The Ministry of Health (MoH) through the Uganda National Institute of Public Health in partnership with Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S CDC) has launched the Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program -Laboratory Leadership track to strengthen laboratory workforce in Uganda.
The two-year part time in-service competence-based training program seeks to develop skilled laboratory leaders in Uganda with competencies in key areas of laboratory leadership and technical expertise to fully address issues of human and animal health emergencies.
Five fellows (three male and three females) Martha Nankya, Anthony Kiyimba, Priscilla Atim, Shem Mwebaza, Leah Naluwagga met the selection criteria the first cohort of the laboratory leadership program.
The quintet has already been posted to Central Public Health Laboratories/ National Health Laboratory and Diagnostic Services, Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre (NADDEC) and Mildmay Uganda (MUg).
Speaking at the launch Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor and Dean, MakSPH said it was critical for the Ministry of Health to get competent individuals capable of effectively implementing ground-level surveillance for this initiative, citing that the programme offers an opportunity for capacity building.
She noted further that in life and health, many aspects hold great importance and need to be given priority in order to serve humanity better.
“We are not complete, until we have the piece of the law, Public health is not complete, until we have the law. Preparedness and resources are not fully effective until we have access to laboratories. Clinical care is not complete until we have the lab and certainly our leadership within the health sector is not complete until we have the lab at the table and in all the spaces where we make decisions,” said Prof. Wanyenze.
“I am happy that this program has finally taken off and that we have a focus on the critical competences that are needed for us to be able to provide good leadership for this important sector. I really do hope that we can infuse leadership elements in all technical and professional training both within our country and beyond,” She added.
Prof. Wanyenze called on government to embrace the program, own it and invest in its sustainability to ensure that the program doesn't fade away after the initial support from the US government. On her part, she pledged to support efforts to monitor the program to ensure value for money.
“To the honorable minister and all the stakeholders here, you can at least own this programme so that it doesn't go away or it doesn't end with the support that we have from the US government. We don't have to wait. I hope we can think of sustainability as we launch and as we progress to this program,” said Prof. Wanyenze.
The laboratory leadership program will address the current challenges in the health laboratory workforce, including the lack of specialized training in laboratory leadership and management, inadequate management training in laboratory science education, uncertain career paths, and limited input of laboratory directors in national financial planning for health funding.
Dr. Henry Gatyanga Mwebesa, the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), emphasized the crucial role of laboratory services in public health interventions. These services encompass timely sample collection, transportation, testing, and the prompt relay of results, all of which are vital for the effective control of diseases.
He reflected on the progress made in building the capacity to perform essential functions, enabling the Ministry of Health to take pride in the country’s real-time surveillance, efficient preparedness, and response mechanisms to control outbreaks at their source. Despite these advancements, recent experiences with outbreaks like Covid-19, Ebola, RVF, Anthrax, measles, and others according to Dr. Mwebesa have revealed persistent weaknesses in laboratory leadership across all levels of healthcare delivery, hence, an urgent necessity to focus on enhancing the country's laboratory leadership capacity.
“The role of the laboratories cannot be over emphasized. If you look at the outbreaks we have had, they have been one of the strongest pillars. Look at the very recent one, Ebola, until the lab say by the way you are dealing with a very hot potato here, until the laboratory people confirmed to us that we are dealing with Ebola, many people were still suspecting. But the moment the laboratory confirmed, we all rose and responded in top gear,” said Mwebesa.
He thanked the development and implementing for rendering support to the Ministry of Health partners; particularly the U.S. CDC, WHO, the Association of public health laboratories and the MakSPH as well as the team leadership of the Uganda National Institute of Public Health for the good work and support towards the capacity building for Ministry of Health.
“I take this opportunity to thank the U.S. CDC for supporting this program just like they have done for the advanced field epidemiology program. We don’t take this support for granted. They have supported in the advanced field epidemiology program, they have also been training our epidemiologists in various districts and now this program. Thank you very much!”
According to the unpublished report of the WHO on Laboratory Leadership management, a significant number of laboratory leaders lack adequate training in leadership and management, resulting in various gaps. Recognizing this pressing issue and aiming to bridge the gap effectively, six prominent organizations collaborated to develop a comprehensive, competency-based global laboratory leadership program.
The partners include the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). This pioneering program is tailored to enhance the capabilities of human and animal health laboratories, as well as other functions within public health laboratories. Having gained global traction, several African countries, including Uganda, joined the program in January, joining the growing list of participants.
