Amy Peterson, Cultural Affairs Officer the US Embassy Kampala (4th R) with Co-PIs; Prof. Fredrick J. Muyodi (3rd L), Prof. Trixie G. Smith (4th L), Prof. Ronald Bisaso (3rd R), Ms. Stella Kakeeto (2nd R), Dr. Grace Pregent (2nd L), and Members of Management; Prof. Ireeta Tumps (R) and Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine (L) at the Project Launch on 21st March 2023, Yusuf Lule Auditorium, Makerere University.
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.
Professor Fredrick J. Muyodi, the team lead from the Makerere University’s Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences speaking at the launch.
“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.
Professor Fredrick J. Muyodi, the team lead from the Makerere University’s Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences signs the banner at the launch.
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.”
Professor Trixie G. Smith, the Director of the Writing Center and the Red Cedar Writing Project at MSU and Project Co-Principal Investigator.
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.
Professor Trixie G. Smith, the Director of the Writing Center and the Red Cedar Writing Project at MSU and Project Co-Principal Investigator.
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 Trixie G. Smith, the Director of the Writing Center and the Red Cedar Writing Project at MSU and Project Co-Principal Investigator and Professor Fredrick J. Muyodi at the launch.
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.”
Professor Edward Bbaale, the representative of Mak Vice Chancellor at the launch event.
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.
Amy Peterson, Cultural Affairs Officer the US Embassy Kampala represented the Ambassador Natalie E. Brown.
“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.
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.
Amy Peterson, Cultural Affairs Officer the US Embassy Kampala who represented the Ambassador Natalie E. Brown shares with Ms. Stella Kakeeto from MakSPH. Ms. Kakeeto is a co-PI on the project.
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.”
Professor Ronald Bisaso, CEES, a Co-PI of the Grant Writing Project signs the banner at the launch of the project.
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).
Panel Discussion: Research, grant writing and publishing, mentorship. L-R: Mordecai Tayebwa, Research Manager, MakCHS, Dr. Alice Nabatanzi, Dr. Allen Kabagenyi, ECRs and Dr. Samuel Siminyu, Managing Editor -University Press.
The Makerere University School of Public Health 2025 Annual Report documents a defining year in the School’s institutional journey. Effective January 2025, MakSPH attained stand-alone status within Makerere University, recognising seven decades of growth in public health training, research, policy engagement and community service. The transition gives the School greater focus and institutional agility to respond to Uganda’s and Africa’s evolving health priorities.
During the 2024/2025 academic year, MakSPH had more than 1,000 students across 12 degree programmes and different years of study. It presented 269 graduands at Makerere University’s 75th Graduation Ceremony, more than 80 per cent at graduate level, while 12 doctoral candidates successfully defended their studies. Training remained closely connected to practice through eight district field-training sites and student participation in outbreak response, disease surveillance and community-based public health action.
The School produced more than 350 peer-reviewed publications. Its evidence informed national and global action across HIV, tuberculosis, maternal and newborn health, antimicrobial resistance, health systems, climate change, urban health, injuries and noncommunicable diseases. MakSPH’s contribution to the PURPOSE 1 trial supported evidence showing more than 99 per cent protection from twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir, while locally led programmes expanded HIV screening, prevention and referral services for underserved populations.
This work was sustained through partnerships with government, communities, funders, universities and implementation agencies. MakSPH’s research and training network extended across more than 35 African countries, while longstanding collaborations were renewed and new institutional relationships established. Strong research governance, unqualified audits and positive due-diligence assessments continued to reinforce partner confidence in the School’s ability to manage complex national and multi-country programmes with accountability.
Construction of the new MakSPH building on Makerere University Main Campus advanced during 2025, with completion targeted for 2026. Designed as a modern public health hub, the facility will expand teaching and specialised laboratory space, strengthen digital learning and research, and provide improved environments for students, faculty, innovation and collaboration.
These achievements reflect the shared contribution of faculty, staff, students and partners. Guided by its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, MakSPH remains committed to training public health leaders, generating evidence that informs policy and practice, strengthening health systems and improving health in Uganda, across Africa and beyond.
The post holder will be required to provide nursing care to patients attending IDC, provide health education and advise to patients and their family members, provide translation whenever necessary, guide in clinical practice and duties of other nurses. Participate in clinical research studies.
Key Responsibilities
Provides nursing care to patients attending the IDC
To provide clinical care including triaging, clinical assessment of patients of patient’s problems, investigations to HIV/AIDS patients attending IDI-supported health facilities in line with standard treatment guidelines.
