Makerere University College Of Health Sciences Research Articles

Evaluation of a competency based medical curriculum in a Sub-Saharan African medical school

BackgroundMedical schools in Sub-Saharan Africa have adopted competency based medical education (CBME) to improve the quality of graduates trained. In 2015, Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MaKCHS) implemented CBME for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) programme in order to produce doctors with the required attributes to address community health needs. However, no formal evaluation of the curriculum has been conducted to determine whether all established competencies are being assessed.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether assessment methods within the MBChB curriculum address the stated competencies.MethodsThe evaluation adopted a cross-sectional study design in which the MBChB curriculum was evaluated using an Essential Course Evidence Form (ECEF) that was developed to collect information about each assessment used for each course. Information was collected on: (1) Assessment title, (2) Description, (3) Competency domain (4) Sub-competency addressed, (5) Student instructions, and (6) Grading method/details. Data were entered into a structured Access data base. In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted with faculty course coordinators.ResultsThe MBChB curriculum consisted of 62 courses over 5 years, focusing on preclinical skills in years 1–2 and clinical skills in years 3–5. Fifty-nine competencies were identified and aggregated into 9 domains. Fifty-eight competencies were assessed at least one time in the curriculum. Faculty cited limited training in assessment as well as large student numbers as hindrances to designing robust assessments for the competencies.ConclusionCBME was successfully implemented evidenced by all but one of the 59 competencies within the nine domains established being assessed within the MBChB curriculum at MaKCHS. Faculty interviewed were largely aware of it, however indicated the need for more training in competency-based assessment to improve the implementation of CBME.

The role of conventional echocardiographic parameters on detecting subclinical anthracycline therapy related cardiac dysfunction

Abstract Background Subclinical anthracycline therapy related cardiac dysfunction (ATRCD) can be detected with speckle tracking echocardiographic image (STE), which is not widely available in Uganda. We aimed to investigate the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the two conventional echocardiographic parameters (reduction of mitral annular plane systolic exertion (MAPSE) and reduction of mitral annular peak systolic tissue Doppler velocity (s')) on diagnosing subclinical ATRCD. Method and results 207 cancer patients who underwent anthracycline based chemo therapy were recruited at baseline and followed up until 6 months after ending anthracycline therapy. Comprehensive echocardiographic data were collected at each visits. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) by STE was used as the gold standard diagnostic test to define the case of subclinical ATRCD. Data of the 200 patients who had no evidence of clinical ATRCD were analyzed. 172 (86.0%) were female, with a median age of 42 years and cumulative incidence of ATRCD at the end of anthracycline therapy was 23.5% by GLS criteria. The AUC, cutpoint, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of reduction of MAPSE were 0.6736 (95% CI: 0.5885, 0.7587), ≥2 mm, 74.47% (95% CI: 59.65%, 86.06%), 54.90% (95% CI: 46.66%, 62.95%), 33.70% (95% CI: 24.68%, 43.58%) and 87.50%% (95% CI: 79.18%, 93.37%). The AUC, cutpoint, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of reduction of S' were 0.6018 (95% CI: 0.5084, 0.6953), ≥0.5 mm/s, 61.70% (95% CI: 46.38%, 75.49%), 52.67% (95% CI: 44.36%, 60.87%), 29.00% (95% CI: 20.36%, 38.93%) and 76.14%% (95% CI: 72.27%, 88.62%). Conclusion The reduction of MAPSE and S' demonstrated fairly good accuracy, sensitivity and negative predictive value to detect subclinical ATRCD in Ugandan cancer patients. These conventional echocardiographic parameters may serve as screening tools for detecting subclinical ATRCD in resource limited settings. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): NURTURE Research Training and Mentoring Program for Career Development of Faculty at MakerereUniversity College of Health Sciences, Uganda supported by the Office Of The Director, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institute Of Neurological.

Use of individual development plans: experiences from junior faculty in the "NURTURE" mentored research program at Makerere University College of Health Sciences.

Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a multi-component career planning worksheet that guides trainees through an iterative self-assessment. This paper provides the first investigation of IDP use and experiences among junior faculty at academic institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where IDP is seldomly used by trainees. An online survey determined the utilization and impact of IDP among junior faculty trainees enrolled on "NURTURE" mentored research program to support career development for faculty at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) between 2016-2020. Responses were received between March and June 2021, a period of intense COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Of 64 trainees 64(39%) were female and 60/64(98%) developed an IDP during the fellowship period; of whom 45/60(75%) had never been exposed to IDP. Trainees' benefits included intentional thinking about own career goals and support to execute the goals as well as self-management skills of time management and communication, among others. IDP was well-received by junior faculty trainees, with several self-management and motivation benefits to the scholars. We recommend that academic programs and faculty at academic institutions in LMIC should consider taking on the IDP approach to promote focused career development for all trainees including junior faculty.

