In the late weeks of September 2026, Makerere University School of Public Health opens more than twenty doorways into the work of healing a continent — positions for laboratory hands, field clinicians, data minds, and advanced scholars willing to carry research into fishing villages, island communities, and district health posts across Uganda and seven African nations. The institution's recruitment reflects a deeper truth: that the great public health challenges of our era — antimicrobial resistance, maternal mortality, epidemic unpreparedness — cannot be solved from the center alone, but requ
Makerere University School of Public Health Opens 20+ Jobs and Fellowships Across Africa
Work that requires both technical expertise and willingness to operate in field settings
Mark
Why is Makerere opening so many positions at once? Is this a new initiative, or are they replacing staff?
Mimi
The source doesn't specify whether this is expansion or replacement. What we know is that they're hiring across multiple research projects—STOP-AMDR, Kisoboka II, ACT-PREP—which suggests these are active, funded programmes that need people now.
Luke
Right. And the deadlines are all clustered in late September, which could mean coordinated funding cycles or a single recruitment push. But we don't know the actual reason for the timing.
Mark
The language requirements are interesting. Why do they need Lusamia and Luganda speakers specifically?
Mimi
The positions are in Buikwe and Busia districts, and the work is field-based—research assistants, clinicians, lab technicians working in communities. You need to communicate with the people you're studying or treating.
Luke
That's a reasonable inference, but the source doesn't explicitly say that. It just states the requirement and the district placement. We're inferring the logic.
Mark
What's the difference between the short-term and long-term roles?
Mimi
The STOP-AMDR positions—lab technicians, clinicians, the supervisor—are all short-term. The Kisoboka II facilitators are full-time and field-based, which suggests longer duration. The statistician role is explicitly long-term.
Luke
But "long-term" and "full-time" aren't the same thing, and the source doesn't define either. A full-time position could be six months or three years.
Mark
Are these entry-level jobs, or do they require experience?
Mimi
It varies. The research assistants and intervention facilitators seem designed for people early in their careers. The supervisor role, the scientific writer, the PhD and postdoctoral fellowships—those require more background.
Luke
The source says "eligibility varies" and tells people to review individual announcements. We don't actually have the qualifications listed for most positions.
Mark
Why does the school emphasize the seven-country fellowship network?
Mimi
It signals that this isn't just Uganda-focused work. The ACT-PREP programme connects researchers across East and Central Africa, which means fellows get exposure to regional research infrastructure and networks.
Luke
That's true, but we don't know what ACT-PREP actually does beyond what the source says. We know it focuses on clinical trials and epidemic preparedness, but not its structure, funding, or track record.
Mark
If someone applies, what should they prioritize?
Mimi
Read the full job description carefully. Check the location and relocation requirements—some roles demand you move between districts or work on islands. Verify your language skills match what they need. Make sure your qualifications fit.
Luke
And verify the deadline directly with MakSPH, because the source itself says to do that. Don't rely on the dates given here.
Il Polso
- More than twenty positions are closing within days of each other, creating a compressed, high-stakes window for applicants across East Africa.
- Field roles demand real sacrifice — relocation between districts, travel to remote islands, and immersion in communities where language fluency in Lusamia or Luganda is a hiring requirement, not a preference.
- The ACT-PREP fellowship network stretches across seven countries including Somalia, DRC, and South Sudan, signaling that this recruitment is not merely institutional but part of a continental research mobilization.
- PhD and postdoctoral tracks in clinical trials and epidemic preparedness offer advanced researchers a rare structured pathway into multi-country public health science.
- The earliest deadline — for a scientific writer — falls on September 18, the same day the announcement publishes, leaving virtually no margin for delay.
- Collectively, these roles represent entry points into research addressing crises that affect millions, and the institution is betting that the right people, placed in the right communities, can change outcomes.
In the late weeks of September 2026, Makerere University School of Public Health opens more than twenty doorways into the work of healing a continent — positions for laboratory hands, field clinicians, data minds, and advanced scholars willing to carry research into fishing villages, island communities, and district health posts across Uganda and seven African nations. The institution's recruitment reflects a deeper truth: that the great public health challenges of our era — antimicrobial resistance, maternal mortality, epidemic unpreparedness — cannot be solved from the center alone, but require people willing to go where the need is. For early-career professionals in East Africa, the window is narrow, and the work is consequential.
