Dr. Juliet Kiguli (3rd Left), Bob Kirunda (4th Right) and Sr. Nabwire Mary (Right) with some of the research team and health practitioners who conducted research on social norms influencing type 2 diabetes risk behaviours
Globally the proportion of undiagnosed diabetes is high, standing at 46.5%. In high-income regions like Europe, of all persons with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), 39.3% are undiagnosed. Low-income countries in Africa have the highest prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes, estimated at 66.7%. In Uganda alone, a steady increase in the number of diabetes cases has been observed.
Despite the increasing burden of diabetes in the country, little is known about the socio-cultural norms influencing type 2 diabetes risky behaviors, especially in rural areas to inform action.
In the bid to contribute to data driven interventions, Makerere University researchers with funding from Government of Uganda and Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) carried out a study to understand the patterns of socio-cultural norms in two high incidence districts namely, Busia and Bugiri, in Eastern Uganda.
As part of this study, researchers engaged various health stakeholders who shared their experiences about behaviors factors influencing type two diabetes.
It is upon that background that researchers co-designed a contextual strategy to ensure behavioral change to limit type two diabetes among the rural population under the project titled; “Socio-cultural norms influencing Type 2 Diabetes risks Behaviours – an exploratory to intervention co-design innovative study in two high incidence districts of eastern Uganda”. The strategy was developed by a team of researchers led by Dr. Juliet Kiguli, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences at the School of Public Health, Makerere University.
According to Dr. Kiguli, despite evidence confirming a high rate of T2D in Uganda, there is hardly any innovation that speaks to the deep rooted causes of Type 2 Diabetes hence the justification for their new model.
‘’There is enough evidence in Uganda at the national and local/community level confirming a high rate of T2DM, compared to the measures/innovations that try to address the disease. We can argue with confidence that most of the research around T2DM in Uganda and Africa has been largely academic and hasn’t been translated into action at a comparable pace of disease incidence and prevalence. Additionally, since the T2DM is largely a lifestyle disease that is influenced by external factors, exposure and social constructs, the solution to T2DM needs to be socially constructed, and currently, there is no innovation that speaks to the deep rooted causes of T2DM – this is the reason why we designed an evidence based innovation that is socially constructed to address diabetes with prevention in mind too‘’she explained of the model
The Assistant Commissioner Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) at Ministry of Health, Dr. Gerald Mutungi who participated in the study’s innovation co-design had this to say;
“This study is unique, I have learnt many things which I had never looked at from a perspective of social norms and I am glad that we are already designing an innovation together with the community stakeholders and influencers to mitigate and reduce T2DM”.
He also tasked researchers to give answers on why people doing their daily activities and living a normal lifestyle still get diabetes.
Approaches behind the model
As part of the behavioral change strategy, the research team came up with the following approaches to their community-led behavior change model.
T2DM organized diffusion messaging and practices
This approach of the model will work through community-level social networks and will be used to conduct myths bursting sessions, building new positive social norms and spreading them using social networks related to the norm. This approach will be complemented by deliberation and reflection methodologies and the intent is to create shared commitments to change negative and/or maladaptive risky behaviors around T2DM.
Community-leader-initiated behavior modeling for T2DM
Because of power, control and therefore influence, this approach will target political leaders, religious leaders, cultural leaders, informal community leaders and all individuals with influence to model, demonstrate and promote the recommended behaviors and practices. This will be the first level of establishing reference groups and this approach will complement other approaches.
T2DM Non-conforming trendsetters and positive deviants.
In the co-design process, evidence shows the existence of trendsetters and positive deviants who are willing and able to be the first movers in initiating positive normative change around T2DM risky behaviors. Their nonconformity to the social norms around T2DM will contribute to the erosion of strong perceptions in favor of the negative gendered social norms that facilitate entrenchment of T2DM risky behaviors. This approach will be complemented by creation of new risky-behavior-specific reference groups that are able to enact alternative social sanctions against T2DM risky behaviors.
