Dr. Ian William Makumbi is a Ugandan doctor and an ENRICH Masters Fellow. He is also a second-year postgraduate trainee in the Master of Medicine in Pediatrics and Child Health at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, where he trains at Mulago and Kawempe National Referral Hospitals. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Uganda Christian University (2023).

His experience includes an internship at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital with a term as Coordinator of Intern Doctors, service as a Medical Officer in obstetrics at Kawolo General Hospital. His research experience includes work as a Trial Medical Officer at Mulago National Referral Hospital on a study comparing amplification testing with the syndromic approach to managing sexually transmitted infections.

His clinical work spans the general pediatric wards, the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Sickle Cell Unit. Under the supervision of Dr. Ruth Namazzi, a pediatrics haemato-oncologist, he is building a career in pediatric hematology and oncology, with a particular interest in improving outcomes for children living with sickle cell disease in Uganda.

Master’s Study title and description

Study title: Determinants of Recurrent Painful Vaso-Occlusive Crisis within Six Months of Discharge among Children with Sickle Cell Disease at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala.

Description

Painful vaso-occlusive crises are the most common reason children with sickle cell disease come to hospital, and many return with another crisis soon after going home. In Uganda, however, it is not known how many children experience a repeat crisis after discharge, how quickly it happens, or which children are most at risk.

This prospective cohort study enrolls 453 children aged 1 to 17 years treated for a painful crisis at Mulago National Referral Hospital and follows each child for six months after discharge through monthly telephone reviews, a caregiver-held pain calendar, record review and a final clinic visit. The study measures how often and how soon crises recur, and examines child, disease, hospital-stay, caregiver and health-system factors that predict recurrence, including whether pain that persists beyond 48 hours of standard treatment signals a higher risk.

The findings will help clinicians identify high-risk children at the point of discharge and target them for earlier follow-up, hydroxyurea optimization and caregiver education, with the aim of reducing avoidable crises and hospital admissions.