Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Lira University and Bishop Stuart University (BSU) in collaboration with California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM), Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) won a grant to strengthen the capacity of health professions training institutions in Implementation Science with a focus on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
On June 29, 2022, MUST and her partnering institutions launched a Multiple Principal Investigator Project (MPI) in Building capacity for Implementation Science in Non Communicable Diseases (BImS-NCDs) to mentor health professionals in handling non-communicable diseases. The building capacity for Implementation Science research in Non-Communicable Diseases (BImS-NCDs) training hub at MUST, will provide leadership, best practices, research support, mentoring and training in epidemiological, prevention, and implementation science approaches in NCDs across the lifespan to the partner institutions in rural Uganda.
According to the Vice Chancellor one of the Principal Investigator, mentioned that the project the main objectives of the grant are: creating a training hub at MUST to support research and research training in implementation science, creating a community of practice among the trainees and mentors, train clinicians and health professionals in basic epidemiological, prevention, and implementation science skills to conduct research in NCDs across the lifespan in rural Uganda and lastly to provide mentor training for BImS-NCDs mentors.
While giving the project’s overview during the launch, Dr. Edith Wakida the other Principal Investigator of the project revealed that the grant contains scholarship opportunities for those interested in studying PhDs with their research focusing on NCDs particularly on epilepsy, dementia, mental health, alcohol use disorders and BImS.
‘’A total of six health professionals from MUST, Lira University and BSU will benefit from the grant by becoming PhD fellows. each successful beneficiary will be awarded with a scholarship worth $ 20,000 to enable him/her to complete his PhD and research within the period of three years. Each beneficiary will be allocated to two mentors one from the Ugandan Partnering Universities and another from the partnering institutions in the United States,’’ Dr. Wakida stated.
Dr. Jessica Haberer one of mentors from Massachusetts General hospital and Harvard University Dr. Jessica Haberer trained and oriented the program mentors, training advisory committees on the relevance of Implementation Science in addressing NCDs.
According to reports by WHO, Non-communicable diseases are an emerging global pandemic, with developing countries experiencing disproportionately higher rates. Uganda, with a large rural population, necessitates the development and implementation of evidence-based interventions to address real-world issues and provide long-term solutions.
It will be remembered that during the 28th graduation ceremony of MUST, the Chancellor Prof. Charles Mark Lwanga Olweny, congratulated Dr. Edith Wakida about winning a prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Centre for African Studies, Harvard University. He mentioned that her PhD and post doctorate is about implementation science a field that calls for promoting the improving the quality and effectiveness of Health services in out community.
Prof. Olweny encouraged more staff to try the field of Implementation science as a way of widening their fields of Research.