On timing of this model, Mr. Ramadhan Kirunda who was key in innovating the model noted that evidence from the social-norms study revealed a disconnect between the health system and the social system constructs at community and family level, yet T2DM risky behaviors are gendered and influenced by power, control and sanction around submission.
‘’Social norms are responsible for the harmful constructions of dominant masculinity engineered by power and control over women, hence the social-cultural acceptance of inferiority on the part of women. Therefore, even on matters of diet, women have to submit and follow what men prefer, and can become violent in asserting their dominance if women don’t comply. It is important to note that while gender-injustice related consequences affect mostly women, gendered social norms undermine the health and wellbeing of all people, regardless of age, sex, gender, or income setting. Therefore, our proposed model is informed by this reality, it is inclusive by design since it was co-designed together with all community stakeholders/duty bearers and targets risky behaviors that accelerate T2DM, but also other health outcomes.
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE SOCIAL NORMS STUDY
The main behavioral factors influencing type 2 diabetes were a) consuming processed and added sugar products, b) consuming high cholesterol fatty foods, c) excessive alcoholism, d) smoking (traditional and contemporary), e) mental/psychosocial stress and f) lack of exercise. The analysis shows that dietary factors contribute the greatest threat to the fight against type 2 diabetes in Busia and Bugiri according to the researchers.
In terms of social norm strength around dietary factors, the two strongest norms were “people who don’t prepare fried food are poor people”, “taking tea without adding sugar is mistreatment to your husband” and “Bwita/kalo is our staple food, we eat it daily”. Some of the less strong norms included; “eating greens is mistreatment to your man/husband”, “fat people especially men are respected in the community”, and “A true Samia meal must contain meat or fish daily” said one of the study participants
The strongest social norms around alcoholism.The strongest social norms around alcoholism were “alcohol takes away negative thoughts and stress”, “when you take alcohol with your friends, they can’t abandon you”, “Waragi reduces diabetes because it is sour”, “religion does not allow us to take alcohol” explained one of the key informants.
The social norms around smoking included; “if you want to feel good, you have to smoke”, “most old people and our grandparents lived long and were smokers” and “traditional religion demands and allows smoking of pipes, it’s part of our culture”. Affirmed another study participant
The main social norm around physical exercise was that “men are expected to rest/lie down and wait to be served by women”. They have to sit and wait for food’’ added a participant
On drivers that support norm entrenchment, the researchers outlined easy access to alcohol, gender based violence, cultural set up, poverty, wrong peers, poor parenting, one sided food systems as areas that need serious attention.
MORE ABOUT THE STUDY
The study used Social Norms Exploration Tools (SNET). It was conducted in Eastern region in the districts of Bugiri and Busia in December, 2020. This study covered a total of 4 health facility catchment areas: Bugiri Hospital, Nakoma H/C IV, Masafu Hospital and Lumino H/C III.
A number of data collection methods were used including Focus Group Discussions. Key Informant Interviews, In-depth Interviews, Observation and Photography.
This study builds on previous studies funded by Swedish Embassy and conducted in Iganga and Mayuge by the School of Public Health’s Prof. Guwatudde David, Dr. Barbara Kirunda, Dr. Elizabeth Ekirapa, Dr. Roy Mayega and Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi (Research and Graduate Training, Makerere University)
The research team consisted of the following researchers: Dr. Juliet Kiguli (Principal Investigator), Dr. Roy William Mayega, Dr. Francis Xavier Kasujja, Mr. Ramadhan Kirunda, Ms. Gloria Naggayi, Ms. Joyce Nabaliisa, Ms. Rita Kituyi, Sr. Nabwire Mary, and Sr. Nampewo Evarine Wabwire. The social norms study was made possible with funding by Mak-RIF (led by Prof. Bazeyo William) and Government of Uganda.
