Makerere seeks proposals for health research

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Scientists seeking to conduct research into healthcare can apply to get funding for their studies.

The Makerere University Deputy Vice-Chancellor in- charge of Finance and Administration Dr. William Bazeyo says that a call for researchers to submit proposals was placed last week after part of the money was availed.

According to Bazeyo, even those that have not completed their research can benefit from the funds because currently, they are doing random studies from which they will pick successful ones that will qualify for the second round.

This money which is part of the 30 Billion shillings that the government for the first time this financial year allocated into research is meant to be directed into getting information to what can be done for the country to attain its healthcare targets, control, and prevention of emerging diseases and tackling other public health concerns.

But, Dr. Ekwaro Obuku, the President of the Uganda Medical Association proposed that instead of financing all sorts of research, the government should be focusing on mainly research that informs how health systems should be strengthened which to him is the country’s biggest challenge when it comes to health.

Although government is coming up to put in place a budget for research, most of the previous researches have been largely funded by donors who invest in areas that interest them.

The challenge with this according to critics is such research tends to remain on paper and are never transferred into actions that are helpful to the public.

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