Assist in management of very sick patients brought in Urgent care with knowledge, skills and Support appropriate referral of complex patients’ through liaison with immediate team members, senior clinicians and other specialized facilities.
Lead education and facility sensitization efforts to continuously build knowledge among clients and the attendants at Urgent care and the general clinic.
Participate in identification, implementation and documentation of continuous quality improvement activities along client care and treatment.
Assists medical doctors in carrying out clinical procedures.
Provides translation services to visiting medical doctors as required
Ensures patient flow in the clinic ( IDC)
Performs quality assurance and quality control (QA/AC) to ensure completeness of source documents.
Participates in giving Medicines when required.
Checks medical supply stock and ensures procedure charts are fully equipped
Guides the clinical practice and duties of other nursing staff
Participates as a full member of the IDC health care team
Attends clinic staff meetings on a daily basis as available
Participate whenever requested to do so in clinic research studies.
Participate in compilation and submission of accurate activity reports according to the set guidelines.
This job description is not exhaustive and the post holder will need to be flexible and to undertake such other duties as may become necessary with the development of the Infectious Diseases Institute.
Academic Qualifications
Diploma or Bachelors Degree in Nursing
Full and active registration with the Uganda Nurses and Midwives council (Valid general practice license).
Person Specification
Completion of Nurses Training in a recognized educational institution with Diploma/ Bachelors
Minimum of 3 years work experience in a clinical setting
Full and active registration with the Uganda Nurses and Midwives council (Valid general practice license).
Self- motivated and capable of meeting deadlines.
Excellent communication skills.
Good interpersonal skills and able to interact productively with other team members.
More details
Job Code: NPCT001 No of Positions: 1 Station: IDI-Mulago Classification: Full-time Duration: 1 Months Reports to: NURSE TEAM LEAD Posted Date: 2026-07-06 09:06:27.000 Closing Date: 2026-07-19 17:00:00.000
Across Kampala, families use saucepans, cooking pots, frying pans, kettles, and pressure cookers every day. Makerere University School of Public Health is now investigating whether some of these items may expose households to lead, a toxic heavy metal that can enter food during cooking if contaminated materials are used to make them.
The year-long study, titled “Assessment of Lead Contamination in Domestic Cookware, Supply Chains, and Exposure Pathways in Informal Settlements of Kampala,” was launched on 11 June 2026 at MakSPH’s ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) in Kololo. Supported through the Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP), with funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, and led by Mr. Douglas Bulafu, Mr. Tom Okade, and Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, the study will assess total and leachable lead levels in commonly used cookware, map how the products are sourced, distributed, and sold, and identify feasible interventions to reduce household exposure to lead.
Ms. Prossy Nabaggala, Senior Standards Officer at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, pictured centre, consults with study co-investigators Mr. Tom Okade and Mr. Douglas Bulafu during the launch of MakSPH’s study on possible lead exposure from domestic cookware in Kampala.
Today, lead remains a major and preventable public health concern globally. WHO reports that no level of exposure is known to be without harmful effects and estimates that lead exposure contributes to more than 3.5 million deaths worldwide, mainly through cardiovascular effects. Children and women of child-bearing age are said to be especially vulnerable, with exposure linked to impaired brain development, reduced learning ability, harm to unborn children, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and kidney damage.
In Uganda, lead exposure concerns also extend to household products and informal markets. Aluminium pots and saucepans, particularly low-cost locally fabricated items, may be made from recycled scrap metal. If contaminated materials are used, lead may leach into food during cooking or other food-contact use, creating a possible route of exposure in homes.
During the launch, Assoc. Prof. David Musoke, Head of MakSPH’s Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, underscored the importance of involving stakeholders throughout the research process. He said engaging stakeholders from the generation of research ideas to implementation and dissemination helps ensure findings do not remain within the University but are translated into evidence that can inform policy, practice, and community action.
“We engage with stakeholders throughout the research process, from developing ideas and designing projects to implementation and dissemination,” Dr. Musoke noted. “I am pleased that this workshop brings together policymakers, the Ministry of Health, non-governmental organisations, Kampala Capital City Authority, academia, staff and students. This helps ensure that research findings do not remain at the University but are beneficial to our stakeholders.”
Assoc. Prof. David Musoke delivers remarks during the study launch, emphasising sustained stakeholder engagement to ensure research findings inform policy, practice and community action.