The 92nd Guild Ministry of Health is set to host the Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp, a three-day outreach that will bring free and essential medical services to students, staff, and the surrounding community. The camp will run from 17th to 19th September 2026, from 8:00am to 5:00pm each day, at the Freedom Square.
Themed around promoting student wellness for academic excellence, the medical camp is organised under the leadership of Hon. Wamezaya Ebenezer, the Minister of Health in the 92nd Guild Government, in alliance with several partner organisations supporting the university’s health and wellness agenda. The initiative reflects a growing recognition within student leadership circles that academic performance is closely tied to the physical and mental wellbeing of the university community.
Comprehensive Range of Services
The medical camp will offer a wide range of services designed to address both routine and specialised health needs. On the general health side, attendees will have access to general and specialist medical consultations, allowing students, staff, and community members to seek professional advice on a variety of health concerns without the usual costs associated with private or even public healthcare.
A female medical personnel attends to a male client.
Screening services will also be a central feature of the camp. Organisers have confirmed that sickle cell testing, malaria rapid diagnostic testing, and HIV screening will be available on site, giving participants the opportunity to know their status and receive guidance on appropriate next steps. Eye care services and laboratory diagnostics will round up this category, addressing common but often neglected areas of student health.
Beyond diagnostics and consultations, the camp will provide free essential medicines to those who need them, easing the financial burden that often accompanies treatment even after a diagnosis has been made. Reproductive health counseling will also be offered, giving students a confidential space to discuss matters that are frequently overlooked in general campus health conversations. Mental health counseling completes the list of available services, an inclusion that speaks to the increasing attention being paid to psychological wellbeing within the university community.
A Camp Open to the Wider Community
While the camp is organised by the Guild Ministry of Health and centred on student welfare, its reach extends beyond the student body. Organisers have made it clear that the free medical services will be available to students, staff, and members of the whole Makerere community, positioning the event as a broader public health contribution rather than a strictly internal university affair. This inclusive approach mirrors similar outreach efforts previously undertaken by student leadership and university departments, which have sought to position Makerere University not just as a centre of learning but as an active contributor to community welfare in the areas surrounding its campuses.
A male client gets his BMI checked.
Freedom Square, long regarded as the symbolic heart of student activity and expression at Makerere University, was selected as the venue for the three day event. Its central location and historic significance make it an accessible and fitting site for an initiative of this scale, expected to draw considerable numbers of participants over the course of the camp.
Health as a Pillar of Academic Success
The organisers have anchored the medical camp around the message of promoting student wellness for academic excellence, a theme that underscores the connection between health and academic performance. University life often places significant demands on students, both physically and mentally, and untreated health concerns can quietly undermine academic progress long before they become visible crises. By bringing screening, treatment, and counseling services directly to students at no cost, the Guild Ministry of Health is addressing barriers that might otherwise prevent students from seeking care, whether due to cost, distance, or stigma, particularly around mental health and reproductive health matters.
The 91st Guild Minister of Health, Hon. Bbosa Sharif (L) poses by the event banner in the Freedom Square.
The inclusion of mental health counseling alongside more traditional physical health services is particularly notable. It signals an evolving understanding among student leaders that wellness cannot be addressed through physical checkups alone, and that psychological support deserves equal standing within campus health initiatives. Similarly, the presence of reproductive health counseling reflects an effort to normalise conversations that many young people find difficult to initiate on their own.
What to Expect
Over the three days, participants can expect a structured environment at Freedom Square, with separate service points catering to the different categories of care on offer. Medical professionals will be on hand to conduct consultations and screenings, while counselors will provide guidance on reproductive and mental health matters in a setting designed to protect privacy and encourage openness.
Given the scale of services on offer and the open invitation extended to staff and community members in addition to students, organisers anticipate strong turnout throughout the three day period. Those interested in attending are encouraged to plan their visits within the stated hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm to take full advantage of the services available.
