Australia Awards Alumnus makes visible strides

Dr David Tumuhairwe did not waste any time putting his newly acquired skills to good use for his country.

A graduate of the Masters of Public Health degree at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, courtesy of the Australia Awards – Africa initiative, David has trained over 300 health workers in 80 health centres across nine districts since returning to Uganda.

He also works with HIV/AIDS patients on the Prevention with Positives program, which educates patients on ways to reduce the spread of the disease and on good nutritional practices. In addition, David supports 20 large health centres, which offer increased access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) for smaller centres.

“As a result of my technical inputs, the number of Ugandans living with HIV who can access ART has increased tremendously from about 500 to 6,000 people. I can attribute this improvement in population health to my study in Public Health Services Management in Melbourne,” explains David.

He added that he was grateful for the Award, as it has enabled him to give back to his country.

Despite his busy schedule, David still finds time to cultivate the relationships he built in Australia and remains a member of the Public Health Association of Australia.