What Influences Students Choice for Health Professions Education at Makerere University?

BackgroundMotivation to pursue health professions education may stem from external incentives such as wealth, fame, and popularity. For others it is for internal reasons like the desire to serve society. In this study, we aimed to identify what influences students’ choice for an undergraduate health professions program at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS).MethodsA cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted among first-year undergraduate students pursuing bachelor degrees in medicine and surgery (MBChB), nursing (BNur), pharmacy (BPharm), medical radiology (BMR), and dental surgery (BDS). A self-administered questionnaire with open-ended questions was distributed to the students during a tutorial session in the second week of the first semester (academic year 2010/2011). Completed questionnaires were entered into a Microsoft Access database. Median (Interquartile range-IQR) and frequencies of respondents were used to describe the study sample. Content analysis with emergent coding was used to analyze the qualitative data.ResultsOverall, 145 students (response rate = 72%, N = 201) with a median age of 20 (IQR: 19–20) years responded to the study. The majority of the participants were male (75.2%, n = 109), and were pursuing MBChB (65.5%, n = 91). Two themes identified showed that students appeared to be motivated by internal motivation and external motivation factors. Personal desire, and a calling to serve, were the significant internal motivating factors, while nature of the education system and the need to upgrade were prominent external motivating factor.ConclusionMultiple factors that are both extrinsic and intrinsic influence the choice for medical education among health professions student at this African institution.

Etheldreda Nakimuli-Mpungu: innovator in mental health

Etheldreda Nakimuli-Mpungu is a rising researcher and clinician doing innovative work in mental health and HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. She is a Senior Lecturer and psychiatric epidemiologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) and head of the consultation–liaison psychiatric service at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. Almost a decade ago, she recalls that “around that time, there were researchers who had resolved that Africans cannot comprehend psychotherapy; therefore, they gave persons living with HIV antidepressants as first-line treatment for mild-to-moderate depression in their research studies. In fact, there was an NIH funded grant in my department at the time that was evaluating the use of antidepressants for depression among people living with HIV. I said to myself, but this is not right because antidepressants are not the first-line treatment.” She “strongly believed that what we should be doing was to develop culturally appropriate psychotherapy for depression” in this population.

Utilization and uptake of the UpToDate clinical decision support tool at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS), Uganda.

The use of point-of-care, evidence-based tools is becoming increasingly popular. They can provide easy-touse, high-quality information which is regularly updated and has been shown to improve clinical outcomes. Integrating such tools into clinical practice is an important component of improving the quality of health care. However, because such tools are rarely used in resource-limited settings, there is limited research on uptake especially among medical students. This paper explores the uptake of one such tool, Up-To-Date, when provided free of cost at a medical school in Africa. In partnership with the Better Evidence at Ariadne Labs free access to UpToDate was granted through the MakCHS IP address. On-site librarians facilitated training sessions and spread awareness of the tool. Usage data was aggregated, based on log ins and content views, presented and analyzed using Excel tables and graphs. The data shows evidence of meaningful usage, with 43,043 log ins and 15,591 registrations between August 2019 and August 2020. The most common topics viewed were in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, drug information, and infectious diseases. Access occurred mainly through the mobile phone app. Findings show usage by various user categories, but with inconsistent uptake and low usage. Librarians can draw upon these results to encourage institutions to support uptake of point-of-care tools in clinical practice.

Specialty career preferences among final year medical students at Makerere University College of health sciences, Uganda: a mixed methods study

