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METS Newsletter July 2023

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The Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS) Program is a 5-year CDC-supported collaboration of Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and Health Information Systems Program (HISP Uganda).

Highlights of the METS July 2023 Newsletter

  • 30th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI)
    • Josephine Ninsiima, a Technical Advisor at METS, attended CROI and made a presentation on the ‘Implications of Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Program Roll Out in Uganda’. METS performed a retrospective analysis of CxCa screening and care cascade data for a period of 18 months (October 2020 to March 2022).
    • Key findings included: Up to 6% of WLHIV screened positive for CxCa precancerous lesions
    • Among those found positive, linkage to treatment increased gradually to 75% for October 2021–March 2022 compared to 54% for October 2020–September 2021.
  • 15th AIDS Impact Conference
    • During the 15th AIDS Impact Conference held in 12th – 14th June 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden, METS presented the results of a pilot integration study that demonstrated that combining services for HIV and other health conditions can work well to provide an all-round care package to patients, where health providers are equipped with the right support and training. For example, the study found that training healthcare ‘teams’ helped improve the quality of cervical cancer services.
  • DHIS2 Conference in Norway and Tanzania
    • METS, a Data Science and Informatics Implementing partner to the Ministry of Health (MoH), had the privilege of participating in the DHIS2 Annual Conference in Norway and the DHIS2 Tracker Configuration Academy in Tanzania.
    • DHIS2 is an open-source, web-based health management information system (HMIS) platform. In Uganda, DHIS2 serves as the foundation for eHMIS, acting as the central database for aggregated public health statistics since 2012.
    • It plays a vital role in reporting health data to regional and international stakeholders and facilitates mobile health data collection via SMS and smartphones. Additionally, DHIS2 enables the longitudinal tracking of patients enrolled in specific healthcare programs.
  • Uganda Data Science, Surveillance, and Informatics CDC Uganda – CDC HQ Technical Exchange
    • METS was part of a technical exchange visit between Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Uganda Ministry of Health (MoH) in the areas of data science, health information systems and informatics that was held in Atlanta, USA.
    • The meeting reviewed available infrastructure and systems, ways of building capacity of public health workforce to enable digital transformation and discussed partnerships to foster international coordination and global data networks in support of systems and programs that facilitate data sharing and decision making.
  • 2023 OpenHIE Community Meeting
    • The meeting held 1st – 5th May 2023 in Lilongwe, Malawi aimed to advance OpenHIE (Open Health Information Exchange) and promote country-owned and driven health information sharing architectures. It served as a platform to showcase strategies for sustainable and standards-based sharing of health information to improve health outcomes.
    • Attendees included software developers, implementers, and government officials from over 33 countries who included METS’ Samuel Lubwama, Simon Peter Muwanguzi, Edward Bichetero and Evelyn Akello.
  • Gallery
    • DHIS2 Conference in Oslo, Norway and Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
    • OpenHIE Meeting
    • 4th of July celebrations at the US Embassy Kampala
    • 15th AIDS Impact Conference
    • 30th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI)

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Mark Wamai

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Call for Applications: Masters Support in Self-Management Intervention for Reducing Epilepsy Burden

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An aerial photo of the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Makerere University showing Left to Right: The Sir Albert Cook Memorial Library, School of Biomedical Sciences, Davies Lecture Theatre, School of Public Health, Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital (MSWNH)-Background Left and Nakasero Hill-Background Right, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Makerere University College of Health Sciences and Case Western Reserve University, partnering with Mbarara University of Science and Technology, are implementing a five-year project titled “Self-management Intervention for Reducing Epilepsy Burden Among Adult Ugandans with Epilepsy.”

The program is funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). One aspect of the program is to provide advanced degree training to qualified candidates interested in pursuing clinical and research careers in Epilepsy. We aim to grow epilepsy research capacity, including self-management approaches, in SSA.

The Project is soliciting applications for Master’s Research thesis support focusing on epilepsy-related research at Makerere University and Mbarara University, cohort 3, 2026/2027.

Selection criteria

  • Should be a Master’s student of the following courses: MMED in Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery and Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Family Medicine, Public Health, Master of Health Services Research, MSc. Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Nursing, or a Master’s in the Basic Sciences (Physiology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, or any other related field).
  • Should have completed at least one year of their Master’s training in the courses listed above.
  • Demonstrated interest in Epilepsy and Neurological diseases, care and prevention, and commitment to develop and maintain a productive career, and devoted to Epilepsy, Clinical Practice, and Prevention.

