The Principal Investigator for the Implementation Science Capacity Building grant, Prof. Moses Kamya (Left) being bestowed upon the Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award by the University of California, Berkeley. Photo: MakIms-MakBSSR
Strengthening Implementation and Behavioural Social Sciences in HIV research
Local healthcare providers see the impact of HIV/AIDS, its associated comorbidities and stigma across different age spectrums daily. As research into the development of an HIV cure continues to advance globally, the field has expanded to include implementation science and behavioral social sciences research.
We know that HIV/AIDS is intricately interwoven with an individual’s behavior and social context. Therefore, addressing it solely through biomedical interventions such as drugs and vaccines would be falling short of bringing the epidemic under control. Involving aspects of behavioral and social sciences is critical in helping us to understand how health attitudes, social cognitions and personal habits shape one’s decisions and practices as regards HIV prevention and treatment.
Under the Makerere University Behavioral Social Sciences Research (BSSR) program, we are training a number of early career researchers in order to leverage on the benefits of BSSR to lower HIV incidence and increase treatment coverage rates. As reflected in the various stories shared in this newsletter, fellows research on issues such as the interplay between alcohol use and HIV care is helping to integrate evidence based social behavioral approaches into biomedical care.
Similarly, implementation science is an expanding field within HIV/AIDS research and public health practice. Through it, researchers aim to close the gap between theory and practice by addressing barriers that delay uptake of proven health interventions. Through the Makerere University Implementation Science (ImS) Program, more than 50 young scientists are being trained to optimize the public health impact of efficacious interventions such as test-and-treat and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for eligible populations. In this newsletter, you’ll acquaint yourself with the ImS program aims, activities and fellows’ research.
As our fellows on the BSSR and ImS program continue to excel, we envision enhancing capacity for HIV research and care in Uganda and Africa at large. I am pleased to present to you the novel ImS/BSSR newsletter that brings you exhilarating insights into the programs’ activities and achievements. Enjoy your reading!
Highlights
Prof. Moses Kamya Awarded the Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award
Prof. Kamya was awarded for his outstanding contribution in the field of research and teaching infectious diseases with a particular interest in malaria and HIV. He is past chair of the Department of Medicine and past Dean of the Makerere University School of Medicine in Kampala, Uganda. He is a founding member of the Makerere University Joint AIDS Program (MJAP), the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), and the Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration (IDRC) in Uganda.
Building Implementation Science Capacity to Strengthen the Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Uganda
The Makerere University School of Medicine Implementation Science (Mak-ImS) Training program, funded by the United States National Institutes of Health-Fogarty International Center is a collaboration between Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) and University of California San Francisco (UCSF)-USA. This program focuses and integrating ImS as a field of study at Makerere University; influencing HIV practices and enhancing the cascade of HIV care in Uganda.
ImS Program staff hold two-day training for Walter Reed Staff
On November 14 and 15 2022, Directors, Heads of Department and departmental staff of Makerere University Walter Reed Program (MUWRP) underwent an intense training in implementation science (ImS), a field of study that enables research uptake into practice. The training purposed to equip MUWRP staff with knowledge on various concepts of implementation science such as its principles, study designs and evaluation frameworks.
Dr. Geetha Bansal visits ImS fellows in Uganda
On Thursday 18 May 2023, fellows, mentors and mentees on the Implementation Science Program met and interacted with Dr. Geetha Bansal, Program Director, HIV Research and Training Programs at the National Institutes of Health.
Emerging researchers share exciting study projects
On Friday the 13th of October 2023, the Makerere-Implementation Science (MakImS) program conducted a trainees’ progress review meeting to track advancement of trainees’ PhD, masters and fellowship research projects. The review meeting attracted over 40 participants including trainees, principal investigators, university faculty and mentors.
Dr. Amadriyo presents abstract @ the 18th AOGU Conference
Dr. Emma Amadriyo, a master’s trainee on the ImS program presented her abstract titled, titled “Missed opportunities for eMTCT among mothers living with HIV whose infants seroconverted in Masaka Regional Referral Hospital – A retrospective cohort analysis” at the 18th annual scientific conference of the Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Uganda (AOGU)
Testimonials from ImS -Alumni
SSUNA BASHIR, postdoctoral fellow at Yale University and Makerere University
AHMED KATUMBA, Supply Chain Specialist in QED Group LLC.
