Erasmus+ mobility: MTM-student Natalia Maure attending a productive follow up field research traineeship in Uganda!
After a first insightful traineeship from 7 August 2025 to 4 September 2025, MTM student Natalia Maure travelled in February 2026 to Uganda to participate in the 2nd part of her field research traineeship with the support of an Erasmus+ mobility grant.
This fieldwork directly feeds into her master thesis, which focuses on the burden of cardiovascular disease risk factors among patients with tuberculosis (TB) in the Karamoja sub-region of Uganda. It will provide experience in applying tropical medicine principles in a public health research project in a high-burden setting.
This field-based research traineeship, conducted in partnership with the NGO CUAMM (Doctors with Africa) and two local hospitals in Uganda, represents a unique opportunity to further strengthen and apply the knowledge and interdisciplinary skills Natalia Maure acquired during her academic training at ITM. The traineeship aligns perfectly with the learning objectives of the MSc program and allowed her to carry out research in a real-world, resource-limited setting where tuberculosis remains a major public health challenge.
The second part of the field visit was conducted from 2-28 February 2026 in the Karamoja region of Uganda, specifically at Moroto Regional Referral Hospital and St. Kizito Hospital Matany. These institutions were strategically selected due to their important role in TB care and their ongoing collaboration with CUAMM.
Through the 2nd set of planned activities, Natalia not only further strengthened her research skills and proficiency in scientific writing, but she learned how to operate in contexts different from her own, and advanced competences to apply scientific knowledge in practical, real-life situations, in collaboration with local teams. She enhanced her analytical and dissemination skills, demonstrated through the interpretation of study data and communication of results to hospital stakeholders, community representatives and local health authorities.
Furthermore, she strengthened her capacity for scientific communication, including the structured presentation of findings to the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Programme (NTLP) of the Ministry of Health. And last but not least, she deepened her understanding of public-health issues related to tuberculosis in resource-limited settings, particularly within the context of the Karamoja region.
“The research assistants in the field continued recruiting patients after my first visit, while I focused on building and organizing the data in Excel. Upon my return for the second visit, I met with the research team to exchange feedback, insights, and discuss challenges encountered. I then dedicated most of my time to data analysis and subsequently disseminated the preliminary results with the two collaborating hospitals and the National TB and Leprosy Programme of the Ministry of Health. The timing was ideal, everything ran smoothly, and the overall experience was extremely positive, thanks to the entire team at ITM and CUAMM for their invaluable support", Naty says.
Are you also planning to attend a traineeship or course abroad before 31 July 2026 and interested in Erasmus+ student and staff mobility opportunities? Then check the information here on the criteria and application process.
Some impressions:
Legend: Entrance of Matany Hospital
Legend: Research assistants from Matany Hospital
Legend: Tuberculosis ward at Matany Hospital
Legend: Moroto Regional Hospital
Legend: Research assistants at Moroto Regional Hospital