A total of 50 Primary Health care providers in the districts of southwestern Uganda have been trained in scientific writing, and publication through a two-day workshop held at Oxford Hotel in Mbarara city. The workshop was organized by the First Mile Community Health Program aiming at improving scientific writing skills among primary healthcare-level providers in southwestern Uganda.
The participants acquired skills regarding components of a scientific paper, goals of scientific writing, techniques of writing clearly, and qualities making a paper publishable in credible peer reviewed journals.
The Dean Faculty of Medicine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Dr. Joseph Ngonzi graced the workshop. The facilitators of the workshop were Mr. Ntaro Moses, Ms. Eleanor Turyakira, and Dr. Fred Bagenda. These guided the participants in the process of writing a publishable scientific paper. The areas of focus were coming up with a good introduction, methods, results, and discussion sections, and generating a concise abstract.
Mr. Ntaro Moses highlighted the requirements that are needed by reputable global journals to publish one’s scientific paper. This was aimed at packaging the information that is needed by peer-reviewed journals and readers so as to produce more articles to be shared with a wider audience and also to add to the existing body of knowledge.
The program director, First Mile Community Health Program, Assoc. Prof Edgar Mulogo, stated that various health facilities have a lot of data that has not been used, but after the workshop, the data is expected to be used by the trained health providers to write scientific papers and add on the existing scientific knowledge through various peer-reviewed journals.. He also emphasized that writing a scientific paper and publishing is a process that requires time because it cannot be done within two days.
‘’We shall move together with these leaders and equip them with more skills to develop manuscripts and publish them also to boost their professional development. As MUST, we shall give support to this workshop’s participants through the First Mile Community Health program in order to ensure that they identify topics and areas that need to be researched,’’ Prof Mulogo pledged.
The workshop was closed by Dr. Ngonzi who emphasized the importance of building scientific writing, and publication skills among the primary healthcare providers.
‘’Creating research knowledge is not just for you to be researched on google but for your own professional development… It feels nice when you mention your name and let the world know who you’re in terms of articles written other than being a health worker only… I hope the knowledge you have obtained from this workshop is enough for you to start on the scientific writing process at your facilities and in the long run, your facilities will be improved because of what you have researched about,’’ He advised the health facility leaders.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Ngonzi appreciated Prof. Edgar Mulogo and his First Mile Community health team for taking off their time to disseminate knowledge and scientific writing, and publication skills to the primary healthcare providers in southwestern Uganda.
All participants were awarded certificates from the faculty of medicine for successfully participating in this workshop.
The participants appreciated the First Mile for organizing this workshop that has opened their eyes to the scientific world.
Dr. Hassan, the in-charge of Rwesande Health centre IV in Kasese district said that he was able to translate the existing data at his health facility into documentation and it was going to help him understand better the meaning of the people his facility is serving.‘’I do intend to embark on scientific research writing to solve more community problems such as domestic and gender-based violence to address the identified knowledge gaps… We experience many challenges at our health facility, but we have been not able to communicate to the necessary stakeholders for help” he added.
‘’We generate a lot of information but we are unable to package it for the stakeholders to generate solutions for the problems our facilities are facing. I would like to thank the management of the First Mile Community Health program for always taking care of us in building our capacities because I’m now able to initiate this within Lugazi Health centre IV… I will orient my staff members through continuous meetings to come up with ideas from the already existing data at our facility and work together to come up with scientific papers,’’ Dr. Aidah Nankinga, Facility leaders of Rugazi Health Centre IV, Rubirizi District.
The participants requested First Mile Community Health program to go down at the ground where these facilities are located so that more health workers can attain these skills and also if it’s possible to add more time during the training since many of them are hearing about scientific writing for the first time while others last heard about it during their last heard it during their undergraduate studies.
In response, Mr. Ntaro explained that this was an introductory session but we shall move with the primary healthcare workers and guide them on publishing and disseminating their findings at district, national and international levels. In preparation for continuous engagements, participants will be split into cohorts for both physical and online engagements.
The coordinator First Mile Community Health Program, Dr. Peter Chris Kawungezi was grateful to the facilitators for good job well done and to the primary health care providers for honoring the invitation and actively participating. “this was a the very first scientific writing, and publication workshop… it was timely… recently we called for abstracts to be submitted to the 2022 Joint Annual Scientific conference… the response rate of health facilities in the MUST catchment was very low 2% (1/50) … we look forward to several abstracts if another call comes up” he added.
The health facilities represented included: Lwengo HC IV, Bubare HC III, MC Niel Medical Center, Bugamba HC IV, Rugazi HC IV, Ruhiira HC IV, Rwesande HC IV, Kyamuhunga HC III, Kibiito HC IV, Mitooma HC IV, Kabwohe Clinical Research Center, Rwekubo HC IV, Rubaya HC IV, Hamurwa HC IV, Kisoro Hospital, Biharwe HC III, Rushere Community Hospital, Bwizibwera HC IV, Mparo HC IV, Kazo HC IV, Muko HC IV, Ruteete HC III, Villa Maria Hospital, Buhara HC III, Rukunyu Hospital, Ruhija HC III, Ndeija HC III, Ishongororo HC IV, Lyantonde Hospital, Kabira HC III, Kamuganguzi HC III, Rugaaga HC IV, Kinoni HC IV, Nyakitunda HC III, Ntara HC IV, Bwindi Community Hospital, Rukoki HC IV, Kabuyanda HC IV, Bukinda HC III, Family Health Resource Center, Kyabugimbi HC IV, Rubanda PHC III, Ruhoko HC IV, and Nyamuyanja HC IV.
