From right to left: Then U.S. Ambassador to Uganda H.E. William W. Popp; Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean, MakSPH; Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary, MoH; Dr. Charles Olaro, Director General of Health Services, MoH; and Dr. Adetinuke Boyd, U.S. CDC Country Director for Uganda, during the METS programme handover event in Kampala in March 2026.
Every 4 July, the United States marks its independence. This year’s commemoration carries added significance as the country celebrates 250 years, offering partners across the world a moment to reflect on relationships built through shared purpose, investment and trust.
For Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), that reflection leads to a long and productive partnership with the people and Government of the United States, spanning more than 35 years. Through U.S. Government agencies and programmes, the collaboration has supported MakSPH’s growth from a national public health training institution into a regional platform for evidence, leadership, health systems strengthening and public health preparedness.
Today, MakSPH stands at a defining point in its institutional journey. Tracing its roots to the introduction of preventive medicine in Makerere University’s then Faculty of Medicine in 1954, the School has grown into a leading public health institution in Africa, training more than 1,000 students across 12-degree programmes, working through district field training sites, contributing to national technical committees, and implementing research and capacity-building work across Uganda and more than 35 African countries.
Hon. Margaret Muhanga, then State Minister for Primary Health Care and Chief Guest, joins Makerere University leaders and partners in cutting the MakSPH@70 anniversary cake during the School’s 70th anniversary celebrations in December 2024.
Its work spans infectious diseases, maternal and child health, noncommunicable diseases, climate and health, digital health, injury prevention, universal health coverage and epidemic preparedness. While grounded in close collaboration with the Government of Uganda, especially the Ministry of Health, this reach has also been shaped by long-standing U.S. Government support. Reflecting on this shared history, MakSPH Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze said the partnership has made a lasting contribution to public health capacity.
“For more than three decades, MakSPH has been privileged to work in strong partnership with the people and Government of the United States. We are grateful for this collaboration, which has made a major contribution to advancing public health training, research and practice in Uganda and across Africa. From the Master of Public Health programme to fellowships, enhanced surveillance, operational research, HIV and infectious disease work, regional networks, innovation, and programmes such as METS, this partnership has helped build the people, evidence and systems that support public health action,” Prof. Wanyenze said.
MakSPH Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze speaks during the UPHIA 2025 launch in Kampala, highlighting MakSPH’s contribution to Uganda’s public health response through research, evidence and technical guidance.
Training Leaders for Uganda’s Health System
In 1994, as Uganda decentralised its administration and public services, the Institute of Public Health, now Makerere University School of Public Health, established the Master of Public Health (MPH) Full-Time programme in response to a clear workforce need for public health leaders who could manage district health systems, investigate outbreaks, conduct needs assessments and respond to emerging health challenges.
Prof. David Serwadda, Professor Emeritus at Makerere University and former Dean of MakSPH, recalls the programme was designed to fill a critical district-level leadership gap. “After a very strong needs assessment by Makerere University and the Ministry of Health, it was found that we needed to train a specific cadre of public health leaders for the districts,” he said. “We needed people with good management skills, people who could investigate an epidemic, do a needs assessment and respond to health challenges.”
Prof. David Serwadda speaks during a departmental retreat in Jinja in June 2026. He served as Director of the Makerere Institute of Public Health from 2003 to 2007 and as the first Dean of MakSPH from 2007 to 2009.
Established as a two-year programme, the MPH Full-Time was based on the Public Health Schools Without Walls model and became one of the earliest community-based public health graduate programmes in Africa. Developed through joint commitment by the Institute of Public Health, the Ministry of Health and the Rockefeller Foundation, and with technical support from the U.S. CDC, the programme placed students at district field sites to learn through apprenticeship while working on real public health problems. Other partners, including WHO and UNFPA, later provided scholarship support.
Three decades later, the MPH Full-Time programme remains one of MakSPH’s flagship contributions to Uganda and the region’s public health workforce. It has trained more than 1,000 public health professionals for leadership across districts, Ministry programmes, research, teaching, implementation and technical advisory work. Many graduates have gone on to serve as District Health Officers, commissioners, programme leaders, researchers, lecturers and public health specialists, strengthening Uganda’s health system leadership.
