Biography

Emmanuel Bua is a specialist general surgeon at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in eastern Uganda and an honorary lecturer of Surgery at Busitema University Faculty of health sciences with special interest in paediatric and plastic surgery. Inspired by his mother, a nurse and midwife, he joined Makerere University medical school and graduated with an MBChB. He undertook a Master’s degree and fellowship in General Surgery. He is a board-certified member and fellow of the College of surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). He represents Eastern Uganda on the executive committee of the Association of Surgeons of Uganda (ASOU).

He has worked with the underserved and impoverished communities of Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Kenya where he has experienced first-hand the importance of the social determinants of health and the need for robust healthcare systems. He also had the opportunity to interact with patients in the USA and Netherlands which gave him a clear perspective of the healthcare systems in developed economies and the need for collaborations between local and international partners in addressing health care challenges in Africa. He is a strong advocate for global health equity and believes in building resilient communities through training for transformation and global partnerships.

Over the years of his practice, he has learnt that illness and health are intricately intertwined with socioeconomic conditions. He therefore advocates for healthcare that goes beyond merely offering medical treatment to patients. He believes that addressing systemic factors that contribute to illness and access to health is only possible if there is growth from being a frontline clinician to a global health leader.

He believes in global partnerships, global health equity, leadership, clinical and social research, community engagement and support as important tools for advocacy. He is currently a global heath leadership fellow under the UCSF HEAL program as well as a CHESA fellow.

As one of his passions, he spends a considerable amount of time teaching and mentoring medical students and the next generation doctors, specifically in undoing old traditions that have not been helpful over the years, and adopting a mindset that is open to change and innovation. He believes in making the road by walking it.

Outside of his work, he enjoys reading, travelling, making friends, singing, dancing salsa and food.