Right to Left: Dr. Onyango Jude (H.O.D) Family Medicine, Irene Rebecca Namatende (Quality Assurance Officer MakCHS), Dr. Haruna Muwonge (Physiology), Prof. Elizabeth Ekirapa (H.O.D. HPPM), Dr. Munanura Edson (Pharmacy), Adikini Josephine (School of Public Health) and Racheal Mirembe- Principal's Office MakCHS) during the site Visit to the Department of Health Policy Planning and Management (HPPM), MakSPH.
The Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) Quality Assurance and Gender Committee conducted monitoring and evaluation site visits to various departments and concluded their visit on 5th July 2022.
The Departments visited were; Anatomy, Immunology and Molecular Biology, Orthopaedics, Health Planning and Economic Policy as well as Optometry. The School of Dentistry was also visited.
The objective of the visits was to monitor the status and performance of schools and departments at the College of Health Sciences. The Committee conducted an asset mapping on the facilities and support systems for teaching and learning. This visit also aimed at getting feedback that could inform management on the status of the departments and therefore this feedback could guide on key interventions and decisions in regard to teaching and learning.
The committee devised a checklist as a tool used to collect data and some of the indicators on the checklist were; Strategic Plan, staffing, No. of PhD, graduates teaching facility, office space, no. graduate students, collaboration, promotion of staff, innovations, partnership, budget.
Key findings at HPPM Department (School of Public Health)
Embraced blended learning in all their programs.
Excellence in teaching the use of multiple teaching methods, lectures, case studies, field placements, debates e.t.c.
Evaluation of online teaching undertaken. Completed curriculum development for the Masters in Health Economics.
Challenges at the Department of HPPM
Many courses lack online teaching Material
More training needed for online teaching and, learning, particularly on how to access reading materials.
Not all faculty members attend capacity building sessions.
The Team with Dr. Dralega Anguyo, Head Department of Optometry (4th Left).
Key findings at Optometry Department
That Optometry is the only Department with a bachelors Degree in Uganda .
Vision Centre is at Makerere University Hospital that hosts the final year students.
Optometry department offers eye care services to the optometry clinic at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Periodically, offers free site checkups for the community.
Challenges
Attraction of potential lecturers at Makerere University requires a Masters Degree yet most optometrists do not have Masters Degrees.
Call for more students to enroll for this course.
Call for the University to fully support the program.
Makerere University is pleased to announce a vacancy for the position of Assistant Administrative Officer (REC Administrator) within the School of Biomedical Sciences Research Ethics Committee (MakSBSREC). This is an excellent opportunity for qualified individuals to contribute to the ethical oversight of research involving human participants.
Duration: 1 Year, renewable upon satisfactory performance
Duty Station: Kampala
Qualifications, Desired Skills, and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and Humanities, Medicine and Surgery, Ethics and Human Rights, or any related field.
Master’s degree in Bioethics (an added advantage).
Up-to-date training in Human Subject Protection or Good Clinical Practice.
Proficiency in English (both spoken and written).
Prior experience in regulatory work in research studies or projects.
Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and meet deadlines.
How to Apply:
Qualified and interested candidates are invited to submit a soft copy of their application documents and a motivation letter to deansbs.chs@mak.ac.ug with the subject line “Application for the position of Assistant Administrative Officer (REC Administrator)”. Address your application to the Dean, School of Biomedical Sciences.
Deadline for submission: July 2, 2024, by 5:00 pm Ugandan time.
Please provide a reliable 24-hour phone contact. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.
The Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) in conjunction with the Uganda National Association for Community and Occupational Health (UNACOH) announces the 18th Joint Annual Scientific Health Conference (JASHC), the 30th UNACOH Conference, the 22nd Mathew Lukwiya Lecture scheduled to take place from 16th – 18th October 2024, at Hotel Africana, Kampala – Uganda.
Conference Theme: Global Health Security: Partnerships for Epidemic Response and Control in Sub-Saharan Africa
Researchers, health workers, policymakers, students, and public/civil society members are invited to submit abstracts.
