The 8th Annual Medical Technology Hackathon organized by Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech Uganda) will take place from September 30th to 2nd October, 2022.
Participants from all over the world will convene at MUST to brainstorm and come up with innovative solutions focused on the theme; “Building a Resilient Health care System in the Era of Emerging Pandemics through Innovations”.
Meet the Mentors!
Dr. Theodora Twongyirwe Mondo (PhD) is an Industrial Engineer by Profession and a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology. She is a former Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology. She completed an Interdisciplinary PhD in Computing with its application in Industrial Engineering with a research focus in Decision Support Systems in the Manufacturing Sector of Small Medium Scale Enterprises.
Dr. Mondo is an advocate and passionate about Technology innovation and Transfer, Innovative Engineering Education, strengthening Academia – Industry Relations, strengthening Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Women in Science and Technology.
Mr. Samuel Mugisha is a software Developer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. He is the head of Department of the Software Incubation and Innovations Unit. He holds a Masters degree in Advanced Computer Science with specialization in Data Science from the University of Manchester, UK. He also holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. He has been a course instructor for courses: Artificial Intelligence, Unix Shell Programming, Database Management Systems, IT project planning.
Mr. Mathew Ocheng is the lead Hardware Design Engineer at Uganda Industrial Research Institute. He holds a BSc. Degree in Electrical Engineering from Makerere University. He has 5 years of experience in Embedded System Application Design, circuit design, analysis, and production of printed circuits boards (PCBs). His research interest is in design of affordable medical devices for low resource settings
Ms. Snider Mugese is a finance and investment professional with over 5 years of experience in business growth strategy and financial and investment analysis. She is a Certified Investments and Finance Analyst CIFA(K) and a Chartered Public Accountant CPA (K), holding a Bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Financial Engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
At Villgro Africa, she supports sourcing, screening and selection of deal flow for investment and technical support in addition to managing several portfolio companies. As the Finance Lead, she oversees all areas of responsibilities within the department, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, successful implementation of budgets and the management of sub-awards.
Ms. Winnie Wangari (Technical Analyst)
Winnie Wangari is a B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer graduate from the University of Nairobi. A registered graduate member of the Engineering Board of Kenya (EBK) and the Institute of Engineers of Kenya (EIK). Prior to Villgro Africa, Winnie gained her experience in engineering skills from Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and Gearbox Kenya.
She provides technical support to invention-based enterprises to help them through their product development stages, clinical validation phase, and go-to-market strategies.
Dr. Sarah Nabachwa (PhD) holds Doctor of Philosophy in Management (Marketing), a Masters in Management Studies and a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing).
She is a Lecturer of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. A mentor at the MUST Business Incubation Clinic (BIC) responsible for encouraging MUST students into developing Entrepreneurial skills and support Business start-ups. Member of the MUST Quality Assurance Committee. A reviewer and expert panelist on the Project Qualification Reviews for Camtech and CITT. A visiting lecturer at University of Nairobi, Kenya and Hoschule Mainz, University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
Mr. Mwavu Rogers is Lecturer at Mbarara University of Science & Technology. An Educator and an innovative software developer with a diverse skill-set and creative drive to software application development. Proficient at designing and formulating test automation frameworks, writing code in various object-oriented programming languages, feature development and implications. Rogers specializes in developing medical solutions that improve access to quality of health care services for underserved populations and promote quality of care.
Mr. Martin Galiwango is a lecturer in the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology (FAST). Martin has worked on a number of technological projects which span across health, energy conservation. He previously worked as IBM Cloud developer instructor Uganda.
Dr. Simon Kawuma (PhD) is a Lecturer at Mbarara University of Science & Technology based in Uganda. He is also the chairperson of Mbarara University of Science and Technology Academic Staff Association- MUSTASA.
Ms. Miriam Wegoye
Software Design Scientist at Uganda Industrial Research Institute.
She currently holds an Oracle 11g: Advanced PL/SQL Developer OCP certificate of completion from Oracle University and a certificate of participation from Koenig Solutions Limited, New Delhi, India; an ITIL® V3 Foundation certification from Exin, London, United Kingdom; a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and CISCO Certified Network Associate III and IV from Makerere University.
