Ms. Anna Maria Gwokyalya (MBChB IV), CHS, Makerere University (R) receives the ‘Student Innovation of the Year’ trophy at the Heroes in Health Awards (HIHA) held 12th November 2021 at Kampala Serena Hotel. Courtesy Photo.
A team of students led by Ms. Anna Maria Gwokyalya – 4th year student of Medicine and Surgery at the College of Health Sciences (MakCHS), Makerere University won the award of ‘Student Innovation of the Year’ at the Heroes in Health Awards (HIHA) held on the 12th November, 2021. Her innovation was a book “The Mugishas’ COVID-19 Tale” designed to help children be more involved in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Inaugurated in 2019, The Heroes in Health Awards (HIHA) is a public private initiative adopted by the Ministry of Health with the support of Xtraordinary Media to offer opportunity to members of the public to motivate Uganda’s excellent health sector players, recognize and encourage new innovations that will transform our health care system.
Anna Maria shares the experience of the team in an interview below:
Tell us more about your team
We are a team of five students who have worked on numerous research projects and online campaigns to increase awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance under ARSU (Antimicrobial Resistance Stewardship Uganda). Whereas I was the leader of this comic book project, it’s the brainchild of the entire team, an indicator of respect, mutuality and friendship.
Describe your innovation and what motivated you to work on it
This book entitled, “The Mugishas’ COVID-19 Tale” contains fascinating illustrations with simplified information on symptoms, transmission and prevention of COVID-19 that includes both observation of the standard operating procedures and vaccination.
A photo of the HIHA 2021 ‘Student Innovation of the Year’ Award-winning book.
The book is a means of creating awareness on COVID-19 disease and its prevention among children below 12 years, a vulnerable group that is not eligible for vaccination (as per Uganda’s Vaccination Guidelines) against this disease, we designed the book to help children be more involved in the fight against this disease.
Infection prevention and control is not only pertinent to fighting Antimicrobial Resistance but also to promotion of health and wellbeing of the people. Writing this book is our contribution to controlling of infection as well as prevention, an important aspect of primary health care.
What is the impact of the book from your perspective?
Since the comic book is very illustrative and appealing to the eye, we anticipate that the children will gain knowledge on COVID-19 as they enjoy the illustrations. We also hope that they will be agents of change through sharing this knowledge with their peers both at home and at school, protecting them against the disease in the long run.
The wording on Ms. Gwokyalya’s trophy.
What is your advice to others about new ideas and innovations?
My advice is drawn from two quotes;
Quote 1: “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” – Anonymous
Quote 2: “Teamwork is the secret that makes common people achieve uncommon results” –Ifeanyi Enoch Onucha
Innovations by MakCHS Research teams were exhibited at the HIHA Awards as well. These included:
VITEX (Medical Assistance Tool): Vitex is an integrated system that utilizes antimicrobial and affordable 3D plastics made out of 80% waste plastic, making it eco-friendly. The device sterilises wards up to 99.9%, thus preventing nosocomial infections by employing powerful pulsating U.V engine and spots latest in artificial intelligence to improve patient care and practitioner assistance.
VITEX – a Medical Assistance Tool designed by Dr. Justine Nnakate Bukenya (PI), Ainembabazi Samantha, Joeltta Nabungye, Kiirya Arnold, Mugisha Gift Arnold
Vitex is intended to improve health professionals’ quality of work by reducing workload and deters transmission of highly contagious infections such as COVID-19. It also improves access to vital medical literature, facilitates electronic consultation, service delivery in the medical environment, including carrying out consistent patient monitoring and reducing prescription/medication errors.
The device spots a Powerful Artificial Intelligence package that incorporates Intel RealSense, auto-follow, video capture, touch & voice control, playful expressions, and personality to keep patients in a cheerful mood. Vitex includes over-the-air updates making it viable for endless integration, including providing seamless data access for important time-sensitive decision-making through elaborate integrations.
Part of Team VITEX enjoys a photo moment with Dr. Sabrina Kitaka at HIHA 2021 on 12th November 2021.
