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The four-year undergraduate programme targets high school graduates and is designed to equip students with the clinical competencies, critical thinking, and leadership skills required in modern health systems
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Aga Khan University (AKU) in Uganda has launched a new Bachelor of Nursing Science – Direct Entry programme, aiming to address critical health workforce shortages and prepare nurses for an evolving healthcare landscape shaped by demographic shifts, technological advances, and persistent gaps in service delivery.
Accredited by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education (UNCHE), the four-year undergraduate programme targets high school graduates and is designed to equip students with the clinical competencies, critical thinking, and leadership skills required in modern health systems.
“This new programme is a response to the increasing demand for well-trained nurses who are not only competent clinicians but also capable of contributing to public health and policy,” said Professor Eunice Ndirangu, Dean of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa.
Uganda continues to face a shortage of skilled health professionals, especially in rural and underserved areas, according to recent health sector performance reports. Nurses and midwives make up the backbone of the country’s healthcare workforce, yet training gaps and limited access to education for early-career professionals persist.
The AKU programme, to be delivered at the university’s new campus in Nakawa, Kampala, will admit 50 students per cohort. The curriculum emphasizes patient-centred care, interprofessional collaboration, evidence-based practice, and health systems improvement. It also integrates digital health tools, including training in electronic medical records, telehealth, and health data management.
“The inclusion of informatics and emerging technologies is essential,” said Dr. Joseph Mwizerwa, Associate Vice Provost at AKU Uganda.
“As Uganda scales up digital health infrastructure, nurses must be prepared to operate within these systems efficiently and ethically.”
The new programme complements AKU’s existing part-time degree offerings for working nurses and midwives. To date, over 1,400 nurses and midwives have graduated from AKU programmes in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, many of whom now hold leadership roles in hospitals, government agencies, and academic institutions.
“Nurses trained under this programme will serve as critical links between communities and health facilities, particularly where health access is limited,” Mwizerwa said.
Admissions for the first intake are open through August, with applications invited from across East Africa. The university expects graduates to support Uganda’s national health priorities, including maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, and pandemic preparedness
