Health
Mak-MSU Launch Project to Boost Early Career Research Grant Writing Skills
The Grant writing and publication project, a partnership project between Makerere University (Mak) in Uganda and Michigan State University (MSU) in the U.S, was officially launched on Tuesday 21, March 2023, at Makerere University Yusuf Lule (formerly Central Teaching Facility CTF2) Auditorium. The event was attended by representatives from both universities, including early career researchers (ECRs), research and grant managers, the media, and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the launch, Prof. Fredrick J. Muyodi, the team lead from the Makerere University’s Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, expressed his excitement about the project, saying that it would go a long way in strengthening the university’s research capacity.
He congratulated the first cohort of ECRs selected to participate in this training exercise. He also thanked the United States Government through the US Mission in Uganda for funding the project.
“The early career researchers are very important. For those of you that have forests, in order to have a forest you need to have seedlings. We are looking at them as a great asset to [Mak] regarding our ambition of being a research led university,” said Prof Muyodi.
Prof. Trixie G. Smith, the Director of the Writing Center and the Red Cedar Writing Project at MSU and Project Co-Principal Investigator reiterated the importance of the project and the partnership with African university such as Mak. She noted that this falls within Michigan State University’s strategic plan for 2030 that aims at promoting excellence, enhancing equity, and increasing influence.
“Partnerships such as this with [Mak], where we can collaborate with stellar researchers and visionaries, where we can work together to build on the abundant strengths you have here, and where we can conduct research together that is important to a global audience, as well as a local one is key.”
According to Trixie, Writing is a multipurpose tool that applies to various areas of study and subject matters with the ability to surpass personal characteristics such as gender, agency, and citizenship.
“Focusing on writing and the needs of writers, no matter their level or type of writing, can open up new opportunities for networking, for influencing readers and researchers, or making connections in the community and beyond,” said Trixie.
She contends that writing has not only the potential to provide a platform for new ideas but also solutions. “Whether we’re thinking about food security or the effects of climate change on our planet, whether we are thinking about the role of play and literacy learning for our children, or the role of education in keeping people healthy. I am excited to be a part of this launch and I have the opportunity to work with so many of you in the upcoming days and months, and hopefully for many years to come.”
Professor Edward Bbaale, the representative of Mak Vice Chancellor at the launch event and Director of Research and Graduate Studies (DRGT), expressed his excitement about the newly launched grant writing and publication project. “The directorate is also charged with ensuring a conducive environment in which graduate training and research can thrive. This therefore means that having a research topic like this one is right within what is of great interest to the DRGT. And on behalf of colleagues from the directorate, I would like to congratulate Prof. Muyodi, Prof. Trixie and all members and colleagues involved in this study and we pledge our support in all stages of this project.”
In his speech, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor hailed the revered partnership with MSU – the Writing Center and the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP). “We have had a long-standing partnership with MSU in a number of fields in Makerere University. These include Human and Veterinary medicine, agriculture and recently in the Humanities. We are very optimistic that this partnership will further strengthen it,” Prof. Nawangwe said.
He added that the collaborative outputs from this project should not only conclude with developing capacities of the ECRs, Research Managers, and establishment of a Writing Center in the coming year, but also be a springboard for strong postdoctoral collaborative research for both institutions and other US universities.
The Vice Chancellor also expressed full commitment by [Mak] towards the successful implementation and realization of the Writing Center initiative, citing that the project was “timely” and would help in strengthening research, grant writing and publication capacity with special focus on the ECRs and Research Managers from the different colleges and entities in Makerere University.
“The participants are a critical mass to sustainably contribute to the Research-led agenda. I have also learnt that a number of senior colleagues have been invited as Senior Mentors to provide the much-needed mentorship to the Early Career Researchers during the project cycle and beyond. I am hopeful that this approach will produce strong collaborative teams,” Prof. Nawangwe said.
He urged the ECRs and the Research Managers to build their capacities and share experiences with their peers with the intention to grow further noting that they “pillars for reaping dividends of being research-led”.