Team: Dr. Justine Nnakate Bukenya (PI), Ainembabazi Samantha, Joeltta Nabungye, Kiirya Arnold, Mugisha Gift Arnold
The Early Preeclampsia Detection Strip (EPED Strip): The Early Preeclampsia Detection (EPED) Strip is a urine-based point-of-care detection strip for preeclampsia that pregnant women can use at home to self-screen for the condition. Preeclampsia is a maternal condition characterized by high blood pressure of 140/90mmHg and proteinuria after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Worldwide the condition is responsible for over 500,000 infant deaths and 70,000 maternal deaths annually. By seeking medical care at the early onset of preeclampsia, the condition can be appropriately monitored and controlled, thereby reducing the detrimental health impacts of undiagnosed preeclampsia which is a health burden to LMICs. Thus, the EPED strip is being designed to diagnose this condition early and functions very similar to a pregnancy test where urine is applied to one end of the strip, and pulled across it by capillary attraction to where antibodies specific to the biomarkers are immobilized. In the reaction matrix there are two lines, a test line and a control line. The presence or absence of the control and test lines indicates the presence or absence of the captured conjugates. This is designed with adaptation from the existing lateral flow assay (LFA) technology. While the primary goal of the EPED strip is to be a home-based early detection tool, the EPED strip can also be used to assist the diagnosis of preeclampsia in a clinical setting from large-scale national hospitals to remote health clinics.
Team:Prof Paul Kiondo (PI), Brian Matovu, Zoe Ssekyonda, Calvin Abonga, Olivia Peace Nabuuma, Dr. Robert Ssekitoleko
The Maternal PPH Wrap: The maternal PPH wrap; a wearable device strapped around the mother’s waist; affordable compared to the other devices that is able to carry out external compression of the uterus through the abdominal wall in order to stimulate myometrium contraction. The design is based on already used bimanual uterine compression techniques which are manually done by qualified and skilled personnel.
Despite the number of interventions, postpartum haemorrhage still remains the leading cause of maternal death globally. Most of the interventions that are recommended under standard clinical practical guidelines such as uterotonic drugs, therapeutic devices or even surgery are unavailable in the communities of low and middle income countries including Uganda simply because they are unaffordable and most times require qualified/skilled personnel and highly sterile environments.
The device will rely on an inflatable rubber bag to provide the pressure to do the sustained compression. The inflation will be done using a bulb similar to the one used by a sphygmomanometer. This is way less labour intensive than the procedure of bimanual uterine compression. The overall aim Is to create an efficient device that is affordable in Uganda and all developing countries’ healthcare markets as a leading lifesaver of mothers.
A joint study between Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) and The Open University, UK, is investigating a possible link between maize cultivation and malaria risk in Uganda, as evidence increasingly points to livelihoods and everyday economic activities as key drivers of transmission of the disease.
The research initiative was advanced during a stakeholders’ workshop held on April 15, 2026, at MakSPH’s Resilient Africa Network in Kololo, where a team led by Assoc. Prof. David Musoke of Makerere University and Dr. Kevin Deane of The Open University presented ongoing and previous findings on the social determinants of malaria. The meeting brought together academics, policymakers, and practitioners to examine how agricultural practices, particularly maize farming, may be shaping malaria patterns in both rural and urban settings in Uganda.
The work builds on a growing body of research linking malaria to economic activity. One such study, led by the two researchers and published in Global Public Health in December 2025, found that livelihood activities such as farming, livestock keeping, and night-time work significantly influence malaria exposure. The study identified agriculture, especially maize cultivation near homes, as a key factor associated with increased mosquito density and heightened infection risk.
Assoc. Prof. David Musoke presents research findings on how livelihoods, including maize cultivation near homes, may influence malaria exposure during a stakeholder workshop at the Resilient Africa Network, Kololo, on April 15, 2026.
At the workshop, Dr. Musoke said the new inquiry reflects a broader shift in how malaria is understood, outlining how livelihoods, particularly agriculture, shape exposure through multiple pathways, from crop production and water use to the timing of daily activities that coincide with peak mosquito biting hours. These patterns, he argued, extend risk beyond what conventional interventions, such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor spraying, are designed to address.
Uganda remains one of the countries most affected by malaria, with the disease accounting for a significant share of outpatient visits, hospital admissions, and deaths. It is consistently ranked among the leading causes of illness and mortality, particularly among children under five and pregnant women. Despite sustained investment in prevention and treatment, including widespread distribution of insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying, transmission remains high in many parts of the country. This persistence has increasingly drawn attention to factors beyond conventional interventions, including the role of livelihoods, environment, and everyday exposure to mosquitoes.
Maize grown close to homes, with damp ground conditions, may increase exposure to malaria in rural communities.
“As researchers, our role is to generate evidence, and that evidence should inform decision-making,” Dr. Musoke said. “We do not work in isolation. What we hear from stakeholders matters. We are bringing together different sectors, disciplines, and institutions because this work is still in progress, and we intend to build it collaboratively. Increasingly, research requires not just academics, but policymakers, implementers, and communities to be part of the process.”
The collaboration with The Open University has been central. Dr. Deane said the idea of examining the relationship between maize and malaria emerged from several years of joint research on social determinants with MakSPH. He pointed to a gap in malaria research, which has largely focused on biomedical and indoor interventions, while overlooking the role of livelihoods and outdoor exposure.
