Gulu, (UG): The Director of Public Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze has appealed to scientific researchers to ensure that their work is summarized and key findings plus recommendations are put in Policy briefs for action and planning by the Ministry of Health and policy actors.
Dr Kyabayinze said that it is easy to work on a clear document, because influencing policy means everybody in the policy cycles understands the work hence a complicated work might be very difficult to be put to action since the majority of the work is targeted towards influencing policy at both national and international levels.
The Health Ministry official was on Thursday, August 24 addressing over 300 Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRH) scholars, activists, practitioners, and stakeholders at the First Gulu and Lira University Scientific Symposium that took place on the 24th and 25th of August 2023 from Bomah Hotel, Gulu City.
Dr Kyabayinze e also cautioned the health practitioners to remain professional and inspire many young people to join the health care system in the country.
“We must exercise caution and be great role models to make health service in the country great and inspiring at all times because we have young people who imitate and look on at us”. Dr Daniel submitted.
Prof. Openjuru George Ladaah, the Gulu University Vice- Chancellor said that the researchers should be targeting influencing policy with their amazing findings to enable the long-lasting impact of the over 48 researches done as a collaboration between Gulu University and Lira University with support from the Center for International Reproductive Health Training at the University of Michigan (CIRHT)
Prof. Openjuru who also closed the symposium on Friday 25th August 2023 appealed to the donors (CIRHT) to continue with the support since the inception support has yielded fruits that would have a long-lasting impact in the community in awareness creation and providing government and health actors with the right intervention strategy.
“CIRHT should support future endeavours because this symposium demonstrated that the funds have been put to good use,” Prof. Openjuru said.
“For now as an academician, I would love to see all the work translated into academic papers in peer-reviewed journals or book chapters to support knowledge generation worldwide,” he added.
Dr. Pebalo Francis Pebolo the Principal investigator of the project from Gulu University said the symposium was a platform for allowing the researchers to present their findings to different stakeholders and also celebrate the 48 seed grants given to the two universities by CIRHT in 2022 to do a ground-breaking research on SRH in northern Uganda.
The organizers also awarded a certificate to Samson Udho, the best overall Oral Presenter at the symposium, followed by Caroline Kambugu Nabasirye of Lira University, and Dr Bongomin Felix from Gulu University came third.
Robert Edinu from Gulu University was the best Poster presenter.
Background to the funding resulting from the symposium.
On 19th July 2022 was the award ceremony for the 48 different research projects centring on sexual and reproductive health covering scientists from Lira and Gulu University.
The Vice-chancellors of the two universities presided over the award ceremony from Gulu University’s multi-functional laboratories in Gulu City.
Grants worth over UGX 952 Million in total were awarded by The Centre for International Reproductive Health Training at the University of Michigan (CIRHT Michigan) to the two Universities.
Researchers under Gulu University got 28 grants including lectures, staff of Lacor Hospital, Gulu Regional Referral and some students in the Faculty of Medicine and 20 grants went to Lira University.
Hence this conference was to present findings after these grants were given to them.
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