Aggrey Byaruhanga

MLT (Mak), BSc (Mak), MPH (Mak),
Advanced Field Epidemiology Fellow
(MakSPH, MOH & CDC)
Email: abyaruhanga@musph.ac.ug
Telephone: +256782123815/+256703178663

Host Site: AIDS Control Program

Host Mentor: Dr. Emmy Mubangizi, Mr. Gerald Pande

ABOUT THE FELLOW

I hold a Master of Public Health, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health and a Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology all from Makerere University. I joined this program in 2020 and what captured my mind is the hands-on training in applied epidemiology and public health leadership. I have aquired vast knowledge and skills in project planning and management, epidemic preparedness and response, coordinating response to public health emergencies, surveillance, international health regulations, scientific writing skills, large database management and analysis, and implementing quality improvement projects in health service delivery. These have enabled me to significantly contribute to epidemic preparedness, control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, participate in disease intelligence and take lead in outbreak investigations in Uganda. With no doubt, I have attained a spirit of excellence and problem-solving skills in my practice as an epidemiologist. During my time as a Fellow, I was attached to the STI/AIDS Control Program (ACP). While there, I led various national level trainings and supervisions, supporting mainly the strategic information and the prevention arms of the program notably the HIV Recency Surveillance Project.

  Achievements at the Host Site

• National trainer HIV Recency Surveillance project.
• Trained health workers on the implementation of Recency in the regions of South western, Northern, Kalamoja, Eastern and Central region.
• Led site activation teams for Recency testing in various health facilities in the same regions.
• National trainer for Covid-19 surveillance: Conducted various trainings in Private health facilities in Kampala, Mulago National Hospital. I also supported 8 districts of Bunyoro region as a supervisor, contact tracing for COVID-19
• Participated in the ACP M&E strategic plan writing
• Part of the writing team for the HIV epidemiologic status Report

Fellowship program specific achievements

• I led an investigation of a cluster of COVID-19 cases among workers in a factory making personal protective equipment in Buikwe district, Uganda
• I also led health worker trainings in 5 districts of Bugisu sub region (Namisindwa, Bududa, Sironko, Manafwa and Bulambuli) on how to detect malaria out breaks using malaria channels
• I designed and implemented three projects, one looking at the COVID-19 Testing Turn Around Time (TAT) & the effect of COVID-19 on Early Infant Diagnosis and Viral Load Test TAT in Government Health Laboratories in Uganda, 2020, Secondary, an economic evaluation estimating the cost of managing COVID-19 patients in government health facilities in the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda Thirdly, Predictors of HIV free survival among HIV exposed infants up to 18 months of age in Rwenzori region sub-region, Uganda, 2019 – 2020
• I co-investigated an outbreak investigation of measles in Isingiro district, south western Uganda, 2020
• I co-investigated an epidemiological characterization of COVID-19 cases in Northern Uganda, 2020
• I participated in a study Assessing the Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets ownership and utilization and barriers associated, immediate after mass campaign and 6 months post mass campaign in Kyegegwa district, Uganda, 2021
• Participated in an Investigation of Malaria Deaths in Kikuube District, Western Uganda, 2021
• Participated in the formulation COVID-19 Infection Prevention Control policy (IPC) in collaboration with Ministry of Health, Centers for diseases Control & Prevention and Infectious Diseases Institute, 2020

Conference Presentations

• Oral Presentation on Estimating the cost of managing a COVID-19 in government hospitals during the first three months of Covid-19 pandemic in Uganda, at the 6th National Field Epidemiology Conference, Kampala, 2020
• Oral presentation on Investigation a cluster of COVID-19 cases among workers in a factory making personal protective equipment in Buikwe district, 2020 at the 7th National Field Epidemiology Conference, Kampala, 2021
• Poster presentation on Investigation a cluster of COVID-19 cases among workers in a factory making personal protective equipment in Buikwe district, 2020 at the 1st International Conference on Public Health in Africa organized by African Union and Africa CDC, 2021

Written Communication

• Editor of issue 4 volume 5 October-December, 2020 Uganda National Institute of Public Health (UNIPH) epi bulletin
  • Authored one article in the UNIPH epi bulletin
  • Estimating the cost of Managing a COVID-19 patient in government hospitals during the first three months of the pandemic in Uganda.
• Policy Brief: Counting deaths in Uganda: history, challenges, and what is currently being done amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
• Newspaper Article: Why we should maintain social Aggrey Byaruhanga, Conducting training on HIV Recency Testing at Infectious Diseases institute (IDI), Kampala, 2021 distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic on 29th April, 2020

Manuscripts Written

• Investigation of a cluster of COVID-19 cases among workers in a factory making personal protective equipment, Buikwe district, 2020 in BMC Public Health under review
• Estimating the cost of managing COVID-19 patients in government hospitals during the first three months of the pandemic in Uganda, 2020, under CDC clearance
• Predictors of HIV free Survival among HIV Exposed Infants through 18 months of age in Rwenzori Sub-region, Western Uganda, 2019 – 2020 under CDC clearance
• COVID-19 Testing Turn Around Time (TAT) & the effect of COVID-19 on Early Infant Diagnosis and Viral Load Test TAT in Government Health Laboratories in Uganda, 2020 under CDC clearance

Summary of Epidemiological Study: 

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Skills/Lessons Learnt during the fellowship

• During the fellowship, I learnt and developed the following skills
• Conducting outbreak investigations
• Project designing, implementation monitoring and evaluation
• Scientific writing and presentation; Manuscripts, Abstracts and Policy Briefs
• Editorial skills for scientific articles
• Public speaking
• Data collection and analysis with different soft ware
• Networking skills
• Evaluating and strengthening surveillance systems

Next Steps

I hope to use all the aquired knowledge and skills to impact my community through expert service where need arises. I also hope to mentor those after me in this program if given an opportunity to do so.

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