Makerere University through its ten (10) Colleges aspires to be Research-led in the current strategic period (2020-2030) with the intention of contributing solutions to the challenges of climate change, population growth, food security, governance, poverty youth unemployment, among others.
Amy Peterson, Cultural Affairs Officer the US Embassy Kampala while representing Ambassador Natalie E. Brown – U.S. Embassy spoke about President Joe Biden’s Africa strategy, stressing the areas of focus including pandemic recovery, economic opportunities, and conservation launched in September 2022. She explained that academic leadership is critical in tackling these challenges, and that the need for partnership was inevitable, hence the US Department of State recognition and investment in the University Partnership Initiative.
“This project supporting Makerere University and Michigan State University Collaboration is part of a broader network of university partnerships that are supported by the Department of State, linking African universities with US universities.
Ms. Amy announced that the US mission in Uganda is proud to have partnered with Makerere University for over 100 years, which has helped the university become a leading academic institution in East Africa. She also mentioned that in 2022, the US mission participated in the university’s centenary celebrations, acknowledging the strong partnerships that have been established over the years.
She further noted that the US mission is currently working with ten Colleges and departments of Makerere University in Uganda, and has partnerships with each of them.
“We are proud to partner with the School of Public Health, the development of the Infection Disease Institute, the deep relationship and Agriculture over the years.
Our support in the performance arts department with many different types of collaborations over the years to work with the Law School, the development of the Human Rights Law Center. These are all areas where the US mission has partnered with academics here as well as with the institution as a whole to ensure that Makerere University remains at the forefront higher education in East Africa,” Ms. Amy Peterson said.
Adding that; “But as we look forward no institution can do it alone. So, we come back to the value of these partnerships and we are so excited particularly for this project which is towards research led university because it focuses on the essential skill of writing. writing is what every student and every academic needs to build their connections, to build their networks, secure the academic acknowledgement as well as funding opportunities to do the work that they need to do.”
The Research team at Makerere University is led by Prof. Fredrick J. Muyodi, PI, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Prof. Ronald Bisaso, College of Education and External Studies (CEES), and Ms. Stella Kakeeto from the School of Public Health at the College of Health Sciences (MakCHS). The team at Michigan State University is led by Prof. Trixie G. Smith, PI, Director, The Writing Center (WC); Dr. Grace Pregent, Associate Director (WC); Ms. Ann Allegra, Proposal and Capacity Strengthening Administrator, Alliance for African Partnership (AAP); Dr. José Jackson-Malete, Co-Director (AAP).
Health experts from across Africa have called for stronger use of routine health data in planning, supervision and service delivery, noting that although countries are generating large amounts of health information, much of it is still not being used.
The call came during a webinar hosted by the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) in partnership with The Global Fund under the theme “From National Dashboards to District Action: Strengthening Subnational Data Use for Planning, Supervision and Service Delivery.”
The webinar brought together health information specialists, policymakers and practitioners from Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia to share experiences and lessons on using subnational data for evidence based decision making.
Kenya’s journey from data collection to action
In her keynote address, Dr Helen Kiarie, Head of the Monitoring and Evaluation Division at Kenya’s Ministry of Health, urged health practitioners and policymakers to move beyond routine reporting and use data to improve health outcomes.
“The bottleneck is no longer collecting data. It is turning routine data into decisions and decisions into action,” Dr Kiarie said.
Drawing on Kenya’s experience, she pointed to the country’s shift from paper based reporting systems to digital platforms, noting that more than 95% of public health facilities have been digitised.
According to Dr Kiarie, Kenya has developed National Data Analytics Guidelines to support evidence based decision making across the health system. The guidelines set out a structured approach to data analysis, interpretation and dissemination so that the information generated can be used.
She said building a culture of data use requires leadership that asks for evidence, regular performance reviews, public dashboards, mentorship programmes, and the integration of data into planning and budgeting.
Community data improving maternal health
Dr Kiarie gave practical examples of how data can shape health outcomes.