He observed that the study was timely, as it addresses an important yet under-examined public health concern, arguing that while lead exposure from paint, pipes and drinking water has received considerable attention, exposure through cookware remains less understood despite its widespread use in many households. He added that the new research builds on MakSPH’s broader work in disease control and environmental health and will generate critical evidence to inform action on lead exposure risks in Uganda. Dr. Musoke also commended the study team for initiating this work.
Previously, MakSPH researchers Mr. Abdullah Ali Halage, Mr. Tom Okade, Dr. James Muleme and Dr. Juliet Kiguli, together with Mr. Ahmada Zziwa and Mr. Robert Mugabi, assessed knowledge, perceptions and practices related to heavy metal contamination and health risks among residents living near Kiteezi in Kampala, Katikolo in Mukono and Nkumba in Entebbe. The study, done in 2024, reached 505 residents and captured community and frontline perspectives from people living and working around the dumpsites. It showed how daily contact with dumpsite environments may expose communities to toxic heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury through soil, water, air, food crops, animal products and waste-handling practices.
Evidence from the study, funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (MakRIF) and disseminated on 26 June 2025, showed that heavy metal exposure risks around the three municipal dumpsites within the Kampala Metropolitan Area were shaped by both environmental conditions and community behaviour.
Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, Member of the MakRIF Grant Management Committee, pictured centre, with research team members including Mr. Abdullah Ali Halage, Mr. Tom Okade and Dr. Juliet Kiguli, following the dissemination of findings on heavy metal exposure risks around Kampala Metropolitan dumpsites on 26 June 2025.
Although residents lived near dumpsites where waste can release heavy metals into soil, water and food chains, 76.4 per cent could not define heavy metals, and only 45.9 per cent had adequate knowledge of contamination and related health risks. Gaps extended to daily exposure pathways, with 38.4 per cent unaware that vegetables grown near dumpsites may contain high heavy metal levels and 39.8 per cent unaware that milk or meat from animals grazed near dumpsites may also be contaminated. More than half viewed dumpsite soils as fertile, 50.7 per cent considered such milk safe, and 51.3 per cent believed dumpsite waste could be used as manure.
The study recommended stronger risk communication, environmental monitoring, safer land-use enforcement and community education. The work on lead in domestic cookware now extends this focus from dumpsite-related heavy metal exposure to a possible household pathway. Mr. Douglas Bulafu, an early-career researcher and Principal Investigator of the study, said the team will examine whether commonly used cooking pots, saucepans and related utensils contribute to exposure, and generate evidence to guide safer cookware use, standards and market oversight.
“Lead contamination has been documented from sources such as paint, fuel and air pollution, but less attention has been given to cookware as a potential pathway of exposure. That is the gap this study seeks to address,” Mr. Bulafu said. “We focused on Kampala because it has many informal settlements, small-scale cookware workshops and a large consumer market where low-cost cookware is widely produced, sold and used. When people buy these products, they often do not know where they were made, what materials were used, or whether they contain lead. The supply chains are also poorly understood, meaning households could be exposed without knowing.”
Mr. Douglas Bulafu, Principal Investigator, speaks during the launch of the MakSPH study on possible lead exposure from domestic cookware in Kampala, highlighting the need for evidence to guide safer cookware use, standards and market oversight.
The study will use a cross-sectional, mixed-methods design to connect laboratory evidence with supply-chain realities in Kampala’s informal settlements. The team will purchase about 100 cookware samples from open-air markets, roadside vendors, retail shops and supermarkets in Kisenyi, Katanga, Bwaise, Namuwongo, Banda and Kasubi, test them for total and leachable lead, and conduct about 30 key informant interviews across the supply chain to understand how cookware is sourced, produced, distributed and used.
Findings will be validated with stakeholders and used to identify feasible interventions, including stronger regulation and enforcement, raw-material control, better manufacturing practices, market surveillance and consumer awareness. The evidence is expected to support standards development, product testing, policy uptake, safer manufacturing practices and public guidance on cookware choices, helping reduce household exposure to lead and associated health risks.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Didacus Namanya, a health geographer and environmental health expert, welcomed the study, saying scientific evidence on lead exposure is critical because public health decisions can have lasting consequences for life and wellbeing.
Dr. Namanya implored the research team to ensure the evidence from the study informs decisions beyond academia, shaping policy, strengthening public health practice and guiding practical measures to reduce lead exposure in communities. He emphasised that research should not remain in the “ivory tower” but reach decision-makers and the public, so that evidence from the study translates into policy, practice and stronger protection for communities.
Dr. Didacus Namanya, speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health, delivers remarks during the study launch on 11 June 2026, urging the research team to ensure evidence on lead exposure informs policy, practice and practical community protection measures.
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