About the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health

About the Centre

There is urgency for action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Current global challenges need to be addressed from a wide range of disciplines and areas of expertise, with sound data and robust collaborations based on trust, innovation and interaction.

Karolinska Institutet and Makerere University have been working together for over 20 years and contributed to important research results within a vast area of health, including occupational therapy and public health. Together we develop training programs and capacity building projects through the exchange of students, teachers and collaboration in research.

AIM

The Centre aims to develop capacity and mobilise actions to drive the agenda for sustainable health

MISSION

Realise sustainable gains in health and well-being and transform how research and policies are formulated and conducted

VISION

A world in which every child, adult and elderly person can live a healthy life in a socially, economically and ecologically sustainable way

Sustainable health

The Centre defines sustainable health as:

A multisectoral area for study, research and practice towards improving health and well-being for all, while staying within planetary boundaries. This view builds on the definition given in the Brundtland commission and the report Our Common Future.

Read Annual Report 2023

Articles

Uniting for impact

The Centre was established in 2021 based on experience and holistic perspective of health. Since then we've made significant contributions to research and cultivated impactful partnerships across various educational programs.

Visit

2024

In February 2024, a delegation from Karolinska Institutet led by Vice President Martin Bergö visited Makerere University. Martin Bergö was genuinely impressed by the commitment and results arising from this collaboration.
Tools for action developed and used

2023
The Centre has identified five areas for Tools for Action that are crucial to accelerate the progress to achieve sustainable health for all. Today they are increasingly being used in African and European countries through dissemination efforts both online and in workshops with different stakeholders.

Read Annual Report 2023
Core engagements established
2022
Capacity development and education are cornerstones in our work to mobilise actions to drive the agenda for sustainable health. Read Annual report 2022

MIDWIZE program has resulted in significant positive changes in maternal and child health, higher satisfaction with care among women, and better medical outcomes

MISH leadership program has been delivered to managers in the health care sector in Sub-Saharan Africa

SDGCap capacity-building program has contributed to positive changes in various areas by uniting local and national stakeholders to focus on sustainable health and development through implementing cost-effective and innovative solutions, reducing poverty, increasing gender equality, and promoting multisectoral collaboration
Establishment of the Centre
2021
The Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health is established to further strengthen the partnership, based on:

Makerere University’s Strategic Plan 2020-2030

Karolinska Institutet’s Strategy 2030

A joint collaboration plan
Building a strong partnership

2000-2003
In 2000, Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University in Uganda started to build strong partnership based on strategic planning, mutual trust and a commitment to shared goals. This partnership was initially focused primarily on research.

Since 2003 the collaboration is regulated by formal agreements: a Memorandum of Understanding and an agreement for doctoral education were signed by both parties.

With time, the collaboration expanded to exchange of students and teachers within several educational programmes. An active alumni network of hundreds of healthcare professionals and researchers has grown and reflects the success of this collaboration.