Health
I studied on Loans from Village Savings Group – Tabitha Audo, MakSPH First Class Graduand
Motivated to beat the statistic that none of the Irarak-Iworoi clan and her entire family has ever gone to university and obtained a degree, Ms. Tabitha Audo is graduating from Makerere Universiy, top of her class with a 4.63 CGPA in Bachelor of Environmental Health Sciences —BEHS.
Ms. Audo is overjoyed about accomplishing a major milestone of becoming the best performing undergraduate student at Makerere’s School of Public Health and setting the pace for her siblings.
She was born to Ms. Mary Immaculate Kiria and the late John Peter Ameu in April 1992 in Opiin village, Atiira Subcounty, in the Eastern Uganda District of Serere.
At the age of 6, Audo lost her father and that meant that the burden of raising her was left to her peasant mother. She was lucky that her step-mother Apio Angella, a VHT of Atiira Subcounty stood hand-in-glove with her mother to support her through her studies.
She sailed through her Primary education between 1998 and 2004 with the support of both mothers and obtained 19 aggregates at Apokor Primary School, Serere.
In 2005, she joined Rhema High School and sat her Uganda Certificate of Education in 2008 and obtained 43. But she would persist.
She had no hopes of joining A ‘level until a good Samaritan, Ms. Akwi Christine, the now the Assistant District Health Officer Serere District Local Government, currently acting ADHO- Environmental Health identified her and encouraged her to join Mbale School of Hygiene. “She encouraged me to join the Course after seeing my conditions in our home. She also helped me to get a sponsorship under Mvule Trust Fund to pay for the certificate Course,” recalls Audo.
Between 2009 and 2011, Ms. Audo concentrated on acquiring a Certificate in Environmental Health which she excelled with a Distinction at Mbale School of Hygiene before upgrading to a Diploma in 2014-2016 which she equally scored highly with CGPA of 4.62.
Upon completing her certificate course, she was employed by Serere District Local Government as Health Assistant in 2012.
“The institution had motivated us that when you would pass a certificate, they would give you a government scholarship. However, when I passed with a distinction, I learnt that the government scholarship had been scrapped for upgraders. God blessed me to get a job immediately where I got money to pay for my Diploma.”
Audo says studying her Diploma was the hardest because it was a full-time study program that required a lot from her. Yet, additionally, she was paying fees for two of her siblings, one in Secondary School and another in a Tertiary Institution.
“I also had to pay for myself and I had just got a loan to support my tuition needs. It also happened that I had a baby who was just 8 months old. It was tough on me to pull of that Diploma. It was very tight to balance but I had to keep moving,” says Audo.
She recalls her low moments in School to manage family, work, and School. She said the initial loan cleared her two semesters and also paid for her siblings’ fees but it wasn’t sustainable in the long run.
“I was with Atai Faith in the same class. They knew my situation and supported me through discussion groups and with their help, I was also able to concentrate like any other person. I learnt that if you keep focused, even when challenges come, you still find ways. You can’t just sit down and say; ‘now, I can’t do anything’,” Audo recollects.
Her family background played a huge role in shaping her views on education and her desire to change her destiny. She says the pain her mother suffered in search of money to pay for her fees was an eye opener to her.
“My mother is a peasant. She stopped in S.2 and she didn’t have any job with her. She used to get weekly loans in village groups. I used to see all that suffering she was going through. Even feeding, everything was difficult. It gave me a motivation that ‘I don’t want to live in this kind of life again. So, even after I got a job, I wanted to relieve her from that suffering and that is why I had to carry the responsibility to pay fees for my siblings,” Audo reveals.
Joining MakSPH
In 2014, while Audo was still studying at the School of Hygiene -Mbale, the School held a careers session where a one Abel Wilson, then a Student at MakSPH spoke to them about the opportunities to advance their career through a Bachelor of Environmental Health. She was on the look-out until an advert for diploma entry-government admissions came out.
“Of course it was following Abel’s visit to School of Hygiene. So, I kept on waiting for the time of the advert and when it came, the first person who forwarded it to me was my supervisor, by then, the Serere District Town Council Clerk,” recounts Audo.
Mukula Max Martin, the former Serere Town Clerk, who is now the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Buvuma, a Central Uganda District coterminous with the Buvuma Islands scattered in Lake Victoria pushed Audo to study and further advance her career in 2018.
“Mukula motivated me and told me that he was sure I could make it. He told me I should study when I was still young and finish. He cautioned me against being comfortable and assured me that if I get admitted, I would get a study leave,” Ms. Audo says.
Her admission in 2018 was the proudest moments of her life but more to parents, she recalls. “The family didn’t know what government sponsorship means. But for them, they were overjoyed that I was going to study from Makerere University. They were happy for me because for the first time, I was going to stay in Kampala.”
Her admission however came on the heels of her promotion to Health Inspector of Serere District that had been affected in March 2018. She thought given that she had just been promoted, it would be difficult to secure a study leave; “My immediate boss, Mr. Mukula called me to his office and congratulated me. He straight away started processing for my study leave. When my study leave was approved by the district service commission in November 2018, it was with pay and this was a serious relief.
