Dr. Edward Kanyesigye

Personnel Profile Description

Dr Edward Kanyesigye graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree in April 1979 at Makerere University Medical School. He holds a post graduate diploma in Public Health (DPH) from the same University (1982) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Adelaide, South Australia (1992). He is also a Fellow of the African Institute of Public Health, FAIPH (2019). He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Science (FUNAS).

In his 23 year career in the health sector, Edward has held positions of medical superintendent, District and Regional Medical Officer in the various districts of Uganda and has worked at MOH Headquarters heading (at different times) the divisions of Training, Health Education, Clinical Services, Nutrition and Human Resources Development and Assistant Commissioner Health Services.  He had a three year stint (in between and served) as the Behavior Scientist in The Medical research Council (MRC) – UK Program of AIDS in Uganda’s  IEC intervention Trial in stopping HIV transmission among the people living in Masaka District- Southern Uganda. He retired from the Civil service in 2002. He worked as the Training and Primary Health Care Manager, African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Uganda Country office from June 2002 to December 2003.

Edward was a pioneer at the International Health Sciences University, Namuwongo, Kampala, as a Senior Lecturer in teaching Public health. From 2009 to date he has been at the Uganda Christian University (UCU) as a Senior Lecturer. He headed the Health Sciences Department which was upgraded to a Faculty of Health Sciences in 2014 and it became the UCU School of Medicine (UCUSoM) in 2018. He developed the following programs and had them accredited:  Bachelor of Community Health (BCH), Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (MHND) and eventually Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (MBChB and BDS) respectively. For his MPH at the University of Adelaide, Australia, Edward wrote his thesis on the Prevalence and Politics of Tobacco in Uganda  and upon return from Australia, he chaired the Tobacco or Health forum at the Uganda Ministry of Health and represented the country at the World Health Organization Inter governmental Negotiating Body leading into the formation of “THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR TOBACCO CONTROL”.

At the Uganda MOH, he participated in developing the In-service Training Strategy. He headed the initiatives for the training of the Enrolled Comprehensive Nurse, the Anesthetic Assistant, The Theatre Assistant, and the Nursing Assistant.

He is one of the founders and currently the President of the Uganda Public Health Specialists Association (UPHSA) which brings together Public Health specialists and all like-minded people in the setting of the agenda for public health practice and training in Uganda.

Edward has performed the following Public Health activities:

  1. External examiner Public Health Makerere school of Public Health, Bishop Stuart University and Victoria University.
  2. Supervisor of MPH students both at IHSU and UCU as well as serving as Internal examiner threat.
  3. Chair 2018 Annual Grand Doctors conference of Uganda Medical Association (UMA). This is assignment given annually by the Uganda Medical Association President to one of the members.
  4. Member of the UMA governing council representing Public Health Specialists
  5. Member of UMA Elders chapter
  6. Member of School and Institution Boards:
    1. Chairman of the Board of Mulago National Referral Hospital
    2. Chairman of Governing Council Uganda Institute of Allied Health and Management Sciences (UIAHMS)-Mulago
    3. Deputy Chairperson of the Governing Council Mildmay Institute of Health Science (MIHS)
    4. Member of Board of Directors Health Partners for Communication (HEPS) Uganda 
    5. Member of Board of Directors Medical Teams International (MTI) in Uganda
    6. Member of University Council: Valley University of Science and Technology, Bushenyi
    7. Member of University Council, Kampala International University (KIU).
  7. Membership of Clubs and Associations:
    1. Uganda Medical Association
    2. Rotary International (President, Assistant Governor, Paul Harris Fellow)
    3. Uganda Golf Club
  8. Awards:
    1. By the Makerere Institute of Public Health for being a valued partner in the 25 year program of Master of Public Health. Award presented by a Trio: Makerere Vice Chancellor, WHO Representative in Uganda and Minister of Health.
    2. Good performance Award while serving as the Australian alumni Ambassador: Presented by the Australian High Commissioner to Uganda.
    3. Fellowship of the African Institute of Public Health. Presented by the President and Registrar of the Institute based in Accra Ghana.
    4. The most valued UMA member of the year 2019. Award from the President of UMA at the Annual General Meeting in November 2019.
  9. Honorary appointments;
    1. Hon Lecturer, Karolinska Institute of health services department Global health program, Sweden.
    2. Visiting faculty University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
    3. Australia Awards Alumni Ambassador
    4. Chair – Association of Australian Alumni in Uganda, (A3U).