Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) through the Health Education Partnership Initiative-Transforming Uganda Institutions Training Against HIV/AIDS (HEP-TUITAH) project organized the final quarterly joint micro-research dissemination conference.
The conference was held on the 21st of October 2022 at Igongo cultural centre in Mbarara city under the theme ‘’Using the micro-research paradigm to meet the Presidential 2030 fast-track HIV targets in Uganda’’
The one-day research dissemination conference was officially opened by the Director General of Uganda AID Commission who is also an alumnus of MUST Dr. Nelson Musoba. He gave an overview of how HIV/AIDS spread out in Uganda in the late 1980s and the status of the National HIV and AIDS response in Uganda as of today.
‘’Uganda has made significant progress in fighting HIV and AIDS. However, the magnitude of the epidemic remains high. The number of people living with HIV increased from 1.2 million to 1.4 million. There has been a tremendous reduction in HIV new infections among the various age and population groups largely due to improved access and utilization of HIV services like testing, care, and treatment,’’ He described
The keynote address was given by Dr. Susan Frazier-Kouassi who briefed on Nurturing the health professional undergraduate students as a researcher through mentoring, opportunities, and obstacles.
During the conference, a total of 39 undergraduate researchers and their mentors from the three partnering institutions Bishop Stuart University (BSU), Lira University (LU), and MUST converged in Mbarara city to disseminate their research findings on the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in Uganda, particularly in the Northern and southwestern regions. Out of the 39 undergraduate researchers, 22 have had their findings published in reputable global health journals.
The Principal Investigator (PI) of the HEPI-TUITAH project and also the Vice-Chancellor of MUST Prof. Celestino Obua congratulated the junior researchers for the milestone they have reached at in the HEPI-TUITAH project. He also applauded the mentors from the three universities for guiding their mentees up to the level they are on now.
‘’It’s an occasion for me to celebrate with you this great milestone. Thank you for accepting to carry on the responsibilities of micro-research which is going to prepare you for your professional goals. You’re now well equipped to go in the field understanding what HIV is so as to address the challenges caused by HIV in the field,’’ Prof. Obua applauded junior researchers.
The conference ended with a medal awarding ceremony in which outstanding researchers from MUST, Lira University, and Bishop Stuart University were awarded with medals and certificates of excellence.
According to the Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) of the program Dr. Edith Wakida, the HEPI-TUITAH aim of micro research seeks to develop the capacity of undergraduate health professions students in rural Uganda to conduct locally relevant biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and operations research in HIV and its co-morbidities.
It builds on existing networks and strengths such as clinician scientist training programs, global health partnerships, local community knowledge, and community-based education research and service. It further aims at solving community problems using small grants and locally available resources.
A total of 58 teams of undergraduate health professional students from MUST, BSU and LU have benefited from this micro-research model under the HEPI-TUITAH program between 2018 and 2022.