Researchers from Uganda and Norway have gathered today for the BURST-Excel workshop to strengthen doctoral research and build collaboration across institutions and disciplines. The workshop was opened by @Makerere Director of Graduate Training, Prof. @JuliusKikooma. BURST-Excel brings together Makerere and the University of Bergen @UiB in Norway to strengthen research and doctoral training in global health. The partnership supports the development of a research community that connects scholars, institutions and expertise across the two countries. Speaking at the opening, the project’s Principal Investigator, Dr. @isunju_j , outlined its focus on strengthening the research capacity, academic development and professional networks of Ugandan PhD fellows through mentorship, peer learning and practical skills development. The 2-day workshop focuses on scientific writing and knowledge sharing, giving participants space to exchange ideas, share opportunities and develop partnerships that can support their work beyond the PhD. Through this support, BURST-Excel aims to equip emerging scholars with the skills and confidence to produce research that responds to Africa’s development challenges. @isunju_j @DeborahNaluyima

Happening Now: Webinar on Managing Complexity in Uganda’s First-Referral Hospitals How can Uganda's first-referral hospitals better manage complex healthcare demands, and what does this mean for primary health care reform? Join the AFRHiCARE Uganda Webinar Series for a discussion on the challenges facing first-referral hospitals and their implications for strengthening primary health care in Uganda. Topic: Managing Complexity in Uganda’s First-Referral Hospitals: Implications for Primary Health Care Reform Presenter: Prof. Freddie Ssengooba, Professor of Health Economics and Health Systems Management, Makerere University School of Public Health, and Principal Investigator, AFRHiCARE Uganda. Moderator: Dr. Raymond Tweheyo, Co-Principal Investigator and Research Manager, AFRHiCARE Uganda. 📅 Thursday, 22 October 2026 ⏰ 1:00–2:00 PM EAT 💻 Online via Zoom 🔗 Join: t.ly/UFalr Health professionals, hospital managers, policymakers, researchers, students and stakeholders working in health systems strengthening and primary health care are encouraged to participate. #AFRHiCARE #MakSPH #FirstReferralHospitals #PrimaryHealthCare #HealthSystemsStrengthening #Uganda

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Coming Up Tomorrow | Health Systems Dissemination Workshop @Makerere University School of Public Health, in collaboration with Uganda’s Ministry of Health, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and the University of Oslo, invites you to a Health Systems Dissemination Workshop tomorrow to share research findings and discuss decentralisation, community involvement and health financing in Uganda. Theme: Advancing District Health System Resilience through Decentralisation, Community Involvement and Financing in Uganda Speakers: Dr. Alfred Driwale, @MinofHealthUG Dr. Victoria Nankabirwa, Makerere University School of Public Health Dr. Alex R. Ario, @UNIPH3 Dr. Mahima Venkateswaran, Norwegian Institute of Public Health PhD Student Presentation: Mr. Denis Okethwangu 📅 Thursday, 22 October 2026 🕣 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. EAT 💻 Register to join virtually: tinyurl.com/3ww2zvfp #HealthSystems #HealthSystemResilience #CommunityHealth #HealthFinancing #MakSPH

Take Part in a Survey on Changes in Health Research Funding in Sub-Saharan Africa Makerere University School of Public Health is inviting people involved in health policy and systems research relating to sub-Saharan Africa to complete a short survey. We want to understand how recent changes in health research funding have affected research work, organisations, partnerships and careers since January 2025. Your experience will help identify practical actions needed to sustain health policy and systems research across the region. The survey is open to researchers, policymakers, programme implementers, funders and others whose work supports or uses health policy and systems research in sub-Saharan Africa. We also welcome responses from people who have left the field or changed sectors because funding changed. You may participate whether or not you currently live in sub-Saharan Africa. The survey takes about 10–15 minutes. Taking part is voluntary, and your responses will be treated confidentially. Results will be presented only in summary form, without identifying individual participants. Take the survey: ee.kobotoolbox.org/x/teO2ewe… The study is led by Makerere University School of Public Health in collaboration with the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research at the World Health Organization. @Makerere @Lung_Institute @IDIMakerere @MakerereCHS @uonbi

Thank You, Dr. Marianna Agaba Nyangire @Makerere University School of Public Health thanks Dr. Marianna Agaba Nyangire for her service as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health from 2022 to 2026. We appreciate her contribution to teaching, student supervision and mentorship in Occupational Health and Safety, and the collaborative spirit she brought to our academic community. We wish her continued success, fulfilment, and happiness.

