Health Informatics Research and Innovation (HIRI), anchored at Makerere University, is Uganda’s health data and computational research hub.
Who We Are
About HIRI
Uganda’s health data and computational research hub, anchored at Makerere University
HIRI serves as the immediate incubator for postgraduates (clinicians, biomedical scientists, public health scientists and informaticians) doing health informatics and health data science research. Concurrently, HIRI functions as the dedicated computational research support arm for the Ministry of Health. HIRI operates on the downstream data layer, taking queries from the Ministry, automating data analytics across healthcare systems, and pushing evidence-based alerts directly to the MoH National Task Force.
HIRI functions as a purely digital, downstream computational partner. It serves as the "Digital Glue" of the health sector, taking raw data generated by Uganda’s hospitals (national referral, regional referral and district hospitals, and Health Centre IVs) and reference laboratories and turning them into scalable software innovations, peer-reviewed discoveries, and real-time policy decisions. For immediate public health utility, HIRI focuses its research and development entirely on infectious diseases (viral pathogens, bacterial superbugs/AMR, and Neglected Tropical Diseases), with an explicit expansion roadmap into Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
By focusing exclusively on data engineering, machine learning, and interoperability software, HIRI complements Uganda’s health research institutions (e.g., UVRI, MRC-Uganda, IDI, etc.) by acting as their downstream computational partner, explicitly avoiding duplicating the physical wet labs or clinical trial footprints.
HIRI constitutes multidisciplinary research teams of scientists, clinicians and informaticians, organised according to the nature of the health research problem and its aligned solution. Anchored at Makerere University, we provide an ideal environment for multidisciplinary research, innovation and education in health informatics — focused on the health data and technologies critical to advancing health care for all.
Our History
From the Health Informatics Research Group to HIRI
HIRI began as the Health Informatics Research Group (MakHIRG) at Makerere University in August 2017, an interdisciplinary community of researchers from the School of Medicine, School of Computing and Information Technology, and School of Public Health. The group was officially launched on 3 May 2018 at a Ministry of Health conference in Kampala, held with support from the World Health Organisation and UNICEF to disseminate the eHealth Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan (2025/2016-2020/2021). The group supported the implementation of the Uganda eHealth Policy and Strategy through undertaking research and development, providing the research arm for the MoH.
Prof. Josephine Nabukenya founded the group and its graduate training at Makerere University. Building on this work, the research group has grown into Health Informatics Research and Innovation (HIRI), which remains anchored at Makerere University.
How we position ourselves
From scientific research to real-life health care solutions
HIRI works to close the disconnection between health informatics solutions and the people who need them — translating science into systems, evidence into policy, and partnerships into impact.
Our Mission
To translate health informatics scientific research into applied research that supports socio-transformation in health care for all — bridging research with industry and society to solve real-life problems.
Our Vision
Empirical, evidence-based, reliable, re-usable, and sustainable health informatics solutions — contextualised for Uganda and beyond, not a "one size fits all" import.
In this section
The people, partners, and opportunities behind HIRI's work
HIRI is a network — leaders, researchers, fellows, affiliates, partner institutions, implementing partners, and the next generation we're training. Use the cards below to explore each.
Our People
Core researchers, fellows, and the broader HIRI network
Partners & Funders
Health institutions, implementing partners, and collaborators
Opportunities
Careers, training, collaboration
Projects
Research projects and initiatives
How we position ourselves
Our role
HIRI's role across the health informatics ecosystem is deliberate — closing the gap between scientific research and the people, services, and policies that depend on it.
Incubator for postgraduates
The immediate incubator for clinicians, biomedical scientists, public health scientists and informaticians doing health informatics and health data science research.
Computational research support for the Ministry of Health and National and Regional Referral Hospitals
Taking queries from the Ministry, automating data analytics across healthcare systems, and pushing evidence-based alerts to the MoH National Task Force.
Downstream computational partner
Complementing Uganda’s health research institutions, without duplicating physical wet labs or clinical trial footprints.
Infectious disease focus
Viral pathogens, bacterial superbugs/AMR and Neglected Tropical Diseases, with an expansion roadmap into NCDs.
Get involved
Partner with HIRI, join the team, or support our research
HIRI welcomes institutional partners, funders, researchers, fellows, students, and members of the public who want to help bring health informatics solutions to the people who need them.