Makerere University School of Public Health is casting a wide net in September 2026, recruiting across more than twenty positions spanning laboratory work, clinical roles, field research, data science, and advanced fellowships. The opportunities reach across Uganda's districts and into a seven-country African research network, reflecting the institution's deepening investment in maternal and child health, antimicrobial resistance surveillance, and epidemic preparedness.
The most urgent openings are tied to the STOP-AMDR Project, a surveillance initiative targeting antimicrobial drug resistance. Four laboratory technicians and two clinicians are needed in Buikwe and Busia districts, with roles assigned by language — Lusamia or Luganda — and all closing September 21. A supervisor will travel regularly between health facilities in both districts overseeing the molecular surveillance work.
The Kisoboka II study, focused on fishing communities, is hiring research assistants and intervention facilitators for field-based work across five districts, including sites accessible only by travel to islands. Eight qualitative research assistants are also being recruited for Buikwe and Busia, with some national-level interviews involved. Deadlines for these roles fall between September 24 and 27.
For researchers with advanced training, PhD fellowships and postdoctoral positions are available through the ACT-PREP programme, a multi-country network spanning Uganda, Somalia, DRC, Tanzania, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Sudan, focused on clinical trials and epidemic preparedness. A statistician or data analyst mentee role at the Centre for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health also closes September 30, offering a long-term pathway for someone building expertise in that field.
A scientific writer position closes first — on September 18 itself — requiring demonstrated research writing experience. Candidates are urged to review location requirements carefully, as many roles demand willingness to work in remote or field settings. Together, these positions represent rare, time-sensitive entry points into regional research confronting some of the most pressing public health challenges facing East Africa today.
Makerere University School of Public Health is recruiting across more than twenty positions and fellowship tracks, casting a wide net for researchers, clinicians, laboratory workers, and data specialists willing to work in Uganda's districts and across seven African countries. The hiring push reflects the institution's expansion of research into maternal and child health, antimicrobial resistance surveillance, and epidemic preparedness—work that requires both technical expertise and willingness to operate in field settings, sometimes on islands and in remote fishing communities.
The most immediate openings close by late September 2026. Four laboratory technicians are needed for the STOP-AMDR Project, a surveillance initiative focused on antimicrobial drug resistance. Two positions require fluency in Lusamia; two require Luganda. They will be stationed in Buikwe and Busia districts, assigned based on language capability and project needs. Two clinician roles mirror this structure—one Lusamia speaker, one Luganda speaker—working the same districts under the same project. A Molecular Surveillance Team Supervisor will oversee this work, traveling regularly between health facilities in both districts. All three categories close September 21.
The Kisoboka II study, which focuses on fishing communities, is hiring three research assistants and four intervention facilitators. These are field-based positions requiring relocation between sites in Nakasongola, Buikwe, Mukono, Kayunga, and Buvuma—some work will involve travel to islands. The research assistant deadline is September 24; the facilitator positions are full-time and permanent through the study cycle. Eight qualitative research assistants are also being recruited for work in Buikwe and Busia, with some interviews conducted at the national level. That deadline is September 27.
For those with advanced training, the school is offering PhD fellowships and postdoctoral positions through the ACT-PREP programme, a multi-country research network spanning Uganda, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Sudan. Both tracks focus on clinical trials and epidemic preparedness research. Both are full-time and both close September 30. The Centre for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health is also seeking a statistician or data analyst intern or mentee—a long-term position for someone building expertise in maternal, newborn, and child health research. That application also closes September 30.
A scientific writer position at the school itself closes earliest, on September 18, and requires demonstrated experience in scientific research and writing. The school's careers page holds the full job descriptions, eligibility criteria, and application procedures. Candidates are advised to review location requirements carefully—some roles demand willingness to relocate between districts or work in remote settings, while others are office-based. The positions collectively represent entry points into major regional research addressing public health challenges that affect millions: maternal mortality, drug-resistant infections, and disease outbreak response. For early-career researchers, clinicians, and public health professionals in East Africa, the window to apply is narrow.
Citazioni salienti
Applicants should carefully review the individual vacancy announcement for academic qualifications, professional experience, language requirements, research experience and other selection criteria.— Makerere University School of Public Health
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