Afrigather The World Well being Group and Makerere College of Public Well being (MakSPH) are engaged in discussions on how MakSPH could qualify as a WHO Collaborating Centre (WHOCC) in Uganda. This got here up throughout the assembly to evaluate the efficiency of the five-year memorandum of understanding between the 2 establishments on planning and implementing joint analysis tasks in precedence public well being areas within the nation.
In 2019, WHO and MakSPH signed a memorandum of understanding to implement joint analysis tasks in key areas together with, communicable and non-communicable illnesses (NCDs), and well being system strengthening, amongst others. By way of this settlement, they dedicated to sharing info, help coaching, and analysis applications, and strengthening networking alternatives between themselves.
The collaboration has generated lots of information which enhances the help to the Ministry of Well being and the worldwide well being enviornment.
Talking on the evaluate committee, Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the WHO Consultant to Uganda emphasised the necessity to transfer the engagement to a sustainable part. “After 5 years of profitable partnership, we must always begin working in direction of making MakSPH a WHO collaborating Centre. This may guarantee sustainability, together with unlocking alternatives for MakSPH and help to world well being,” he stated.
Of the 829 WHOCCs globally, solely 27 (3.2%) are within the African area (2019). WHOCCs are establishments that work with WHO in disciplines resembling occupational well being, meals security, and communicable illness prevention. Designated by the WHO Director-Basic, they accomplice with WHO to carry out analysis, present coaching, or supply different providers in furthering the well being agenda.
Appreciating WHO’s belief within the MakSPH capacities to conduct analysis on Well being, Prof Rhoda Wanyenze, the Dean of MakSPH appeared ahead to sustaining the prevailing partnership and creating well timed work plans to information future actions. “We hope to make use of these operational analysis findings to tell coverage and decision-making for superior public well being discourse world wide,” she added.
Over the previous 5 years, WHO and MakSPH have efficiently collaborated in implementing forty-six public well being tasks that produced strategic info and coverage outputs for knowledgeable decision-making. Among the technical merchandise developed embody the 2023 Uganda Non-Communicable Illnesses Threat Elements STEPS Survey to ascertain the prevalence of NCDs in Uganda; the Expanded Programme on Immunization Evaluation, and the event of the Nationwide Immunization Technique 2022-2026 to information interventions on scaling up vaccination protection within the nation.
Different merchandise embody the Midterm evaluate of the five-year Nationwide Pharmaceutical Providers Strategic Plan 2021-2025, the KOICA Challenge baseline evaluation and mid-term undertaking analysis, the Diet high quality of providers supply in Rwenzori and West Nile area, and the Measles-Rubella protection survey.
MakSPH is likely one of the 4 Colleges below the Makerere College School of Well being Sciences, a constituent School of Makerere College. The college conducts analysis and offers session providers to the Authorities of Uganda and numerous nationwide and worldwide well being organizations in addition to bilateral and multilateral businesses concerned in well being.
The technical collaboration between WHO and MakSPH is anticipated to contribute to the shared objectives of selling the huge availability of secure, efficient, and inexpensive analysis merchandise, capability constructing, and group service to the general public.