Representing the WHO Representative to Uganda, Dr Elizabeth Mgamb, WHO Uganda Emergency Preparedness and Response Lead, emphasized that the growing need for laboratories in clinical diagnostics, public health surveillance, epidemic management, and research, as exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent Ebola Virus outbreak, necessitates a meticulous level of organization and recognition.
Dr. Mgamb hopes that this program will empower laboratory professionals with essential tools to foster laboratory leadership skills and enhance health safety, all while embracing a unified "One Health" approach.
“It is my desire and wish that all these that the fellows have started are sustained and secondly they are scaled up so that we may be able to move forward in many of the various areas that we work in,” Dr. Mgamb said.
She emphasized WHO’s continued collaboration with various stakeholders to foster the program's growth and maturation.
"I strongly encourage us to maintain this collaboration, aiming to build a critical mass of skilled professionals necessary to bring about the desired transformation in this crucial area, as we have witnessed in the past. The significance of timely and accurate laboratory results was evident during the Ebola outbreak when everyone awaited confirmation from the lab upon sample collection, particularly when suspecting Ebola cases. A delay or lack of confirmation posed significant challenges. Therefore, we must recognize the vital importance of this area and continue our efforts to strengthen it."
In her remarks, Mugisha Muhanga Margaret, the Minister of State for Health in Charge of Primary Health Care, in-service specialized training serves as a platform for exchanging ideas and adapting to the evolving environment. It empowers teams with practical experience, fostering a spirit of teamwork and enabling their skills to flourish.
“Since Uganda is prone to disease outbreaks, epidemics, partly due to our proximity to the Congo basin, we need to be prepared at all times. To be prepared we require laboratories and this laboratory leadership program will contribute to the country’s ability to obtain critical information needed to prepare and respond to epidemics in a timely manner. Such information includes confirmation of disease outbreaks, determining the cause of illnesses, detecting public health threats. We were able to track and contain Ebola in a record time of 69days. It has not happened anywhere in the world, tracking antimicrobial resistance, and discovering new pathogens,” said Minister Muhanga.
As stated by Hon. Muhanga, the establishment of a sustainable national laboratory system in Uganda, led by capable and competent leaders, holds paramount importance.
“This program we are launching today is designed to churn out skilled and knowledgeable laboratory leaders that will ensure effective and efficient functioning of laboratory systems which are key in response to human, animal and environmental public health challenges in Uganda. I thank all the partners especially the U.S CDC for supporting us, the School of Public Health at Makerere University to continue supporting us as government. We are really grateful. We can only ask for more like Oliver Twist. We really ask for more. On a special note, let me thank the first cohort of the Laboratory Leadership Program. Thank you for accepting to be pioneers. Please serve as a good example to the program,” Hon. Muhanga.
The UPHFP was established in 2015 to strengthen public health emergency preparedness and response in the country. It has six tracks; Field Epidemiology, Laboratory Leadership, Health Informatics, Prevention Effectiveness, Implementation Science, and Monitoring and Evaluation.
According to Dr. Alex Riolexus Ario, the UNIPH Director, the Ministry and Institute have high expectations for the fellows upon graduation. They are anticipated to be proficient in managing public health laboratory systems in Uganda, providing daily mission-critical technical expertise and services for both human and animal health. Additionally, they are expected to assess, evaluate, and monitor the laboratory capacity to effectively handle outbreak investigations, while also enhancing the quality and integration of laboratory services in collaboration with epidemiology services in both human and animal sectors.
Ms. Kim Lewis; a Senior Laboratory Consultant at the Association of Public Health Laboratories -APHL says the Laboratory Leadership Program cohort of 2023 is diligently laying the groundwork for sustained workforce development and the building of a robust laboratory system.
She underscored the need for competent laboratory leadership at all levels from local to national and regional, to ensure the delivery of efficient and high-quality laboratory services.
“These services, in turn, provide essential data for effective national planning, decision-making, and response to health emergencies. To the Laboratory Leadership Program fellows, on behalf of APHL, I extend my best wishes for your success as you work towards shaping the future leadership of Uganda's laboratory system. Though there is still progress to be made, today presents a wonderful platform to showcase the remarkable achievements made in such a short period of time,” said Ms. Kim Lewis.
Written by Davidson Ndyabahika
