Health
FAIMER Regional Institute Launched at MakCHS
On 10th May 2023, the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER)[1], East Africa FAIMER Regional Institute (EAFRI) was launched at a colourful ceremony held at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS). The EAFRI will operate a multilateral partnership model, with MakCHS, serving as a host institution and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Faculty of Medicine, serving as MakCHS’s regional partner. Professor Sarah Kiguli from MakCHS will serve as Director of EAFRI assisted by Professor Samuel Maling from MUST as Associate Director.
MakCHS was competitively awarded to host the EAFRI making it the 10th regional FAIMER institute established across the world alongside the ones in Chile, China, Egypt, India and Indonesia. Since its establishment in 2000, FAIMER has to-date trained 2000 Fellows in 55 Countries world-wide. It is expected that the EAFRI will expand FAIMER’s reach to promote health professions education and workforce development in additional areas of interest and bring service closer to participants in the region.
The first cohort of 12-15 fellows for the EAFRI is expected in August 2023 selected through a competitive application process and the tuition for will be free.
The new institute will serve health professions educators in East Africa including Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, the Comoros, the Seychelles, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Mauritius. EAFRI will also consider applicants from other regions of Africa. The core curriculum of EAFRI will be based on that of the International FAIMER Institute based in Philadelphia, U.S.A, which teaches education methods, leadership & management, education scholarship & research, and project management and evaluation.
Professor Annette Nakimuli, Dean-School of Medicine, MakCHS who was the Master of Ceremony at the launch welcomed guests to the event, more especially the FAIMER team that travelled from the USA. Guests in attendance physically and virtually included staff from Makerere University, MUST, FAIMER Fellows and partners.
In their remarks, the Intealth/FAIMER team: Dr. William Pinsky, Dr. Ron Blanck and Dr. Rashmi Vyas shared the strategy for the organisation. They congratulated Makerere University and MUST for being selected to host the EAFRI and look forward to having more FAIMER Fellows on board through the EAFRI.
In her remarks, Professor Damalie Nakanjako – Principal MakCHS welcomed guests to MakCHS, noting that this is a memorable event for the College and Makerere University. ‘Warm welcome to the FAIMER team that travelled from USA to witness this important occasion and the FAIMER fellows attending physically and virtually’, Professor Nakanjako added. She reiterated that hosting the EAFRI is an honor for MakCHS because it matches the College’s core mandate of training and research; and brings a service closer to African participants as opposed to travelling to other institutions where costs are incurred.
In his remarks delivered virtually, Professor Celestino Obua, Vice Chancellor – MUST welcomed guests to the launch. He said, ‘as MUST we are very proud to be part of the consortium. There are multiple benefits not only for Uganda but other sub-Saharan nations, communities and health professions’.
Dr. Ngonzi Joseph, Dean-Faculty of Medicine, MUST reiterated the message of Professor Obua and said, ‘MUST is committed and looking forward to a fruitful relationship as the partners work to produce FAIMER fellows who will support health professions education’. He pledged on behalf of MUST, strong unwavering support to EAFRI.
The new Director, Professor Sarah Kiguli and Associate Director, Professor Samuel Maling were presented to the members present.
Professor Kiguli said, ‘I have to believe that when one wishes for something to happen, it eventually does’. She noted that MakCHS has been working to have the EAFRI since 2007, which has been a long journey and engagement with FAIMER and therefore a dream is realized.
Prof. Maling said, ‘the quality of health services and life are as good as the educators and the products they produce. It is the plan of EAFRI to deliver the good educators who will contribute to the health services and quality of life’.
The Directors acknowledged the support of FAIMER in agreeing to establish EAFRI. They also expressed the appreciation of the leadership at Makerere University and MUST. The directors pledged to do their best in delivering the dream of the EAFRI.
[1] FAIMER was established in 2000 as a non-profit foundation of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). FAIMER and ECFMG now are members of Intealth, which brings together the expertise and resources of the two non-profit organizations to advance quality in health care education worldwide to improve health care for all. Intealth unites FAIMER and ECFMG under a common vision: to be the trusted global authority on health care education.
KAMPALA, July 9, 2025 — Makerere University has been hailed as a continental and global leader in health policy and systems research. This recognition came during the Partnerships for Stronger Knowledge Systems in Africa (KNOSA) Learning Forum, held July 8–10, 2025, hosted by Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) with support from the WHO Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research.
