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Mukono RDC Commends Mak on Empowering VHTs; Calls on Parliament to Appropriate Resources to Motivate them

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Hajat Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka, the Resident District Commissioner for Mukono district has appealed to Ugandan legislators to support efforts of community health workers (CHWs)/VHTs through appropriating some remuneration for them.

Hajat Nabitaka said she has moved the entire Mukono District during the COVID-19 pandemic period and throughout the taskforces and has since appreciated the great role played by CHWs.

“We thank you so much, you are the frontline soldiers. Because you do sensitize our people in the communities and you are always there throughout. If those in parliament could know what you do, they would speak passionately for you to receive some kind of salary,” said Hajat Nabitaka.

She was speaking at a dissemination workshop for Makerere University School of Public Health’s Cardiovascular Disease prevention program under the SPICES project held on December 8th 2021 at Colline Hotel in Mukono district.

“Sincerely speaking, we have many people who receive a lot of money, yet their out-put is minimal as compared to the work done by VHTs. I am appealing to the Commissioner [NCDs], researchers to advocate for renumeration for VHTs. I think this catchment area of the VHTs is the best. They are the ones who can solve some of the social problems affecting majority of families. Kindly think about the VHTs, keep up training the VHTs and speak for them,” she added.

Hajat Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka, the Resident District Commissioner for Mukono district
Hajat Fatuma Ndisaba Nabitaka, the Resident District Commissioner for Mukono district.

 Dr. Gerald Mutungi, assistant Commissioner Health Services- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) department at the Ministry of Health says currently, the VHTs are working under non-monetary motivation scheme.

“They have been working and we are discussing their small allowance in the Ministry. The problem is that the numbers are so big. Even when you give them small allowances the budget becomes so big,” Dr. Mutungi observes.

Dr. Gerald Mutungi, assistant Commissioner Health Services- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) department at the Ministry of Health
Dr. Gerald Mutungi, assistant Commissioner Health Services- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) department at the Ministry of Health

He further advances that; “But to tell you the truth, the discussion is in the Ministry. I don’t know how it will end but this adds on the evidence that they are so useful and that they need to be motivated.”

The SPICES project Principal Investigator Dr. Geofrey Musinguzi says the study has proven  that if well trained, community health workers (CHWs/VHTs) have potential to deliver messages on prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases as well as enhance awareness amongst the various risk factors that raise cardiovascular diseases.

Through VHTs, the SPICES project reached a total of 10,936 people in households in 80 randomly selected villages in Mukono and Buikwe. Dr. Musinguzi contends that, trained VHTs that are trusted in communities are a gateway to increased community knowledge about CVDs and participation.

SPICES project Principal Investigator Dr. Geofrey Musinguzi
SPICES project Principal Investigator Dr. Geofrey Musinguzi

“As you observed, out of the many people the y [VHTs] visited, only 1% rejected them in their households. So, 99% were receiving them. So, to us we really think that is one resource that is available. If supported, they can actually deliver more in prevention of cardiovascular diseases,” said Dr. Musinguzi.

Under community intervention model of the SPICES project, Dr. Musinguzi notes that the key enablers of implementing the program is the availability of committed and motivated VHTs, receptive communities, supporting local and religious leaders as well as social gatherings and infrastructure like SACCOs, worship places, local infrastructure such as radios, public address system for health education.

Despite the unprecedented times brought by COVID-19 community health workers with support from SPICES project reached out a number of households in the project area in respect to CVDs. The project sensitized and empowered community health workers and health workers on COVID-19 prevention and subsequently equipped with tools such as facemasks, sanitizers, temperature monitors and standard operating procedures.

“Community Health Workers are largely motivated and over two years working with them, we have actually seen them do a lot of work, deliver these interventions. They have also reached quite a number of people in the households. COVID was a problem in reaching out those places but amidst that challenge, we moved to the community members,” contends Dr. Musinguzi.

Sarah Nalweyiso, a Village Health Team Member in Buikwe District says they (community health workers) received training in September 2020 under the SPICES project on how to continue with the work amidst the pandemic challenges.

“We received gumboots, notebooks, pens, sanitizers and masks,” says Nalweyiso.

 The SPICES project Principal Investigator Dr. Geofrey Musinguzi alongside  Dr. Gerald Mutungi, assistant Commissioner Health Services- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) department at the Ministry of Health hands certificates to Community Health Workers at a dissemination workshop held on December 8th 2021 at Colline Hotel in Mukono district.
 The SPICES project Principal Investigator Dr. Geofrey Musinguzi alongside  Dr. Gerald Mutungi, assistant Commissioner Health Services- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) department at the Ministry of Health hands certificates to Community Health Workers at a dissemination workshop held on December 8th 2021 at Colline Hotel in Mukono district.