Fellowships That Strengthened Public Health Response
In 2002, MakSPH hosted the first direct cooperative agreement between Makerere University and the U.S. CDC, formalising the workforce development arm of the partnership. Under the Leadership and Investment in Fighting Epidemics (LIFE) initiative, the agreement launched the HIV/AIDS Fellowship Programme, which trained leaders for organisations working in HIV and AIDS. By 2014, the programme had produced more than 100 long-term fellows, more than 200 medium-term fellows, and over 3,000 short-course participants.
Graduates pose with then U.S. Ambassador to Uganda H.E. William W. Popp during the 10th graduation of Advanced Field Epidemiology Fellows and the 2nd graduation of Laboratory Leadership Fellows under the Uganda Public Health Fellowship Programme in January 2026.
The fellowship platform later transitioned into the Uganda Public Health Fellowship Programme and, through subsequent cooperative agreements in 2016 and 2021, expanded into the broader Public Health Workforce Development Programme. Led by the Ministry of Health through the Uganda National Institute of Public Health, and implemented with the U.S. CDC, districts and MakSPH, the programme now supports advanced field epidemiology, Frontline and Intermediate Field Epidemiology Training, and laboratory leadership.
Fellows are embedded within the Ministry of Health, districts and public health institutions, strengthening surveillance, outbreak investigation, HIV/TB programming, quality improvement, laboratory systems and health informatics. The Field Epidemiology Track has supported an average of about 37 active fellows, including 39 in 2024/2025. That year, fellows provided technical assistance to the Ministry and conducted 84 epidemiological studies and investigations, including work linked to Uganda’s Mpox response.
HIV Evidence That Changed Policy and Practice
UPHIA 2025 laboratory technicians undergo pre-deployment training at MakSPH, delivered with Uganda National Health Laboratory Services, ahead of field data collection on HIV and related health indicators across Uganda.
Uganda’s HIV crisis in the 1980s became one of the earliest tests of MakSPH’s public health mission. The wasting illness, then known as “Slim”, was reported in Rakai in the early 1980s and later identified as HIV/AIDS. Researchers at the Institute of Public Health, now MakSPH, helped advance understanding of the epidemic, with Prof. David Serwadda among the earliest physicians in Uganda to recognise and describe the disease.
That work grew into the Rakai Health Sciences Programme, established in 1989 through collaboration involving Makerere University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and partners. Over the decades, Rakai became a platform for research, surveillance, service delivery and training in communities deeply affected by HIV.
One landmark contribution showed that safe medical male circumcision reduced female-to-male HIV acquisition by about 60 per cent, helping inform HIV prevention policy in Uganda and globally. PEPFAR support also helped expand treatment in Rakai, where surveillance documented reduced mortality, lower HIV incidence, reduced orphanhood and improved community productivity.
The search for stronger prevention tools continued through MakSPH researchers, including Prof. Noah Kiwanuka, whose work in rural and fishing communities highlighted the need for better options for adolescent girls and young women. From 2022 to 2024, MakSPH managed the Makerere-Kalangala study site with UVRI-IAVI for the Gilead Sciences-led PURPOSE 1 trial, with Prof. Kiwanuka as Site Principal Investigator. The study contributed evidence on lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable now recognised as a major advance in HIV prevention.
Surveillance and National Decisions
Then Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng flags off UPHIA 2025 field teams in Kampala on 29 May 2025. The Ministry of Health-led survey is implemented with technical support from MakSPH and partners.
The partnership has also strengthened Uganda’s ability to measure the HIV epidemic and use evidence for national decisions. The Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) 2024/2025 is the country’s third national household-based HIV impact survey, commissioned by the Ministry of Health with technical support from MakSPH in partnership with UBOS, UVRI, and the U.S. CDC. After two earlier rounds supported by ICAP at Columbia University in 2016 and 2020, the current survey marks a shift to Ugandan leadership in implementation, analysis and use of evidence for the national response.
Funded by the U.S. Government through PEPFAR, UPHIA represents a USD 10 million investment in national evidence generation. Its results, expected in 2026, will provide updated national and subnational estimates of HIV prevalence, incidence, viral load suppression, service coverage and progress toward UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets. The survey covers 6,685 households and about 15,000 people aged 15 years and above, with additional focus on adolescents, noncommunicable diseases among people living with HIV, and barriers among those not virally suppressed.
