Makerere Clinical Epidemiology Unit was established in 1990 in the department of medicine of Makerere University with support from Rockefeller Foundation and International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN). Makerere CEU is a member of INCLEN AFRICA (Africa Clinical Epidemiology Network). INCLEN consists of clinical epidemiologists, biostatisticians, health social scientists and health economists in over 60 CEUs in 26 countries around the world.

The mission of Makerere CEU is to improve the health of the people of Uganda and beyond and to promote health equity by providing quality training, research and health service based on the best evidence of effectiveness and efficient use of resources. This is achieved by enhancing participation of stakeholders; strengthening systems and partnerships; and harnessing the power of new sciences and technology so as to build and sustain institutional capacity for excellence and relevance in training, research and health service.

Makerere CEU collaborates with the Institute of Public Health; Department of Medicine; Faculty of Social Sciences; Makerere Institute of Social Research; Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics; and the Ministry of Health. Internationally, Makerere CEU collaborates with INCLEN AFRICA; TDR/WHO; and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Makerere CEU offers the following courses:

• Postgraduate training in Research Methods for Master of Medicine and Master of Science students in the Faculty of Medicine.
• A two-year postgraduate international course leading to the Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (M.Sc.CEB). This course is funded by TDR/WHO and commenced in October 2000.

The mission of the M.Sc. CEB programme is to develop high quality and sustainable training strategies that will produce clinical epidemiologists, biostatisticians, health social scientists and health economists with the knowledge and skills to address the challenges of traditional and emerging tropical diseases; rapid population growth; dwindling health resources; and health equity.

The programme focuses on infectious and parasitic diseases with emphasis on the discovery and development of clinical and non-clinical interventions for the control of target diseases: malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, African and American trypanosomiasis, leprosy, tuberculosis and HIV.

The programme focuses on infectious and parasitic diseases with emphasis on the discovery and development of clinical and non-clinical interventions for the control of target diseases: malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, African and American trypanosomiasis, leprosy, tuberculosis and HIV.

The M.Sc.CEB programme aims at training scientists able to develop scientifically sound protocols, implement projects rigorously, and perform adequate data analysis and reporting. It is particularly suited for African health professionals working in academic, research, health service or public health institutions. The ultimate goal is to establish an academic training capacity of excellence focused on the public health problems of Africa.

The M.Sc.CEB programme has the following objectives:

• To train health and allied workers in areas of clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, health economics and health social sciences.
• To equip the health worker with the knowledge and skills to conduct appropriate health research.
• To produce health researchers with a multi-disciplinary approach to health problems.
• To develop human research capacity to link research with health policy-makers.
• To strengthen the research arm of the health and allied professionals.

The programme is managed by members of Makerere CEU. Faculty are drawn from Makerere CEU, Institute of Public Health, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Social Sciences, Makerere institute of Social Research, and Institute of statistics and Applied Economics. Internationally, part-time lecturers will be drawn from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; INCLEN AFRICA.

Makerere CEU has developed the space for lecturers, data management center and health information resource center. Electronic literature search is available in the adjacent Sir Albert Cook Library.

Students are attached to a health institution in the first semester of year one. Each student is required to produce a problem statement, which is developed into a research proposal in semester one of year one. During the second semester of year one, the students are assigned to an on-going research project and are required to produce a critical review of research project. Thereafter the students develop a proposal for the dissertation or thesis that is implemented and defended in the second year. Students are evaluated through progressive and end of course assessment.

Tuition fees are Uganda shillings 3,514,000 or US$ 6,000 for Non-Ugandans for the two year period. The cost of the research project, training materials, accommodation and meals is not included. Reasonable accommodation can be arranged near the University.