Her appeal to bosses is to never seat on employees’ opportunities to study and believes any employee with interest and opportunity to study should be given a chance. She is passionate about changing the health situation in her current employment station. Although she dreams of working with the Ministry of Health, international organisation such as the United Nations, UNICEF.
Audo says she is interested in improving water and waste management situation in Uganda’s towns/cities. “When you look at our towns, both liquid and solid waste is a serious gap that we have to work on. Waste is everywhere, people are not sorting waste, it’s not being well managed I should say. Look at the towns, small or big. I expected Kampala to be better. Even liquid waste, over floors are everywhere every time and we need to surely improve!”
He key take away from the course is the diversity of knowledge in all fields. “Being a preventive medicine course, that involves working directly with the community to address problems, the course is one of those that involves you and builds your research capacity. I admire the level of research and quality of researchers at School.”
The Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) on July 10, 2026, welcomed senior six science students from Ngora High School and Wiggins Secondary School to an inspiring Career Fair aimed at guiding them on careers in health sciences and introducing them to the wide range of academic programmes offered by the College.
The event brought together students pursuing Physics, Chemistry, Biology (PCB) and Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics (BCM), providing them with a unique opportunity to interact with the College leadership, tour laboratories and teaching facilities, and learn first-hand about careers in medicine and other health science disciplines.
Welcoming the students, the College Principal, Prof. Bruce Kirenga, described the College of Health Sciences as one of Africa’s oldest and most distinguished medical schools, with a legacy spanning more than a century.
“We started in 1924, making us one of the oldest medical schools on the continent. You have made the right decision to visit Makerere, and we are delighted to welcome you,” he said.
Prof. Kirenga commended the school administrators and teachers for organizing the visit, noting that exposing learners to university environments early helps them make informed career choices. He explained that the College introduced the Open Day concept after receiving numerous requests from schools seeking career guidance visits.
He congratulated the students for choosing science subjects, describing science as the foundation for solving society’s most pressing challenges.
“You have already made one of the most important decisions by choosing to become scientists. Even more importantly, you have chosen life sciences—a field dedicated to preserving and improving life,” he remarked.
The Principal emphasized that careers in life sciences extend far beyond medicine, encouraging students to remain open-minded as they consider their future.
“Everything that has life requires professionals to keep it healthy—from human beings and animals to crops and the environment. The opportunities are immense, including agriculture, veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences, public health and many other emerging fields.”
He also advised students not to limit themselves to only one academic programme during university applications, recalling instances where highly qualified students narrowly missed admission because they selected only one course.
“Remain open to the opportunities available. Medicine is an excellent profession, but there are many other programmes that are equally rewarding and are shaping the future of healthcare and scientific innovation,” he said.
Prof. Kirenga further encouraged the students to embrace lifelong learning, reminding them that scientific knowledge remains valuable regardless of the career path they eventually pursue.
Addressing the students, the Dean of the School of Medicine, Prof. Annette Nakimuli, acknowledged the growing competition for admission into medical programmes and urged learners to work hard while keeping an open mind about the diverse opportunities available within health sciences.
She explained that admission into the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) programme has become increasingly competitive due to the rising number of high-performing applicants.
“This year we witnessed unprecedented competition for government sponsorship, with many applicants scoring triple A at Advanced Level and outstanding grades at Ordinary Level. That tells you that you must prepare yourselves to excel academically,” she said.
Prof. Nakimuli noted that while many students aspire to become medical doctors, the health sector today offers numerous innovative programmes that are equally important.
“There are many programmes that parents, teachers and students are still not familiar with. Biomedical Engineering, for example, is one of the exciting fields driving the future of healthcare, yet many students overlook it because they focus only on medicine.”
She encouraged students to explore emerging disciplines that combine medicine, engineering, technology and research, noting that the future of healthcare increasingly depends on multidisciplinary professionals.
The Dean also introduced students to the structure of the School of Medicine, explaining that it comprises twelve academic departments and two specialised units covering a broad spectrum of clinical disciplines, including Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Family Medicine, Anaesthesia and Critical Care, among others.
She explained that students are trained by specialists across these disciplines to become competent general practitioners before pursuing further specialization.
Prof. Erisa Mwaka, the Chair of the Department of Human Anatomy, shared with the students about the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS). He said the school is one of the four schools that make up the Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS). As the foundation of medical education, the School provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the biological and molecular sciences that underpin modern healthcare, disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
The School comprises several departments, including:
- Human Anatomy
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Pathology
- Microbiology
- Medical Illustration
The School offers undergraduate programmes such as the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences, which equips students with strong laboratory, research and analytical skills, and the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, an interdisciplinary programme that integrates engineering, medicine and technology to develop innovative healthcare solutions.
At postgraduate level, the School offers a wide range of master’s and doctoral programmes, including Human Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Bioinformatics, Immunology and Clinical Microbiology, Health Bioethics, Medical Illustration, Pathology and other biomedical specializations that prepare graduates for careers in research, academia, diagnostics, biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry. The school also offers a wide range of diploma courses.
Throughout the Career Fair, students interacted with faculty members, toured laboratories and learning facilities, and received guidance on university admission, academic programmes and career prospects within the health sciences.
The Career Fair forms part of the College’s broader outreach programme aimed at nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals by exposing learners to university life and equipping them with the information needed to make informed academic and career decisions.
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