Related surveillance work through the CRANE Survey has generated evidence on populations at higher risk of HIV and often missed by routine data. Established in 2008 with U.S. Government support through PEPFAR and implemented by MakSPH with the Ministry of Health and U.S. CDC, CRANE is one of Uganda’s longest-running HIV bio-behavioural surveillance platforms. More than USD 7 million in U.S. Government investment has supported evidence used in Uganda’s HIV Investment Case, the National HIV Strategic Plan, national bio-behavioural surveillance guidelines and UNAIDS guidance.
In its third round, conducted in 2023 and disseminated in 2024, CRANE reached 7,947 female sex workers and sexually exploited minors across 12 districts. About one in three participants were living with HIV, rising to 54 per cent among those aged 35 to 49. The survey also documented syphilis, high-risk HPV infection, violence, stigma in health facilities and high levels of depression, strengthening the case for targeted HIV prevention, treatment, mental health support, violence prevention, cervical cancer prevention and access to justice.
Then U.S. Ambassador to Uganda H.E. William W. Popp tours MakSPH exhibition stands with MakSPH and U.S. CDC leadership during the 2024 dissemination of CRANE Survey results in Kampala.
Regional Leadership, One Health and Innovation
U.S. Government support extended MakSPH’s contribution from national workforce development to regional public health leadership. In 2005, USAID, through the Higher Education for Development programme, supported the Leadership Initiative for Public Health in East Africa (LIPHEA), led by MakSPH with Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. The initiative strengthened leadership, competency-based training, faculty development and collaborative research across East Africa.
LIPHEA’s legacy continued through the East Africa HEALTH Alliance, which evolved into the One Health Central and Eastern Africa network and later the Africa One Health University Network (AFROHUN). These platforms brought public health, veterinary, environmental and allied disciplines into shared training and practice, helping build a workforce able to predict, detect and respond to zoonotic diseases, epidemics and other complex health threats.
The regional focus expanded further in 2012, when USAID selected Makerere University, through MakSPH, to lead the ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) under the Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN). Operating in 16 African countries through a network of 20 African universities, RAN connected African universities, U.S. partners and local innovators to strengthen community resilience to disease outbreaks, climate shocks, food insecurity, conflict and natural disasters. Through research, innovation grants, policy engagement and capacity building, it expanded MakSPH’s regional contribution to resilience science, innovation and implementation research.
METS and National Stewardship
MakSPH Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze signs the METS handover board during the transition of digital health systems and assets to the Ministry of Health on 31 March 2026, as then U.S. Ambassador to Uganda H.E. William W. Popp and Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, look on.
A recent marker of partnership maturity came through the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS) Programme. Launched in 2010 with U.S. Government support through the U.S. CDC and PEPFAR, METS strengthened Uganda’s health information systems, case-based surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and quality improvement for HIV, TB and broader public health programming. Across three five-year grants totalling USD 103.8 million, the programme helped move Uganda from fragmented reporting toward stronger national data systems and more integrated digital health infrastructure.
During its March 2026 handover to the Ministry of Health, METS transferred 16 digital health systems, 725 servers, more than 4,700 computing devices, solar systems for nearly 800 facilities, connectivity equipment for more than 1,300 sites, and network upgrades for regional referral hospitals. The transferred ICT infrastructure was valued at USD 9.3 million. METS also helped improve District Health Information System 2 reporting from 58 per cent in 2020 to 98 per cent by 2025, while Electronic Medical Record coverage expanded to more than 86 per cent nationally, with 1,900 sites using electronic medical records.
Infrastructure and Future Capacity
MakSPH’s new home takes shape near the Eastern Gate at Makerere University Main Campus, supported in part through the USAID ASHA grant.
MakSPH’s expanding mandate has placed new demands on its infrastructure. With more than 1,000 students, wider regional work and a growing research portfolio, the new MakSPH complex on Makerere University Main Campus is designed to support training, research, policy engagement and innovation at scale. In 2021, USAID, through the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) programme, awarded USD 1.1 million through Johns Hopkins University to support the Makerere University Centre of Excellence for Global Health within the new building.