Assoc. Prof. David Musoke (left), Dr. Paul Mulumba (centre), a Health Inspector in Wakiso District, and Dr. Kevin Deane (right) share insights during the workshop at the Resilient Africa Network, Kololo, on April 15, 2026.
“We cannot continue relying solely on bed nets, spraying, and treatment,” Dr. Deane said. “These remain essential, but they are not sufficient for elimination. There is significant outdoor malaria transmission, particularly among adults, and that is linked to how people live and work.”
He added that maize presents a complex case. As one of Uganda’s most widely grown staple crops, it is central to both food security and household income, making it impractical to separate farming from living spaces. This, he said, underscores the need to better understand the relationship and develop responses grounded in evidence and local realities.
Evidence presented during the workshop drew on both community experiences and existing scientific literature. Prior qualitative research by the team found that mosquito populations increase during maize growing seasons, particularly in the evenings. Scientific studies also show that maize pollen can enhance mosquito survival and longevity, potentially increasing their capacity to transmit malaria.
Dr. Kevin Deane of The Open University emphasised the need to move beyond conventional malaria interventions to better understand how livelihoods and everyday activities shape exposure during the stakeholder workshop in Kololo, Kampala, on April 15, 2026.
Previous work in Wakiso district further situates maize within a wider set of risk factors. Findings show that agriculture, including crop production and animal husbandry, can create conditions that support mosquito breeding through stagnant water, water storage practices, and environmental changes. These risks are compounded by outdoor activities in the early morning and evening, when exposure is highest. The research also points to the growing role of urban agriculture, which is bringing crop cultivation and potential mosquito habitats closer to residential spaces, altering traditional patterns of transmission.
Ms. Doreen Nabwire Wamboka, in-charge at Namayumba Epicentre Health Centre III in Wakiso District, said the discussions challenged long-held assumptions that malaria is a “well-understood” condition.
“I used to think malaria had been fully researched, that we already knew what we needed to know,” she noted. “I now see that what has been studied is the conventional side of it. There are emerging factors we have not paid attention to. This work is opening up new ways of thinking, even about things we take for granted, like the crops we grow around our homes. We treat malaria as ordinary, yet it is still one of the most common conditions. Understanding these connections could change how we approach the disease.”
Ms. Doreen Nabwire Wamboka, In-charge at Namayumba Epicentre Health Centre III in Wakiso District, engages in a co-creation session as a fellow participant looks on during the stakeholder workshop in Kololo on April 15, 2026, underscoring the need for collaborative approaches to design interventions to tackle malaria.
The initiative will now combine spatial analysis, entomological studies, and community-based research to better understand how maize cultivation influences malaria risk. It will also involve farmers and other stakeholders in shaping potential interventions, reflecting a broader shift toward co-produced solutions.
The workshop, funded by The Open University, marked an important step in refining this research agenda. As the work progresses, its findings could inform policy and practice not only in Uganda, but also in other malaria-endemic countries where maize is widely cultivated. For now, the research signals a shift from isolated interventions to a more integrated understanding of how livelihoods and environments drive malaria transmission.
Update: Application deadline extended to 30th April 2026
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:Thursday, 30 April 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
Attached to this announcement, interested persons will find:
The course flier, providing comprehensive programme details, and
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.
Makerere’s School of Public Health (MakSPH) is expanding faster than it can house itself. It now hosts more than 1,000 students, runs programmes across multiple countries, and anchors a large share of the University’s research output. Yet parts of its operation still spill into rented space, costing over $113,000 a year, because the infrastructure has not kept pace with its growth.
That constraint sits uneasily with the School’s economic weight. Health research accounts for more than half of Makerere University’s academic output, making it one of the University’s most productive engines. As Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe put it, “An educated population is a healthy population, and an educated and healthy population is a prosperous population.”
Beyond the university, health is not just a social outcome but a driver of economic performance. Healthier populations are more productive, more resilient, and less costly to sustain. Investments in public health, whether in prevention, systems, or infrastructure, raise an economy’s productive capacity, not just improve outcomes.
A construction worker undertakes metal fabrication works at the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) building site.
Institutions that generate public health knowledge and train professionals are not peripheral to growth; they are part of its foundation.
It is this logic that is shaping how Makerere’s School of Public Health is positioning itself. At its centre is a new, unfinished complex on the University’s main campus, intended to anchor the School’s next phase as a regional hub for research, training, and policy support. But like much of the system it supports, it is being built gradually, in a “build-as-you-go” approach constrained as much by funding realities as by design.