H.E. Bbosa Sharif receives female students at the Medical Camp.
For any inquiries regarding the medical camp, members of the university community and the public have been directed to reach out to Hon. Wamezaya Ebenezer, the Minister of Health, through the contact provided by the Guild Ministry of Health.
Building on a Guild Tradition
The Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp is not a new concept within student governance at the university. Successive Guild Ministries of Health have used the medical camp as a recurring platform through which they translate campaign promises around student welfare into visible action. Each edition tends to build on the lessons of the one before it, with organisers typically expanding the range of services offered as new partnerships are secured and as feedback from previous camps is incorporated into planning.
Sickle Cell Screening (Left Tent) was one of the services offered.
This year’s edition, organised under the 92nd Guild Ministry of Health, appears to place particular emphasis on breadth of service, combining preventive screening, curative consultation, and psychosocial support within a single three-day window. The decision to bundle sickle cell testing, malaria and HIV screening alongside eye care and laboratory diagnostics suggests an intention to make the camp a one stop point for health assessment, reducing the need for participants to seek out multiple providers across the city for basic checks they might otherwise postpone indefinitely.
Why Timing Matters
The scheduling of the camp in September places it at a point in the academic calendar when many students are settling back into campus life after recess, a period during which health concerns accumulated over the break, whether physical ailments left unattended or emerging mental health pressures tied to academic anxiety, tend to surface. Offering free consultations and counseling at this juncture allow students to address these concerns early, before they compound into more serious complications that could interfere with coursework, examinations, or general campus participation.
A female medical personnel attends to a female client.
For staff members and residents of the areas surrounding the university, the timing also offers a convenient opportunity to access services that might otherwise require travel to distant health facilities or extended waiting periods within an already strained public health system. In this sense, the camp functions as a modest but meaningful supplement to existing healthcare provision in the vicinity of the university.
As the 17th of September approaches, the Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp stands as another example of the Guild Ministry of Health stepping beyond the boundaries of policy and advocacy into direct, hands-on service delivery, a model that continues to shape the character of guild ministries at Makerere University. Students, staff, and members of the surrounding community are encouraged to take advantage of the free services on offer and to look out for further communication from the Guild Ministry of Health as the event draws closer.
For more info, reach Hon. Wamezaya on +256784541248
Makerere University School of Public Health, in collaboration with Jhpiego, invites applications for 49 short-term positions under the Scaling the Optimal Use of Multiple ACTs to Prevent Antimalarial Drug Resistance (STOP-AMDR) Project.
The short-term assignments will support data collection in Buikwe and Busia districts, with some national-level activities. Applicants are encouraged to review the requirements for their preferred position before applying.
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) for Preparedness and Response to Pandemics and Shocks, has shared findings from its study of Uganda’s Mpox response with stakeholders in Kasese, Amuru, Nakasongola and Mayuge districts to strengthen district preparedness for future outbreaks.
The Africa-Europe CoRE is a partnership co-led by MakSPH and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UCLouvain, Belgium. It brings together universities in Africa and Europe to strengthen research, training and preparedness for pandemics and other public health shocks.
The district-level dissemination meetings, held from 10 to 14 August 2026, brought together more than 100 local government, health and security officials, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and community representatives. The meetings enabled stakeholders to validate the district-level findings, identify practical actions and provide feedback for the study’s final analysis and national dissemination.
Mr. Philliam Jabim shares the Mpox response study findings with participants during the dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Uganda confirmed its first two Mpox cases on 24 July 2024 at Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. The Ministry of Health declared an outbreak on 2 August 2024. As documented in the study, the response involved health workers, communities, local governments, security agencies, political leaders, and implementing partners.
