M A K E R E R E UNIVERSITY The A Publication byCovabian the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security VOLUME1, ISSUE 2 NOVEMBER - 2011 S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F INTEREST: COVAB Ranked as A+ College New Partner- ships The College of Veterinary Medicine , College of Health Sciences Animal Resources and Bio security COVAB is an College of Agricultural and Environ- (COVAB) was ranked as a Class A+ A+ College mental Sciences Editor’s Note College by the National Council of College of Engineering Art and De- Staff Retreat Higher Education (NCHE). Welcome to sign This was revealed by the Ag. Vice yet another Chancellor Venansius Baryamureeba College of Computing and Infor- issue of the mation Sciences publication by during his 22nd monthly media brief- ing held on 03/10/2011. The partici- CLASS A the College of Veterinary pating University unit was the School College of Natural Sciences of Law. Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio- College of Business and Management Security (formerly the School of Vet- NCHE based their rankings of the INSIDE THIS Sciences erinary Medicine). different Colleges on the following ISSUE: standards; the quality and quantity of School of Law In line with our new found status of a staff, quality of students, quality of CLASS B+ College, the name of this publication has been changed from „Vet Bulletin‟ 3 academic programmes, teaching and College of Humanities and Social to „The Covabian‟. laboratory space, availability of li- Sciences brary resources and quality of „The Covabian‟ not only stems from College of Education and External COVAB Wel- COVAB (the abbreviation of the Col- services to students and other stake- Studies comes First Year holders. The complete list of College lege name) but is also embrac- 3 rankings is as follows; ing...Right from the top administration at COVAB to the lecturers, the stu- CLASS A+ dents, support staff and former stu- Veterinary Profes- College of Veterinary Medicine Ani- dents, each of us are Covabians and sion will not Die mal Resources and Bio Security can therefore relate to this name. A lot has happened since the last 4 issue was published. COVAB has gained new partners, student intake has increased, new programs are com- ing up, all geared towards COVAB‟s V.C meets CO- goal to becoming an internationally VAB Staff accredited constituent College of Mak- COVAB hosts 6 erere University. RISE meeting All this and more, you will read about in this issue. 7 I welcome input (articles) towards this newsletter from all members of CO- VAB. Feel free to post them to Public Healthy [email protected] Residency to start Jovia Musubika Kavulu The front part of the main building of the College VOLUME1, ISSUE 2 P A G E 2 Vice Chancellor meets COVAB Staff The Acting Vice Chancellor of COVAB staff submitted requests Makerere University, Prof. Ve- to the Vice Chancellor for help in nansius Baryamureeba met with regards to meeting the College the staff of COVAB on 30th- challenges among which was the October 2011 at the College maximum age for entry into the premises. The purpose of the University as a Teaching Assistant. meeting was for the Vice Chancel- Staff argued that the age of 30 was lor to acquaint himself with the unrealistic for the BVM degree College staff and to discuss with program whose length is 5years in them the challenges that the Col- addition to the MSc which takes lege was facing in its aspirations to about 2-3 years to complete. reposition itself as an internation- The Vice Chancellor committed ally accredited institution. himself to working towards help- Prof. John David Kabasa who ing COVAB to meet most of its Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba chaired the meeting highlighted challenges. among others as COVAB achieve- ments the increased annual stu- dent intake for the academic year 2011/2012. Prof. John David Student intake Increases Kabasa (Ag. This academic year 2011/2012, the Collage Of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (COVAB) Principal, has almost doubled its student intake as compared to the last academic year as shown below; COVAB) with Program 2010/2011 2011/2012 Key BAPTM 07 19 First Year BAPTM-Bachelor of Animal Production Technology BBLT 100 98 and Management students shortly BVM 22 69 BBLT-Bachelor of Biomedical Laboratory Technology after their WHM 08 9 BVM-Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine Diplomas - 8 WHM-Bachelor of Wildlife Health Management orientation Total 137 203 session VOLUME1, ISSUE 2 P A G E 3 COVAB gets New Partners “The Church Church of Uganda and the .The Archbishop of the Church of ed the Archbishop for his efforts in that there was hope especially now that Uganda, His Grace Henry Luke helping the underprivileged especially COVAB and AFRISA are bringing skills to University are Orombi on 24th