She adds that they trained community members about behavior change and highlighting dangers of excessive consumption of alcohol, benefits of exercising, reducing consumption of cooking oils as well as eating fruits and vegetables.

“When we finished the training, we came back to our villages and started examining people using the risk factor assessment tools to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Esther Namaganda, another VHT member from Buikwe district says; “We moved around our communities mainly to screen the members for risk factors of cardiovascular diseases.”

The poor health seeking behavior was one of the highlighted contributors to delayed presentation to health facilities with cardiovascular diseases.

Dr. Isaac Ssinabulya, Cardiologist at the Uganda Heart Institute -UHI thanked SPICES Project on the great work it has done.

“We conducted research, myself and Dr. Mutungi on non-communicable diseases and established that the highest percentage of the most affected people are in communities, nearly 60%. We only see fewer people in hospitals,” Dr. Ssinabulya.

He adds that there are many people who flock UHI from farther places in this country coming for treatment and end up spending a lot of money, yet the diseases can be prevented.

Dr. Ssinabulya hailed the Community Health Workers for their support in ensuring people are empowered and are able to be screened early enough in order to mitigate the risks associated to advanced treatment of CVDs which include high cost of treatment as well as loss of life.

Pressure is one of the highly prevalent diseases in Mukono and Buikwe at 24%. “This high number requires to ensure that whoever visits our health facilities is screened and are counseled towards keeping healthy lifestyles. Let us work together to reduce the queues of people coming for treatment,” says Dr. Ssinabulya.

Dr Josephine Birungi, a Senior Research Scientist based at Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute (MRC/UVRI) in Entebbe underscored the role of VHTs and noted that their work and contribution can be sustained through continuous engagement and training.

 Dr Josephine Birungi Research Scientist based at Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute (MRC/UVRI) and Dr. Isaac Ssinabulya, Cardiologist at the Uganda Heart Institute -UHI
 Dr Josephine Birungi Research Scientist based at Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute (MRC/UVRI) and Dr. Isaac Ssinabulya, Cardiologist at the Uganda Heart Institute -UHI

She commended the VHTs on the good work. “We need to deploy family-centered-approach to educate the masses about these challenges such as NCDs. It will help efforts by SPICES project to continue. For instance if I knew my husband has diabetes, I will not put a lot of salt in food. But if I don’t know, we shall not make a change.”

She tipped both health workers and the Ministry of Health on continuous capacity building as well as sensitization of the masses.

“We need to sensitize the masses. We should reciprocate the attention we give to HIV/AIDs to NCDs. I appeal to all of you to support sensitization of our communities not only about heart diseases but also on other diseases such as HIV/AIDs among others,” Dr. Birungi.

Article originally published on MakSPH website.

Davidson Ndyabahika

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MakSPH, DJC Launch Short Course on Health Communication

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The heads of the Department of Journalism and Communication and the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences (centre) with participants from the first cohort of the Health Communication short course at Makerere University. June 5, 2025. Intensive one-month course on Health Communication, first cohort June 5 to July 24, 2025, 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), School of Languages, Literature, and Communication (SLLC), co-designed in 2024 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation through Amref Health Africa, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

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.

Ms. Maureen Kisaakye (in white) during a youth-led community AMR and WASH awareness campaign in informal settlements in Kamwokya, Kampala, on 12th April, 2025. Intensive one-month course on Health Communication, first cohort June 5 to July 24, 2025, 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), School of Languages, Literature, and Communication (SLLC), co-designed in 2024 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation through Amref Health Africa, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Ms. Maureen Kisaakye (in white) during a youth-led community AMR and WASH awareness campaign in informal settlements in Kamwokya, Kampala, on 12th April, 2025.

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.

Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, underscored the partnership between DJC and MakSPH as a crucial step toward strengthening public health through strategic communication. June 5th, 2025. Intensive one-month course on Health Communication, first cohort June 5 to July 24, 2025, 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), School of Languages, Literature, and Communication (SLLC), co-designed in 2024 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation through Amref Health Africa, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, underscored the partnership between DJC and MakSPH as a crucial step toward strengthening public health through strategic communication. June 5, 2025.

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.

