Health
Makerere University Hospital Embarks on Expansion, to add 10 ICU beds
As Makerere University draws closer to marking 100 years, the institution’s Hospital has embarked on an expansion program to support Uganda’s critical care needs.
Construction projects are currently under way at the Bativa Road-based Makerere University Hospital to increase the hospital’s Emergency Department and ICU capacity.
The plan is to remodel the Doctors’ Residence/lower block of the University Hospital into a 10-bed ICU Unit at a cost of approximately Ugx400million.
Works have started with CK Associates, an Engineering firm in Uganda. Dr. Josephine Nabukenya, the then Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) said Makerere University has a bigger dream for the health services and the university hospital in particular citing that there can be no other to do this than now due to the inspiration by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am glad that we have come this far because we started dreaming three months ago but finally we are here. Indeed, the first costing when we came touring here with the actual users, the anesthetists, the money was supposed to be times two what Makerere was to offer, but because we were winding up the financial year and the University had no money, they said that we can work within the resources available and they tasked Estates and Works Department to go and see how best they could cut down as much as they could do,” said Dr. Nabukenya.
Dr. Nabukenya adds that the institution had engaged the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to support the university to realize its dream of turning the hospital into a high-grade in provision of health services to the community.
Critical care medicine is a medical specialty that deals with recoverable acute life-threatening conditions. It spans early detection of potentially life-threatening conditions, to life support and intense monitoring, up to end-of-life care.
Provision of intensive care services therefore requires adequate set-up of hospital systems designed to support the critically ill patient, furnished with adequate supplies and equipment in appropriately sized space and environment by appropriately trained staff.
Dr. Josaphat Byamugisha, the University Hospital Director contends that due to the high cost of care as dictated by the severity of illness, services such as critical care are scarce in low-income countries with countries like Uganda which has approximately one bed per a million people.
“In order to provide affordable high-quality services, majority of Intensive Care Units in high income countries exist within large teaching hospitals or university-affiliated hospitals. It is therefore important that Makerere University Hospital establishes itself as one of the hospitals in the country with cutting edge critical care provision in the region,” Professor Byamugisha discloses.
Dr. Byamugisha says the COVID-19 pandemic has left Makerere University staff, students and general population exposed due to inadequate ICU bed numbers to cater for the surge.
Dr. Byamugisha who is also an Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology further contends that complementary to emergency and operation theatre activities that will allow for more training sites nursing and postgraduate students at school of medicine in Intensive care, the ICU will promote and improve research and collaboration in the field of critical care with key international partners.
Makerere University has committed to the contractor half of the required funds required for the job. Prof. Nabukenya assured the contractor that the university management and government would increase this funding to complete the project.
“With reality, I am sure they (management) will appreciate more and we can see how best to squeeze from what we have. So, like how procurement advised, let us start, let us not be discouraged because we have half the resources. Let us start with what we have, and definitely as management when we come and see that half of the resources have done half the work and the other half is not completed, then definitely we have to step up,” Prof. Nabukenya said.
She urged the contractor to start the work and support the realization of Makerere University dream. “The dream is quite huge. For the sake of not just the Makerere Community, but it will actually support the Ministry of Health or I will say the entire country. So, I think it’s the whole reason why they felt they would help us with the equipment to equip the building when it is done. So, we do a good job in terms of the building, they will not have an excuse to equip. Let us start as we continue with the negotiations.”
Charles Kironde, Director CK Associates hailed Makerere University for awarding them another construction project- University Hospital.
“I would want to say as the director stated, this a very sensitive project, but much as Estates had stated that we had done dental school before, we have also handled some hospitals in our previous works outside the university for KCCA and MOH, so we have a bit of experience with hospital construction and ICU wards and theatres, in the last 3-5 years we have done so be assured that we will give you quality work to the specifications that you want. At least that is for starters,” said Kironde.
Makerere University Hospital, with its 43-year history deeply embedded in the memory of generations has served not only as a center for providing healthcare services but also as a center for training, research.
Since 1978,the hospital plays a significant role in the lives of students, staff and the surrounding areas. It is a successor of the first health post, Makerere University Students Health Service or sick bay at the current Makerere University police post.
In 1972, when Idi Amin expelled Asians, the university acquired the premises formerly known as Nile Nursing Home. The university Sick Bay relocated to the new premises. On February 16, 1978, President Idi Amin visited the Sick Bay and elevated it to a hospital status.
