Event Date/s
Event Details
Join us for a special session organized by the Makerere University School of Public Health to commemorate 70 years of teaching preventive medicine. This event aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry expectations, providing students with essential insights and skills for successful careers in public health.
Register to attend virtually here.
https://bit.ly/FromClasstoIndustry
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Deogratias Kaheeru Sekimpi
A Ugandan medical doctor, graduate of Makerere University Medical School 1978. Went on to specialize in Public Health (Makerere University 1982), Industrial Health (University of Dundee, 1983), Masters in Occupational Medicine (University of London, LSHTM, 1984) and Epidemiology and Disease Control (WHO/Nairobi University1985), Ergonomics (Wageningen University, 1988) and was awarded Fellowship of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, 2001). Dr. Sekimpi has been a clinician, inspector of workplaces, corporation doctor, teacher, researcher, health volunteer/activist, health professional association administrator, among other roles. From the Occupational Health angle Dr. Sekimpi has advocated for the health of Health Care Workers (in who occupational TB is a high risk) and of Health and Safety of Miners mining (in who Silicosis, TB and HIV/AIDS pose a very vicious triad). Dr. Sekimpi is a member of Uganda Medical Association, a founder member and leader of Uganda National Association of Community and Occupational Health (UNACOH), a life member of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH), a founder/promoter and former Executive Committee member of the African Federation of Public Health Associations (AFPHA), and a current Governing Council member of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA). He is a founding member and founding Secretary General of the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Public Health Physicians (ECSA-COPHP). Lately he is leading a Ugandan multi-disciplinary and multi-sector Working Group on OSH in the Mining Sector in Uganda.
Panelists:
⦿ Dr. Patrick Tusiime
Dr. Tusiime Patrick is currently the Commissioner in the Department of Communicable Diseases, Prevention, and Control at the Ministry of Health, Uganda. He is a highly experienced Public Health Physician. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from Makerere University between 1988 and 1993, followed by a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the same institution between 1997 and 1999. Dr. Tusiime began his career as a Public Health Physician and Division Medical Officer at the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF)/Ministry of Defence, serving in this capacity from August 1994 to October 2004. He was then appointed District Health Officer (DHO) for Kabale District under the Ministry of Health, a role he held for 18 years from October 2004 to October 2022.
⦿ Dr. Adoke Yeka
Dr. Yeka is a Lecturer in the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University-Kampala. He is a Medical Doctor with Master of Public Health training and completed his PhD from the University of Antwerp, Belgium. Dr Yeka’s research focuses on the treatment of malaria, including studies of antimalarial treatment and chemopreventive efficacy, translational studies of drug resistance, evaluation of antimalarial pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and antimalarial drug discovery studies. In addition, he has conducted numerous molecular biology studies to evaluate the role of molecular markers of drug resistance in clinical response to therapy. These studies have been influential in the rapidly changing approach to antimalarial therapy within Uganda and around Africa.
⦿ Dr. Anna Nakanwagi-Mukwaya
Anna Nakanwagi-Mukwaya is a Medical Doctor with a total of 15 years of public health experience, 13 of which were dedicated to tuberculosis control in Uganda. Anna has a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBcHB) and a Master’s in Public Health (MPH), both received from Makerere University, Kampala Uganda. Anna served reputable organizations namely, the World Health Organization and The International Union Against TB and Lung disease (The Union), for 13 years, and acquired knowledge and skills that enabled her to become one of the country’s experts in TB control. She supported the Uganda National Tuberculosis Program in various capacities as a lead writer for a Global Fund proposal (2013) , lead consultant for the national TB strategic plan 2012-2015 and lead coordinator for the development of the country’s first national policy guidelines on TB/HIV (2005). She managed and provided technical expertise for a number of projects that included TB/HIV integration, a public-private partnership for TB control, a child TB project and a TB-DM integration project. Following her passion for developing a cosmetic industry that brings back the pride of an African woman, she left the public health arena at the end of 2017 and joined the business manufacturing world. She is currently the Managing Director for MAK4 Limited, a company that manufactures skin and hair care products that bring joy, freedom and confidence to an African woman. The company’s manufacturing acility is situated in the Kampala Industrial and Business Park in Namanve and its products are currently sold in Uganda.
