Makerere University School of Public Health Receives USD $100,000 donation from The Rockefeller Foundation for new building
Posted on : Friday, April 28, 2023
The Rockefeller Foundation, an American private philanthropy, donated USD $100,000, which Makerere University will use towards the construction of a new School of Public Health (MakSPH) building in celebration of the University’s centenary this year.
Following a visit by The Rockefeller Foundation team and a tour of the MakSPH construction site located at Makerere University Main Campus, Mr. William Asiko, Vice President, Africa Region at The Rockefeller Foundation, announced the donation of USD $100,000.
“As a Foundation, we are excited to re-engage with Makerere University and the School of Public Health. To that end, we are incredibly proud of the strides the School of Public Health has made since its inception. We look forward to continued collaboration with the School and the University at large," said Mr. Asiko.
The Rockefeller Foundation has supported MakSPH for many years including its support for the construction of the current home of MakSPH 54 years ago and the establishment of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program 28 years ago, which was among the first MPH programs on the African continent.
On July 29, 2022, MakSPH received and hosted Andrew Sweet, Vice President, Global Covid-19 Response and Recovery at the Rockefeller Foundation and Wadzanayi Muchenje, the Strategic Partnership & Health Lead for The Rockefeller Foundation's Africa Regional Office. #MakerereAt100
MakSPH appreciates The Rockefeller Foundation for its generous support of public health in Africa and continued partnership towards a healthier Africa.
Makerere University School of Public Health is one of the oldest and largest public health training institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past 15 years, the School has significantly increased student enrolment and staff numbers.
The School offers nine (9) Masters programs and PhD training and is a leading player in public health in the African region with several multi-country, multi-institutional research and capacity building initiatives.
To accommodate this growth, MakSPH has initiated construction of a new building on the Makerere University Main Campus with an estimated cost of $10 million of the fully fitted building. The School has so far raised $3.5 million from various fundraising drives.
“Given its location within a region prone to infectious disease outbreaks of epidemic and pandemic potential, this building will accommodate a Centre for disease outbreak prevention, preparedness and response research in addition to other Centres of Excellence. We are extremely grateful to The Rockefeller Foundation for their generosity. Your past financial support has been invaluable to the growth of public health in Uganda, in Africa and globally,” Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor and Dean, MakSPH.
Side view of the Auditorium and the slab for the first floor of the MakSPH Main Building.
Dr. Lynn Atuyambe, an Associate Professor and the Chair of the Infrastructure Development Committee, MakSPH expresses gratitude to all its partners in Uganda and across the world for their unwavering support.
"We are deeply grateful for the support we have received thus far for the MakSPH building project, which has allowed us to make steady progress. We would like to extend a special thanks to our consultants CNS Inc., led by Arch. Nankya Collins Dolores; the Makerere University Estates and Works Department, led by Eng. Christina Kakeeto; and the Makerere University Administration, led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. We would also like to recognize the hard work of the contractor, ROKO Construction Ltd., the Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC), and the MakSPH staff for their personal contributions and encouragement. However, to complete the entire project, the School still needs to raise an additional $6 million, and we appeal to our supporters to continue their generous contributions," says Prof. Lynn Atuyambe
About us -
MakSPH is a leading public health training and research institution in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the schools under the College of Health Sciences, a constituent College of Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. The School conducts research and provides consultation services to the Government of Uganda Ministry of Heath, various national and international health organizations, as well as bilateral and multilateral agencies involved in health. The School provides graduate, undergraduate and in-service training in public health. MakSPH's major research and capacity building areas are: infectious and non-infectious diseases, sexual, reproductive, maternal and child health, environmental and sustainable health.
