Health

Child Health and Development Centre set for a series of Research Dissemination Symposia

Published

2 years ago

January 29, 2024

Mak Editor

Dr. Godfrey Siu, the Principal Investigator from Mak-CHDC presenting the contents of the National Parenting Standards Draft Manual on 22nd July 2022. Child Health and Development Centre (CHDC), School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. — Dr. Godfrey Siu, the Principal Investigator from Mak-CHDC presenting the contents of the National Parenting Standards Draft Manual on 22nd July 2022.

_{By Agnes Namaganda}

Child Health and Development Centre (CHDC) is a multidisciplinary research centre at Makerere University College of Health Sciences. Her mandate is to promote the wellbeing of children and women in Uganda through multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral research, teaching, training and partnerships.

CHDC is planning a series of symposia to disseminate findings from the various research studies at the Centre. CHDC is a Research Centre in the School of Medicine at the College of Health Sciences, Makerere University (MaK). The first symposium will be hosted by the Families, Parenting for Respectability program, led by Dr. Godfrey Siu, under the theme Promoting Child Health by Addressing Parenting and Family Disparities. This will take place on Thursday 22^nd February 2024; 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility; Makerere University main campus. The subsequent symposia include one by the Technology and Child Health Program, which is led by Dr. Herbert Muyinda. This will take place in March. The third symposium will be by the Non-communicable diseases among Children Program which is led by Dr. Anthony Batte and Dr. Aggrey Dhabangi. This is planned for the month of April. The fourth symposium is planned for May and it will be by the Health Systems’ Strengthening Program which is led by Dr. Arthur Mpimbaza.

According to Dr. Herbert Muyinda, Director of CHDC, the objective of these symposia is “to enable CHDC disseminate its research findings and innovation to stakeholders. This will facilitate the translation of research findings into policy.” He added that invited guests include researchers, academicians, policy makers and implementers, international partners, and the student community.

Speaking about the funding for this activity, Dr. Mpimbaza who is at the helm of organizing this activity said, “funding for this activity is from a grant supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. This funding was directed through the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training under the “Consolidating Early-career Academics Programme (CECAP, 2022-2024) at MaK and partner public universities. Dr. Mpimbaza who is a Senior Lecturer at CHDC is a Post Doc Fellow on this grant, through which this departmental strengthening sub-grant was awarded.

About Child Health and Development Centre

To ensure efficiency, the research activities are organized under six research programmes as outlined below;

Health Systems Strengthening
Families, Parenting & Child Health
Non-Communicable Diseases among Children
Technology and Child Health
Capacity Building & Training
Early Childhood Development & Health Outcomes

The Centre currently has a number of research grants in different domains of health research and training. The main areas of focus include disease surveillance – HIV and AIDS, malaria, parenting and child protection, health technology, and knowledge transfer.

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Health

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

Published

2 weeks ago

May 12, 2026

Mak Editor

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

Health

Announcement: 2026 Intake – Certificate in Applied Health Systems Research

Published

2 weeks ago

May 6, 2026

Mak Editor

Announcement: 2026 Intake – Certificate in Applied Health Systems Research. Photo: Nano Banana 2

Makerere University School of Public Health invites applications for the 2026 intake of the Certificate in Applied Health Systems Research, a short, intensive virtual programme designed for professionals working at the intersection of research, policy, and health system practice.

Why this course matters

Health system challenges are rarely linear. They are shaped by institutional complexity, political realities, and competing stakeholder interests. In many cases, the issue is not the absence of evidence, but the difficulty of producing research that is relevant, timely, and usable within real decision-making environments. This course is designed to address that gap, equipping participants to generate and apply evidence that responds to actual system constraints.

Apply via: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SjPWK37nZGuLb25S2X6d9NPtME2AKlEW_kJjCimivhY/viewform?ts=6821a62d&edit_requested=true

What you will gain

Participants will develop the ability to:

frame research problems grounded in real system conditions
analyse complex interactions within health systems
design policy-relevant and methodologically sound studies
translate findings into actionable insights for decision-making

Course format and key details

The programme runs virtually from 6^th to 17^th July 2026 (2:00–5:45 PM EAT) and combines interactive sessions, applied learning, and expert-led discussions across:

systems thinking and problem framing
research design and mixed methods
evidence use in policy and practice

For full course details:https://sph.mak.ac.ug/program-post/certificate-in-health-systems-research/

Who should apply

This course is suited for:

Researchers and graduate students
Policy analysts and programme managers
Health practitioners involved in planning, implementation, or evaluation

Fees

Ugandan participants: UGX 740,000
International participants: USD 250

Application Deadline: 14 June 2026

Please find the course details below:

2026-Intake-–-Certificate-in-Applied-Health-Systems-Research Download

View on MakSPH

Health

WHO Report Highlights Global Drowning Burden as MakSPH Contributes to Evidence and Action

Published

2 weeks ago

May 6, 2026

John Okeya

Demonstration of emergency medical procedures performed by the Uganda Red Cross Society at the first-ever National Water Safety Swimming Gala organised by the Ministry of Water and Environment at Greenhill Academy in Kibuli on March 21, 2026. Photo: Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University School of Public Health, through its Centre for the Prevention of Trauma, Injury and Disability, contributed to the Global Status Report on Drowning Prevention 2024, the first comprehensive global assessment of drowning burden, risk factors, and country-level responses.

Published by the World Health Organisation, the report estimates that approximately 300,000 people died from drowning in 2021, with the highest burden in low- and middle-income countries, which account for 92% of deaths. The African Region records the highest mortality rate, underscoring the urgency of targeted interventions. Children and young people remain the most affected, with drowning ranking among the leading causes of death for those under 15 years.

While global drowning rates have declined by 38% since 2000, progress remains uneven and insufficient to meet broader development targets. The report highlights critical gaps in national responses, including limited multisectoral coordination, weak policy and legislative frameworks, and inadequate integration of key preventive measures such as swimming and water safety education.

It further identifies persistent data limitations, with many countries lacking detailed information on where and how drowning occurs, constraining the design of targeted interventions. At the same time, the report notes progress in selected areas, including early warning systems and community-based disaster risk management.

MakSPH’s contribution to this global evidence base reflects its role in advancing research, strengthening data systems, and supporting context-specific approaches to injury prevention. Through its Centre, the School continues to inform policy and practice, contributing to efforts to reduce drowning risks and improve population health outcomes in Uganda and similar settings.

The full report can be accessed below:

Global-status-report-drowning-1 Download

View on MakSPH