By Okeya John
Dr. Ibrahim Bwaga’s remarkable journey from humble beginnings to being at the forefront of healthcare leadership is a testament to his resilience and relentless pursuit of excellence. Born on January 12, 1990, in Jinja, Eastern Uganda, his path has been shaped by determination and an unwavering commitment to improving maternal and perinatal health.
An obstetrician and gynaecologist, and currently the Acting Hospital Director at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital in Western Uganda, Dr. Bwaga recently added another milestone to his career by completing the Master of Public Health (MPH) Distance Education programme at Makerere University School of Public Health. Among the 86 graduates in his cohort, Bwaga emerged as the best-performing student, graduating on time with an impressive CGPA of 4.72 as part of Makerere University’s 75th Graduation ceremony.
“I chose the Master of Public Health because I was inspired by the global approach used to address health challenges with the wealth of research knowledge. MPH laid firm knowledge about research and how to set priorities for better health outcomes which aligns with my professional ambitions to have innovations for better maternal health,” Bwaga narrates.
His academic journey began at Nakibizzi C/U Primary School before continuing to Jinja Senior Secondary School for both O-Level and A-Level. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree from Gulu University in 2013 and a Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynecology from Kampala International University in 2017. In 2023, he further sought to enhance his expertise with a Postgraduate Diploma in Cancer and Clinical Oncology from Queen Mary University of London and is currently pursuing a Diploma in Health Services Management and Hospital Administration at the Uganda Management Institute.
“As an obstetrician, attending to individual patients is satisfying because results are mostly instant, however for every poor outcome, there was a moment such could have been prevented. This is where a broader look at prevention entails populations not just individuals. This realization set me into MPH to sharpen my research skills,” Dr Bwaga explains what informed his decision to join a Masters of Public Health Programme at Makerere University.
As already noted, Dr. Ibrahim Bwaga is the Acting Hospital Director at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, a position he has held since April 2024. He held the same position between December 2022 and February 2023 and has served in the same hospital as a Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology since 2017. In the same facility, he chairs several committees including the Contracts Committee, the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response Committee, and the Anti-Microbial Committee.
Dr. Bwaga has also been the Coordinator for the Bunyoro Local Maternity and Neonatal Network System since 2022 and from December 2019 to November 2021, he represented the Western Uganda region in the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Uganda. Beyond his clinical and administrative roles, Dr. Bwaga has also ventured into sharing knowledge as a Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kampala International University, Hoima campus, contributing to the training and mentorship of future healthcare professionals.
Throughout his career, Dr. Bwaga says that he has been driven by a deep passion for improving health outcomes, particularly for underserved communities in Uganda. His work as an obstetrician showed him the immediacy of individual care, but it also revealed the systemic gaps that lead to diseases that can be prevented. This realization was behind his motivation to pursue the MPH, seeking to address public health challenges at a population level.
He confirms that the MPH Distance Education programme at Makerere University fulfilled what he set out to achieve three years ago for the three-year Master’s, as it equipped him with critical research skills and strategies to implement evidence-based solutions to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes. Dr. Bwaga said disease prevention, as emphasized in public health, is key for cost-effective healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings like the rural areas in Uganda, leveraging the knowledge he gained, he hopes to drive impactful change.
For him, completing the MPH on time required proper time management and focus. Dr. Bwaga credits his success to prioritizing assignments, maintaining strong communication with supervisors, and drawing inspiration from the supportive academic environment at Makerere University School of Public Health. Group discussions with committed colleagues also played a significant role in easing the workload and enriching his learning experience.
One of his proudest achievements during the programme was conducting a research on uterine rupture, a highly sensitive topic in maternal health. Successfully defending his master’s dissertation was a fulfilling moment that reaffirmed his commitment to advancing maternal health through innovation and evidence-based practice.
Looking ahead, Dr. Bwaga plans to enrol in a PhD programme to further his mission of influencing maternal health policy and driving sustainable innovations. His vision is to transform healthcare delivery and improve outcomes for underserved populations.
