Pericles Lewis, vice president for global strategy and deputy provost for international affairs, visited Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda (MUK) on March 13 to meet with university leaders, alumni, and medical residents. By their accounts, the Makerere University-Yale University (MUYU) collaboration, which began nearly two decades ago, has been a resounding success.
Under the partnership, Yale physicians, residents, and medical students travel to Kampala for clinical rotations, and Ugandan physicians and students train in New Haven. The goal for both groups is to improve patient care through education, training, and research; to build up the educational and clinical infrastructure; and to support research that could be easily translated into practice.
During his visit, Lewis connected with some of the Makerere medical residents who visited Yale as part of the MUYU training program, an integral component of the partnership. The length of training at Yale typically has ranged between six weeks and 12 months, and has focused on areas of greater need, specifically with respect to non-communicable diseases. Since 2006, more than 21 faculty members/physicians have been trained in the following specialties and subspecialties: cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, rheumatology, oncology, pulmonology, intensive care, pediatric surgery, endocrine surgery, emergency medicine, pathology, and neurology.
Lewis’ trip supports the Yale Africa Initiative (YAI), an ongoing effort by Yale to prioritize and expand upon its collaborations on the continent. Through YAI, the university continues to leverage the power of partnerships and global networks across the continent to produce beneficial outcomes in science, public health, business, and numerous other disciplines and industry sectors. The visit to MUK is just one of many events that the Yale team will participate in during its travels to Ethiopia, Uganda, and South Africa this month.
Visit the Yale and Africa page for more information on Lewis’ trip to Africa, and to access numerous additional stories about Yale University and its various partnerships, collaborations and work throughout the continent.