Research Programs:

The following are the broad Epilepsy research priority areas (THEMES), and applicants are encouraged to develop research concepts in the areas of: Applicants are not limited to these themes; they can propose other areas.

  • The epidemiology of Epilepsy and associated risk factors.
  • Determining the factors affecting the quality of life, risk factors, and outcomes (mortality, morbidity) for Epilepsy, epilepsy genetics, and preventive measures among adults.
  • Epilepsy in childhood and its associated factors, preventative measures etc.
  • Epilepsy epidemiology and other Epilepsy related topics.
  • Epilepsy interventions and rehabilitation

In addition to a formal master’s program, trainees will receive training in bio-ethics, Good Clinical Practice, behavioral sciences research, data and statistical analysis, and research management.

The review criteria for applicants will be as follows:

·      Relevance to program objectives

  • Quality of research and research project approach
  • Feasibility of study
  • Mentors and mentoring plan; in your mentoring plan, please include who the mentors are, what training they will provide, and how often they propose to meet with the candidate.
  • Ethics and human subjects’ protection.

Application Process

Applicants should submit an application letter accompanied by a detailed curriculum vitae, two recommendation letters from Professional referees or mentors, and a 2-page concept or an approved full proposal describing your project and addressing Self-Management Intervention for Reducing Epilepsy Burden Among Adults or an epilepsy-related problem.

For more information, inquiries, and additional advice on developing concepts, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the following:

Makerere University College of Health Sciences

Prof. Mark Kaddumukasa:  kaddumark@yahoo.co.uk

Mbarara University

Ms. Josephine N Najjuma: najjumajosephine@yahoo.co.uk

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for Interviews.

A soft copy should be submitted to the Administrator of the Epilepsy Project. Email: smireb2@gmail.com; Closing date for the Receipt of applications is 5th July 2026.

Mak Editor

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ALLSTAR Training Program: Applications Open for AI and Machine Learning Course in TB Research

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Officials pose for a group photo with participants in the specialized short course on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) focused on their application in tuberculosis (TB) research, held from June 23–27, 2025, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), Kololo MakSPH Annex. Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, in collaboration with the Global Health Institute at the University of Georgia, USA, is inviting applications for an intensive five-day short course on the Foundations and Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Tuberculosis (TB) Research.

Date: June 22–26, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (EAT)
Venue: ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), Kololo MakSPH Annex

The course is designed for Master’s and PhD students, research fellows, junior researchers, and professionals in public health, medicine, digital health, TB/HIV, biostatistics, bioinformatics, computer science, geography, nursing, and related fields.

Participants will gain hands-on exposure to AI/ML applications in TB and TB/HIV research, including Generative AI, LLMs, Computer Vision, GeoAI, ethical AI use, data management, and model deployment.

Limited scholarships are available.
Application deadline: June 1, 2026

Read more and apply here: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/anouncement/allstar-training-program-applications-open-for-ai-and-machine-learning-course-in-tb-research/

John Okeya

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MNCH e-Post Issue 132: Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems Takes Centre Stage at World Health Summit

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Prof. Peter Waiswa (C) with participants at the World Health Regional Summit on 29 April 2026 in Nairobi Kenya. Photo: MNCH. Makerere University Center of Excellence for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), based at the Makerere University School of Public Health in Kampala Uganda

Prof. Peter Waiswa was among key experts who featured at the World Health Regional Summit in Kenya. The high-level meeting ran under the theme Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and health leaders to discuss how the continent can build resilient and equitable health systems in the face of climate and environmental shocks.

Prof. Waiswa participated in a panel discussion under the sub-theme Women, Adolescents, Child Health and Nutrition, which took place on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, from 09:30 to 11:00 EAT in Room CR3.

The session, chaired by Dr. Malachi Ochieng Arunda, focused on the growing intersection between environment, climate change, and health outcomes for mothers, adolescents, and children.

During the panel, Prof. Waiswa highlighted the urgent need to integrate climate adaptation into maternal and child health programming. He noted that rising temperatures, food insecurity, and extreme weather events are already disrupting health services and worsening nutrition outcomes across Africa. The discussion emphasized practical solutions, including strengthening primary healthcare, protecting vulnerable groups, and promoting cross-sector partnerships.

Click here to View the full MNCH e-Post Issue 132

Mak Editor

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