BackgroundUganda has an imbalanced distribution of the health workforce, which may be influenced by the specialty career preferences of medical students. In spite of this, there is inadequate literature concerning the factors influencing specialty career preferences. We aimed to determine the specialty career preferences and the factors influencing the preferences among fifth year medical students in the School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS).MethodsA sequential explanatory mixed methods study design with a descriptive cross-sectional study followed by a qualitative study was used. A total of 135 final year medical students in MakCHS were recruited using consecutive sampling. Self-administered questionnaires and three focus group discussions were conducted. Quantitative data was analysed in STATA version 13 (StataCorp, College Station, Tx, USA) using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and logistic regression. Qualitative data was analysed in NVIVO version 12 (QRS International, Cambridge, MA) using content analysis.ResultsOf 135 students 91 (67.4%) were male and their median age was 24 years (IQR: 24, 26). As a first choice, the most preferred specialty career was obstetrics and gynecology (34/135, 25.2%), followed by surgery (27/135, 20.0%), pediatrics (18/135, 13.3%) and internal medicine (17/135, 12.6%). Non-established specialties such as anesthesia and Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) were not selected as a first choice by any student. Female students had 63% less odds of selecting surgical related specialties compared to males (aOR = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.17–0.84). The focus group discussions highlighted controlled lifestyle, assurance of a good life through better financial remuneration and inspirational specialists as facilitators for specialty preference. Bad experience during the clinical rotations, lack of career guidance plus perceived poor and miserable specialists were highlighted as barriers to specialty preference.ConclusionObstetrics and Gynecology, Surgery, Pediatrics and Internal Medicine are well-established disciplines, which were dominantly preferred. Females were less likely to select surgical disciplines as a career choice. Therefore, there is a need to implement or establish career guidance and mentorship programs to attract students to the neglected disciplines.

Use of post-graduate students' research in evidence informed health policies: a case study of Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda

BackgroundWorld over, stakeholders are increasingly concerned about making research useful in public policy-making. However, there are hardly any reports linking production of research by students at institutions of higher learning to its application in society. We assessed whether and how post-graduate students’ research was used in evidence-informed health policies.MethodsThis is a multiple case study of master’s students’ dissertations at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) produced between 1996 and 2010. In a structured review, we applied a theoretical framework of ‘research use’ and used content analysis to map how research was used in public policy documents. We categorised content of these documents according to the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDG). We defined a case of ‘use’ as citation of research products from a master’s student’s dissertation in a public policy-related document.ResultsWe found 22 cases of research use in policy-related documents (0.5%) out of a total 4230 citations from 16 of 1172 total dissertations (1.4%). Additionally, research was mostly cited in primary studies (95.4%), systematic reviews (3%), narrative reviews (0.8%) and cost-effectiveness analyses (0.2%). Research was predominantly used instrumentally, to either frame the problem (burden of disease or health condition) or select an intervention (treatment or diagnostic option) and rarely symbolically to justify strategies already selected. The bulk of the cases of research use addressed child health (MDG 4), focusing on infectious diseases (MDG 6), mainly in international clinical or public health guidelines, working papers, a consensus statement and a global report. We distilled ‘synergistic relationships’ among organisations or interest groups, ‘globalisation of local evidence’, ‘trade-offs’ in the use of research and use of ‘negative results’ from the documents and text content.ConclusionsResearch from dissertations of post-graduate students at MakCHS is used in evidence-informed health policies, particularly for infectious diseases in child health. Further, we have delineated pathways of research use in the global arena and highlighted the importance of ‘negative results’ from dissertations of post-graduate students at MakCHS.

A need to accelerate health research productivity in an African University: the case of Makerere University College of Health Sciences

BackgroundIn the last decade, Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) has taken strides in research and training to improve healthcare through collaborative training and research programs. However, there is limited data on the trends of MakCHS faculty contributions to research and on faculty growth to take leading roles in health research. This paper reviews MakCHS faculty research publications over 15.5 years and outlines possible strategies to enhance faculty research outputs.MethodsWe used a mixed methods approach. A systematic review of research publications by faculty at MakCHS (PubMed and Google Scholar from January 1, 2000, to June 30, 2015) to quantify the number of research articles, areas researched, authorship contribution by MakCHS faculty, source of funding, as well as affiliated local and international collaborations. Graphs were used to shown trends in publications and leadership of authorship by faculty. Annual individual faculty research productivity was presented as publication per capita. Qualitative data on high priority needs to improve research outputs was collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) with faculty members, and analysed manually into emerging themes.ResultsOf 298 faculty at MakCHS at 2015, 89 (30%) were female and 229 (77%) were junior and mid-level faculty (senior lecturer and below). The PubMed and Google Scholar searches yielded 6927 published articles, of which 3399 (49%) full-text articles were downloaded for analysis, 426/3825 (11%) available as titles/abstracts only, and 598/4423 (14%) were excluded. Only 614 articles were published in 2014, giving a publication per capita of 2.1 for any authorship, and 0.3 for first and last authorship positions. MakCHS faculty increasingly contributed as first, second, third, and last authors. Up to 57% of research was in infectious diseases, followed by non-communicable diseases (20%) and non-communicable maternal child health (11%). Priority needs to improve research outputs, as expressed by faculty, were (1) an institutionally led faculty career development program, (2) skills building in research methods and scientific writing, (3) protected time for research related activities, (4) opportunities for collaborative research, and (5) use of individual development plans.ConclusionFaculty research productivity was low and dominated by infectious diseases and non-communicable disease research. There is a need for structured institutional support to optimise faculty research outputs. Only with increased research productivity will MakCHS and other academic institutions be able to make a significant contribution in addressing national health challenges.

