Makerere University, heavily reliant on foreign funding for its research initiatives, is among the institutions significantly affected by the aid freeze imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
Vice-Chancellor of Makerere University Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe stated that the university is compiling a comprehensive list of affected research projects across its colleges, schools, and units. Several departments have already reported disruptions, with the School of Health Sciences—home to critical projects such as the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI)—among the hardest hit. Some projects have suspended activities and sent staff home while awaiting clarity on future funding.
Nawangwe indicated that the university is exploring government intervention, emphasizing that many of these projects are crucial to public health and national development. He suggested that the government should step in to fund these essential programs and revealed that Makerere is considering requesting a supplementary budget to sustain its research initiatives until alternative funding sources are secured.
With limited national investment in education, research, and innovation, institutions like Makerere have relied on their staff to write grant proposals and secure funding from Western governments, universities, institutions, and foundations. This strategy has enabled a wide range of research and development projects to thrive.
Although Makerere has not disclosed the full extent of the affected projects, information from the U.S. Embassy highlights the long-standing partnership between the university and various U.S. agencies.
For over 50 years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has supported U.S.-Ugandan collaborative research at Makerere. Similarly, USAID has partnered with the university for six decades, contributing to the establishment of new degree programs such as a PhD in Agriculture and an Executive MPH-MBA course. USAID has also strengthened the social service workforce and funded research facilities like the Centre for Climate Change Research and Innovations.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has worked closely with Makerere for decades, often collaborating with institutions such as Johns Hopkins University on critical public health research. CDC funding has supported Uganda’s Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Leadership Program, which plays a key role in responding to public health emergencies, including Ebola.
Dr. Alex Riolexus Ario, who heads the program under Makerere’s School of Public Health, revealed that CDC had been injecting $1 million annually into field epidemiology training and $750,000 into laboratory leadership. With these funds now halted at a critical time when Uganda is battling Mpox and Ebola outbreaks, the program has turned to the Ministry of Health for alternative funding.
“We are at the center of the Ebola response. The ministry is looking for support from both government coffers and other willing donors outside the U.S. government. We are doing our best to respond to the emergency despite the funding challenges,” Ario said.
Beyond public health, the freeze is affecting other key initiatives. The U.S. Department of Defense established the Makerere University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP) in 2002, focusing on HIV vaccine development and enhancing Uganda’s vaccine testing capabilities. Additionally, through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. has been a major partner in Makerere’s public health education, research, and surveillance efforts for nearly two decades.
In 2023 alone, PEPFAR invested over $32 million (approximately 118.4 billion Ugandan shillings) into Makerere, reinforcing its role as a global leader in HIV/AIDS research and public health initiatives. With this funding now in jeopardy, researchers fear that progress in Uganda’s fight against infectious diseases could be severely undermined.