NTU-Mak Partnership – Strengthening health systems: Community Health Workers in Uganda

For over 12 years, the School of Social Sciences at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has had a formal partnership with the School of Public Health at Makerere University, Uganda. This collaboration has recently expanded to include other disciplines at both universities including nursing, microbiology, veterinary, as well as environmental and agricultural sciences. The focus of this partnership is on training, community service, research and capacity building in Uganda and UK. Makerere University is now a NTU Strategic Partner.

NTU Re:inforce - Reinforcing community health systems in Uganda

Key Themes of our Global Health Work:

Inequalities & social justice; gender; social enterprise
Ecological thinking
Moving health systems up stream – health promotion comprehensive primary health care ; social model of health
Working at the boundaries – visible /invisible; formal /informal: Challenging the power structures; valuing different forms of knowledge
Research with impact; that makes a difference
Partnership leadership investment

The model of the partnership is centred on: Mobility, Knowledge Exchange and Social Enterprise and Impact. The partnership through this model has strengthened community health in Wakiso District, Uganda using a health systems approach. The major health systems building blocks targeted by the project at community level are:

Health workforce (through enhancing the capacity of community health workers (CHWs) and their supervisors who are mainly nurses).
Health information systems (through supporting the completeness and timely submission of data from CHWs)
Access to essential medicines (through enhancing timely delivery of drugs and other commodities to CHWs)
Health service delivery (through improving performance of CHWs in relation to quality of care, respective care, and timely referral of patients) and governance and leadership (through supporting the supervision and coordination of community health).
A pilot project trained 766 CHWs in Wakiso district Uganda on epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response including COVID-19.

Through the partnership weak health systems components in the community have been strengthened. The main outcome of the project is the continual better functioning community health system through improved performance of the CHWs. The partnership has also been involved in the ERASMUS International Credit Mobility which has led to student placements, joint PhDs, international conference attendance, and student and staff (e.g., Community Health Workers, academic and other university staff) exchanges between the two universities.

Impact: Health system strengthening 

Upskilling and motivating the community health workforce through new training programmes and proactive knowledge exchange
Widening access to healthcare for underserved populations in Uganda through new Community Health Worker training programmes
Strengthening health systems and embedding antimicrobial stewardship
Impact Case Study Health & Wellbeing - Widening Access to Healthcare for Underserved Populations in Uganda through new Community Health Worker Training Programmes

Evaluation:

The funding for this project was received just before the Covid-19 pandemic arrived and was critical for our CHWs and communities. A pilot project trained 766 CHWs in Wakiso district Uganda on epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response including COVID-19. This evaluation was carried out to generate evidence on the outcomes of the project that can inform preparations for future outbreaks in Uganda. Enhancing the capacity of community health workers in prevention and control of epidemics and pandemics in Wakiso district, Uganda: evaluation of a pilot project. BMC Primary. 17 July 2024.

NTU - MAK Partnership - EAC Website Partnership and Research Page

The Global Capacity Building Programme (GCBP): ''Strengthening leadership and management among local government health managers in Wakiso district, Uganda.”

Commonwealth Partnership for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) - EAC Website Partnership and Research Page

NTU-Mak Partnership – Strengthening health systems: Community Health Workers in Uganda - EAC Website Partnership and Research Page

NTU Eastern Africa Centre (EAC) Student Profile: Grace Biyinzika Lubega

Community-based approaches for antimicrobial stewardship using a One Health approach - EAC Website Student Research Page

Social Innovation and Health Technologies for Community Health Workers: An Afro-centric Perspective - Michael Obeng Brown