Workshop Invitation | Digital Health Dissemination Workshop @Makerere University School of Public Health, in collaboration with @MinofHealthUG and @UniOslo, invites you to a Digital Health Dissemination Workshop tomorrow to share research findings on digital antenatal care and facility-based birth and death notification in Uganda. Topic: Advancing the Digitalisation and Integration of Antenatal Care Systems with Facility-Based Birth and Death Notification in Uganda Speakers: · Dr. Victoria Nankabirwa · Prof. Jahn Frederik Frøen · Dr. Richard Mugahi · Mr. Paul Mbaka PhD Student Presentations: Ms. Flavia Namagembe Ms. Asio Evelyn Patra Ms. Sandra Nabatanzi 📅 Wednesday, 21 October 2026 🕗 8:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m. EAT 💻 Register to join virtually: shorturl.at/eNdWd #MakSPH #DigitalHealth #AntenatalCare #HealthInformationSystems

Webinar Invitation | Rethinking Causality and Evaluation in Complex Systems @Makerere University School of Public Health, through the @CiremHub, invites you to the Navigating Complexity Webinar Series for a discussion on how to assess systems change and understand causality in complex settings. Topic: How Do We Know a System Has Changed? Rethinking Causality and Evaluation in Complex Systems Guest Speaker: Dr. Andrew (Drew) Koleros, Principal Researcher at Mathematica and specialist in systems change evaluation, theory-based evaluation, and complexity-aware approaches. Moderator: Mr. Perez Ochanda, CIREM Hub Deputy Director and Assistant Lecturer, Makerere University School of Public Health. 📅 Wednesday, 21 October 2026 🕒 3:00–4:00 p.m. EAT 💻 Online via Zoom Register to join: shorturl.at/AS4Ea Join researchers, evaluators, policymakers, and practitioners to explore approaches to understanding and evaluating change in complex systems. #MakSPH #CIREM #NavigatingComplexity #SystemsChange #SystemsEvaluation

ACT-PREP: Building Africa’s Research Capacity to Stay Ahead of Epidemics We recently launched the ACT-PREP project. What lies ahead? Prof. Moses Kamya, Executive Director of IDRC_Uganda and a consortium member, shares his vision for strengthening research capacity and fostering collaboration to ensure Africa is better prepared to detect, prevent and respond to epidemics before they strike. @ACTPREPCON_ @Makerere

Study Dissemination Invitation | Improving Healthcare Access for People with Disabilities @Makerere University School of Public Health invites you to a dissemination seminar on findings from the Participatory Learning and Action for Disability (PLA-D) trial in Luuka District. Topic: Improving Healthcare Access for People with Disabilities in Luuka District: Findings from the Participatory Learning and Action for Disability (PLA-D) Trial Speakers • Prof. Hannah Kuper, @LSHTM • Dr. Andrew Ssemata, @MRC_Uganda • Mr. Moses Iyereget, @Amref_Uganda Moderator Prof. @waiswap, Makerere University School of Public Health Date: Thursday, 5 November 2026 Time: 1:00–2:00 p.m. EAT Venue: Seminar Room, MakSPH Join online: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi… Join us for a discussion on improving healthcare access for people with disabilities. #DisabilityInclusion #HealthcareAccess #HealthEquity #DisabilityResearch #MakSPH

Invitation | Joint Public PhD Defence of Ms. Jacquellyn Nambi Ssanyu The Dean, @Makerere University School of Public Health, Prof. @RhodaWanyenze, invites you to the joint PhD defence of Ms. Jacquellyn Nambi Ssanyu, under the joint arrangement between Makerere University and @uppsalauni, Sweden. Thesis title Beyond Service Availability: Family Planning Service Delivery, Women’s Experiences, and Implementation Learning in Urban Eastern Uganda Date: Wednesday, 21 October 2026 Time: 10:15 a.m. EAT | 9:15 a.m. Sweden Format: Hybrid Venue: Sal IV, Universitetshuset, Biskopsgatan 3, Uppsala, Sweden Join via Zoom: uu-se.zoom.us/j/66011416971 Opponent Prof. Charles Anawo Ameh, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom Chairperson Assoc. Prof. Stavros Iliadis, Uppsala University, Sweden Main supervisors • Prof. Mats Målqvist, Uppsala University • Prof. @waiswap, Uppsala University / Makerere University School of Public Health Associate supervisors • Assoc. Prof. Leif Eriksson, Uppsala University • Prof. Joan Kalyango, Makerere University College of Health Sciences Staff, students, and members of the public are welcome to attend.