The 9th CAMTech Uganda Annual MedTech Hack-a-thon will bring together innovators from around the world to solve critical health challenges in low-resource settings. This year’s Hack-a-thon at Mbarara University of Science and Technology will focus on; Leveraging Innovation to Achieve Equitable and Sustainable Healthcare. Additionally, this year, we shall have 4 focus areas in line with the theme. These areas are:
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
- Emerging and Re-emerging Pandemics
- Road Traffic Accidents
- Mental Health
The 9th CAMTech Hackathon Mentor Short Bio/profile
Mr. James Tonny Lubwama is the Manager for Patents and Industrial Designs at Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB). He is passionate about Intellectual property and Renewable Energy. As Manager for Patents and Industrial Designs, James and his team of examiners have provided technical support to innovators in drafting, protection and management of different aspects of intellectual property since 2012. James also serves as a National Focal Person for Uganda for Technology Innovation support centers (TISC). Under TISC program, he supports improving the quality of innovations produced in Uganda by providing access to quality documents. James has a Masters Degree in both Intellectual Property and Renewable Energy; and a foundation degree in Electrical Engineering.
John Kule Baguma is a Senior lecturer and researcher of business and management sciences. John pursued his PhD in Accounting at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda, where he currently works as a Senior lecturer in Accounting and Finance in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences. Dr. Kule has previously served as a mentor and trainer working with organizations like the Centre for innovation and Technology Transfer (CITT), University community based sustainable solutions to demographic challenges in South-Western Uganda (UCoBS), MUST Business Incubation Clinic, and the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech Uganda). He is also a team member for the UNESCO-China funds in Trust project implemented at MUST, and is currently overseeing the formulation and development of an internship and industrial training policy at MUST. As a mentor and trainer, his focus is on unit economics, financial feasibility, budgeting, work plan development, and Bookkeeping. Dr. John Kule Baguma is determined to contribute towards enhancing the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in MUST and beyond MUST.
Dr. Sarah Nabachwa (PhD) is a lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. She is a 2023 AfOx (Africa Oxford Initiative) visiting fellow at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Sarah’s research focuses on locally contextualized business teaching using case studies to understand ‘Street Smart’ Entrepreneurs. She is a mentor at the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech) Uganda, MUST Centre for Innovations and Technology Transfer (CITT), and MUST Business Incubation Clinic (BIC). Sarah coordinates the Erasmus plus collaboration between MUST and Hochschule Mainz, University of Applied Sciences, German. She is an MBA reviewer for MUST and for Mountains of the Moon University.
Dr. Peter Nuwagira (B.Pharm, MSc, PhD scholar, MPS) holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy, Master of Science Degree in Pharmacology & Clinical Therapeutics and is a PhD scholar under the World bank/Pharmabiotrac project. He is currently working as a Lecturer, Researcher and mentor in the Department of Pharmacy where He also oversees Industrial and Hospital student externships, COBERS program and MUST Pharmacy students association(MBUPSA) activities. As a practicing community & supply chain Pharmacist, Dr.Peter Nuwagira has previously consulted for the USAID/MSH SURE project as well as Ministry of Health (MoH) in streamlining Pharmaceutical Financial Management and EMHS training manuals respectively. He now consults for Pecos pharmaceuticals – a community pharmacy in Mbarara City and as a Training Consultant for Philips Pharmaceuticals Ltd – an international Pharmaceutical supply chain company that is a leading importer of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products in East and Central Africa. Peter Nuwagira is also a Reviewer & judge for CAMTech Uganda student projects and serves the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda (PSU) as a vice Chair of the Ethics Committee that oversees ethical standards of Pharmacists in their professional practice.
Dr. Viola Nilah Nyakato: Senior Lecturer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda and the founding Dean of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, a position I held for 7 years from 2013 to 2019. She holds a Ph.D. in Development Studies (2014) oriented to Gender and access to maternal healthcare. A master of Public Health from Lund University, Sweden (2006) and a bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Makerere University (2001). She is an associate researcher with the Nordic Africa Institute, Sweden, and has held a visiting Professor position (2019 to 2022) at University Professor at the School of Agriculture, Policy, and Development, University of Reading. Her research and areas of expertise delve into underlying gender barriers to equality, particularly in the agency for decision-making, family relations, gender mainstreaming, and social determinants of maternal and adolescent health. She is a policy and community engagement specialist. Her research is underpinned by sociological principles of women empowerment and has a deep commitment to participatory methodologies.
