Executive Director
Dr. Rhona Mijumbi-Deve
With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Rhona Mijumbi specializes in bridging the gap between science, knowledge, and policy, focusing on the dynamic interactions that shape effective health systems and public policy.
Professional Leadership
- Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK
- Policy Analyst & Senior Research Scientist, Regional East African Community Health Policy Initiative (REACH-PI)
- Health Systems Specialist Consultant, Belgium Technical Cooperation (BTC) – Institutional Capacity Building Project, Uganda
- Senior Research Fellow, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), USA
- Research Fellow, Africa Centre for Evidence (ACE), University of Johannesburg, South Africa
- Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda
Education
- PhD in Health Policy (Joint Program: Makerere University & McMaster University)
- Master of International Public Health, University of Queensland
- Master of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Makerere University
Rhona has held leadership and advisory roles across prominent global health and research institutions. Her notable engagements include:
- Advisory Group on Gender and COVID Research Agenda Setting, United Nations University (Member)
- COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Taskforce (Advisory Member)
- World Health Organization (WHO) TDR (Consultant & Technical Advisor)
- International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie), Washington DC (Senior Fellow)
- Oxford Policy Management, London, UK (Consultant Research Scientist & Evidence Synthesis Specialist)
- Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results (CLEAR), South Africa (Consultant)
- Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda (Consultant)
Research interests
Rhona is a dedicated researcher focused on strengthening health systems and streamlining public policy. She has invested significant time and resources into advancing evidence-based policymaking, with a particular emphasis on rapid response mechanisms and health diplomacy.
Selected Publications
- Nabyonga-Orem J, Mijumbi R. Evidence for informing health policy development in Low-income Countries (LICs): perspectives of policy actors in Uganda. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2015 Mar 8;4(5):285-93. doi: 10.15171/ijhpm.2015.52.
- Nabudere H, Asiimwe D, Mijumbi R. Task shifting in maternal and child health care: An evidence brief for Uganda. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care. 2011;27(2):173-179. doi:10.1017/S0266462311000055
- Chris Chibwana, Chris Maloney, Rhona Mijumbi, and Irene Mwendwa. Using evidence to improve lives in Uganda: https://hewlett.org/using-evidence-to-improve-lives-in-uganda/
- Mijumbi, R.M., Oxman, A.D., Panisset, U. et al.Feasibility of a rapid response mechanism to meet policymakers’ urgent needs for research evidence about health systems in a low income country: a case study. Implementation Sci 9, 114 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-014-0114-z
- Mijumbi-Deve Rhona, Jones Catherine, Juma Pamela, Sombgwi Joelle, Parkhurst Justin. Beyond the metrics of measures of Health Sciences Research performance. BMJ Global Health. 2021;6(7): e006019.
- Mijumbi-Deve, R.M., Kawooya, I., Kayongo, E. et al.Paper 1: Demand-driven rapid reviews for health policy and systems decision-making: lessons from Lebanon, Ethiopia, and South Africa on researchers and policymakers’ experiences. Syst Rev 11, 154 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-022-02021-3
- Robson, R.C., Thomas, S.M., Langlois, Mijumbi R., É.V. et al.Embedding rapid reviews in health policy and systems decision-making: Impacts and lessons learned from four low- and middle-income countries. Health Res Policy Sys 21, 45 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-023-00992-w
- Mijumbi-Deve, R., Rosenbaum, S.E., Oxman, A.D. et al.Policymaker experiences with rapid response briefs to address health-system and technology questions in Uganda. Health Res Policy Sys 15, 37 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-017-0200-1
- Mijumbi-Deve R, Ingabire M-G, Sewankambo NK. Complexities of Knowledge Translation: Reflections from REACH-PI Uganda’s rapid response mechanism. In: Georgalakis J, Jessani N, Oronje R, Ramalingam B, editors. The social realities of knowledge for development: Sharing lessons of improving development processes with evidence. Brighton: IDS/Impact Initiative; March 2017.
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