A situation analysis of inter-professional education and practice for ethics and professionalism training at Makerere University College of Health Sciences.

BackgroundStudents at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) are introduced to ethics and professionalism using the inter-professional education (IPE) model. Ethics and professionalism should be running themes throughout succeeding years of study during which students are expected to develop qualities and skills for future inter-professional practice (IPP). We performed a situation analysis of IPE and IPP among students and teaching health professionals at MakCHS to guide development of a relevant training curriculum of ethics and professionalism.MethodsA cross sectional study with quantitative and qualitative methods which included questionnaires, focus group discussions and key informant interviews.ResultsWe interviewed 236 undergraduate students (148, 63 % male) and 32 teaching health professionals (25, 78 % male). Two hundred fifteen (91 %) students indicated they had joint learning activities with students of other professions and 166 (70 %) stated there was benefit in having an IPE model training curriculum. Most students (140, 59 %) strongly agreed that learning with other students will make them more effective members of the health team. Whereas the respondents reported inter professionalism as being well articulated in their course curricula, more than half said IPE is only implemented in the pre-clinical years of study. They noted that IPE and IPP concepts were not well programmed, health professionals engaged in teaching had poor attitudes towards IPE and IPP, there were limited numbers of skilled health care workers to implement IPP and there was poor communication between students and teaching health professionals. Majority of teaching health professionals noted challenges in implementation of IPE such as poor coordination and large student population and major factors influencing ethics and professionalism in healthcare such as limited government support, low pay for the health care workers, disrespect and lack of appreciation of the health workers by the public.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that IPE, IPP, ethics and professionalism are not emphasized in the clinical years of study at MakCHS. We recommend increased sensitization on the concepts of IPE and IPP plus enhanced mentorship for both students and teaching health professionals. Innovative strategies of implementation of IPE and IPP for training in ethics and professionalism must be introduced.

Doctoral training in Uganda: evaluation of mentoring best practices at Makerere university college of health sciences

BackgroundGood mentoring is a key variable for determining success in completing a doctoral program. We identified prevailing mentoring practices among doctoral students and their mentors, identified common challenges facing doctoral training, and proposed some solutions to enhance the quality of the doctoral training experience for both candidates and mentors at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS).MethodsThis cross-sectional qualitative evaluation was part of the monitoring and evaluation program for doctoral training. All doctoral students and their mentors were invited for a half-day workshop through the MakCHS mailing list. Prevailing doctoral supervision and mentoring guidelines were summarised in a one-hour presentation. Participants were split into two homogenous students’ (mentees’) and mentors’ groups to discuss specific issues using a focus group discussion (FGD) guide, that highlighted four main themes in regard to the doctoral training experience; what was going well, what was not going well, proposed solutions to current challenges and perceived high priority areas for improvement. The two groups came together again and the note-takers from each group presented their data and discussions were recorded by a note-taker.ResultsTwelve out of 36 invited mentors (33%) and 22 out of 40 invited mentees (55%) attended the workshop. Mentors and mentees noted increasing numbers of doctoral students and mentors, which provided opportunities for peer mentorship. Delays in procurement and research regulatory processes subsequently delayed students’ projects. Similarly, mentees mentioned challenges of limited; 1) infrastructure and mentors to support basic science research projects, 2) physical office space for doctoral students and their mentors, 3) skills in budgeting and finance management and 4) communication skills including conflict resolution. As solutions, the team proposed skills’ training, induction courses for doctoral students-mentor teams, and a Frequently Asked Questions’ document, to better inform mentors’, mentees’ expectations and experiences.ConclusionSystemic and infrastructural limitations affect the quality of the doctoral training experience at MaKCHS. Clinical and biomedical research infrastructure, in addition to training in research regulatory processes, procurement and finance management, communication skills and information technology, were highlighted as high priority areas for strategic interventions to improve mentoring within doctoral training of clinician scientists.

Abstract 2651: Nestin expression in tumor cells is associated with the basal-like phenotype and aggressive features in breast cancer.