Eng. Emmanuel Kamuhire is a Biomedical Engineer with a strong commitment to human-centered product design and development. His research spans the intersecting domains of Medicine and Engineering, with a particular emphasis on the appropriate use of technology to sustainably improve the lives of people at the base of the economic pyramid.
Since 2018, Emmanuel has served as the CEO of A-Lite Uganda. In this role, he spearheads the organization’s vision, strategic planning, and collaborative efforts to drive innovation and entrepreneurship aimed at addressing healthcare challenges in resource-constrained settings. So far, his team has developed the A-Lite vein locator, a non-invasive medical device utilizing red-light technology to facilitate easy access to patients’ veins.
Beyond his leadership at A-Lite, Emmanuel is an influential figure in the innovation ecosystem, generously contributing his expertise as a facilitator, mentor, and judge at national and international innovation competitions. His notable involvements include the 2018 CVS MedTech Hack-a-thon at Kira Hospital in Bujumbura, the 2017 Hult Prize Accelerator at Kampala International University, and the 2017 World Health Students’ Symposium at the University of Rwanda, amongst many others.
Dr. Ochora Moses is a 31 year old Pediatrician working in Mbarara University of Science and Technology. He is a co-founder and CEO of Photo-Kabada Limited that is currently developing a phototherapy device.
He is a clinician, researcher and lover of cutting edge medical technologies.
As a team lead at Photo-Kabada, they have raised funds and their device has reached the clinical trials stage.
Eng. 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.
Eng. Martin Galiwango earned a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering with a major in data communications from Mbarara University of Science and Technology in 2013, a master’s degree in telecommunications engineering, a nanodegree in AI programming with python and a nanodegree in programming with data science from Udacity, Linux certification from the Linux Foundation, a certificate in android programming from Udacity, and a certificate of completion in 4G Broadband LTE and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics engineers (IEEE)
In 2019, He was appointed to the ACTEA team, where He took part in a variety of initiatives such as developing curricula in basic and advanced PLC programming. He also attended several trainings on Programmable Logic Circuits (PLC) and embedded systems. Through this program, He was able to pass on my knowledge to FAST students while also attending a number of meetings with local business leaders such as Nile Breweries Limited.
Martin is currently an assistant lecturer in the electrical and electronics engineering department, where he has taught and supervised students in computer engineering, electrical engineering, and biomedical engineering. Martin works as a data scientist at Mbarara University of Science and Technology on the DCPA project, which collects photos and develops Artificial Intelligence models in dermatology.
Ms. Nura Izath received her BSc. Degree in Computer Engineering from Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), she’s currently enrolled into a master’s degree of science in Information Systems under the scholarship of MUST-Pathogen Epidemiological Studies at MUST. Nura leads her team in developing- “Autothermo, a wearable bracelet with a temperature sensor that continuously measures temperature and transmit measurements to the display screen. Nura together with her team have participated in entrepreneurship grant competitions and won funding from the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Villgro Africa in the Gender Lens Program and the Young Africa Innovators for Health Award 2023 Edition. Nura also achieved the 2019 prestigious title of: The Woman of Transformational Ideas under the category of innovations, a recognition from the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development of the Republic of Uganda and the United Nations Equality and the Empowerment of Women through the Girl Flourish Initiative for a trans-generational transformational agenda.
Dr. Johnes Obungoloch is a biomedical engineer currently serving as senior lecturer and Dean of the Applied Sciences and Technology Faculty at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda. He leads the low field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) innovations laboratory at Mbarara University and is a founding member of the Consortium for Advancement of MRI Education and Research in Africa (CAMERA). Dr. Obungoloch is also the President of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine African Chapter (ISMRM-AC) and is a member of the World Health Organization’s strategic and technical advisory group on medical devices (WHO-STAGMEDEV). Dr. Obungoloch holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Pennsylvania State University in the United States, a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Keele University in the United Kingdom, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Makerere University in Uganda. He is passionate about medical technology innovations, particularly for low-resource settings foe which he has over seven years of experience.