August 2011 paid in Northern Uganda and he pledged the people and doing things differently by a visit to COVAB where he to ensure increased enrolment of practically implementing classroom joining hands toured the College premises; after students from Northern Uganda to knowledge. “You should not look to the which he addressed members of Makerere University. government for jobs especially in your to empower staff and students. The purpose of discipline which you can use to create The Archbishop expressed his appre- the rural the visit was for the Archbishop to ciation to COVAB for its initiative to your own jobs and to get jobs for others‟, familiarise himself with the College take skills to those who can not His Grace Orombi cautioned the stu- people” facilities. This was after he signed a come to the university. “Makerere dents. Memorandum of Understanding has wealth, and the church has a vehi- on the same day in the Main cle where the University can direct Building of Makerere University. this wealth”, the Archbishop said The Memorandum of Understand- adding that he was ready to act as the ing marked the beginning of a middleman in this partnership in or- partnership between the Church der to promote this worthy cause. of Uganda and Makerere Universi- He referred to the occasion as a ty through COVAB. The partner- historical moment in which “the ship will involve the University Church and the University are joining reaching out to Ugandan commu- hands to empower the rural people.” nities by imparting necessary Reacting to a speech by the President hands-on skills to the youth so of Makerere University Veterinary that they can create their own Students Association, David Waiswa, employment. who said that thousands of Ugandan The Acting Vice Chancellor of youths are unemployed yet the future Makerere University Prof. Ve- of the country lies in their hands, His nansius Baryamureeba commend- Grace the Archbishop was optimistic Prof. Kabasa and His Grace Orombi at the Main Building Uganda Crane Creameries Cooperative Union The UCCCU The Programme Development Manager Chairman George of AFRISA, the platform for COVAB Nuwagira de- partnerships Dr. Michael Kansiime said scribed the part- that UCCCU was partnering with CO- nership as “a VAB because the two have a common marriage that has vision to add value to communities. taken place at the Prof. John David Kabasa, noted that the right time”, add- partnership was an opportunity for CO- ing that it would VAB to do things differently and to have help to change an impact, explaining further that Prof. Kabasa (L) and Mr.Nuwagira(R) signing the MOU the perception “Makerere is an international University that dairy farmers and a role model to others; so if we do COVAB entered into partnership are people who failed elsewhere and things well, we can make others follow.” with the Uganda Crane Creamer- resorted to farming . ies Cooperative Union (UCCCU) Also present was Mr. Godfrey Mugisha Prof. William Isharaza, a UCCCU the Senior Legal Officer of Makerere Limited. The partnership was board member said, “farmers are not marked with the signing of an University.. Others present were mem- as illiterate or as foolish as our lead- bers of UCCCU Board and COVAB staff. MOU between the two parties ers tend to think”, adding that farm- th on the 14 of September 2011 at ers have a lot of value to add to com- the College. munities. P A G E 4 MORE PARTNERS... Global Alliance for Livestock Vet Medicine On 20th October 2011, COVAB under the AFRISA platform entered into part- nership with the Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicine(GALVmed). GALVmed, a non- profit organization strives to save human life by protecting livestock. It fosters registration of the East Coast Fever (ECF) vaccine to ensure safety and to secure the sustainability of supply through commercialization. East Coast Fever is said to be one of the major causes of Livestock deaths in East Africa. Unlike in Tanzania and Kenya where the vaccine is readily available to farmers, in Uganda it is scarce and costly. .The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF) has been the only importer of the vaccine in small quantities due to financial constraints. GALVmed will therefore work with COVAB through AFRISA to spearhead the registration and commercialisation of this vaccine. This move is expected to make the vaccine readily available to Ugandan farmers at affordable rates. GALVmed, COVAB and AFRISA staff NUFU Project Ends “Although the NUFU Project institutional development. The pants to ensure that the re- has come to an end after 10 workshop was attended by sults generated from the vari- years, the networks between members from the participat- ous student projects would Partici- the participating universities ing Universities from Zambia, reach the communities to pants of will continue”, said Prof.