The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in the Office of the President, Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, has challenged Makerere University to move research beyond academic publications and prototypes and ensure innovations are translated into practical solutions for Ugandans.
Asiimwe made the call on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, during his visit to Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), where he met researchers and university management as part of his maiden engagement with Makerere’s research and innovation ecosystem.
The Minister said Uganda needs stronger systems to take university research into policies, public services, products and enterprises capable of improving people’s lives.
He linked the push to Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, which seeks to expand the country’s GDP from nearly US$50 billion in 2023 to US$500 billion by 2040.
According to Asiimwe, science, technology and innovation must contribute to this ambition by increasing productivity, improving public services and creating viable enterprises.
“The Tenfold Growth Strategy will not be achieved by one particular project alone,” he said. “It will be achieved when science, technology and innovation repeatedly raise the productivity and incomes of millions of ordinary people.”
From research to products
The Minister’s message came as Makerere researchers showcased several projects demonstrating how research can influence healthcare, policy and public services.
Among them was the PURPOSE 1 study, conducted between 2022 and 2024, which evaluated twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention among adolescent girls and young women.
The Makerere-Kalangala site recorded no HIV infections among participants who received lenacapavir, with the evidence contributing to regulatory decisions and the World Health Organisation’s 2025 recommendation of the drug as an additional HIV prevention option.
Researchers also presented work by the Centre of Excellence for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, which partnered with St Francis Hospital Nsambya to establish Uganda’s first human milk bank.
The initiative generated evidence on the safe use of pasteurised donor milk and contributed to Uganda’s first National Donor Human Milk Guidelines.
Makerere research systems support government
The Minister was also briefed on the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS) Programme, through which MakSPH worked with the Ministry of Health for more than 15 years to develop and support health reporting, disease surveillance and programme management systems.
The programme was funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through PEPFAR, with US$103.8 million provided across three five-year grants.
In March 2026, MakSPH transferred 16 digital health systems, together with supporting infrastructure, to the Ministry of Health for government stewardship.
AI used to fight malaria
Another project showcased to the Minister was VectorCam, an artificial intelligence-enabled smartphone tool being evaluated in Mayuge and Adjumani districts.
The technology enables community health workers to identify mosquitoes by species, sex and feeding status, providing data that can support malaria-control decisions.
Makerere plans to extend the project to 22 districts and assess its performance under routine conditions in 12 districts.
Wanyenze: Research must start with the problem
MakSPH Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze said the School’s approach is to design research around real problems and the value the research can create.
“For us, translation is not alien. It is where we start when designing our research,” Prof. Wanyenze said.
She said researchers must consider how scientific impact can translate into societal impact and how that contribution can be measured through health outcomes and economic growth.
Government support
Makerere currently receives about UGX25 billion annually through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) to support research and innovation.
Government has also contributed UGX14 billion towards construction of the new MakSPH building, which is expected to be completed in December 2026.
The facility is expected to expand space for teaching, research, laboratories and collaboration.
The Government is also supporting the NUTRIMEAL Project, which brings together MakSPH and Makerere’s School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering to develop a non-dairy probiotic beverage from locally available finger millet and beetroot for people living with HIV.
‘Name the user’
Asiimwe said developing an innovation or prototype should only be viewed as one stage of the research journey.
He challenged researchers to identify who will use their innovations, how the products will reach the market and who will manufacture them.
“Every innovation should be able to name its user, define the problem it solves and show the value it creates,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration between universities, government and industry in areas including validation, standards, intellectual property, financing, manufacturing, procurement and public trust.
Makerere Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has previously described MakSPH as an example of the university’s research-led direction, saying the School demonstrates what a research-led unit should look like.
The Minister’s visit comes as Makerere implements its Strategic Plan 2025–2030, which seeks to build a sustainable, research-led and responsive university.