Dr. Manasseh Tumuhimbise is a highly skilled and experienced professional with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of health innovations, financial economics, and research. He is currently leading the MUST-IUC UCoBS Project for Increased Youth Employability through Skilling, Innovation, Experiential Learning and Technology Transfer. He is passionate about using his skills to make a positive impact on the lives of others. He is a Senior Lecturer in the department of Accounting and Finance, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences and a researcher at the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Institute (MNCHI) at MUST. In the context of the 9th CAMTech Uganda MedTech Hack-a-thon, Dr. Tumuhimbise will provide technical support in developing health innovation products of a commercial value that can be used to improve the health of people and communities, while also helping people to make money and save for the future.
Dr. Grace Nambozi is a senior lecturer with passion for midwifery practice and a history of national and international nursing education. Because of her in-depth knowledge of nursing curriculum, Dr. Grace has reviewed several nursing and midwifery curricula local and international. Her interests are in midwifery maternal health outcome, community-based university nursing education, focusing on health promotion, illness prevention and early intervention especially of the emerging non- communicable illnesses.
Mr. Kartikeya (Kartik) Uniyal is a Learning, Design, and Technology graduate student at Georgetown University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, majoring in International Politics, from Georgetown University in 2023. Kartik is a social entrepreneur and education activist who’s worked in education-related contexts across four continents. He currently runs an Ed-tech non-profit, Access Labs that aims to make education accessible, attainable, and enforceable for public school students in India. He also has experience working across think tanks, research groups, and innovation centers. Kartik is working on the possibilities of Artificial Intelligence in Education in Uganda and Africa. He is excited to work with budding problem-solvers and serve as a mentor in their projects.
Assoc. Prof. Julius B. Lejju (PhD, MSc, PGDE, BSc) holds a PhD, a Master’s of Science in Botany, Postgraduate Diploma in Education and Bachelor of Science in Botany and Zoology. Prof. Lejju is currently the Dean, Faculty of Science and a Board Member of Centre for Innovations, and Technology Transfer (CITT) and Editorial Board Member for East African Journal for Science, Technology and Innovation. He is also a member of different committees at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) and has also served in various international Committees as Secretary General for International Union of Quaternary Research Association (INQUA), and Member of Future Earth-Africa.
Prof. Lejju is involved in various collaborative research projects, training, and mentoring researchers at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has served as a mentor in the previous Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies Uganda (CAMTech Uganda) Hackathons innovations. He is keen in mentoring and supporting innovators in promoting their innovations.
Mr. Mwavu Rogers, an Educator and skilled software developer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, blends a unique mix of expertise with a passion for crafting software applications that enhance the quality of care. Proficient in coding using various object-oriented programming languages and adept at introducing innovative features, Mwavu is currently spearheading the development of a data science platform. This platform aims to unite clinicians and data scientists, facilitating research based on data regularly collected during patient care in the resource-limited settings of sub-Saharan Africa.
Mr. Ngattu Johnnie Mary is an All-round Professional with background in the Medical Industry and Business Management. He holds a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLS) and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA). A hard-working, knowledgeable and targets-oriented fellow with vast exposure and experience in Customer Service Skilling, Pitching and Business Development, Career Guidance and Job-Market Counseling, Medical Investigations, Clinical Research and Health Care Diagnostics; Stakeholder engagements, Diplomacy, Lobbying, Advocacy, Public Relations, Team Leadership, Procurement and Medical Logistics Management, Operations Management, Quality Management, Sales and Marketing Management, Distributor Management among others.