Delegates from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia applauded Makerere’s role in advancing evidence-informed policymaking and strengthening national knowledge systems. The forum highlighted the institution’s trusted leadership, practical research, and commitment to driving real change.
Dr. Kumanan Rasanathan, Executive Director of the WHO Alliance, praised Makerere’s long-standing role in bridging research and policy:
“You are a shining beacon on the continent and for the world,” he said. “In this moment of crisis, where every health investment must be efficient and equitable, Makerere’s leadership matters more than ever.”
He emphasized the Alliance’s 25-year partnership with Makerere: “We know Makerere University very well. My predecessors have worked with the Alliance since its inception in the 1990s. Makerere has been especially instrumental in advancing the field of health policy and systems.”
Dr. Rasanathan called for a move away from siloed approaches toward more adaptive, coherent systems. He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting regional initiatives like KNOSA that are driving this shift across Africa.
In the face of current funding cuts, Dr. Christine Musanhu of the WHO Uganda Country Office echoed these sentiments with a stern call to action: “In times of uncertainty, we need national systems that not only generate evidence but also understand and communicate it in ways that drive real change.”
She warned of tightening budgets, citing an 11% cut (roughly $67 million) in global funding for Uganda’s public health programs. “We are being asked to do more with less,” she said, urging countries to reprogram resources towards high-impact, evidence-based interventions.
Adding that, “Evidence must go beyond routine data—it is a measure of transformation.”
This year’s KNOSA forum focused on sharing country-level progress, refining evaluation approaches, enhancing communication products, including scientific publications, and engaging more deliberately with Uganda’s wider policy and research ecosystem.
Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, while sharing the institutional vision, called for African universities to lead from the front in addressing health and development challenges: “We can do all the research in the world, but unless it moves beyond our laptops and lecture rooms into real decision-making spaces, it won’t change lives.”
He noted that Makerere contributes over 80% of Uganda’s academic output and praised MakSPH and the College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) for innovations that have shaped responses to HIV, Ebola, and COVID-19. “Our work, backed by partnerships with government and global collaborators, is proof that African universities must lead from the front.”
Professor Nawangwe urged deeper collaboration within KNOSA: “Our continent is interconnected. We cannot afford to work in silos. We are stronger together.”
Dr. Aku Kwamie, the unit head at the WHO-Alliance, noted that there is a need for partners to shift their thinking regarding policy. She particularly shared three critical transitions to institutionalize evidence use: embedding knowledge within institutions, not just individuals; linking research directly to decision-making; and advancing from isolated academic work to system-level thinking. These shifts, she noted, are essential for embedding evidence into routine governance.
Professor Freddie Ssengooba, a Health Policy and Knowledge Systems expert at MakSPH, reaffirmed Makerere University’s regional leadership in the field and stressed the urgency for African countries to take full ownership of their health systems considering the shifting funding landscape:
“Health policy and knowledge systems research may not be as prominent as epidemiology or disease control,” he said, “but it’s central to how we harvest and connect knowledge with policy and resources. When the vaccine is here and the evidence is clear, that’s when they come to us, asking, “How do we achieve over 80% coverage?”
He praised KNOSA for helping elevate the field’s relevance: “There’s real appreciation for the work we do—not just with Uganda’s Ministry of Health, but across the region.”
Recalling the early collaboration with WHO, he said, “Back in 1997–98, a few of us, myself included, responded to an initial call and began what has now become a long-standing relationship with the WHO Alliance.”
“The Alliance is building capacity across Africa to ensure that research doesn’t stop at findings but goes on to shape decision-making and society,” he disclosed.
Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, the Dean of MakSPH, is currently ambitiously driving her colleagues, staff, and partners to embrace the culture of evidence use. She reiterated the School’s commitment to leading in evidence translation: “I’ve often told the Vice Chancellor—we at the School of Public Health are not in an ivory tower. We are deeply connected to real-world problems.”
To her, the need for a clear framework to improve engagement with decision-makers and address uneven success in research translation has never been greater than now: “Yes, we publish in high-impact journals. But the question is, what change happened because of your evidence?”
“I would love to see the School lead in developing a framework that showcases what we’ve done well and identifies where we can grow.”
She also acknowledged Prof. Ssengooba’s influence in broadening the lens on knowledge management: “You’ve challenged us to think beyond institutions, to consider networks and systems. That’s a gap we must fill.”
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