In Kwale County, community health promoters used household level data to identify and follow up pregnant women, encouraging them to attend antenatal care services and deliver at health facilities.
As a result, skilled birth attendance increased from 50 per cent in 2022 to 85 per cent, while reported home deliveries fell from 808 to 248.
She also pointed to Kenya’s efforts to link digital health data with health financing systems, saying better documentation and data quality have strengthened accountability and increased reimbursements to health facilities.
She added that real time maternal and perinatal death surveillance systems are helping health authorities identify gaps in care, assign responsibility and take corrective action to prevent avoidable deaths.
“Data has moved beyond documenting losses to becoming an instrument for preventing the next avoidable death,” Dr Kiarie said.
Addressing data quality challenges
Despite major investments in digital health systems, Dr Kiarie acknowledged that data quality challenges remain.
She cited system downtimes, the parallel use of paper and digital records, limited access to some digital platforms, and resistance to change among some health workers as barriers to data quality and use.
Still, she said Kenya’s data quality has improved considerably through digitisation and continued investment in governance, analytics capacity and quality assurance.
Regional experiences and lessons
The webinar also included a panel discussion with experts from Uganda, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, who shared experiences on strengthening data use at district and facility level.
The discussion pointed to the importance of strong leadership, timely information, digital infrastructure and feedback mechanisms that help health workers and managers make informed decisions with the data available.
Participants agreed that health information systems should do more than serve as reporting tools. They should also support decision making where services are delivered.
Moving from information to impact
Speaking during the webinar, Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean of Makerere University School of Public Health (MAKSPH), commended countries for progress in strengthening health information systems and encouraging data use.
She urged practitioners and researchers to go beyond documenting challenges and start capturing examples of how data informed decisions are improving programmes and health outcomes.
“It would be really good for us to dig deeper in terms of what decisions we have actually made and what we would not have known or done differently if we did not have the data,” she said.
In his closing remarks, Dr Wodimu Ayele of The Global Fund said the value of data lies in its ability to improve service delivery, inform decision making and strengthen accountability.
He called on countries to keep investing in data quality, analytics capacity and health information systems, while making sure evidence generated at all levels leads to measurable improvements in health outcomes.
Uganda has released the preliminary findings of the 2025 Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA 2025), a national household survey that provides a current picture of the country’s HIV response and selected non-communicable disease indicators.
At the Uganda Media Centre today, 1 October 2026, the Minister of Health, Hon. Dr Chris Baryomunsi, released the preliminary results and said the evidence would guide policy, resource allocation and service improvement, with particular attention to people and communities with the greatest gaps. He urged Ugandans to know their HIV status, use prevention services and, when diagnosed, start treatment promptly and adhere to it.
Among adults aged 15 years and above, HIV prevalence was 5.9 percent, including 7.3 percent among women and 4.1 percent among men. Among adults aged 15–64, prevalence was also 5.9 percent, unchanged from 2020/21. Across the country, prevalence ranged from 1.3 percent in Karamoja to 8.0 percent in the South Western region. Of adults living with HIV, 85.3 percent knew their status; 99.1 percent of those aware were on treatment; and 96.5 percent of those on treatment had achieved viral load suppression. HIV-status awareness remains the central gap in the 95-95-95 cascade.
The survey also measured selected non-communicable disease indicators for the first time. Elevated blood pressure affected 15.5 percent of adults, while 24.8 percent had overweight or obesity and 0.9 percent had raised blood glucose.
Conducted from July to September 2025, UPHIA 2025 was the first population-based HIV impact assessment to be fully country-led. The Ministry of Health provided overall leadership, while Makerere University School of Public Health served as the prime implementing organisation, working with UVRI, UBOS, regional referral hospitals and local governments. PEPFAR funded the survey through the U.S. CDC.
Watch the UPHIA 2025 preliminary results launch:
https://www.youtube.com/live/QfHFBaJ-L-w
Read the UPHIA 2025 summary results:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nElGNwgcAcZyAo9CLCQKRpO2jJgyxjSc/view?usp=drive_link
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