The infrastructure agenda also points to the next phase of the MakSPH and U.S. Government partnership. After more than three decades of investment in leadership, evidence, surveillance, digital systems, regional networks and response capacity, sustaining these gains will require stronger shared responsibility.
As the United States marks 250 years of independence, MakSPH recognises a partnership that has strengthened Uganda’s public health system and continues to build capacity for the region.
Community-led innovations across Uganda are improving access to healthcare, reducing financial barriers and responding to needs that conventional services do not always reach. The Uganda Case Compendium 2026, published by the Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) Uganda Hub at Makerere University School of Public Health, documents these solutions, their results and opportunities for scale.
Established in 2017, SIHI Uganda identifies, studies and supports locally developed health innovations. By 2026, the Hub had documented 42 projects through research examining their impact, enabling factors and scalability. It has also convened seven national stakeholder workshops and established a fellowship programme that equips innovators with skills in project management, research, entrepreneurship, communication, fundraising and environmental impact assessment.
The compendium presents evidence of reach and impact. The Ishaka Health Plan has enrolled more than 5,000 people in community-based health insurance, enabling over 4,000 members to access healthcare annually. In Kiryandongo, the Opit Kic Widows Group trained 402 volunteers who have provided health information to more than 6,030 refugee and host-community households. Among people living with HIV who received group support psychotherapy, 98% were depression-free after six months. In Mayuge, two sickle cell clinics have been established, 12,500 children screened and 282 enrolled in continuing care, contributing to a reported 53% increase in enrolment.
Spanning maternal and child health, HIV, mental health, disability, gender-based violence, health financing, diagnostics and palliative care, the compendium provides evidence to inform investment, policy uptake and the responsible scale-up of locally grounded solutions.
Makerere University School of Public Health invites applications for two postdoctoral research fellowships under the ACT-PREP Project, a five-year, Africa-led initiative funded by the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking. The project seeks to strengthen sustainable, context-responsive research capacity for epidemic preparedness and response across sub-Saharan Africa.
Responsibilities
Each fellowship is a full-time, 18-month appointment based at MakSPH in Kampala. Applicants must apply for one position only. Eligible candidates should be early-career researchers who are nationals of, or based in, sub-Saharan Africa and hold a PhD in a relevant discipline or have completed a post-Master’s Field Epidemiology Training Programme. Applicants should demonstrate a record of peer-reviewed publication and research dissemination. Experience in policy review, qualitative or mixed-methods research and stakeholder engagement is an advantage. Successful fellows will receive mentorship from senior researchers, collaborate with an international consortium of African and European institutions, and contribute to policy-relevant research on epidemic preparedness. A stipend commensurate with qualifications and experience will be provided. Applications should include a motivation letter of up to two pages, a two-page research concept, a detailed curriculum vitae with a publication list and contacts for at least two referees, and at least one recommendation letter.
Qualifications and Desirable Qualities
Eligible candidates should be early-career researchers who are nationals of, or based in, sub-Saharan Africa and hold a PhD in a relevant discipline or have completed a post-Master’s Field Epidemiology Training Programme.
How to Apply
Submit applications to recruitment@musph.ac.ug by 7 August 2026, quoting “ACT-PREP Postdoc – Position 1 or 2” in the email subject line. Interviews are expected around 14 August 2026 in Kampala.
Qualified women and applicants from under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Download the full call for detailed requirements and application guidance.
The Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) on July 10, 2026, welcomed senior six science students from Ngora High School and Wiggins Secondary School to an inspiring Career Fair aimed at guiding them on careers in health sciences and introducing them to the wide range of academic programmes offered by the College.
The event brought together students pursuing Physics, Chemistry, Biology (PCB) and Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics (BCM), providing them with a unique opportunity to interact with the College leadership, tour laboratories and teaching facilities, and learn first-hand about careers in medicine and other health science disciplines.
Welcoming the students, the College Principal, Prof. Bruce Kirenga, described the College of Health Sciences as one of Africa’s oldest and most distinguished medical schools, with a legacy spanning more than a century.
