Prof. Frank Mugisha Kaharuza

DVC Western Campus

Prof. Kaharuza has a combined 35 years of experience in Epidemiology, Public Health, Medical Research, Public Policy, program management, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Paediatrics, combined with university teaching and extensive research. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Epidemiology from Aarhus University, Denmark, and a Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Makerere University, Uganda.

Prior to his appointment, Prof. Kaharuza was the Team Lead for USAID Uganda Family Health Portfolio and supported a team of six technical experts in Maternal and Child Health, Family Planning, Water and Sanitation, and Nutrition in USAID Uganda.

From 2013-2017, he worked with the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) as the Country Lead for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Saving Mothers Giving Life (SMGL) Initiative. Among his many achievements in the position, he contributed to the National and Global Maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response policy development process.

As the Chief Epidemiologist at the Uganda Center for Disease Control for almost 11 years, his team developed the PEPFAR Basic Care package for HIV care that was approved worldwide, documented the role of clinical and laboratory monitoring for ART initiation and effective home-based HIV care, and published over 30 peer-reviewed articles from there.

Prof. Kaharuza has trained many graduate students in Public Health and Epidemiology in his capacity as an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) for over 15 years.

He brings to this position his wealth of experience in epidemiology, public health policy, medical research, and health program management. His capacity will help strengthen the mission of Kampala International University Teaching Hospital (KIUTH) to enhance the quality of health science professionals' training and complement the efforts of the government of Uganda towards the provision of quality, equitable and accessible preventive, and curative health services to the people of Uganda. Prof. Kaharuza highlighted some of the key focus areas namely: enhancing research and innovation, faculty and school integration, and identification of relevant targeted community interventional projects being supported by the campus as part of KIU corporate social responsibility agenda.