SUSAN NAKUBULWA, applying ImS Frameworks in research and the utilization of Community Engaged Research to enable smoother translation of evidence into practice
JOAN NANGENDO, Training Coordinator, Mak-ImS program
DR. NELSON KALEMA, mentoring and supporting scientists towards the application of implementation science approaches
DR. LILLIAN TUGUME, used knowledge and skills to complete Mmed dissertation that explored the willingness of serodiscordant couples to accept pre-exposure prophylaxis
Strengthening Behavioral and Social science Research capacity to address evolving challenges in HIV care and prevention in Uganda
Spearheaded by Professors Moses Kamya, Anne Ruhweza Katahoire and Carol Suzanne Camlin, MakBSSR leverages on existing collaborations among social, behavioral, and biomedical scientists at Makerere University and its HIV programs, and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Currently, five PhD candidates, 14 masters’ fellows and eight fellowship candidates are being supported by the project.
Q&A With Dr. Namisi Charles Patrick
Dr. Namisi’s PhD study, funded by the Behavioral Social Science Research (BSSR) Program of Makerere University, seeks to develop and validate a stigma mastery model for PLHIV. He is the acting Dean of the Mother Kevin Post Graduate Medical School of Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi.
Musanje aims to develop a customized mindfulness intervention for adolescents living with HIV
This research aims to culturally adapt a mindfulness and acceptance therapy in Uganda; explore acceptability of a Mindfulness and Acceptance Based Interventions (MABI) among adolescents (15-19 years) in Uganda; evaluate the effectiveness of a MABI on improving mental health among ALHIV and evaluate the effectiveness of a MABI on improving adherence to antiretroviral treatment among ALHIV. The research was conducted at Kisenyi Health Centre IV and Kitebi Health Centre III.
Regina Ndagire credits the BSSR Program for equipping her for the working world
She is applying the research skills obtained on the program in her current role as a research officer at Clarke International University. Here, she supports students and faculty in research; conducts research training; supervises research and engages in the writing of research policy documents and grants.
Using virtual support groups to improve ART adherence among adolescents – Kiirya’s Journey
Her study seeks to explore the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of online peer support groups to improve adherence among YLHIVA in Kampala. It is being conducted among 402 youths attached to Kisenyi and Kawaala Health Centre IVs and Kiswa and Komamboga Health Centre IIIs.
Lived experiences, perceptions & HIV care outcomes among young people living with HIV in South Western Uganda
Dr. Raymond Felix Odokonyero is psychiatrist at Mulago National Referral Hospital and lecturer at Makerere University’s College of Health Sciences. His research interests lie in understanding the interplay between alcohol use and HIV care among young people living with HIV (YPLHIV).
Nante Rachel Wangi
Wangi interested herself in studying Assisted Partner Notification (APN) among people who have severe mental illness (SMI), who are living with HIV (PLHIV) at Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital. She conducted a mixed methods study, quantitatively examining 125 medical files of PLHIV with a diagnosis of SMI between 2018 and 2021. Additionally, ten in-depth interviews with patients and six key informant interviews with health workers were conducted to determine socio-cultural barriers to APN uptake.
Makerere University School of Public Health, in collaboration with Jhpiego, invites applications for 49 short-term positions under the Scaling the Optimal Use of Multiple ACTs to Prevent Antimalarial Drug Resistance (STOP-AMDR) Project.
The short-term assignments will support data collection in Buikwe and Busia districts, with some national-level activities. Applicants are encouraged to review the requirements for their preferred position before applying.
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) for Preparedness and Response to Pandemics and Shocks, has shared findings from its study of Uganda’s Mpox response with stakeholders in Kasese, Amuru, Nakasongola and Mayuge districts to strengthen district preparedness for future outbreaks.
The Africa-Europe CoRE is a partnership co-led by MakSPH and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UCLouvain, Belgium. It brings together universities in Africa and Europe to strengthen research, training and preparedness for pandemics and other public health shocks.
The district-level dissemination meetings, held from 10 to 14 August 2026, brought together more than 100 local government, health and security officials, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and community representatives. The meetings enabled stakeholders to validate the district-level findings, identify practical actions and provide feedback for the study’s final analysis and national dissemination.
Mr. Philliam Jabim shares the Mpox response study findings with participants during the dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Uganda confirmed its first two Mpox cases on 24 July 2024 at Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. The Ministry of Health declared an outbreak on 2 August 2024. As documented in the study, the response involved health workers, communities, local governments, security agencies, political leaders, and implementing partners.
In response to the outbreak, a MakSPH research team led by Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, Dr. Steven Kabwama and Mr. Douglas Bulafu conducted a study in May 2025 to assess Uganda’s Mpox response, including its policies, interventions, strategies and challenges, and generate lessons to inform recovery and strengthen preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Using purposive sampling, the research team conducted 20 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions in each of the four districts, drawing perspectives from western Uganda in Kasese, northern Uganda in Amuru, central Uganda in Nakasongola and eastern Uganda in Mayuge.
