Health
Hearing Clinic Launched at Makerere University Hospital
A Hearing Clinic and Temporal Bone Laboratory were launched on 15th August 2023 at the Makerere University Hospital (MakHosp). The clinic and laboratory are operated by the Department of Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT), Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS). The clinic which is the first to be established in a Public Hospital will manage persons with hearing impairments as well as support research in Uganda.
The Principal Investigator for the project Dr. Christopher Ndoleriire who also heads the Department of ENT at MakCHS thanked the partners who have supported the project since inception. These included Makerere Research and Innovation Fund (MakRIF), Austrian Development Agency, MED-EL, Professor Tom Roland Jr (NYU), Rotary Club of Kololo; and Hear His Voice Uganda.
He said, ‘all age groups can have hearing impairment (HI) however Children with HI face many challenges such as barriers in communication, discrimination, child labour, violence, etc. The challenges of HI do not enable these children to grow to their full potential. Thus their rights to education, health, interaction and play are hindered. This is due to the lack of knowledge and skills on how to screen and manage HI in these children. Therefore, there is a great need to screen, manage and empower children with HI so as to thrive through life.
The cost of not identifying and managing hearing impairment in children at an early age is very high both to the parents and to the government. It`s against this background that a research project linking four main hospitals to asses hearing impairment among children (0-59months) in Uganda was conceived and started.
The clinic which opened in October 2022 provides hearing screening and hearing diagnostic services to the University and community at large. It also conducts and coordinates hearing impairment research in a bid to create a database for hearing loss burden in Uganda. The clinic oversees hearing screening services in other 4 main hospitals namely; Kawempe National Referral Hospital, Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.
To-date, over 1,000 children have been screened since April 2023 at the collaborating hospitals, 16 have visited Makerere University Hospital; 795 at Kawempe Hospital; 780 Masaka Regional Referral Hospital; 180 at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital; and 240 at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. All the patient data at the hospitals is interlinked and stored in a central system at MakHosp for tracking and follow-up of referred cases.
In addition, a temporal bone dissection laboratory has been set up to help train graduate ENT students in surgical management of ear disease and hearing impairment. This facility at MakHosp is open to other ENT professionals to continually improve their skills at a reasonable fee.
Professor Josaphat Byamugisha, Director-MakHosp explained that the clinic was opened in memory of Dr. Irwin Stewart from Canada who spearheaded improvement of hearing health in Africa, particularly Uganda. He recommended that babies` hearing should be checked within the first month of life to treat any defects early.
Professor Byamugisha thanked Makerere University management and the Ministry of Health for the support. He requested government to employ Audiologists, more speech and language therapists. Professor also added, ‘it is good to celebrate our successes; MakHosp is expanding and the addition of the hearing clinic is one of the new developments’. He advised that feedback from members that visit the hospital is welcome to inform future developments.
Alex Muhwezi, the president, Rotary Club-Kololo congratulated Makerere University, MakHosp and MakCHS on the launch of the hearing clinic. He thanked the partners for the contributions made to realise the milestone. He added, ‘I am proud of the contribution by Rotary to launch the facility. The clinic has opportunity to be a regional centre of excellence. Rotary contributed $150,000 towards renovation of the hearing clinic, installation of equipment in the temporal bone laboratory, training of specialists as well as outreach services.
Professor Annettee Nakimuli, Dean – School of Medicine, MakCHS represented the Principal, Professor Damalie Nakanjako and Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe. In her remarks, the Dean said ‘the Vice Chancellor and Principal send congratulations to MakHosp and partners on the new development’
Professor Nakimuli noted, ‘many partnerships don’t bear fruit and opening the hearing clinic is an opportunity for all partners here to pat yourselves on the back for the achievement, expressing that as a school we are proud of the ENT department for this milestone’. Teaching, learning, research and community service are a mandate of the university and following celebration of 100years of Makerere University, partnerships are a key feature as we embark on the next 100, she added.
‘For a long time, universities were ivory towers, but we must go to the communities to help solve challenges. Communities don’t only want a healthy life but also achieve their full potential’. The dean also commended the ENT department for getting good friends, noting that Uganda has about 60 specialists in this area and more are needed.
The Director-Public Health at MoH, Dr. Dan Kyabainze, represented the Director General, MoH. He emphasised that government appreciates support from the various partners. He congratulated Makerere University, MakHosp on the developments and pledged government support to the hearing clinic.
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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