Deadline for submission of Abstracts: August 15th 2024
See the Downloads for more information
For more information contact Conference Secretariat: Makerere University College of Health Sciences, 1st Floor, Pathology Building, School of Biomedical Sciences, Dean’s Office, P.O. Box 7072 Kampala, Uganda. Email: jashc2024@gmail.com Website:https://chs.mak.ac.ug/jash2024 Tel: +256784574544/+256759287297
The Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS) Program is a 5-year CDC-supported collaboration of Makerere UniversitySchool of Public Health (MakSPH), the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and Health Information Systems Program (HISP Uganda).
Highlights of the METS May 2024 Newsletter
Enhancing Response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Responding to and preventing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Violence Against Children (VAC) are critical components of Uganda’s national HIV prevention program. METS developed a new app designed to improve support for SGBV survivors. This followed an assessment in December 2022, that revealed gaps in service access and coordination in Fort Portal and Kampala Regions.
The METS team, in collaboration with regional implementing partners, is scaling up the app’s use in pilot districts such as Masaka, Kiryandongo, Fort Portal, and Mubende. The team visited facilities and police stations to install the app and train selected focal persons on its use.
Assessing Readiness for Integrated HIV and NCD Care Services
METS supported the Ministry of Health to conduct a site readiness assessment for integrated delivery of HIV and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) services from 22nd to 26th April 2024, in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and various implementing partners. The activity was conducted in selected health facilities in Acholi, Mubende, Kayunga, and Rwenzori regions to determine their feasibility for participating in a comprehensive NCD evaluation.
The 48 facilities visited have already integrated NCD services (mental Health, diabetes, and hypertension). Of these, 78% have integrated mental health services in their PMTCT clinics. 40% of the facilities have a dedicated NCD services physicians /doctor in the ART Clinic, 29% have doc have dedicated physicians in the PMTCT clinics. 90%. Most of the facilities have clinical and nurses in the ART than PMTCT facilities but more nurses offering NCD services in PMTCT sites.
Digitalizing the health sector through strategic partnerships
In collaboration with CDC and METS, the MoH organized a national Electronic Medical Records (EMR) stakeholders meeting to orient stakeholders on the national EMR agenda and transition towards a comprehensive digital health facility package. Key actions discussed included expanding the rollout of the EMR and Community Health Information System (eCHIS) and urging development partners to support prioritized health information and digital health investments.
The introduction of electronic medical records (EMRs) in health facilities aims to improve the quality of health service delivery by providing real-time accountability transparency, and traceability of medical supplies, monitoring health worker absenteeism, enhancing patient satisfaction through efficient care provision, reducing unnecessary or duplicate diagnostic tests, and offering easy access to management reports for decision-making. Additionally, EMRs will lay the foundation for the implementation of national health insurance.
UgandaEMR+ Implementation Showcased at Kisenyi HCIV
METS and Reach Out Mbuya (ROM) showcased the implementation of UgandaEMR+ to representatives from the USG and the Ministry of Health (MoH) at Kisenyi HCIV. The visit was aimed at providing a clear understanding of the system’s functionality at the health facility, which serves over 1,200 outpatients daily and supports over 1600 clients on ART.
Dr. Peter Akonyera, the ART Clinic In Charge shared positive end-user experiences, noting simplified data use and analysis, efficient data retrieval, and the system’s popularity among users despite existing challenges. He appreciated METS’ support in maintaining system synchronization. The data visualization tools have been particularly useful for clinicians to manage patient schedules and workload distribution effectively, ensuring timely and efficient healthcare delivery.
METS Showcases Research at INTEREST 2024 Conference in Benin
The International Conference on HIV Treatment, Pathogenesis, and Prevention Research (INTEREST) brought together global scientists to share cutting-edge knowledge in HIV diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The conference also aimed to build a community of African physicians and scientists to develop local solutions for managing HIV and preventing its transmission.
METS submitted an abstract titled “Enhancing HIV Case Identification through a National HIV Testing Services (HTS) Continuous Quality Improvement” based on support to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in designing, implementing, and evaluating initiatives to increase the identification of HIV-positive clients, crucial for achieving the global target of 95% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) knowing their status.
Gallery
New CDC Director meets Country implementing partner Executive Directors
UgandaEMR+ support supervision at Kisenyi HCIV visit