“We started in 1924, making us one of the oldest medical schools on the continent. You have made the right decision to visit Makerere, and we are delighted to welcome you,” he said.
Prof. Kirenga commended the school administrators and teachers for organizing the visit, noting that exposing learners to university environments early helps them make informed career choices. He explained that the College introduced the Open Day concept after receiving numerous requests from schools seeking career guidance visits.
Prof. Bruce Kirenga.
He congratulated the students for choosing science subjects, describing science as the foundation for solving society’s most pressing challenges.
“You have already made one of the most important decisions by choosing to become scientists. Even more importantly, you have chosen life sciences—a field dedicated to preserving and improving life,” he remarked.
The Principal emphasized that careers in life sciences extend far beyond medicine, encouraging students to remain open-minded as they consider their future.
“Everything that has life requires professionals to keep it healthy—from human beings and animals to crops and the environment. The opportunities are immense, including agriculture, veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences, public health and many other emerging fields.”
A section of senior six students and their students at the career fair.
He also advised students not to limit themselves to only one academic programme during university applications, recalling instances where highly qualified students narrowly missed admission because they selected only one course.
“Remain open to the opportunities available. Medicine is an excellent profession, but there are many other programmes that are equally rewarding and are shaping the future of healthcare and scientific innovation,” he said.
Prof. Kirenga further encouraged the students to embrace lifelong learning, reminding them that scientific knowledge remains valuable regardless of the career path they eventually pursue.
Addressing the students, the Dean of the School of Medicine, Prof. Annette Nakimuli, acknowledged the growing competition for admission into medical programmes and urged learners to work hard while keeping an open mind about the diverse opportunities available within health sciences.
Prof. Annettee Nakimuli.
She explained that admission into the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) programme has become increasingly competitive due to the rising number of high-performing applicants.
“This year we witnessed unprecedented competition for government sponsorship, with many applicants scoring triple A at Advanced Level and outstanding grades at Ordinary Level. That tells you that you must prepare yourselves to excel academically,” she said.
Prof. Nakimuli noted that while many students aspire to become medical doctors, the health sector today offers numerous innovative programmes that are equally important.
“There are many programmes that parents, teachers and students are still not familiar with. Biomedical Engineering, for example, is one of the exciting fields driving the future of healthcare, yet many students overlook it because they focus only on medicine.”
Students and Teachers pose for a group photo with CHS staff.
She encouraged students to explore emerging disciplines that combine medicine, engineering, technology and research, noting that the future of healthcare increasingly depends on multidisciplinary professionals.
The Dean also introduced students to the structure of the School of Medicine, explaining that it comprises twelve academic departments and two specialised units covering a broad spectrum of clinical disciplines, including Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Family Medicine, Anaesthesia and Critical Care, among others.
She explained that students are trained by specialists across these disciplines to become competent general practitioners before pursuing further specialization.
Prof. Erisa Mwaka, the Chair of the Department of Human Anatomy, shared with the students about the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS). He said the school is one of the four schools that make up the Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS). As the foundation of medical education, the School provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the biological and molecular sciences that underpin modern healthcare, disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Prof. Erisa Mwaka with students in one of the teaching spaces.
The School comprises several departments, including:
Human Anatomy
Biochemistry
Physiology
Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Pathology
Microbiology
Medical Illustration
The School offers undergraduate programmes such as the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences, which equips students with strong laboratory, research and analytical skills, and the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, an interdisciplinary programme that integrates engineering, medicine and technology to develop innovative healthcare solutions.
At postgraduate level, the School offers a wide range of master’s and doctoral programmes, including Human Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Bioinformatics, Immunology and Clinical Microbiology, Health Bioethics, Medical Illustration, Pathology and other biomedical specializations that prepare graduates for careers in research, academia, diagnostics, biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry. The school also offers a wide range of diploma courses.
Dr. Isaac Magulu Kimbowa from the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (Right) and colleagues interact with the students.
Throughout the Career Fair, students interacted with faculty members, toured laboratories and learning facilities, and received guidance on university admission, academic programmes and career prospects within the health sciences.
The Career Fair forms part of the College’s broader outreach programme aimed at nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals by exposing learners to university life and equipping them with the information needed to make informed academic and career decisions.
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