Dr. Peter Waiswa

Education & Training

Prof. Waiswa trained as a medical doctor, earning a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) from Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda. He later pursued a Master of Public Health (MPH) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Israel.
He obtained a joint PhD in Medicine and completed a postdoctoral fellowship through a collaboration between Makerere University in Uganda and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, where he has also serves as a visiting researcher.

He has authored over one hundred scientific publications in leading global health journals and books, and his work has been widely cited internationally.

Academic Foundation

Before joining academia, Prof. Waiswa worked for several years in Uganda’s public health system, including serving as a district medical officer in Iganga District under the Ministry of Health.
He later joined Makerere University School of Public Health, where he has been part of the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management since 2008.

2010
PhD in Medical Sciences
Karolinska Institutet / Makerere University
"Understanding Newborn Care in Uganda – Towards Future Interventions"
This doctoral training deepened Prof. Waiswa's expertise in newborn care, implementation research, and health systems thinking, laying the foundation for much of his later work in maternal and newborn health.
2011 – 2012
Post-Doctoral Fellowship
Karolinska Institutet, Department of Public Health
Postdoctoral training that further strengthened his scholarship in health systems and policy, with supervision under Prof. Lars Wallin.
2003
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
MPH training that provided a strong grounding in public health principles, policy, systems thinking, and population-level approaches to health improvement.
Undergraduate
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB)
Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda
Medical training that established the clinical foundation continuing to shape his work in maternal, newborn, and child health, service delivery, and health systems improvement.

Advanced Academic and Professional Development

For Prof. Peter Kyobe Waiswa, continuous learning and professional development are central to advancing public health research and practice. Through his work at the Makerere University School of Public Health , Adara Group and collaborations with global partners such as WHO, Karolinska Institutet, he has contributed to strengthening research capacity, mentoring scholars, and advancing evidence-based approaches to maternal and newborn health in Africa.

Academic Standing

Professor Peter Kyobe Waiswa is an internationally recognized scholar in maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) and health systems research. He serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management at the Makerere University School of Public Health, where he contributes to teaching, research, and mentorship of graduate students and emerging public health professionals.

In recognition of his contributions to science and public health, he has been elected a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (FAAS), reflecting his influence in advancing research and policy for improved maternal and newborn health across Africa.

Education in Service of Impact

For Prof. Peter Kyobe Waiswa, education is a tool for transforming health systems and improving lives. Through his work at the Makerere University School of Public Health, he mentors emerging public health professionals and leads research that translates evidence into practical solutions for strengthening maternal and newborn care across Africa.