The History of Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH)
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) is one of the leading public health education and research institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. With a mandate to provide training, community service, and research in the public health field, its origins trace back to the early 1950s when preventive medicine was introduced as an academic discipline within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of East Africa – later transformed into Makerere University.
In 1957, the discipline evolved into a fully-fledged Department of Preventive Medicine, initially led by Professor George W. Gale and supported by a small team of expatriates.
The department worked closely with other medical school departments, delivering teaching, research, and community service in an integrated and complementary manner. Its activities were primarily implemented through Kasangati Health Center, one of Africa’s pioneering community health centers, established in 1959 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation¹.
Under the leadership of Dr. John Bennet, a renowned preventive medicine practitioner, Kasangati Health Center became a model for community-based health interventions³. His team mapped out households and implemented preventive and curative care programs, leading to a remarkable reduction in infant mortality rates to 24 per 1,000 live births—a figure comparable to those in developed countries at the time⁴. This pioneering approach later influenced the Primary Health Care (PHC) model, which the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted globally. As a result, Kasangati Health Center gained international recognition as a **WHO-designated center of excellence for community health service delivery and research⁵.
Dr. Francis John Bennett (widely known as John), who devoted his life to advancing public health across Africa, is regarded as the “Father of Primary Health Care in Africa.”
The expansion of the department’s work led to a proposal in 1967 to elevate it to an Institute of Public Health (IPH)². However, political instability following Idi Amin’s rise to power delayed the process, leading to an exodus of expatriate faculty and nearly shelving the plan.
Despite these challenges, on July 1, 1975, under the leadership of Prof. Joseph Lutwama (Dean, Faculty of Medicine) and Prof. Suleiman Jabir Farsey (Head, Department of Preventive Medicine), the department was officially elevated to the Makerere Institute of Public Health².
The birth of the institute was celebrated locally and internationally, congratulatory messages came from far and wide. In his message delivered to the Institute by courier, Dr. H. Mahler, the then Director General of the World Health Organisation wrote:
“There is one born every minute or so – talking about Uganda generally – but the birth of an Institute of Public Health is indeed an unprecedented event in Uganda…. I wish all those in any way associated with the Institute of Public Health success in their collective and individual endeavors – endeavors which will certainly assist the World Health Organisation in the execution of its own mandate”.
The World Health Organisation Regional Director for Africa, the late Dr. Comlan Alfred Auguste Quenum, sent a lengthy congratulatory message. In part:
“I am confident that the newly established Institute of Public Health at Kampala will successfully continue to promote the teaching of public health integrated into the undergraduate curriculum of medical sciences. I hope that further steps will be taken by the new Institute to train specialists in the major fields such as health planning, management, epidemiology and also to train researchers and teachers in the field of public health”
In 2001, the institute became fully autonomous from the Faculty of Medicine. This transition allowed for increased institutional independence and growth, paving the way for the 2007 rebranding of IPH as the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH)². MakSPH remained autonomous until 2008, when it was incorporated into the Makerere University College of Health Sciences² as a constituent school.
In January 2025, the Makerere University Governing Council granted MakSPH full autonomy, elevating it to a stand-alone school with College status. This marks a new era, that enables the School to expand its impact, respond swiftly to emerging public health challenges, and drive innovation in health systems and policy.
Over the past decade, MakSPH has experienced unprecedented growth—with increasing student enrollment, groundbreaking research output, and strategic partnerships. As an independent institution, MakSPH is now better positioned to train the next generation of public health leaders, advance transformative research, and influence policies that improve lives, cementing its role as a regional powerhouse in public health.
