet as front-line health care workers to support case COVID-19 case management at Mulago hospital, non-COVID essential medical care at our clinical teaching and service units at Mulago, Kawempe, Kiruddu, and Butabika, Public Health response in the community, and research to generate relevant local data on the pandemic; without forgetting the sustained teaching activities that were blended (online and relevant clinical interactions) to cope with the COVID-19 standard operating procedures. Challenges come to make us stronger! MakCHS faculty demonstrated the strength and utility of multi-disciplinary approaches to epidemic response by harnessing the multidisciplinary expertise in infectious disease care, laboratory diagnostics, disease prevention and control, mental health, mathematical modeling, research and innovation, leadership and communication; among others. The “muscle” MakCHS developed during the COVID-19 pandemic will be utilized to make greater exploits during 2021.
MakCHS has continued to lead innovations in medical education in the region; with the introduction of student-centered learning approaches to medical education; including problem-based learning, community-based education and research as a part of medical training, competence-based training and inter-professional education; all of which are the leading approaches to medical training worldwide. This has contributed greatly to keeping MakCHS a leader in medical training and research in sub-Saharan Africa; ranking second after University of Cape Town.
I congratulate all staff who have earned accolades in their teaching, research and service activities in 2020 and I encourage all MakCHS staff to keep up the habit of excellence. In my new role as Principal, I pledge to work with all our stakeholders; students, academic staff, administrators, partners, collaborators, and policy makers to meet the needs of our communities through our training, medical care, research and innovation programs. I wish you greater exploits for 2021 as we pursue our vision to be a leading and transformational institution for academic excellence and innovation in health sciences in Africa. For God and my Country.
Prof. Damalie Nakanjako
PRINCIPAL