Abstract Background: Nestin, neuroepithelial stem cell protein, is an intermediate filament protein originally described as a neuronal stem cell/progenitor marker during central nervous system development. Nestin is also expressed in immature or progenitor cells in non-neural tissues, including the basal/myoepithelial layer of the mammary gland and immature blood vessels. Recently, nestin positivity has been reported in different cancer types, and on this background we wanted to evaluate nestin positivity in breast cancer. Materials and methods: Immunohistochemical staining of nestin was done on tissue microarray slides from two independent series of breast cancer. Series 1 was a nested case-control study of interval and screening detected breast cancer based on the Norwegian Mammography Screening Program in Hordaland County during 1996-2001, giving a series of 190 patients with invasive breast cancer. Series 2 included 192 cases of invasive breast carcinoma from 1990-2002 identified in the Kampala Cancer Registry, and at the Department of Pathology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS), Kampala, Uganda. Evaluation of staining was done using staining index, where the staining index (values 0-9) was obtained as a product of staining intensity (0-3) and proportion of immunopositive cells (<10%, 1; 10-50%, 2; >50%, 3). A staining index above 0 was regarded as positivity for nestin. Results: In both series, nestin positivity in tumor cells was significantly associated with higher histologic grade; grade 1-2 vs. grade 3, (p<0.0005), negativity for estrogen receptor (p<0.0005) and progesterone receptor (p=0.001 in series 1 and p<0.0005 in series 2), high tumor cell proliferation by Ki-67 (p<0.0005 and p=0.005 in series 1 and 2, respectively), positivity for p53 (p=0.001 in series 1 and p=0.010 in series 2) and increased activation of angiogenesis estimated by vascular proliferation index (VPI)(p=0.035 in series 1 and p=0.001 in series 2). Concerning basal cell markers, nestin positivity in tumor cells was significantly associated with cytokeratin 5/6 and p-cadherin, with p-values <0.0005 in both series. Further, strong associations were seen with the triple negative phenotype (p<0.0005) and with five immunohistochemical profiles for the basal-like phenotype (1-5), with odds ratios from 7.1-18.3 and 10.7-18.1 in series 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusion: In these two series of breast cancer, nestin expression in tumor cells was significantly associated with features of aggressive breast cancer disease such as higher histologic grade, negativity for estrogen and progesterone receptors and high tumor cell proliferation by Ki-67. Further, nestin positivity was significantly associated with basal cell markers, the triple negative phenotype and the basal-like phenotype. Citation Format: Kristi Krüger, Hawa Nalwoga, Karin Collett, Jarle B. Arnes, Turid Aas, Lars A. Akslen. Nestin expression in tumor cells is associated with the basal-like phenotype and aggressive features in breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2651. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2651

Mentorship needs at academic institutions in resource-limited settings: a survey at makerere university college of health sciences

BackgroundMentoring is a core component of medical education and career success. There is increasing global emphasis on mentorship of young scientists in order to train and develop the next leaders in global health. However, mentoring efforts are challenged by the high clinical, research and administrative demands. We evaluated the status and nature of mentoring practices at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MAKCHS).MethodsPre-tested, self-administered questionnaires were sent by email to all Fogarty alumni at the MAKCHS (mentors) and each of them was requested to complete and email back the questionnaire. In addition to training level and number of mentors, the questionnaires had open-ended questions covering themes such as; status of mentorship, challenges faced by mentors and strategies to improve and sustain mentorship within MAKCHS. Similarly, open-ended questionnaires were sent and received by email from all graduate students (mentees) registered with the Uganda Society for Health Scientists (USHS). Qualitative data from mentors and mentees was analyzed manually according to the pre-determined themes.ResultsTwenty- two out of 100 mentors responded (14 email and 8 hard copy responses). Up to 77% (17/22) of mentors had Master's-level training and only 18% (4/22) had doctorate-level training. About 40% of the mentors had ≥ two mentees while 27% had none. Qualitative results showed that mentors needed support in terms of training in mentoring skills and logistical/financial support to carry out successful mentorship. Junior scientists and students reported that mentorship is not yet institutionalized and it is currently occurring in an adhoc manner. There was lack of awareness of roles of mentors and mentees. The mentors mentioned the limited number of practicing mentors at the college and thus the need for training courses and guidelines for faculty members in regard to mentorship at academic institutions.ConclusionsBoth mentors and mentees were willing to improve mentorship practices at MAKCHS. There is need for institutional commitment to uphold and sustain the mentorship best practices. We recommend a collaborative approach by the stakeholders in global health promotion to build local capacity in mentoring African health professionals.