Participants and the MakSPH research team at the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
The study, titled Assessment of the Mpox Response in Uganda: Documenting Challenges, Lessons and Innovations to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacities, was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF).
“This study is helping us move beyond recounting the Mpox response to identifying the actions that districts and national partners can take before the next outbreak. By validating the findings with stakeholders who led and experienced the response, we are ensuring that the evidence reflects local realities and can inform stronger surveillance, risk communication, coordination and community engagement,” said Mr. Bulafu, who led the MakSPH team during the dissemination meeting in Amuru.
Mr. Douglas Bulafu engages participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Amuru District on 10 August 2026.
In Amuru, the 10 August meeting brought together over 25 stakeholders from the district health team, political leadership, security agencies, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and the community. On the same day, a second MakSPH team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, convened stakeholders in Kasese for a parallel validation meeting. The consultations then continued in Nakasongola on 12 August and concluded in Mayuge on 14 August, extending the study’s engagement across all four districts.
Across the districts, stakeholders said the results reflected their experience during the outbreak. They pointed to strengths in leadership, coordination, community engagement and partner support, while also describing gaps in documentation, logistics, diagnostic access, staffing, risk communication, public trust and continuity of essential health services.
They also noted inconsistent implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) 7-1-7 target, which calls for detecting a suspected outbreak within seven days, notifying public health authorities within one day and completing early response actions within seven days.
The MakSPH research team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, with participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Kasese District on 10 August 2026.
In Kasese, stakeholders highlighted gaps in documentation, financial and logistical resources, and human resources. They identified Village Health Teams and grassroots, religious and cultural leaders as important resources for community surveillance and risk communication. They called for stronger collaboration between technical and non-technical leaders, engagement with traditional healers, greater use of local radio for public sensitisation, and better facilitation of district epidemic response teams to reach distant communities.
Amuru participants called for proactive preparedness in the border district, citing misinformation and rumours as barriers to risk communication. They urged timely, accurate information from health workers and other authorities; training in disease surveillance and grant writing to strengthen capacity and resource mobilisation; and compassionate care, psychosocial support and community awareness to reduce stigma and support survivor reintegration.
During the meeting in Nakasongola, stakeholders identified Community Health Workers and Community Health Extension Workers as potential resources for strengthening community surveillance and addressing workforce shortages. Given the district’s position around Lake Kyoga and along the Kampala-South Sudan transit corridor, they also called for stronger documentation, note-taking and reporting, accurate real-time information, closer communication with the Ministry of Health, and collaboration among technical, political, religious and community leaders.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, contributes to the discussion during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, called for a permanent, adequately resourced outbreak-management centre to help protect routine services during future epidemics. “We appeal for better facilities to manage epidemics and outbreaks. At Nakasongola Health Centre IV, spaces previously used for outbreak management have been repurposed for other services, and we have limited staff. During the Mpox response, colleagues assigned to manage patients later returned to the general team, creating fear among staff already under pressure,” she said.
In Mayuge, Dr. Basembeza highlighted leadership, coordination and surveillance structures operating from district to community level as important factors in the response. He said the structures enabled the district to receive and respond quickly to community alerts. “Whenever there is a rumour or an alert, we are able to respond. Within 20 minutes, we had a response because of the structure we have,” Dr. Basembeza said.
Based on the findings, the research team recommends increased preparedness financing, stronger community engagement, decentralised diagnostic services through stronger district laboratory capacity, and improved health information and research systems.
Across the four districts, stakeholders reaffirmed that trusted community structures and coordinated action across sectors are essential to strengthening outbreak preparedness.
Every academic year, a new group of students enters Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) with different professional backgrounds, questions and ambitions. For the School, each cohort adds to a growing community of professionals and researchers shaping public health practice, policy and research in Uganda and beyond.
On Friday, 7 August 2026, MakSPH held its orientation for newly admitted students for the 2026/2027 academic year at the MakSPH Auditorium. The orientation introduced students to the School’s academic programmes, leadership, departments, academic administration, student support services and expectations for university life.
For this academic year, ending July 2027, Makerere University admitted more than 370 students to academic programmes hosted at MakSPH. The intake comprised 75 students in the Bachelor of Environmental Health Science, the School’s only bachelor’s programme, 277 across the nine master’s programmes, and 21 across the two doctoral programmes, PhD by Research and PhD by Coursework and Research.
Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze (centre) with MakSPH staff, student leaders and new students during orientation for the 2026/2027 academic year.
The master’s intake includes 103 students in the Master of Public Health by Distance Education, the highest enrolment for the year, followed by 59 in the Master of Public Health Full-Time. The remaining students joined programmes in Biostatistics, Environmental and Occupational Health, Health Informatics, Health Services Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, Nutrition, and Public Health Disaster Management. Together, the programmes reflect the breadth of knowledge and skills needed to address public health challenges and bring together students pursuing further training from diverse professional backgrounds.
