CUHAS CONVOCATION

Deus Dishon Sinibagiye is a distinguished pharmacist whose name resonates across Bugando Medical Centre (BMC), Buhongwa College of Health and Allied Sciences (BUCOHAS), and the broader healthcare community. Mr. Sinibagiye was among the first cohort of 36 students to pursue a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS), an experience that laid the foundation for his career and leadership in the pharmaceutical sector.

After successful completion of his internship training at BMC in 2015, Mr. Sinibagiye secured a position as a hospital pharmacist in 2016. His commitment to excellence, integrity, and diligence quickly earned him key leadership roles within the institution. Over the years, he has served as a Pediatric Ward Pharmacist, a Member of the Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship/Antimicrobial Resistance (AMS/AMR) Committee, a Member of the Hospital Finance Committee, and the Chairman of the Hospital Service Improvement Committee. These appointments reflect his outstanding work, ethics, leadership skills, and dedication to improving healthcare services.

Committed to lifelong learning, Mr. Sinibagiye has continuously enhanced his academic knowledge and professional skills. He has undergone training in clinical pharmacy services, improving his ability to deliver pharmacotherapy services to hospitalized patients. Additionally, he attended the World Health Organization (WHO) Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) methodology course, equipping him with the skills to assess trends of antimicrobial use at BMC. His expertise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) has positioned him as a key advocate in combating AMR and promoting rational antibiotic use among healthcare professionals and patients. His research contributions include participation in AMR research projects, such as the study titled "Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test Utilization at BMC," which was presented at the Tanzania Health Summit and the Pharmaceutical Society of Tanzania (PST) Scientific Conference in 2024.

Beyond his contributions to hospital pharmacy, Mr. Sinibagiye is also an entrepreneur and passionate advocate for pharmaceutical education. As one of the three Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of BUCOHAS in Mwanza, he has played a pivotal role in the institution’s growth and success, ensuring sustained high-quality pharmaceutical education. His entrepreneurial achievements reflect the knowledge, mentorship and skills acquired during his training at CUHAS. Reflecting on his transformative journey, he shares: "CUHAS was more than just an academic institution for me; it was a place of transformation that shaped my career, enabling me to excel as a hospital pharmacist and entrepreneur while making a lasting impact in healthcare."

Mr. Sinibagiye’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, dedication and continuous learning. His advice to current students and fellow alumni is simple yet profound: "Stay committed, embrace every learning opportunity, and strive for excellence."

Prof. Hyasinta Jaka is an Associate Professor of Medical Gastroenterology at Weill Bugando School of Medicine. Prof. Jaka is a distinguished gastroenterologist, educator and researcher whose academic and professional journey has significantly advanced healthcare in Tanzania.

She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from Hubert Kairuki Memorial University (now Kairuki University) in 2004 and a Master of Medicine from Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences (WBUCHS), a constituent college of St. Augustine University of Tanzania in 2009. Pursuing her passion for gastroenterology, she underwent specialized training in gastrointestinal endoscopy in Wurzburg, Germany in 2010. Committed to medical education, she completed a Master of Health Professions Education at Maastricht University in 2014. Her Ph.D. from the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS-Bugando) from 2015 to 2020, in collaboration with leading German institutions, focused on Medical Gastroenterology.

At Bugando Medical Centre (BMC), Prof. Jaka is a consultant gastroenterologist and former Head of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit (2013–2017), where she spearheaded the establishment of a state-of-the-art BMC endoscopy unit. Her leadership extends beyond clinical practices. She served as Zonal Coordinator for Allied Health Training in the Lake Zone and later as Principal of Mwanza College of Health and Allied Sciences. In addition, she served as a Postgraduate Coordinator at CUHAS and is currently serving as Quality Assurance Coordinator for the Internal Medicine Department.

Prof. Jaka is also a global force in academic mentorship and research, actively involved in programs such as the Harvard University, Boston University, Northwestern University, and New Mexico University (HBNU) Fogarty Global Health Training Program and the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program. She has published extensively in international peer-reviewed journals, with a Google Scholar H-index of 25 and i10-index of 37 (Google Scholar, PubMed) as of January 2025.