Building partnerships towards strengthening Makerere University College of Health Sciences: a stakeholder and sustainability analysis

BackgroundPartnerships and networking are important for an institution of higher learning like Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) to be competitive and sustainable.MethodsA stakeholder and sustainability analysis of 25 key informant interviews was conducted among past, current and potential stakeholders of MakCHS to obtain their perspectives and contributions to sustainability of the College in its role to improve health outcomes.ResultsThe College has multiple internal and external stakeholders. Stakeholders from Uganda wanted the College to use its enormous academic capacity to fulfil its vision, take initiative, and be innovative in conducting more research and training relevant to the country’s health needs. Many stakeholders felt that the initiative for collaboration currently came more from the stakeholders than the College. External stakeholders felt that MakCHS was insufficiently marketing itself and not directly engaging the private sector or Parliament. Stakeholders also identified the opportunity for MakCHS to embrace information technology in research, learning and training, and many also wanted MakCHS to start leadership and management training programmes in health systems. The need for MakCHS to be more vigorous in training to enhance professionalism and ethical conduct was also identified.DiscussionAs a constituent of a public university, MakCHS has relied on public funding, which has been inadequate to fulfill its mission. Broader networking, marketing to mobilize resources, and providing strong leadership and management support to inspire confidence among its current and potential stakeholders will be essential to MakCHS’ further growth. MakCHS’ relevance is hinged on generating research knowledge for solving the country’s contemporary health problems and starting relevant programs and embracing technologies. It should share new knowledge widely through publications and other forms of dissemination. Whether institutional leadership is best in the hands of academicians or professional managers is a debatable matter.ConclusionsThis study points towards the need for MakCHS and other African public universities to build a broad network of partnerships to strengthen their operations, relevance, and sustainability. Conducting stakeholder and sustainability analyses are instructive toward this end, and have provided information and perspectives on how to make long-range informed choices for success.

Makerere University College of Health Sciences’ role in addressing challenges in health service provision at Mulago National Referral Hospital

BackgroundMulago National Referral Hospital (MNRH), Uganda’s primary tertiary and teaching hospital, and Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) have a close collaborative relationship. MakCHS students complete clinical rotations at MNRH, and MakCHS faculty partner with Mulago staff in clinical care and research. In 2009, as part of a strategic planning process, MakCHS undertook a qualitative study to examine care and service provision at MNRH, identify challenges, gaps, and solutions, and explore how MakCHS could contribute to improving care and service delivery at MNRH.MethodsKey informant interviews (n=23) and focus group discussions (n=7) were conducted with nurses, doctors, administrators, clinical officers and other key stakeholders. Interviews and focus groups were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim, and findings were analyzed through collaborative thematic analysis.ResultsChallenges to care and service delivery at MNRH included resource constraints (staff, space, equipment, and supplies), staff inadequacies (knowledge, motivation, and professionalism), overcrowding, a poorly functioning referral system, limited quality assurance, and a cumbersome procurement system. There were also insufficiencies in the teaching of professionalism and communication skills to students, and patient care challenges that included lack of access to specialized services, risk of infections, and inappropriate medications.Suggestions for how MakCHS could contribute to addressing these challenges included strengthening referral systems and peripheral health center capacity, and establishing quality assurance mechanisms. The College could also strengthen the teaching of professionalism, communication and leadership skills to students, and monitor student training and develop courses that contribute to continuous professional development. Additionally, the College could provide in-service education for providers on professionalism, communication skills, strategies that promote evidence-based practice and managerial leadership skills.ConclusionsAlthough there are numerous barriers to delivery of quality health services at MNRH, many barriers could be addressed by strengthening the relationship between the Hospital and MakCHS. Strategic partnerships and creative use of existing resources, both human and financial, could improve the quality of care and service delivery at MNRH. Improving services and providing more skills training could better prepare MakCHS graduates for leadership roles in other health care facilities, ultimately improving health outcomes throughout Uganda.

A grander challenge: the case of how Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) contributes to health outcomes in Africa.

