Health
BMGF Program Officer Sambisa Pays Courtesy Call to Mak
Kampala -Uganda: Makerere University acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance & Administration, Prof. Tonny J. Oyana on Monday July 4th 2022 received Dr. William Sambisa from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in company of the Dean, Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze.
Dr Sambisa, who is also the Program Officer for the COVID-19 Response and Shaping Policy in Eastern, Central and Western Africa (COVID Assessment project), a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded project at MakSPH was on a 3-days visit to Makerere University as part of the evaluation of the project as it comes to an end.
The project has been implemented in partnership with several universities from the eastern, central, and western Africa including the University of Cheikh Anta Diop Dakar, Senegal; the University of Ibadan, Nigeria; the University of Kinshasa, DRC; and the University of Ghana.
This project sought to assess and curate the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and the outcomes in terms of COVID-19 control and continuity of essential non-COVID-19 health services within the COVID-19 period, to inform the COVID-19 response and recovery as well as health system resilience to future disease outbreaks in Africa.
Prof. Wanyenze is the Principal Investigator of the COVID Assessment project for Uganda. She has been working alongside Dr. Suzanne Kiwanuka Dr. Suzan Kizito, Steven Ndugwa Kabwama and Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, among others.
Speaking at the Vice Chancellor’s office, Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze said the School of Public Health was grateful for the partnerships with the BMGF that have impacted a lot of lives and influenced policy changes in Uganda and beyond. She thanked Bill and Melinda for their generosity and support towards research in Africa and capacity building.
“We have several grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We are proud that we are partnering with you for impactful research and meaningful capacity building. BMGF supports the Digital Health Payments initiative project, the Covid-19 assessment which is coming to an end, Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA), a project fueling a data revolution to guide family planning programs, and the Leadership for Malaria eradication that is equipping endemic country scientists, implementers and leaders of National Malaria Control Programs (NMCPs) with adequate skills with a view of obtaining the ultimate goal of global malaria eradication,” said Prof Wanyenze.
She added that; “We are talking with William to explore the establishment of a Centre for Health Security at Makerere University because we are in the Congo basis belt which has the largest number of disease outbreaks globally.”
On his part, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration who represented Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tonny Oyana said it was a great gesture for Makerere University to receive the BMGF support to various university research and capacity building projects citing that such partnerships need to be leveraged on in the next century.
“I am well informed that you have been generous to Makerere University through the School of Public Health. I am told the funding portfolio has increased under several projects. We are now celebrating 100 years of existence. Our main celebrations will be in October this year. So, we have come a long way and the BMGF are part of the Makerere University story and I hope that we can consolidate our gains with that funding support. When you go back, please tell Bill and Melinda that the Management of Makerere University is very grateful for your contribution and we should continue working together. Please do visit us again,” said Prof. Oyana.
Prof. Oyana also shared about the iconic university building Administration Block, the second oldest building in Makerere University, currently under reconstruction that was burnt to ruins on November 20, 2020. The Main Building, in the style of British architecture of the 1940s, had high white walls and blue-shuttered windows before the fire that broke out. It is a symbol of higher education in Uganda and Africa. Efforts are underway to maintain its exact architectural design and structure.
In appreciation, Dr. William Sambisa said he was excited to visit Makerere University and impressed by its position in research in Africa and beyond. He empathized with Makerere University for the loss of the iconic building during the fire.
“It is a pleasure working with Makerere University. This is my first time I set foot in this great institution. When we were growing up in Zimbabwe, we heard about Makerere, its academic stature and its role in activism those days. Sometimes you say I have read and heard about this Giant of Africa, I would like to be there,” said Dr. Sambisa.
He added that; “We have begun a journey. We are creating good foundational pillars, for the next growth of the institution itself and the way you will influence Africa in research and capacity building. If we are saying we want to rely on African institutions, are we putting adequate resources to build them? Are we holding them in that journey aspect of it? It would be unfair to drop this investment.”
The Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze led Dr. Sambisa on a guided tour to the Main Campus and inspected the construction site for the new home of MakSPH.
The 92nd Guild Ministry of Health is set to host the Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp, a three-day outreach that will bring free and essential medical services to students, staff, and the surrounding community. The camp will run from 17th to 19th September 2026, from 8:00am to 5:00pm each day, at the Freedom Square.
Themed around promoting student wellness for academic excellence, the medical camp is organised under the leadership of Hon. Wamezaya Ebenezer, the Minister of Health in the 92nd Guild Government, in alliance with several partner organisations supporting the university’s health and wellness agenda. The initiative reflects a growing recognition within student leadership circles that academic performance is closely tied to the physical and mental wellbeing of the university community.
Comprehensive Range of Services
The medical camp will offer a wide range of services designed to address both routine and specialised health needs. On the general health side, attendees will have access to general and specialist medical consultations, allowing students, staff, and community members to seek professional advice on a variety of health concerns without the usual costs associated with private or even public healthcare.