Beyond academia, she has significantly contributed to policy advocacy and research translation. As a key member of the National Viral Hepatitis Technical Task Force, she contributed to the development of the national treatment guidelines for viral hepatitis in Tanzania. Her leadership was instrumental at the Conference on Liver Disease in Africa (COLDA 2023), where she served as Local Chair, advancing discussions on liver disease across Africa.

As a contribution to the community, she has developed AI-H.pylori ChatBot, an artificial intelligence tool currently used to educate the community on H.pylori infection symptoms, management, prevention, and control. This innovative chatbot has been accessed by hundreds of users worldwide (AI-H.pylori ChatBot).

Through her clinical expertise, mentorship, research, and policy contributions, Prof. Jaka continues to shape the future of gastroenterology and medical education in Tanzania and beyond.

Prof. Stephen E. Mshana is a Professor of Clinical Microbiology at the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences-Bugando (CUHAS-Bugando) and the consultant clinical microbiologist of the Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) Mwanza, Tanzania. Prof. Mshana holds Doctor of Medicine from the University of Dar es Salaam (1999), Master of Medicine in Medical Microbiology from Makerere University (2006), PhD in Clinical Microbiology from St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) in collaboration with the Institute of Medical Microbiology Giessen, Germany (2011). He is also a Sub-Saharan Africa- Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) fellow (2012). He was the first PhD graduate of SAUT under its constituent college, the Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences (WBUCHS), currently CUHAS-Bugando. After attaining his PhD, he was awarded Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance (SACIDS) postdoctoral fellowship. Throughout his training he won several awards as a best student in various subjects.

Prof. Mshana, served as Head of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Associate Director of Postgraduate studies, CUHAS Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Research and Consultancy between 2014 and 2022; he was then appointed as Deputy Vice Chancellor- Planning, Finance and Administration for 4 years from August 2022. In addition of being a member of various University Committees, Prof Mshana has served in a number of national committees such as: National antimicrobial resistance Multi-sectorial Coordinating Committee (MCC), Chairperson of the Tanzania National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (TITAG), Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Africa Centre of Exellence-2 Technical Committee, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) Industrial Advisory Committee, Universities/Colleges Joint Academic Affairs Committee and Administrative Affairs Committee, Tanzania antimicrobial resistance action plan Technical Working Group, Tanzania Commission for Universities Technical Evaluation committees and various search teams

As a leader Prof Mshana managed to create a number of collaborations between CUHAS and other institutions in the United States of America (USA), Europe (Germany, UK, Belgium, Italy) and Africa (Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda). Through the Transformation of Health Education in Tanzania (THET) project where Prof Mshana was Co-investigator, he significantly contributed to mentoring of young researchers (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35478975/).

In the academic community Prof Mshana has served as external examiner in number of the regional universities including Makerere University, Moi University, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo), University of the Witwatersrand, St Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences etc. He has also served as assessor of the scholarly works of the faculty to be promoted to professorial ranks for Makerere University, Muhimbili University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Stellenbosch University etc. Moreover, he has served as grant proposal reviewer for UK Medical research Council, Wellcome Trust, Makerere University, Rwanda University, National Institute for Medical Research and COSTECH.

Prof. Mshana has contributed to mentoring other scientists in the field of Medical Microbiology and infectious diseases including some faculty members from CUHAS-Bugando, MUHAS, KCMUCo and SUA. To date, he has supervised more than 50 master students and more than 15 Doctoral students. Some of the CUHAS Associate Professors and Professors he mentored during their doctoral training include:
Associate Professor Martha Mushi https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Mushi+MF
Associate Professor Benson Kidenya https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Benson+Kidenya
Associate Professor Hyasinta Jaka https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Jaka+H
Associate Professor Jeremiah Seni https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Jeremiah+Seni and
Professor Mariam Mirambo https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Mirambo+MM

He is currently serving as reviewer for Tanzania Journal of health Research, Tanzania Medical Journal, Africa Health Sciences, Journal of Global Infectious Diseases, Journal of Microbiology and Antimicrobials, BMC infectious diseases, BMC Microbiology, Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection controls, BMC research notes, BMC Paediatrics, Oman Medical Journal, British Journal of Microbiology, PLOS One, Antibiotics, Frontiers in Microbiology, Antibiotics and Public Health etc. He is also serving as associate editor of BMC research Notes, Tanzania Medical Journal and Frontiers in Antibiotics.