Mr. Maserejje Nathan Mark Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Makerere University, He is currently working with the National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U) where he serves as a Systems’ Developer, In His position Nathan develops software applications that are used by different government agencies. Nathan is very passionate about Tech solutions and the opportunities they present to problem solving. Before NITA-U Nathan has served in various capacities as a Full-stack engineer with a Fin-tech start-up, then as an integrations and development specialist with a Telecom company. He is happy to work in an environment that supports innovations as He practically contributes towards their mentorship.
Dr. Andrew Mutekanga finished his medical degree in 2018 from Gulu University. He has also completed a master’s degree in Internal medicine from the Mbarara University of Science and Technology.Dr. Mutekanga is a bright, motivated, energetic young physician who is driven by a strong commitment to improving clinical medicine through innovations. He is a scholar with the Pan African Thoracic Society (PATS). He has 5 years research experience as a principal investigator on many clinical studies and has published several studies in peer reviewed journals. He has participated in many community health programs including helping to start and strengthen patient diabetes associations at primary healthcare level. His current research is interests in patient centered care including patient centered communication for improved non-communicable disease management. He has served twice as a Judge/ reviewer to the CAMTech Accelerator Program (CAP) awards evaluation exercise.
Ms. Kyatuhire Shilah is a highly accomplished Internal Developer at the National ICT Innovation Hub. Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Uganda Christian University, Shilah is a dedicated professional committed to creating technology solutions tailored to the unique needs of the Hub. She excels in developing robust, scalable, secure web-based applications with a global reach, offering essential technical support, and being the go-to expert for troubleshooting technical challenges. Shilah’s project portfolio showcases her proficiency in various domains. She has managed databases, designed network topologies, and crafted web applications using tools like SQL, Python, R, HTML, Django, Bootstrap, CSS, and JavaScript. These projects have not only displayed her technical prowess but also her adaptability and problem-solving skills. In her role, Shilah is instrumental in maintaining web applications at the Hub, ensuring their optimal performance and security. Her exceptional analytical thinking and strong communication skills have made her an invaluable part of the team. Shilah was also part of the project team for the ICT job fair, demonstrating her commitment to the technology community. Currently, she is engaged in the development of a management system project for the National ICT Innovation Hub.
Ms. Abwin Joy Sandra (DPPM, BDSWSA (Hons)) holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management (DPPM), a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and Social Administration. She is currently working as the Physical Facilities Associate at the National ICT Innovation Hub at Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology where she supports in managing the in-house founders, operations and administrative duties. Sandra is a social worker, administrator and project management professional with experience in Project management, ICT entrepreneurship and Administration. In the past 4 years Sandra has managed various projects for example, LEAP program which was an incubation program for innovators creating solutions to humanitarian problems using ICT, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. This program successfully graduated 20 innovations from Ideation to Acceleration. She championed women in ICT campaign in commemoration of Women transforming the digital era in Uganda, this aired on social media sharing stories and journeys to inspire youth in the ICT Sector. She has been part of various panels including Women’s ICT boot camp with Youth Equality Centre and Women in ICT Campaign 2022.
Mr. Mutungi Rodgers is a Procurement specialist with a Bachelors of Procurement and Logistics Management and qualifications in Logistics and Warehouse management. He has expertise in Electronic government procurement system, Integrated financial management system, contracting and supplier relationship management.
Dr. Simon Kawuma is a Senior Lecturer, Head of Department Software and Informatics Engineering, and Postgraduate Research Coordinator at Faculty of Computing and Informatics at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST). He holds a PhD in Computer Science (MUST), MSc. Embedded Computing System (University of Southampton and Norwegian University of Science and Technology) and BSc. Computer Science (MUST). Dr. Kawuma’s research interests include Embedded Systems Design, Testing and Verification of Embedded System Software, Computer Hardware Engineering, Signal Processing, Modeling and Simulation, Empirical Software Engineering, Machine Learning and Image Processing. His expertise spans 10 years supervising designing Embedded Systems. I have supervised at least 11 Masters and 1 PhD student to completion. Dr. Kawuma has published 11 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and authored a text book entitled Modeling in Event-B A Practical Approach for Systems Engineers.
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
Key highlights from the 8th MedTech Hackathon:
Watch Day 1 video
Watch Day 2 video
Watch Day 3 video