Screening services will also be a central feature of the camp. Organisers have confirmed that sickle cell testing, malaria rapid diagnostic testing, and HIV screening will be available on site, giving participants the opportunity to know their status and receive guidance on appropriate next steps. Eye care services and laboratory diagnostics will round up this category, addressing common but often neglected areas of student health.
Beyond diagnostics and consultations, the camp will provide free essential medicines to those who need them, easing the financial burden that often accompanies treatment even after a diagnosis has been made. Reproductive health counseling will also be offered, giving students a confidential space to discuss matters that are frequently overlooked in general campus health conversations. Mental health counseling completes the list of available services, an inclusion that speaks to the increasing attention being paid to psychological wellbeing within the university community.
A Camp Open to the Wider Community
While the camp is organised by the Guild Ministry of Health and centred on student welfare, its reach extends beyond the student body. Organisers have made it clear that the free medical services will be available to students, staff, and members of the whole Makerere community, positioning the event as a broader public health contribution rather than a strictly internal university affair. This inclusive approach mirrors similar outreach efforts previously undertaken by student leadership and university departments, which have sought to position Makerere University not just as a centre of learning but as an active contributor to community welfare in the areas surrounding its campuses.
Freedom Square, long regarded as the symbolic heart of student activity and expression at Makerere University, was selected as the venue for the three day event. Its central location and historic significance make it an accessible and fitting site for an initiative of this scale, expected to draw considerable numbers of participants over the course of the camp.
Health as a Pillar of Academic Success
The organisers have anchored the medical camp around the message of promoting student wellness for academic excellence, a theme that underscores the connection between health and academic performance. University life often places significant demands on students, both physically and mentally, and untreated health concerns can quietly undermine academic progress long before they become visible crises. By bringing screening, treatment, and counseling services directly to students at no cost, the Guild Ministry of Health is addressing barriers that might otherwise prevent students from seeking care, whether due to cost, distance, or stigma, particularly around mental health and reproductive health matters.
The inclusion of mental health counseling alongside more traditional physical health services is particularly notable. It signals an evolving understanding among student leaders that wellness cannot be addressed through physical checkups alone, and that psychological support deserves equal standing within campus health initiatives. Similarly, the presence of reproductive health counseling reflects an effort to normalise conversations that many young people find difficult to initiate on their own.
What to Expect
Over the three days, participants can expect a structured environment at Freedom Square, with separate service points catering to the different categories of care on offer. Medical professionals will be on hand to conduct consultations and screenings, while counselors will provide guidance on reproductive and mental health matters in a setting designed to protect privacy and encourage openness.
Given the scale of services on offer and the open invitation extended to staff and community members in addition to students, organisers anticipate strong turnout throughout the three day period. Those interested in attending are encouraged to plan their visits within the stated hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm to take full advantage of the services available.
For any inquiries regarding the medical camp, members of the university community and the public have been directed to reach out to Hon. Wamezaya Ebenezer, the Minister of Health, through the contact provided by the Guild Ministry of Health.
Building on a Guild Tradition
The Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp is not a new concept within student governance at the university. Successive Guild Ministries of Health have used the medical camp as a recurring platform through which they translate campaign promises around student welfare into visible action. Each edition tends to build on the lessons of the one before it, with organisers typically expanding the range of services offered as new partnerships are secured and as feedback from previous camps is incorporated into planning.
This year’s edition, organised under the 92nd Guild Ministry of Health, appears to place particular emphasis on breadth of service, combining preventive screening, curative consultation, and psychosocial support within a single three-day window. The decision to bundle sickle cell testing, malaria and HIV screening alongside eye care and laboratory diagnostics suggests an intention to make the camp a one stop point for health assessment, reducing the need for participants to seek out multiple providers across the city for basic checks they might otherwise postpone indefinitely.
Why Timing Matters
The scheduling of the camp in September places it at a point in the academic calendar when many students are settling back into campus life after recess, a period during which health concerns accumulated over the break, whether physical ailments left unattended or emerging mental health pressures tied to academic anxiety, tend to surface. Offering free consultations and counseling at this juncture allow students to address these concerns early, before they compound into more serious complications that could interfere with coursework, examinations, or general campus participation.
For staff members and residents of the areas surrounding the university, the timing also offers a convenient opportunity to access services that might otherwise require travel to distant health facilities or extended waiting periods within an already strained public health system. In this sense, the camp functions as a modest but meaningful supplement to existing healthcare provision in the vicinity of the university.
As the 17th of September approaches, the Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp stands as another example of the Guild Ministry of Health stepping beyond the boundaries of policy and advocacy into direct, hands-on service delivery, a model that continues to shape the character of guild ministries at Makerere University. Students, staff, and members of the surrounding community are encouraged to take advantage of the free services on offer and to look out for further communication from the Guild Ministry of Health as the event draws closer.
For more info, reach Hon. Wamezaya on +256784541248
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