Executive Summary
Professor Peter Waiswa is a globally recognized public health expert, medical doctor, and health systems researcher specializing in maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (MNCAH). With over 30 years of experience, he has pioneered innovative approaches that bridge research, policy, and grassroots implementation across Africa. His model of developmental research integrates science, community service, and health systems strengthening, earning him national and global acclaim.
Global Roles and Influence
Commissioner, Lancet Commission on Evidence-Based Implementation in Global Health
WHO Guideline Development Group Member for influenza care and newborn clinical standards
Co-Chair, Child Health Task Force Quality of Care Subgroup
Member, Countdown 2030 Health Policy & Systems Group
Board Member, Global Health Faculty of Experts
Advisor, WHO-UNICEF Technical Group on Small and Sick Newborn Care
Board Member, Swedish Organization for Global Health
Regional and African Impact
Lead Investigator, EN-INDEPTH multi-country health metrics study
Principal Investigator, Saving Mothers Giving Life (SMGL), Uganda
Reduced maternal mortality by 40%, influencing policy scale-up in Nigeria
Founder, Uganda Development and Health Associates (UDHA) – advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and community health
Chair, Busoga Health Forum – catalyzing research, youth engagement, and health equity in Eastern Uganda
Ethics & Technical Leadership – Chair of the Research Ethics Committee at Uganda Christian University; member of Uganda’s Immunization Technical Advisory Group (UNITAG)
Academic and Research Leadership
Professor, Makerere University School of Public Health
Visiting Faculty, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Principal Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator on major research projects with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID/FHI360, John Templeton Foundation, UNICEF, and WHO
Author of over 250 peer-reviewed papers (H-index: 50)
Led clinical trials and implementation studies on Kangaroo Mother Care, preterm birth, digital payments, and self-injectable contraception
Honours and Recognition
Presidential Independence Heroes Medal (2016)
Multiple Excellence Awards from Uganda’s Ministry of Health for improving maternal and newborn care (2012, 2021)
Vision
Professor Waiswa is committed to building resilient health systems that deliver equity, innovation, and accountability— in Uganda, across Africa, and globally. His leadership continues to inspire a new generation of researchers, policymakers, and frontline health workers dedicated to ending preventable maternal and child deaths.
