Infectious diseases
Changing Policy and Practice
Dr Ronald Kiguba is leading the implementation of an innovative app designed to improve the reporting of drug-related side effects in Uganda and across Africa.
Ensuring the safety of medicines is a global health priority, yet in many resource-limited settings, the side effects of drugs often go unreported.
Following a trial in Uganda, which was published in The Lancet Global Health, Dr Ronald Kiguba's team found that the Med Safety app increased the reporting drug-related side effects by healthcare workers by 73% compared to traditional methods.
With the Changing Policy and Practice (CPP) award, Dr Kiguba, from Makerere University, is now launching a 24-month programme to implement this practice nationally.
They will conduct 'Train-the-Trainer' workshops for frontline healthcare workers, deploy an automated SMS and WhatsApp system to provide reporters with feedback, and advocate for the app’s inclusion in Uganda's national clinical guidelines.
They will also create a Digital Toolkit and collaborate with the African Medicines Agency, aiming to support other African nations in adopting this framework.
Their aim is to strengthen drug monitoring, empower healthcare workers with digital tools, and ensure safer medicine use across Uganda and other African nations.