January 29 2024 will always hold a special place in the hearts of Dr. Susan Atuhairwe and Dr. Martin Mbonye, now THRiVE-2 alumni. The duo graduated with doctorates at Makerere University’s 74th graduation ceremony.
During her studies, Dr. Atuhairwe undertook research to examine;
‘Safety, effectiveness and acceptability of Misoprostol for treatment in incomplete mid trimester abortion in Uganda.’
This study investigated if task sharing which entails entrusting midwives in the management of second-trimester post-abortion care using misoprostol is safe, effective, and acceptable when offered by physicians. Atuhairwe conducted a multi-center randomized control equivalence trial at 14 public health facilities in Central Uganda and also did qualitative interviews to understand the views of patients and healthcare providers.
She was supervised by Profs.Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson; Josephat Byamugisha; Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye and Dr. Claudia Hanson.
On the other hand, Dr. Mbonye’s research thesis was titled;
‘Crafting respectability from a position of marginality: Masculinities and their influence on accessing HIV services among men in relationships with female sex workers in Kampala.’
Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, Mbonye established that being in a relationship with a female sex worker (FSW) created dilemmas for men such as; the inability to enjoy sexual monopoly; the shame associated with sex work, and economic deprivation. However, men found satisfaction in these relationships through the woman’s commitment to the relationship, her role in linking the man to HIV services, and her financial support. He was supervised by Prof. Janet Seeley and Dr. Godfrey Siu.
Drs. Atuhairwe and Mbonye are among the 132 students who received doctorates from across the university’s colleges. According to data from the university, this is the largest number of PhD graduates the university has ever had since its inception in 1922.
We congratulate the duo upon the conferral of their doctorates. THRiVE is proud of you and will always root for you. Many congrats!
Dr. Susan Atuhaire and Dr. Martin Mbonye were funded in whole, or in part, by the Wellcome Trust 107742/Z/15/Z and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, with support from the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) programme and the Science For Africa Foundation.