In response to the outbreak, a MakSPH research team led by Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, Dr. Steven Kabwama and Mr. Douglas Bulafu conducted a study in May 2025 to assess Uganda’s Mpox response, including its policies, interventions, strategies and challenges, and generate lessons to inform recovery and strengthen preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Using purposive sampling, the research team conducted 20 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions in each of the four districts, drawing perspectives from western Uganda in Kasese, northern Uganda in Amuru, central Uganda in Nakasongola and eastern Uganda in Mayuge.
Participants and the MakSPH research team at the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
The study, titled Assessment of the Mpox Response in Uganda: Documenting Challenges, Lessons and Innovations to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacities, was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF).
“This study is helping us move beyond recounting the Mpox response to identifying the actions that districts and national partners can take before the next outbreak. By validating the findings with stakeholders who led and experienced the response, we are ensuring that the evidence reflects local realities and can inform stronger surveillance, risk communication, coordination and community engagement,” said Mr. Bulafu, who led the MakSPH team during the dissemination meeting in Amuru.
Mr. Douglas Bulafu engages participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Amuru District on 10 August 2026.
In Amuru, the 10 August meeting brought together over 25 stakeholders from the district health team, political leadership, security agencies, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and the community. On the same day, a second MakSPH team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, convened stakeholders in Kasese for a parallel validation meeting. The consultations then continued in Nakasongola on 12 August and concluded in Mayuge on 14 August, extending the study’s engagement across all four districts.
Across the districts, stakeholders said the results reflected their experience during the outbreak. They pointed to strengths in leadership, coordination, community engagement and partner support, while also describing gaps in documentation, logistics, diagnostic access, staffing, risk communication, public trust and continuity of essential health services.
They also noted inconsistent implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) 7-1-7 target, which calls for detecting a suspected outbreak within seven days, notifying public health authorities within one day and completing early response actions within seven days.
The MakSPH research team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, with participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Kasese District on 10 August 2026.
In Kasese, stakeholders highlighted gaps in documentation, financial and logistical resources, and human resources. They identified Village Health Teams and grassroots, religious and cultural leaders as important resources for community surveillance and risk communication. They called for stronger collaboration between technical and non-technical leaders, engagement with traditional healers, greater use of local radio for public sensitisation, and better facilitation of district epidemic response teams to reach distant communities.
Amuru participants called for proactive preparedness in the border district, citing misinformation and rumours as barriers to risk communication. They urged timely, accurate information from health workers and other authorities; training in disease surveillance and grant writing to strengthen capacity and resource mobilisation; and compassionate care, psychosocial support and community awareness to reduce stigma and support survivor reintegration.
During the meeting in Nakasongola, stakeholders identified Community Health Workers and Community Health Extension Workers as potential resources for strengthening community surveillance and addressing workforce shortages. Given the district’s position around Lake Kyoga and along the Kampala-South Sudan transit corridor, they also called for stronger documentation, note-taking and reporting, accurate real-time information, closer communication with the Ministry of Health, and collaboration among technical, political, religious and community leaders.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, contributes to the discussion during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, called for a permanent, adequately resourced outbreak-management centre to help protect routine services during future epidemics. “We appeal for better facilities to manage epidemics and outbreaks. At Nakasongola Health Centre IV, spaces previously used for outbreak management have been repurposed for other services, and we have limited staff. During the Mpox response, colleagues assigned to manage patients later returned to the general team, creating fear among staff already under pressure,” she said.
In Mayuge, Dr. Basembeza highlighted leadership, coordination and surveillance structures operating from district to community level as important factors in the response. He said the structures enabled the district to receive and respond quickly to community alerts. “Whenever there is a rumour or an alert, we are able to respond. Within 20 minutes, we had a response because of the structure we have,” Dr. Basembeza said.
Based on the findings, the research team recommends increased preparedness financing, stronger community engagement, decentralised diagnostic services through stronger district laboratory capacity, and improved health information and research systems.
Across the four districts, stakeholders reaffirmed that trusted community structures and coordinated action across sectors are essential to strengthening outbreak preparedness.
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