Health
37 Makerere University students & faculty complete 2-month Erasmus + exchange programme at NTU, UK
Makerere University students and staff participated in a two-month exchange programme at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) in the United Kingdom (UK). This was under the Erasmus + International Credit Mobility Programme between NTU and Makerere University. Makerere University has had a partnership with NTU for more than 10 years. The partnership which was initially between Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) and NTU, and later expanded to include the rest other schools in the College of Health Science and other colleges within the university. In addition to MakSPH, the partnership currently involves the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES) and under College of Health Sciences (CHS) the Department of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pharmacy and Department of Nursing. The exchange programme aims at enabling exchange of knowledge and skills, personal development, capacity building, fostering new research collaborations, and cross-cultural learning between Uganda and UK for both students and faculty.
This year, a total of 27 undergraduate and post graduate students from Makerere University under the support supervision of10 faculty travelled to NTU for a 2-month exchange programme. These were from various disciplines such as public health, environmental health science, pharmacy, microbiology, nursing, veterinary medicine, forestry and geography.The students and faculty arrived in the UK on 29th May2022. While at NTU, they participated in several activities such as research seminars, conferences, writing workshops, and field trips. The microbiology and pharmacy students spent most of their time at the NTU Clifton campus where they engaged in microbiology laboratory related work.Students from forestry, geography and veterinary medicine spent most of their time at the Brackenhurst campus where they carried out GIS practicals, forest walks, and animal care activities among other learning activities. The public health and nursing students participated in activities such as hospital visits, research studies and lectures at the city campus.
In addition, students and faculty from all the disciplines participated in joint activities such as writing retreats and cultural exchange sessions. Some students also participated in conferences such as the Glow Nursing conference in Birmingham where Ms. Phiona Nambi, an undergraduate nursing student participated in a nurses’ competition and won the second runner up position. 10 students from various health related disciplines also presented at the10thInternational Festival of Public Health conference (IFPH) at the University of Manchester where Ms. Prossy Nakito, a Masters of Public Health Student was awarded the best oral presenter.All students attended lectures on professionalism, as well as writing retreats which enabled many of them to start or finalise with their theses and manuscripts. Faculty were involved in knowledge exchange and sharing through the different seminars and research work at NTU. Their continuous engagements with fellow faculty members at NTU created a base for establishing several research and project activities. For example, Mr. Samuel Kyobe a Lecturer in the Department of Medical Microbiology teamed up with Dr. Jody Winter and other NTU microbiology staff and wrote a grant application on antimicrobial resistance.
At the end of the programme, a seminar which was titled “Connecting globally” was organised for all the mobility students to reflect and share their experiences while at NTU. This seminar was attended by students and staff from, NTU, Makerere University, Mt. Kenya University and Jomo Kenyatta University from Kenya.
Special thanks to the partnership leads, Dr. David Musoke a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health at MakSPH and Prof. Linda Gibson a Professor of Public Health,School of Social Sciences at NTU for spearheading this mobility programme.
What some students and faculty had to say:
“My time at NTU has been incredible and it will always be one of my most treasured memories. Studying while learning about various cultures was the most fruitful and enjoyable experience I’ve ever had. Most importantly, it has expanded my networks to support the development of my career. My professional, intellectual, and personal development have all benefited greatly from these priceless experiences. Mary Anne Radmacher said, I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” Prossy Nakito, Masters of Public Health student
“The NTU Brackenhurst campus was a great centre for experiential learning, with fully equipped and easy to access facilities. It was a place of great comfort and bliss as we obtained hands-on experience with what we had known and didn’t know. Reptilian, rodent, feline and caprine husbandry all checked out despite some of the phobia we had to fight through. Special thanks to the volunteer program and management at the animal unit for they handled us like their own. We are certainly grateful” David Wagaba, Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine
“Through this exchange programme, I have been in position to continuously engage with other scholars at different levels as well as building peer support and networks. The academic benefits therefore are of great value in strengthening my academic career, of becoming an accomplished scholar and mentor of upcoming academics as well as establishing a platform for long term collaboration in research.” Faridah Nalwanga Ssendagire, Lecturer, School of Forestry, Environmental & Geographical Sciences
Agriculture & Environment
Makerere Hosts Inaugural Falling Walls Lab Competition as Innovators Pitch Solutions to National Challenges
Students and researchers from Makerere University and other institutions pitched 12 innovations addressing challenges in healthcare, clean energy, agriculture, waste management and community resilience during the inaugural Falling Walls Lab Kampala, held at the School of Public Health Auditorium, Makerere University.
The competition brought together emerging innovators to present solutions to practical challenges through a three minute pitch, followed by questions from a panel of judges.
Modelled on the Falling Walls format that originated in Berlin, the event required each participant to identify a “wall” a problem or barrier, and demonstrate how their innovation seeks to break it down.
Mudhasi wins with newborn jaundice screening device
Andrew Mudhasi of Makerere University emerged as the overall winner with a score of 90 per cent for a low cost medical device designed to improve newborn jaundice screening across different skin tones.
Mudhasi explained that the device uses optical sensor technology and a skin tone targeting algorithm to provide a rapid reading, with the aim of helping nurses and clinicians identify jaundice more efficiently.
During questions from the jury, Mudhasi said the device had not yet been tested on actual babies but had undergone laboratory testing using simulated skin tones.
He reported an accuracy rate of 94 per cent when the device was compared with laboratory spectrophotometers.