Gastervas Geofrey Rutwara Mugume is a highly motivated, result-oriented team lead with research passion in ICT for Development with Fourth Industrial Revolution Technologies. Currently, he is a senior lecturer and projects innovations coordinator at Uganda Institute of information and Communications Technology (https://www.uict.ac.ug/ ). He is also a member of African Science Frontiers Initiatives (https://africansciencefrontiers.com/) – a research organization that aims at “Equipping Africa’s science that solves Africa’s developmental challenges”. His post-graduate study encompasses expertise in Information Systems, Data Communication Networks, E-Governance and Digital Transformation and IT Service Management.
Ziine John holds a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications Engineering of Makerere University and a Master of Business Informatics of Mbarara University of Science and Technology specializing in Energy Informatics and Energy economics.
John is a Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, MUST and also serves as the projects engineer at JohnVince Engineering Ltd, an electrical engineering firm, founded in 2017. He has over eight years in electrical and electronics engineering education, project mentorship and research.
Anke Weisheit is an Agricultural Engineer and holds a Masters Agricultural Science and Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics (ARTS) with more than 20 years of experience in tropical agriculture, value chain development, and agri-business in Eastern and Southern Africa. She is the lead innovator and co-founder and currently, serving as the Chair of Innovation and Business Management of the Pharm-Biotechnology and Traditional Medicine Centre (PHARMBIOTRAC) at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
Anke is also an External Expert to the European Commission Horizon 2020, a Member of the Governing Council of the Sub Saharan Open University (SSOU), and serving on the WHO Regional Expert Advisory Committee on Traditional Medicine for COCID-19 Response (REACT). Previously she served on the Board of Trustees of THETA Uganda as the Chairperson Programmes and Research Committee and the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) board as a founding team member and has researched and consulted for the United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, World Health Organization, World Agroforestry Centre, and German Agency for International Cooperation among others.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Hackathon?
A hackathon is best described as an “invention marathon”. Anyone interested in technology can attend a hackathon to learn, build and share their creations over the course of 48 hours in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. You don’t have to be a programmer and you certainly don’t need to have a degree in Computer Science!
Do we sign up as individuals or as a team?
You sign up as individuals and you are sent a confirmation email when selected. Teams formed during the hacking event.
Who will pitch the ideas?
Individuals will pitch ideas and interested persons will join them to form Teams.We have collected a number of challenges from different health centers and from individuals and It would also be helpful if you have done some research beforehand, or know of some of the challenges facing communities.
Whoever wants to pitch an idea can do so. We would encourage as many people as possible to pitch ideas no matter what stage they are at. Other participants will help you shape and refine them.
Teams are free to work on any idea they want as long as the end result helps build a resilient health care system in the era of pandemics.
Members of the CAMTech team will be on hand to help answer any questions you might have.
Are there any prizes?
Yes! These are some of the potential prizes up for grabs at the Hackathon:
- Cash Prize to the Winners
- Cash Prize to the first Runner-up
- Cash Prize to the Second Runner-up
- A brand New Laptop to the best Pitcher
Is the hackathon open to anyone?
Entry is open to all who applied and were successfully selected to attend.
Who can come?
Everyone is welcome! If you have any interest in technology, even if you are not technical, please feel free to join us on the day. The most important thing is that you would like to share your experience and ideas with us,You applied and were selected to attend.
Are we allowed to use third party components like open source libraries etc. to implement a solution? Are there limitations on component licensing?
You can use any software, provided these are declared in the presentation and are being used lawfully i.e. under license
Will there be wireless internet access?
Yes, there will be. However, it is always better to be prepared: If you have a backup option, please feel free to bring along.
Can we use any programming language?
Yes.
I just graduated, can I still come to an event?
Yes. Anyone who applied and was successfully selected is eligible to attend, no matter what your qualifications or experience! It will look good on your CV, too.
Is there support available?
The environment at these events is designed specifically to encourage everyone to have fun and help each other. If you’re ever stuck on anything, speak to a CAMTech team member who might able to help. Team mates and other participants are on hand too, as this is a collaborative environment.
Are there any online platforms where I could share my ideas prior to the event?
Ideas will be shared on the 2nd day of the hackathon and then Members can join you to form a Team to hack the idea.
Will there be food?
Yes, your meals for the day will be free and there’ll be plenty of snacks and drinks to keep you going. If you’ve got specific dietary requirements, you should let us know and we’ll be more than happy to make arrangements.
What is the benefit of participating?
Learning new skills, good on your CV, networking, giving back to community, winning a prize, working as a team, and having fun!
Any other information about hackathon
Link to list of hotels and Guest Houses around.
https://bit.ly/Hotels_guest_Houses
Link to compiled health challenges