Prof Mshana has won number of grants as PI/Co-investigator from European Union, EDCTP, VITAL foundation, Ministry of Health, Else Kröner, Flehming Fund, Medical Research Council-UK, NIH, WHO, DAAD, Global Fund, TB Reach and Touch foundation. In addition, he also contributed to the development of the WHO Global research agenda for antimicrobial resistance in human health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39146948/. He has published a number of articles including a novel spp. of bacteria causing neonatal sepsis which was named Enterobacter bugandensis; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21752606/,https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26637818/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29599516/. As of December 2024, he has contributed to and co-authored more than 250 scientific articles in peer review Journals with Google Scholar H-index 52 and i10-index -167https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ahtnxt8AAAAJ&hl=en. In 2024, Prof. Mshana was recognized by the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and awarded a prize for being the National Best Health Scientist of the year.

In relation to research translation, he has contributed to various policy recommendations in relation to vaccination in Tanzania https://www.nitag-resource.org/resources/recommendation. In addition, he has contributed to the development of Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan (AMR-NAP) and Policy Guidelines for Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship in Tanzania. He also participated as Member of TCU technical committee to draft the recommendations regarding the Best Practice for Sharing Health Staff between Higher Learning Health Training Institutions and Teaching Hospitals in Tanzania.

Dr. Shakilu Jumanne and Dr. Stella W. Malangahe deserve special recognition as exemplary alumni of the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS). Their significant contributions to addressing health challenges in Tanzania, particularly through the bone marrow transplant program, have transformed the treatment landscape for hematological conditions in the country.

Dr. Shakilu Jumanne: A Trailblazer in Pediatric Oncology

Dr. Shakilu is a pioneering figure in pediatric hematology and oncology. After completing his MD at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in 2008, he pursued a Master of Medicine in Pediatrics and Child Health at CUHAS, graduating in 2012. Reflecting on his experience at CUHAS, he shares, “Studying at CUHAS gave me an opportunity to interact with brilliant people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The integrative teaching approach challenged me to be creative and relentless, igniting my passion to design and implement problem-based interventions.”

Dr. Shakilu has been instrumental in establishing pediatric oncology services at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) and has led the development of Tanzania's first-ever allogeneic HLA-matched sibling donor bone marrow transplant program, which is a groundbreaking initiative for both Tanzania and the broader East and Central African region. His outstanding work has garnered numerous international accolades, including the 2023 International Innovation Grant from the Conquer Cancer Foundation and the International Travel Award from the American Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. Additionally, he serves on the Scientific Committee of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP), contributing to global research in pediatric oncology.

Dr. Stella W. Malangahe: A Visionary Hematologist

Dr. Stella is a trailblazer in hematology and a visionary leader at BMH. She earned her MD degree from CUHAS in 2011 and later completed a Master of Medicine in hematology and blood transfusion at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in 2017.Dr. Stella groundbreaking work includes establishing the Hematology Department at BMH in 2018, which provided specialized hematology services to central Tanzania and neighboring regions. In 2023, she led a team to perform Tanzania's first allogeneic bone marrow transplant for sickle cell disease, marking a historic milestone for East and Central Africa. To date, she has overseen 16 successful bone marrow transplants, achieving outcomes comparable to those in high-income countries. Dr. Stella's remarkable contributions earned her the honor of being named Tanzania's Doctor of the Year and Employee of the Year at BMH in 2023. Reflecting on her success, she credits CUHAS for shaping her professional values and equipping her with the tools to pursue her vision of revolutionizing hematology care in Tanzania, saying,“CUHAS shaped my professional values and gave me the courage to dream big. It provided me with the tools to pursue my vision of revolutionizing hematology care in Tanzania.”

United in a Mission to Transform Lives

While their paths have been unique, Dr. Shakilu and Dr. Stella are united by a shared commitment to advancing medical care in Tanzania. Their collaboration on the bone marrow transplant program has had life-changing effects for patients with sickle cell disease and other hematological conditions. This program is a testament to their dedication to improving health outcomes in the region. Through their groundbreaking work, they have set a powerful example of excellence, innovation, and compassion, inspiring future generations of CUHAS graduates to dream big and pursue careers that make a lasting impact on society.