The innovation is intended initially for use in clinics and hospitals, with Mudhasi saying the team is also considering a version that could eventually allow mothers to screen babies at home.
Mudhasi’s innovation has previously received recognition at the African Business Concept Challenge and the iF Design Student Award, according to his presentation.
Rhonda’s innovation tackles diaper waste
Rhoda John of the University of Nairobi emerged in second place with 89.6 per cent for an innovation addressing the problem of used diaper waste.
Under the theme “Breaking the wall of diaper waste and drug soils,” Rhonda explained that her team extracts sodium polyacrylate, the absorbent polymer found in diapers, and replaces the sodium with potassium.
The resulting potassium based superabsorbent material is designed to act as a “water battery” in soil by absorbing and retaining water for plants during dry periods.
John said testing showed a 99 per cent increase in germination and a 23 per cent increase in drought resistance.
The innovation also seeks to reduce the amount of used diapers ending up in landfills and the environmental effects associated with their decomposition.
During the question and answer session, John explained that her team was working with government environmental officials in Nairobi on a pilot collection system to address the challenge of gathering used diapers at scale.
Mahera takes third place with herbal peptic ulcer treatment
Stuart Mahera of Makerere University finished third with 86.2 per cent for a herbal formulation targeting peptic ulcers.
Presenting under the theme “Breaking the wall of Nature and Modern Medicine,” Mahera argued that conventional treatment for peptic ulcers can involve multiple medicines and may be associated with side effects and antimicrobial resistance.
His proposed formulation, MARAC capsules, is intended as a monotherapy, combining properties required for peptic-ulcer treatment in a single capsule.
Mahera said his team had carried out quality control work, including characterisation and dose quantification, and had conducted preclinical trials on laboratory mice.
He also told the jury that an application had been submitted to the National Drug Authority as the team awaits the next stage of the regulatory process.
According to Mahera, the proposed seven day treatment would cost about Shs21,000, compared with the existing 14 day treatment approach.
Innovators present solutions to practical challenges
The remaining presentations covered a wide range of challenges.
Esther Nakungu of Utamu University presented Agri-Track, a digital record keeping solution intended to improve visibility, accountability and management of farm operations and financial information.
Dr. Jimmy Chachiga, a Makerere University participant, presented a solar photovoltaic cooker with a heat storage system designed to provide a cleaner and more reliable cooking option during both sunny and non sunny periods.
His presentation focused on reducing dependence on biomass fuels and addressing the challenges associated with intermittent solar energy.
Abdul Noor Luttamaguzi, a PhD student and senior government fisheries officer, presented a mobile application aimed at helping fish farmers and extension officers report, track and manage disease outbreaks.
Henry Duke Tamale presented a herbal cream targeting antibiotic resistant biofilm infections associated with diabetic foot ulcers.
Marvin Seruwu proposed adapting existing near infrared brain monitoring technology to help detect extra-axial brain bleeds in health facilities where access to CT and MRI equipment is limited.
His proposal seeks to repurpose existing technology towards a diagnostic need that could be particularly important in settings where advanced imaging facilities are not readily available.
Kennedy Kisame presented a poultry alert and diagnosis system combining satellite weather information with computer vision disease detection. The proposed system could be accessed through a smartphone application, SMS or USSD, making it potentially usable by farmers with limited internet access.
Frank Atwiine proposed a solar powered mobile diagnostic van designed to bring ultrasound and other diagnostic services closer to rural communities.
Johnson Makmot, a software and blockchain developer, presented a platform that combines GPS tracking and blockchain-based tokens to incentivise and verify plastic-waste collection in Kampala.
Dr. Nelson Ndugu, from a partner university, presented an artificial intelligence tool designed to translate agricultural research publications into local Ugandan languages and generate voice notes for radio-based extension delivery.
The final presentation came from Dr. Juliet Akola, a Ugandan post doctoral researcher at Mangosuthu University of Technology in South Africa.
Akola presented a community digital resilience initiative focused on mapping risks in Kampala’s informal settlements, including flooding, fire, poor sanitation, waste management and inadequate infrastructure.
Her proposal seeks to combine local community knowledge with geographical information systems and link identified risks to action plans involving municipalities and other stakeholders.
Nawangwe calls for more investment in innovation
Closing the event, Prof. Nawangwe congratulated all the participants and described their presentations as an important beginning for Makerere University, Uganda and the wider region.
Drawing on his experience attending the Falling Walls conference in Berlin, the Vice Chancellor said initiatives of this nature are important because innovation will play a major role in determining the future of countries.
He encouraged participants to make their pitches more precise by clearly identifying the problem they are addressing, explaining their proposed solution and demonstrating what they have already achieved.
Prof. Nawangwe also welcomed the participation of innovators from other universities and countries, noting that the Kampala event had attracted participants beyond Makerere.
He thanked the Africa Office of the Falling Walls Foundation for its role in bringing the initiative to Makerere and encouraged continued support for innovation.
The Vice Chancellor further linked innovation to Uganda’s growing youth population and the need to develop home-grown solutions to address challenges such as youth unemployment.
The inaugural Falling Walls Lab Kampala ultimately provided a platform for innovators to move ideas beyond the classroom and laboratory and demonstrate how research, technology and creativity can be applied to challenges affecting communities.
| Position | Winner | Institution | Score |
| 1st | Andrew Mudhasi | Makerere University | 90% |
| 2nd | Rhoda John | University of Nairobi | 89.6% |
| 3rd | Stuart Mahera | Makerere University | 86.2% |
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