Leadership development is most valuable when it leads to action. For Silver Kasozi, a Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Officer in Uganda's National Malaria Elimination Division (NMED) at the Ministry of Health, the knowledge and skills gained through the African Leadership and Management Training for Impact in Malaria Eradication (ALAMIME) have translated into meaningful public health impact.
Silver was among the first cohort of ALAMIME participants, where he strengthened his leadership and management competencies for malaria elimination. One of the programme modules that significantly influenced his work was Data Use and Evidence for Decision-Making, which equipped him with practical skills to identify key stakeholders, build strategic partnerships, and use evidence to guide public health interventions.
His leadership journey continued in February 2026, when he was selected as one of sixteen participants in ALAMIME's Training of Trainers (ToT) programme in Uganda. The training strengthened his facilitation skills and prepared him to mentor others and lead capacity-building efforts for malaria elimination.
Just four months later, Silver applied these competencies to address an important public health challenge in Uganda's Busoga Region.
Working alongside colleagues from the National Malaria Elimination Division and in partnership with the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU), Silver helped organize a three-day engagement for more than twenty women faith leaders drawn from the Anglican, Catholic, Muslim, Seventh-day Adventist, Orthodox, Born Again Faith, and Pentecostal communities.
The initiative responded to a common challenge affecting community health programmes: fragmented health messaging and limited coordination in promoting prevention, early care-seeking, immunization, and uptake of services for malaria, tuberculosis (TB), and HIV.
Held at the Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja, the workshop provided a platform for women faith leaders to learn, share experiences, and collectively identify practical solutions for improving community health. Presentations covered malaria, TB, HIV, immunization, and the critical role that women leaders play in influencing health behaviours within families and communities.
The workshop emphasized active participation. Through group discussions and collaborative planning, participants reflected on challenges within their communities and developed district-level strategies for strengthening health promotion. They also committed to cascading harmonized health messages through their faith networks, encouraging early care-seeking, promoting immunization uptake, and mobilizing communities around preventive health practices.
The engagement produced several practical recommendations. Participants agreed to develop standardized health messages, translate key information into local languages, strengthen community outreach activities, and encourage wider participation in initiatives such as the World Interfaith Women's Prayer Day. Discussions also highlighted the need for Busoga-specific malaria interventions, appropriate insecticides to support indoor residual spraying, and strategies to address poverty-related barriers that limit access to malaria prevention and treatment services.
Silver's leadership throughout the initiative demonstrates the value of investing in health professionals beyond technical knowledge alone. The competencies gained through ALAMIME enabled him to convene diverse stakeholders, facilitate evidence-informed discussions, and promote integrated responses that address malaria alongside TB, HIV, and immunization.
His experience illustrates ALAMIME's broader vision of developing leaders who can strengthen health systems by translating learning into action. In resource-constrained settings, leadership that fosters collaboration, strategic thinking, and community engagement is essential for achieving sustainable health outcomes.
Silver Kasozi's story is a powerful reminder that leadership training does not end in the classroom. Its true impact is realized when trained leaders apply their skills to mobilize partners, empower communities, and drive lasting improvements in public health. Through leaders like Silver, ALAMIME continues to build a growing network of professionals who are advancing malaria elimination while strengthening integrated disease prevention and health promotion efforts across Africa.
This is inspirational…..
If all religious sects of all Christian belief would pass a message on Malaria vaccine..HIV and TB ..this would trigger our community and enhance advocacy from all leaders into our community. …
Well done silver .
Wao, as we head towards zero malaria death by 2030, these are some robust actions needed. Most congregations believe in what these leaders say in African setting. Thank you Silver
The fight against malaria isn’t a lone wolf journey for health workers but a responsibility for all. Realization that accountability now spreads from programmers to the individual community members calls action key stakeholders. Engagement with women leaders has a higher multiplier effect. Thanks Silva for this effort