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School of Public Health
College of Health Sciences, Makerere University

Previous Leadership of the MakSPH

Previous Leadership of the MakSPH

Prof. William Bazeyo
Dean MakSPH 2009 -  2017

He is a Professor of Occupational Medicine, a public health specialist, academic, researcher, and academic administrator. He currently serves as the director of the Centre for Tobacco Control in Africa, which supports government efforts to build and sustain the capacity to regulate tobacco in Africa. Bazeyo also serves as the chief-of-party at the ResilientAfrica Network, which is composed of 20 universities in 16 African countries and whose mission is to strengthen the resilience of communities through education and innovative technologies and approaches. From September 2017 until October 2020, he was the deputy vice chancellor in charge of finance and administration at Makerere University.

Previous Leadership of the MakSPH

Prof. David Musoke Serwadda
Dean, MakSPH 2003 -  2009

Dr. Serwadda is a professor of infectious diseases and former Dean of the School of Public Health at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. He has worked in HIV-related research and prevention since the mid-1980s and was among the first to report AIDS in Uganda. He is a senior investigator on the Rakai Health Sciences Program and is the Ugandan principal investigator in the ongoing NIH-funded trial of male circumcision for HIV prevention. The recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Serwadda is a JHU Bloomberg School of Public Health Scholar, a fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Science, and a member of the Institute of Medicine.

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Previous Leadership of the MakSPH

Prof. Fred Wabwire-Mangen,

Director, Institute of Public Health 1995 - 1998 & 1998- 2003

Dr. Fred Wabwire-Mangen is an Associate Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics at Makerere University School of Public Health. He was trained in Medicine (MBChB) at Makerere University, in Tropical Medicine (DTM&H) at Liverpool University and in Immunology and Infectious Diseases (MPH) and Infectious Disease Epidemiology (PhD) at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Wabwire-Mangen has over 30 years of conducting research on endemic, emerging and re-emerging diseases of public health importance in Uganda including malaria, STIs, HIV/AIDS, influenza, COVID-19 and other emerging viral infections. He also has demonstrated experience as a senior research scientist in leading and managing multi-disciplinary research teams. His academic leadership experience includes: Head, Institute of Public Health (1995 - 1998); Director, Institute of Public Health (1998 – 2003) Executive Director, Regional Centre for Quality of Health Care (2011 – 2015).

Dr. Wabwire-Mangen has specific interests in the development of innovative experiential methods for adult education in Public Health. In this regard, in 1994 he was key in the development of the innovative experience-based MPH Training curriculum using the ‘Public Health Schools Without Walls’ model. He also led the development of the Masters in Health Services Research curriculum in 2007. Both programs have produced graduates who are deployed in positions of Public Health leadership in Uganda.

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Previous Leadership of the MakSPH

Prof. Gilbert Balibaseka Bukenya,

Director, Institute of Public Health 1991 - 1994

Prof. Gilbert Bukenya holds  a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor Of Surgery from the Royal Institute of Public Health in London ,Masters of Science (MSc) at from the London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Tropical Medicine , Doctorate of Philosophy in Public Health at the University of Queensland and Doctor of Philosphy (PhD) from Queensland. In 2005, Bukenya’s work on HIV/AIDS was recognized and earned him an honorary Doctor of Science (DSc.) by the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Ohio. In 2007, Prof. Bukenya received the prestigious US Congressional Gold Medal Award for his poverty alleviation programme that specifically targets peasant farmers based on his upland rice project. He was Vice President of Uganda from 23 May 2003 until 23 May 2011. 

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Previous Leadership of the MakSPH

Prof. John Tuhe Kakitahi,

Director, Institute of Public Health 1988 -  1991

With more than 30 years of professional experience in Public Health and nutrition, Prof. Kakitahi taught public health nutrition with an emphasis on community based extension work in the Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences. He was appointed Deputy Principal of College of Health Sciences in 2008

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Previous Leadership of the MakSPH

Prof. Josephine Nambooze,

Director, Institute of Public Health 1978 -  1988

Prof. Josephine Nambooze is the first woman to head the Public Health Institute in Uganda, now Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) She is credited for laying a strong foundation for MakSPH which began as a department of Preventive Medicine during her time.  Prof. Nambooze is also the first female medical doctor in East Africa and Africa’s first female Professor. She holds a licentiate in Medicine and surgery from the University of London.

Nambooze joined the staff at Makerere University in 1962 as a lecturer in public health and maternal and child health. She was given the responsibility of supervising Kasangati Health Centre, a teaching facility of Makerere University School of Public Health. She later became a senior lecturer, associate professor, and full professor in those fields. She has also served as the WHO Organization (WHO) representative to Botswana and as director of support for health services development at the WHO regional office in Brazaville, Congo.
In 2010, she was honored by Makerere university as having been among the 10 most outstanding female professors of all time. In 2011 Recognized by the Ugandan government and awarded the nation's Class Five award for her stainless service to the nation. In 2019, she was rewarded by Makerere University School of Public Health for her contribution towards promoting Public Health Training.

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