Dr. Marjorie Kyomuhendo, one of the course facilitators, engages Mr. Jackson Ssewanyana, a participant in the first cohort of the Certificate in Health Communication and Community Engagement, as Ms. Maureen Kisaakye listens in. June 5, 2025. Intensive one-month course on Health Communication, first cohort June 5 to July 24, 2025, 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), School of Languages, Literature, and Communication (SLLC), co-designed in 2024 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation through Amref Health Africa, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Marjorie Kyomuhendo, one of the course facilitators, engages Mr. Jackson Ssewanyana, a participant in the first cohort of the Certificate in Health Communication and Community Engagement, as Ms. Maureen Kisaakye listens in. June 5, 2025.

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John Okeya

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Call for Abstracts: 2nd East African Symposium and Expo on Trauma, Injuries, and Emergency Care – 2025

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Kickoff training for teams tasked with collecting data for the Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) 2024-2025, held 19th May 2025, Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) Auditorium, Main Campus, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) is excited to invite researchers, professionals, and students to be part of an inspiring and impactful event!

Venue: School of Public Health Auditorium, Makerere University Main Campus
Dates: August 7–8, 2025
Theme: “Understanding the burden and impact of injuries in East Africa to improve Emergency Care preparedness, mitigation, and response.”

Submit Your Abstracts Now!

Join the conversation that drives change in trauma and emergency care across East Africa. Share your research, innovations, and insights that can shape the future of healthcare response in our region.

Submission Deadline: July 10, 2025
Submit here: triadcommunications@musph.ac.ug
Register to Attend: https://aapug.org/east-african-symposium-and-expo-on-trauma-injury-disability-and-emergency-care-2025/

Together, let’s drive change and improve lives through research and collaboration. Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference!

Mak Editor

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Scholarship Opportunity: Impact of Food Supplementation

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Dr. Roselline Achola on Graduation day being welcomed by her teachers following her PhD award. 75th Graduation Ceremony, Day 2, CoBAMS, CHS and CoNAS. 14th January 2025, Freedom Square, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY CHILD HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER

PhD SCHOLARSHIP FELLOWSHIP TRAINING ADVERTISEMENT

Impact of Food Supplementation on Health, Growth, and Development for Stunted
Children

We are seeking to appoint a full-time PhD Fellow to conduct a randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) among 300 young children with stunting to assess the effect of Soy Lipid-based Nutrient Supplement with high versus low levels of antinutrients on growth and health of children on a DANIDA-supported project entitled “Climate-resilient soybean for improved growth and health of children in Uganda” (Healthy Soy). The PhD fellow will coordinate the RCT protocol development and its implementation, develop and nest his/her PhD protocol as part-of the RCT study. The PhD student will be hosted at the Child Health and Development Center School of Medicine College of Health Sciences, Makerere University. The PhD student will take part in literature review; designing, planning and conducting of studies; analysing results; writing reports and contributing to technical and policy briefs, journal articles and thesis; project management; organizing research seminars and stakeholder workshops; and guiding junior researchers and teaching. The PhD student will have access to online libraries, scientific databases and software for data analysis throughout their work. In addition, the student will be mentored by national and international researchers to develop scientific research and project management skills with three months stay in Denmark. By the end of the project, the selected candidate will have obtained significant competencies to explain the interactions between nutrition and health of children, growth and development. In addition, the student will gain skills in assessment of body composition, development and conduct of clinical trials design, scholarly writing and presentations, data analysis and interdisciplinary research.

Prospective candidates must:

  • Hold Masters in any of the following or equivalents: Human Nutrition, Dietetics, Public
    Health Nutrition, Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health, Public Health or
  • Epidemiology with undergraduate training in Medicine and Surgery (MBChB/MBBS/MD).
  • Having publication experience will be an added advantage.
  • Be highly motivated and interested in pursuing rigorous research
  • Be committed to a long-term research career in Human Nutrition and Health
  • Be of untainted integrity
  • Be able to use different software for data analysis and graphics.

Successful fellow will be expected to:

  • Conduct high quality research leading to publications in high-impact journals (must be
    ready to work towards publishing a minimum of one quality paper per year).
  • Contribute to research capacity building including training of undergraduate and M.Sc.
    students in the host department.
  • The project will avail financial support to the successful PhD Fellow for 4 years. Funds
    will cover: PhD tuition for 4 years; monthly stipend; research supplies and reagents;
    conference participation and other research-related costs.

Interested applicants should send an application letter, motivation statement, two
recommendation letters, CV and academic transcripts and certificates for all university
qualifications in an email titled “PhD Fellowship Application – Healthy Soy Project” to
chdc.desk@mak.ac.ug by 26th June 20205.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Only shortlisted applicants will be
contacted for interviews.

Mak Editor

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