Background“Grand challenges” in global health have focused on discovery and development of technologies to save lives. The “grander challenge” involves building institutions, systems, capacity and demand to effectively deliver strategies to improve health. In 2008, Makerere University began a radical institutional change to bring together four schools under one College of Health Sciences. This paper’s objective is to demonstrate how its leadership in training, research, and services can improve health in Uganda and internationally, which lies at the core of the College’s vision.MethodsA comprehensive needs assessment involved five task forces that identified MakCHS’s contribution to the Ugandan government health priorities. Data were collected through analysis of key documents; systematic review of MakCHS publications and grants; surveys of patients, students and faculty; and key informant interviews of the College’s major stakeholders. Four pilot projects were conducted to demonstrate how the College can translate research into policy and practice, extend integrated outreach community-based education and service, and work with communities and key stakeholders to address their priority health problems.ResultsMakCHS inputs to the health sector include more than 600 health professionals graduating per year through 23 degree programs, many of whom assume leadership positions. MakCHS contributions to processes include strengthened approaches to engaging communities, standardized clinical care procedures, and evidence-informed policy development. Outputs include the largest number of outpatients and inpatient admissions in Uganda. From 2005-2009, MakCHS also produced 837 peer-reviewed research publications (67% in priority areas). Outcomes include an expanded knowledge pool, and contributions to coverage of health services and healthy behaviors. Impacts include discovery and applications of global significance, such as the use of nevirapine to prevent HIV transmission in childbirth and male circumcision for HIV prevention. Pilot projects have applied innovative demand and supply incentives to create a rapid increase in safe deliveries (3-fold increase after 3 months), and increased quality and use of HIV services with positive collateral improvements on non-HIV health services at community clinics.ConclusionMakCHS has made substantial contributions to improving health in Uganda, and shows great potential to enhance this in its new transformational role – a model for other Universities.

Research translation to inform national health policies: learning from multiple perspectives in Uganda

BackgroundResearch and evidence can have an impact on policy and practice, resulting in positive outcomes. However, research translation is a complex, dynamic and non-linear process. Although universities in Africa play a major role in generating research evidence, their strategic approaches to influence health policies and decision making are weak. This study was conducted with the aim of understanding the process of translating research into policy in order to guide the strategic direction of Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) and similar institutions in their quest to influence health outcomes nationally and globally.MethodsA case study approach using 30 in-depth interviews with stakeholders involved in two HIV prevention research project was purposively selected. The study sought to analyze the research-to-policy discourses for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and safe male circumcision (SMC). The analysis sought to identify entry points, strengths and challenges for research-to-policy processes by interviewing three major groups of stakeholders in Uganda – researchers (8), policy makers (12) and media practitioners (12).ResultsAmong the factors that facilitated PMTCT policy uptake and continued implementation were: shared platforms for learning and decision making among stakeholders, implementation pilots to assess feasibility of intervention, the emerging of agencies to undertake operations research and the high visibility of policy benefits to child survival. In contrast, SMC policy processes were stalled for over two years after the findings of the Uganda study was made public. Among other factors, policy makers demanded additional research to assess implementation feasibility of SMC within ordinary health system context. High level leaders also publicly contested the SMC evidence and the underlying values and messages – a situation that reduced the coalition of policy champions.ConclusionsThis study shows that effective translation of PMTCT and SMC research results demanded a “360 degree” approach to assembling additional evidence to inform the implementation feasibility for these two HIV prevention interventions. MakCHS and similar institutions should prioritize implementation research to guide the policy processes about the feasibility of implementing new and effective innovations (e.g. PMTCT or SMC) at a large scale in contexts that may be different from the research environments.

Increasing access to institutional deliveries using demand and supply side incentives: early results from a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundGeographical inaccessibility, lack of transport, and financial burdens are some of the demand side constraints to maternal health services in Uganda, while supply side problems include poor quality services related to unmotivated health workers and inadequate supplies. Most public health interventions in Uganda have addressed only selected supply side issues, and universities have focused their efforts on providing maternal services at tertiary hospitals. To demonstrate how reforms at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) can lead to making systemic changes that can improve maternal health services, a demand and supply side strategy was developed by working with local communities and national stakeholders.MethodsThis quasi-experimental trial is conducted in two districts in Eastern Uganda. The supply side component includes health worker refresher training and additions of minimal drugs and supplies, whereas the demand side component involves vouchers given to pregnant women for motorcycle transport and the payment to service providers for antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care. The trial is ongoing, but early analysis from routine health information systems on the number of services used is presented.ResultsMotorcyclists in the community organized themselves to accept vouchers in exchange for transport for antenatal care, deliveries and postnatal care, and have become actively involved in ensuring that women obtain care. Increases in antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care were demonstrated, with the number of safe deliveries in the intervention area immediately jumping from <200 deliveries/month to over 500 deliveries/month in the intervention arm. Voucher revenues have been used to obtain needed supplies to improve quality and to pay health workers, ensuring their availability at a time when workloads are increasing.ConclusionsTransport and service vouchers appear to be a viable strategy for rapidly increasing maternal care. MakCHS can design strategies together with stakeholders using a learning-by-doing approach to take advantage of community resources.

