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.
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
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
“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.
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
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.
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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