Construction of Phase II of the MakSPH complex is now at an advanced stage, with progress recorded across all sections of the site. As of March 2026, Phase 2B is nearing completion at 98%, while Phase 2A stands at 89%, and Phase 2C at 69%, each tracking close to or slightly ahead of planned targets. Current works are concentrated on interior finishes—including tiling, terrazzo installation, and external rendering—as well as preparations for lift installation, signaling a transition from structural works to final detailing. The project team is working toward a practical completion date of August 31, 2026, with timelines calibrated to align with broader resource flows and implementation considerations.
Six years ago, in February 2020, construction began on what will be the new home of the School of Public Health. The building, a permanent, purpose-built public health facility on Makerere’s main campus, will accommodate a growing student body, provide space for doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and strengthen the University’s ability to respond to Africa’s most pressing public health challenges.
Professor David Serwadda, Professor Emeritus at Makerere University and Chair of the MakSPH Infrastructure Fundraising Committee, said the construction journey reflects the School’s “ambition, intent, and courage”—a bold step despite limited resources. He was speaking at a public lecture on health financing held at Makerere University on April 9, 2026.
But the ambition behind the project is not modest. “We are not building for today—we are building for the future,” said Professor David Serwadda, reflecting on a decision that shaped the entire construction effort. “We need to build for the next 100 years.”
Professor David Serwadda, Professor Emeritus at Makerere University and Chair of the MakSPH Infrastructure Fundraising Committee, speaks at a public lecture on health financing for Uganda’s future, held on April 9, 2026.
That long view helps explain both the scale of the project and the risks taken to start it. When construction began, the School did not have the full funding. “We started with about a third of the required budget,” Serwadda said.
The approach was not without setbacks. A major grant from USAID, worth over a million dollars, was later withdrawn, midway through the construction, due to the closure of USAID. “We received what is called a ‘Dear John letter,’” he recalled. “At that moment, we felt the situation was a major blow, almost terminal for the project.”
But the project did not stop. It adjusted. “We said, let us continue, piecemeal,’” he said. “Finish the auditorium first, use it, and keep building the rest.”
“We have come a long way as the School of Public Health,” said Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, the Dean. “We are proud of that history, but we also recognize that it comes with responsibility.”
Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean of the Makerere University School of Public Health, speaks at a public lecture on health financing for Uganda’s future, held on April 9, 2026.
She argued that responsibility is no longer confined to Uganda. With ongoing collaborative work in more than 25 African countries currently, the Dean says this is “a responsibility to provide leadership in public health not only in Uganda but across the continent.”
The scale of that growth has been visible from what was once a small training unit in the Faculty of Medicine in the 1950s, which has expanded into 12 academic programmes and more than 1,000 students.
“When I came back for my public health training, we were about 40 students,” she said. “Now, we have more than 1,000.” “Public health is growing and evolving,” Wanyenze said. “And we are doing our best to develop the skills needed for this changing landscape.”
That includes new areas such as health informatics and data science, driven by the digitisation of health systems and the growing role of data in decision-making and AI. The School is already coordinating regional platforms on digital health, linking multiple countries in shared learning and practice.
But this growth has outpaced the physical systems needed to sustain it. For the University leadership, the implications extend beyond infrastructure.
“One of the most effective ways to invest in health in Uganda is to invest properly in Makerere University,” said Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe. “We must recognize Makerere as a research-led university with a special national role—not fund it like any other institution or department. Makerere is one of the government’s greatest assets. Invest in her, and the returns will exceed expectations.”
Professor Nawangwe hailed Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, who delivered a keynote on investing in health for Uganda’s future in view of Vision 2040. “I wish to thank Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi and his team for their personal intervention in allocating resources in next year’s budget to complete the new School of Public Health building. That support is deeply appreciated,” he said.
Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe speaks at a public lecture on health financing for Uganda’s future on April 9, 2026.
Uganda’s progress in health outcomes is evident, but uneven. Life expectancy has risen significantly from about 50 years in 2000 to roughly 68.8 years in 2024, according to the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi. Yet the gains sit alongside persistent financial strain on households. About 4% of Ugandans still spend more than a quarter of their consumption on healthcare, pushing many into poverty as a result of illness.
For Ggoobi, this points to a structural gap that recurrent government spending alone cannot close. “We must mobilise long-term domestic capital without adding fiscal risk,” he argued, pointing to the need for more sustainable financing mechanisms. Central to this is the gradual design and rollout of a national health insurance scheme. Evidence from countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana suggests that well-structured contributory models can expand coverage while reducing catastrophic out-of-pocket spending.
“My Ministry and the School of Public Health must be partners. … Evidence framed in fiscal terms drives policy,” said Ggoobi, stressing the need for locally grounded solutions. “What works in Ghana might not work here. We need a model that fits Uganda.”
Uganda’s current macroeconomic conditions, relatively low inflation, currency stability, and expanding private credit may provide a window to move in that direction.
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