Journey Milestones
PhD: 2019 – present
Claire is currently pursuing a joint PhD in Public Health (Makerere University – Uganda) and Educational Sciences (Ghent University – Belgium), which is focused on advancing the quality of treatment services for substance use disorders (SUDs) in Uganda and the expected completion is mid 2026.
The research topic is Advancing the Quality of treatment services for Substance Use Disorders in Uganda through the measurement and monitoring of patient-reported outcomes and experiences and centres on measuring and monitoring patient-reported outcomes and experiences to inform treatment strategies and healthcare policies.
The research involves evaluating the capability of specific tools and measures to determine the effectiveness of alcohol and drug treatment services in Uganda, referred to as the AQUALEFF study (Advancing Quality and Effectiveness of Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in Uganda).
Ugandan National Institute of Public Health Fellowship: 2017 – 2019
Click here to go to the Ugandan National Institute of Public Health for background about Claire’s fellowship goals.
Click here to view or download an overview (PDF 250k) of Claire Biribawa’s experience with and contributions over the duration of the Fellowship.
These encompassed a range of program-specific achievements in public health, community awareness, innovative programs, investigations and research involving issues such as infectious diseases such as cholera, TB and HIV, as well as other public health problems, such as problematic use of alcohol, drowning and road traffic injuries.
This included a number of roles, such as being editor on issues of the Uganda National Institute of Public Health (UNIPH) bulletin and team lead/principal investigator in the investigation of a measles outbreak in Lyantonde District and of a Rift Valley Fever Outbreak in Buikwe District, Uganda
Also was team lead on the study of epidemiology of road traffic injuries in Kampala, Uganda and also participated in management, monitoring and review of a range of programs and research, such as –
- A cholera outbreak in Nebbi District associated with drinking unsafe water from the lake
- Deaths caused by consumption of alcohol adulterated with high concentrations of methanol, Wakiso District- Uganda, June 2017
- Leptospirosis in Kabale
- Acute watery diarrhoea investigation in Kyaka Refugee Camp, in Kyegegwa District, January 2018.
- Outbreak of mumps among children in a children’s home in Wakiso District
- TB operational research study on nutritional status and TB treatment outcomes among TB/HIV co-infected patients at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital, 2014 – 2017
- Quality improvement project Improving human capacity of lifeguards to improve water safety and response to drowning victims at recreational water sites in Kampala and Entebbe”
- Study of sexual Violence, HIV infection and other STDs among male prisoners in Uganda
- Study on the incidence and trends of road traffic Injuries in Kampala District, Uganda 2012 – 2016
Field epidemiology track 2017/2019.
Click here to view or download an account (PDF 1.8MB ) of the Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program departmental report for 2017/2019, with further details of Claire Biribawa’s roles and projects.