The university formally launched its centenary celebrations at an event on November 25, where University Vice Chancellor and the chairperson Mak@100 Organizing Committee, Professor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and Daniel Kidega respectively called on members of the Makerere University community to get involved with the major milestone.
The Iteso Cultural Leader, His Highness Emorimor Papa Paul Sande Emolot, has called on Makerere University to elevate the Science of Designing, Adaptation, and Implementation of Evidence-Based Parenting Interventions course into a fully-fledged programme. This, he argued, would strengthen the capacity of practitioners implementing parenting interventions across Uganda.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony held on 11th June 2025 at Makerere University where 35 practitioners completed the 12-week course, Emorimor Papa Emolot emphasized the transformative power of effective parenting. He urged aspiring parents and advocates of the Parenting for Respectability model to enroll in the course.
Citing the impact in his own sub-county and village, the cultural leader revealed that over 800 families had already benefited from the programme.
“We now see peace and love in homes where there was once conflict. Without good parenting, you risk raising animals instead of children,” he passionately stated.
He praised the course for equipping practitioners, policymakers, and researchers with the skills needed to design culturally sensitive, evidence-based parenting interventions tailored to Uganda’s context. Among the notable graduates was Her Royal Majesty Juliet Among Emolot Atomeileng Akaliat Toto, who reaffirmed her commitment to advancing family-strengthening initiatives using the skills and knowledge acquired.
Dr. Godfrey Siu, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader at Makerere University, described the course as a timely intervention. During this remarks, Dr. Siu described the event as a significant milestone in advancing the field of evidence based parenting intervention and family strengthening in Uganda.
“This course is meant to empower you as practitioners, policy makers and all those involved in development and implementation of parenting work. It provides both theoretical knowledge and practical tools essential for developing high quality interventions”, Dr. Siu noted. He urged the pioneer group to carry forward the expertise as champions of designing, adaptation and implementation of evidence parenting interventions.
Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Dr. Aggrey David Kibenge, Juliana Naumo, Commissioner for Culture and Family Affairs, said the course supports the government’s agenda to address negative social outcomes affecting families.
“By grounding parenting in research, harmonizing policy with practice, and advocating for equity, we will ensure no family is left behind,” she said. “Cross-sectoral collaboration is key to unlocking transformative change.”
Ms. Naumo highlighted the government’s commitment—both technical and financial—to support outstanding student projects from the course. She stressed the importance of equipping professionals with the skills to bridge gaps between research and practice for consistent, high-quality parenting support across Uganda. While delivering the Vice chancellors speech by Dr. Helen Nambalirwa, Principal of the CHUSS, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe commended the graduates as a beacon of hope.
“At a time when parenting faces challenges like digital distractions, changing societal norms, and a rising mental health crisis, Makerere reaffirms its support for interventions that drive the societal transformation we desire,” Nawangwe stated.
Prof. Richard Idro, Deputy Principal of the College of Health Sciences, acknowledged the growing parenting challenges in Uganda and the region, adding that the course was a major step towards standardizing parenting interventions nationwide.
He applauded the Child Health and Development Centre (CHDC) for leading this paramount and critical initiative.
Mr. Hosea Katende, Course Administrator at CHDC, emphasized the importance of integrating systematic methods, ethical principles, robust evidence, and collaboration to create lasting impact in parenting.
Dr. Aggrey Dhabangi, Lecturer at CHDC, representing Dr. Herbert Muyinda, Director of CHDC, acknowledged the contributions of partners such as the ELMA Foundation and Echidna Giving for their financial and capacity-building support. He also appreciated the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, among other stakeholders, for their technical guidance in the programme’s successful implementation.
Dr. Dhabangi extended gratitude to cultural institutions, especially the Kingdom of Teso, and acknowledged growing collaborations with other cultural institutions such as the Kingdom of Acholi, in the shared mission of building strong families as the foundation of Uganda’s future.
He extended his heartfelt gratitude to cultural institutions, especially the Kingdom of Teso, and others kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Acholi, in building Uganda’s future through creating strong families. Nuruh Mbalyowere, a Rehabilitation and Reintegration Officer with the Uganda Prisons Service, was honored for developing the best parenting intervention titled “Parenting Behind Prison Bars.” She expressed her intention to apply the knowledge gained both at home and in her workplace.