⦿ Mr. Nathan Tumuhamye
Nathan is a Development Research and Innovation Management Specialist. He is currently the Head of Exploration, UNDP Uganda a position he has held since 2022. He is also supporting UNDP Nigeria Innovation centre as a Unipods Analyst on Detail Assignment since June 2024. The detail assignment involves establishing nine university Innovation pods (Unipods) and nine maker spaces which will serve as innovation and experiential learning centres focused on youth innovation from idea to market. Nathan has 14 years’ experience in project management, evaluations, research, innovation management and 7 years in Leadership positions that involve multi-country implementation (Research, innovation design and management). Prior to joining UNDP, Nathan was the Director Operations for the largest University Network ResilientAfrica Network Makerere University School of Public Health, a network of 32 Universities in 16 African countries (2020-August 2022). He served the same organization as Director astern Africa Resilience Innovation Lab (2015-2020) and Research Manager (2014-2015). His most recent projects in Uganda (under UNDP) were the setup of the Makerere University Innovation Pod (Mak-UNIPOD) a multidisciplinary innovation pod with a maker’s space, Textiles Lab, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) workshop, creatives Lab, Computer Assisted Design (CAD) lab and the Technology Transfer Office; Establishment of the Innovation and Business Incubation centre at Kabale University; Establishment of Sezibwa and Kabalagala Youth Skilling and Employment Centers at Kampala Capital City Authority; and support to Uganda’s Digitalization, Innovation and Smart Cities (DISC) Programme that led to the birth of the National Digital Transformation Roadmap. He has Masters degree in Health Services Research from Makerere University, an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Makerere University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation from Uganda Management Institute and currently pursuing a PhD in Public Health from Makerere University
⦿ Ms. Agaba Ann Mary
Anne is an Environmental Health Officer with six years’ knowledge and practice of public health program implementation, monitoring, evaluation and research. She is currently serving as Health Liaison Officer at Africa Water Solutions (AWS), an NGO operating in about 5 sub-regions within Uganda. Based at the Kampala office, she has served at the organization from 2018 to date. Having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental health in 2017, she first worked as a research assistant, then as a volunteer at TEENS Uganda, a Community Based Organization before transitioning into her role at AWS in January,2018. Anne is very versatile in her role and some of her responsibilities have included coordination of the Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) Program, water quality analysis, liaison with district biostatisticians, Ministry of Health and the Uganda Water and Sanitation Network, development of M&E tools for existing and new programs, among others. Through showcasing her MHM work, she won the award for best poster presentation at the 3rd IFEH World Academic and 16th MUEHSA Scientific Conference. She is currently pursuing her master’s in public health at the Makerere University School of Public Health on the Distance Learning Program and is in her second year. She’s passionate about mentoring young people in various life spheres and helping people to make healthier life choices.
⦿ Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo
Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo is an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health at Makerere University School of Public health. He holds a PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of Antwerp, Belgium; an MSc Environmental Health degree from the University of the West of England, United Kingdom; and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health Science from Makerere University. At the School, Rawlance engages in teaching and supervision of undergraduate and post graduate students, public health research, and community service. He has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles in the areas of non-communicable diseases, community health and environmental health, co-organized international conferences and meetings, and led and coordinated multi-year collaborative projects.
⦿ Dr. Idro Richard
Dr. Idro trained in Paediatrics at Makerere University before he took a sandwich PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Amsterdam and clinical training in Paediatric Neurology with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in London. In between, he had short courses in epidemiology, clinical trials, molecular and experimental biology, and leadership. A multi award winning scientist, Dr Idro leads a Paediatric Neurosciences research program at Makerere University. His research focuses on the burden, causes, and pathogenesis of severe childhood illnesses, central nervous systems infections and brain injury from these infections and interventions to improve the outcomes. Today, this research has expanded to brain injury prevention in sickle cell anaemia and childhood epilepsy. Dr Idro has supervised six PhD and over twenty master’s degree students to completion. Until recently, he was an Executive Board Member of the International Child Neurology Association, a member of the WHO Severe Malaria Technical Committee, and the commissions of the International Brain Research Organization and the International League Against Epilepsy. He is a visiting Fellow in Tropical medicine at University of Oxford, visiting Professor of International Child Health at University of Amsterdam and visiting Professor of Neurosciences and Neurology with the International Brain Research Organization and the European Academy of Neurology schools across Africa. Dr Idro is also a Past President of Uganda Medical Association. He took over as Deputy Principal of the College in June 2024.