Taking down ‘the Ivory Tower’: leveraging academia for better health outcomes in Uganda

ivory tower, noun (1) an impractical often escapist attitude marked by aloof lack of concern with or interest in practical matters or urgent problems; (2) a secluded place that affords the means of treating practical issues with an impractical often escapist attitude; especially a place of learning [1]. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is home to less than ten percent of the world’s population but bears nearly a quarter of the world’s disease burden. At the same time, the region has limited financial resources to invest in solutions [2]. The international community has commonly responded with narrowly focused, short term, technical approaches or relatively simplistic aid programs. The absence of a comprehensive strategy or “systems approach” has resulted in a patchwork of well-intended but often poorly coordinated initiatives. While academic institutions in the North (i.e. North America and Europe) have sought opportunities to be helpful, concerns have been raised regarding the focus of their initiatives and misalignments with the priorities of host countries. Funding for such initiatives typically originate outside of the region and while academic institutions in the North have clearly benefited from these opportunities, the value to the host institutions or to health systems in SSA is often much more difficult to determine. Another concern pertains to the relevance of academic institutions in the face of dire global health challenges. What role can academic institutions play in creating practical solutions to tackle pressing societal problems? By their nature, institutions of higher learning are concerned with the creation of new knowledge, while often leaving the application of their findings to others. They rarely evaluate the relevancy of their training programs to the current needs of the health care system. Implementation has not traditionally been considered as part of the academic agenda. In addition, stakeholders who are most familiar with the problems that hamper improvements in health are usually not members of academic communities. As a result, civil society and government agencies, such as the Ministries of Education and Health, often view academicians as intellectuals who are cloistered in their Ivory Towers, seemingly uninterested or unwilling to deal with the pressing problems of the day. In the case of global health, an ever growing number of non-governmental organizations have stepped forward to work on solutions, with academic institutions watching from the sidelines. This collection of papers, focused on work conducted at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) in Uganda, challenges the Ivory Tower notion with a set of approaches and findings that are a testimony to the relevance of a leading academic institution to the health problems of SSA. The papers range from assessments of the educational approaches and ability to provide health services, to policy and strategic analysis needed for sustainability of the institution, to research projects that demonstrate the practical role of the University in the health sector. Furthermore they demonstrate a new model of collaboration between universities in lowand high-income countries; a model that emphasizes local leadership and ownership. Most of the papers in this supplement are based on work that was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). With the belief that health science schools have a critical role in improving health care in SSA, the BMGF initiated their Collaborative Learning Initiative in 2008 with two-year learning grants designed to demonstrate and incentivize the accountability of health professions schools to the problems of society [3]. These grants brought together leading health science schools in SSA with partner schools in the U.S. to explore the value proposition that academia could bring to the pressing health problems in the region. To be sure, these relationships have existed for many years, long preceding the initiation of these learning grants. Correspondence: jckolars@umich.edu Professor of Medicine, Senior Associate Dean of Education and Global Initiatives, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5624, USA Kolars BMC International Health and Human Rights 2011, 11(Suppl 1):S1 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-698X/11/S1/S1

Assessing community perspectives of the community based education and service model at Makerere University, Uganda: a qualitative evaluation

BackgroundCommunity partnerships are defined as groups working together with shared goals, responsibilities, and power to improve the community. There is growing evidence that these partnerships contribute to the success and sustainability of community-based education and service programs (COBES), facilitating change in community actions and attitudes. Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) is forging itself as a transformational institution in Uganda and the region. The College is motivated to improve the health of Ugandans through innovative responsive teaching, provision of service, and community partnerships. Evaluating the COBES program from the community perspective can assist the College in refining an innovative and useful model that has potential to improve the health of Ugandans.MethodsA stratified random sample of 11 COBES sites was selected to examine the community’s perception of the program. Key Informant Interviews of 11 site tutors and 33 community members were completed. The data was manually analyzed and themes developed.ResultsCommunities stated the students consistently engaged with them with culturally appropriate behaviour. They rated the student’s communication as very good even though translators were frequently needed. Half the community stated they received some feedback from the students, but some communities interpreted any contact after the initial visit as feedback. Communities confirmed and appreciated that the students provided a number of interventions and saw positive changes in health and health seeking behaviours. The community reflected that some programs were more sustainable than others; the projects that needed money to implement were least sustainable. The major challenges from the community included community fatigue, and poor motivation of community leaders to continue to take students without compensation.ConclusionsCommunities hosting Makerere students valued the students’ interventions and the COBES model. They reported witnessing health benefits of fewer cases of disease, increased health seeking behavior and sustainable healthcare programs. The evidence suggests that efforts to standardize objectives, implement structural adjustments, and invest in development of the program would yield even more productive community interactions and a healthcare workforce with public health skills needed to work in rural communities.