Welcoming the new cohort, MakSPH Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze urged students to approach their studies with purpose, discipline, and resilience, and focus on what they would be able to do with the knowledge and skills they acquire.
“Please find time to enjoy your journey. I know you’re looking ahead to exams and so many other pressures, but let this journey also be one that you enjoy in terms of what you learn and how you grow, so that you leave here better, not because of the paper that you took but because of the capability that you pick up during your time with us.”
MakSPH Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze addresses new students at orientation for the 2026/2027 academic year, 7 August 2026, MakSPH Auditorium, urging them to value capability over paper.
The Dean’s message speaks to the different reasons students are beginning their journeys at MakSPH. For some, the opportunity is to build on professional experience and strengthen their capacity in roles they already hold. Among them is Dr. Judith Nalukwago, a dental surgeon, former 85th Vice Guild President of Makerere University, and Makindye Division III Lord Councillor, who serves as Executive Secretary for Education, Gender and Public Health at City Hall and the Office of the Lord Mayor.
“I am back here to study a Master’s in Public Health. I am very excited. I have a clinical background and have been practising as a clinician, and it has been a joyful experience. But when I joined the journey of leadership, there were challenges because, as Executive Secretary for Public Health in Kampala, we deal with everyday people’s health challenges,” said Dr. Nalukwago, adding:
“Now I am in management and leadership, and that posed a challenge to me as an individual. I asked myself, what course can I do to add to my skills? Where can I gain skills that can help me overcome this challenge while I am dealing with people? And I remembered that we have the School of Public Health at Makerere University.”
Watch: Dr. Judith Nalukwago on why she returned to MakSPH for a Master’s in Public Health:
Her experience during the Ebola response, when she served on the task force, further highlighted the need for broader public health knowledge. She said the training would strengthen her ability to contribute to policy and public health management, particularly in her role at City Hall, where councillors develop policies, bylaws, and ordinances.
For Mr. John Othieno, the motivation is similarly grounded in applying his training to practical problems. A Software Engineering graduate who previously completed a Master’s in Health Informatics at MakSPH, he has returned to pursue a PhD under the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management. His research focuses on using technology and health informatics to address health-system challenges, including the adoption of picture archiving and communication systems for managing healthcare imaging and data. He said he wants his research to produce solutions that can be applied beyond academia.
“I purposed that, in my academic journey, I would not do research for the sake of having it gather dust on the shelves, but that it would actually be actionable research that can be translated into action, into solutions for our population,” he said.
Watch: Mr. John Othieno on why he returned to MakSPH to pursue a PhD in Public Health:
Nalukwago and Othieno reflect the diverse professional backgrounds that come together at MakSPH, where training, research, and community engagement have been central to the School’s work for over seven decades. Their journeys point to a sustained impact on public health education, seen not only in enrolment and graduate numbers but in the skills and expertise those graduates carry into policy, research, and health systems across Uganda and the region. At the close of the 2024/2025 academic year, MakSPH enrolled 1,140 students across 12 degree programmes, more than 90 percent of them in postgraduate training.
At Makerere University’s 76th Graduation Ceremony on 25 February 2026, MakSPH presented 231 graduates, comprising seven doctoral, 195 master’s and 29 bachelor’s graduates, adding to the health workforce within the region. Among the graduates was Dr. Harriet Aber, who completed her PhD on child substance use in Uganda’s health system and shared her experience with the new cohort during the orientation. She spoke candidly about the demands of postgraduate study and the need to remain positive through its challenges.
Dr. Harriet Aber, a MakSPH PhD graduate, shares her postgraduate journey with new students at orientation, 7 August 2026, MakSPH Auditorium, urging them to maintain a positive attitude through the challenges ahead.
“It’s not a rosy journey. You’re going to have so many moments where you celebrate, where you’re happy about something, but there are also several moments when maybe you’re stuck with the paper, you have to respond to comments, the proposal is not moving, the concept is not clear. Throughout all those processes, one of the things that you just have to maintain is having a positive attitude,” Aber affirmed.
Her experience offered the new cohort a glimpse of the journey ahead, while Prof. Wanyenze’s message focused on how they could make the most of it. The Dean urged students to plan ahead, pursue research opportunities, think independently, and use artificial intelligence responsibly, while seeking mentorship and making full use of the support and opportunities available at the School.
“Our students are our colleagues, and they are our future workmates. Many of them have ended up staying with us. And I know many of you are going to stay with us in the School,” the Dean said, urging students to take seriously the relationships they build with their classmates and faculty, because “we are a network that’s bound together in the same profession.”
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