By Okeya John and Primrose Nabankema
The intensive one-month course, running for the first time from June 5 to July 24, 2025, is jointly offered by Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH)’s Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences (CHBS) and the Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) at the School of Languages, Literature, and Communication (SLLC), co-designed in 2024 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation through Amref Health Africa.
It seeks to equip healthcare providers at the community level, public health and environmental health practitioners, communication specialists, health educators, community development officers, social scientists, and policy makers, among others, with strategic communication skills to improve public health messaging, strengthen community engagement, and support evidence-based interventions, ultimately empowering participants to effectively engage communities and improve population health outcomes across Uganda and the region.
Launching the course, the heads of the Department of Journalism and Communication and the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences noted that participants who complete the short course will gain practical tools to influence behaviour change, build trust, and deliver timely, accurate, and relevant health information to the communities they serve. The first cohort attracted more than 60 applicants, with 36 reporting for the opening in-person session on June 5, 2025, at MakSPH in Mulago. Between now and July, participants will undergo a hands-on, multidisciplinary learning experience within the Certificate in Health Communication and Community Engagement program, which combines theory and practice.
Among the participants in the first cohort of the certificate course, designed as a pilot for the anticipated Master of Health Promotion and Communication to be jointly offered by the two departments at Makerere University, is Ms. Maureen Kisaakye, a medical laboratory technologist specialising in microbiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and currently pursuing a Master’s in Immunology and Clinical Microbiology at Makerere. She is driven by a passion to help reverse the rising tide of AMR, a growing global health threat where drugs that once worked are no longer effective. Kisaakye is particularly concerned about common infections, like urinary tract infections, becoming increasingly resistant and harder to treat.
“I enrolled in this course because I’m an advocate against antimicrobial resistance, and it came at a time when I needed to deepen my knowledge on how to implement our projects more effectively and engage with communities. The experience has broadened my understanding of AMR and its impact on society, and strengthened my passion for community-driven health initiatives and advocacy,” Kisaakye said, explaining why she enrolled for the short course.
Kisaakye’s work in antimicrobial resistance extends beyond the lab. Having earned her degree in medical laboratory science from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, she founded Impala Tech Research in 2024 to drive impact and save lives. She has led grassroots AMR campaigns that integrate antimicrobial stewardship with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education in underserved urban communities, including the informal settlements in Kampala. She also has since designed peer-led initiatives that empower university students as AMR Champions, building a network of informed youth advocates. Kisaakye believes the health communication course will sharpen her ability to design and deliver impactful, community-centred interventions in response to the growing threat of drug resistance.
“The department collaborates with many partners within and beyond the University, including the School of Public Health, where we are working to develop the subfield of health communication and promotion. Our goal is to train specialists in this area and build a community of practice, something we have each been doing in our own spaces. There’s a lot of work ahead, and COVID-19 showed us just how urgently we need a generation trained to do this kind of work, and to do it very well,” said Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, during the opening of the short course on June 5.
She assured participants they were in good hands and underscored the importance of the partnership between the Department of Journalism and Communication and the School of Public Health, describing it as a vital collaboration that brings together strategic communication and public health expertise. This dynamic, multidisciplinary approach, she noted, is essential to developing practical solutions that empower communities, strengthen health systems, and ultimately improve livelihoods.
The course offers a hands-on, multidisciplinary learning experience, with participants intended to explore key modules including Health Communication and Promotion, Risk Communication, Smart Advocacy, Community Mapping, Community Mobilisation and Empowerment, and Strategies for Community Engagement. The course combines theory with real-world application, and its assessment includes a field-based project and a final exam.
“You are our first cohort. We are seeing the fruits of our efforts in bringing this short course to life. It was born out of a joint initiative to develop a Master’s programme in Health Promotion and Communication,” said Dr. Christine Nalwadda, Head of the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences. “We carried out extensive consultations with our different key stakeholders during the process and discovered a real need for such a course. It was the stakeholders who even named it; this course name didn’t come from us.”
For Kisaakye, by the end of the course in July, she hopes to have sharpened her skills in health promotion and strategic communication, particularly in crafting targeted messages that help individuals and communities effectively respond to threats such as antimicrobial resistance. She also aims to gain practical experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating community health initiatives that can strengthen her advocacy and drive lasting impact.
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