Dr. Suzanne Kiwanuka is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management (HPPM) at Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), a position she has held since 2022. She holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Dar es Salaam, a Master of Public Health from the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), and a PhD in International Health from the University of Bergen (Norway).
Dr. Kiwanuka’s work focuses on strengthening health systems in low-resource settings, with particular interest in the health workforce, governance, health information systems, and supply chains, especially blood donation and blood products. Her approach combines implementation research with knowledge translation to support evidence-informed policymaking. She has produced a range of evidence products, including policy briefs, position papers, and newspaper articles to support decision-makers.
She has played a leading role in several large-scale initiatives, including building knowledge translation capacity for researchers and stakeholders in 10 African countries under the Knowledge Translation Network for Africa (KTNET Africa), and co-led the SPEED project, which supported policy engagement for universal health coverage in Uganda. She has evaluated the effectiveness of donor aid and its impact on Uganda’s health system, as well as led and contributed to projects on health financing, human resources, and information systems.
Dr. Kiwanuka has led national evaluations on laboratory system preparedness (covering 114 labs), maternal and newborn health programs, and served as country lead for Uganda in a four-country COVID-19 response assessment, which resulted in over 10 peer-reviewed publications. Her current research focuses on priority setting for essential services during health emergencies, the adoption of DHIS2, and the performance of electronic surveillance systems in Uganda. She also serves on the board of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET).
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