About usCoursesResearch projectsRecent publicationsResearchersAbout us The Regional School of Public Health (Ecole Régionale de Santé Public, ERSP, in French) was founded in 2009 and operates in the faculty of Medicine of the Université Catholique de Bukavu. It is one of the three schools of public health organizing a master of public health (MPH) program in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The ERSP was created to tackle the dearth of public health specialists in the provinces of Sud-Kivu, Nord-Kivu, Maniema, Province Orientale and in other countries of the Great Lakes Region, in the aftermath of a protracted socio-political instability that caused a massive flight of health professionals. Our main objective is to efficiently contribute to the development of the health sector and public health research in the Great Lakes Region. The ERSP, through its multidisciplinary training scheme and research projects, is geared towards addressing the burning local and global health challenges by harnessing local resources, partnerships, national and international cooperation. Our program is open to medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, biologists, veterinaries, economists, statisticians, anthropologists, lawyers, engineers in water and sanitation, demographers, etc The MPH courses are organized within the premises of the faculty of Medicine located in the compound of the Provincial General Referral Hospital of Bukavu. This MPH degree prepares graduates to a variety of job opportunities both in the Democratic Republic of Congo and abroad, including managerial positions, public health policy and administration, monitoring and evaluation, health sector governance, health promotion, disease control and outbreaks investigation, partnerships and resource mobilization, epidemiological research, implementation research, public health programs and projects management, and many others. Admission to this program is subject to a degree in General Medicine, social sciences (Bac+5) or an equivalent field with a 2-year professional experience in health sector. Training tracks Community Health Methods in Public and Community Health (10 modules- 28 ECTS) Public Health Planning and Management (6 modules- 20 ECTS) Family and Community Health (8 modules – 18 ECTS) Conflict Prevention and resolution (4 modules-6 ECTS) Health Economics Elementary Notions in Public Health and Health Economics (2 modules- 36 ECTS) Health financing (2 modules- 6 ECTS) Management tools in public health (9 modules – 25 ECTS) Marketing and decisions analysis (2 modules – 6ECTS) Conflict prevention and resolution (3 modules – 5 ECTS) Courses Intitulé du cours Facilitateur Crédits MODULES EN TRONC COMMUN 59 1 Concepts et méthodes en santé publique Pr Ghislain BISIMWA 2 2 Notions de base en Economie et Economie de la Santé Prof Mutabazi 4 3 Démographie et populations spécifiques Pr Eugénie KABALI 2 4 Recherche Appliquée (méthodes quantitatives de recherche) Prof Mwene-Batu 4 5 Communication scientifique Prof Mwene-Batu 2 7 Médecine du travail Dr Rosine BIGIRINAMA 2 8 Ethique et Résolution des conflits Prof MUSANGANYA 2 9 Bio-statistique: notions de base, tests statistiques et analyses de données Dr Amani Ngaboyeka 4 10 Introduction au Système d’Information Géographique (avec Qgis) Dr Rosine BIGIRINAMA 2 11 Méthodes qualitatives de recherche en Santé Publique Dr Molima, Dr Makali 2 12 Epidémiologie Pr MITANGALA 4 13 Notions de base en Informatique de Gestion et Analyse de données (Excel, Stata, Anthro) Dr Amani NGABOYEKA 4 14 Exercices intégrés : Epidémiologie et statistiques Dr Cimanuka, Dr Chiribagula, Dr Ngaboyeka 4 15 Developpement et évaluation économique CT Guillaume BIDUBULA/Dr Makali 2 16 Gestion et Administration en Santé Publique : Ressources humaines Dr Bertin Kasongo 1 Ressources pharmaceutiques, matérielles et équipement Pr Antoine SADIKI 2 Ressources financières et comptabilité Pr MUTABAZI 1 Financement basé sur les performances Dr Molima 1 Mutuelles de santé et assurance santé Charles MUSHAGALUSA 1 17 Planification, implémentation, monitoring et évaluation sanitaire Pr Karemere 4 18 Politiques, Organisation, structures et régulation des systèmes de santé Pr Karemere 4 19 Hygiène et santé environnementale Dr Rosine BIGIRINAMA 2 20 Anthropologie médicale et sociologie de la santé Pr Bernard Ugeux 2 21 Droit en Santé Pr MUBALAMA 1 MODULES ECONOMIE DE LA SANTE 17 22 Econométrie et Mathématiques Prof Mutabazi & Dr Ngaboyeka 4 24 Budget et comptabilité en santé Budget, contrôle budgétaire et politique de tarification Pr Mutabazi 2 Comptabilité générale et analytique des hôpitaux Pr Mutabazi 2 25 Négociation et approche contractuelle et plaidoyer Dr Christian MOLIMA 1 26 Approvisionnement et passation des marchés Pr Wenceslas BUSANE 2 27 Marketing social Charles Mushagalusa 2 28 Analyses des décisions managériales et cliniques (Tronc commun) Prof Bisimwa 4 MODULES SANTE COMMUNAUTAIRE 15 29 Système d’information sanitaire Pr MITANGALA 2 30 Nutrition en Santé Publique Pr Dr Mwene-batu 2 31 Santé de la Mère et de l’Enfant Pr Ghislain BISIMWA 2 33 Santé Mentale et Facteurs psychologiques en Santé Publique Dr Achille Bapolisi 3 34 Contrôle des maladies Maladies transmissibles Dr Rosine BIGIRINAMA 2 Maladies non transmissibles Pr Dr Mwene-batu 2 30 Promotion de la santé dans les pays en développement Dr Bertin KASONGO 2 Total 91 Research projects 1. PRD – Etude d’implantation d’un modèle de prise en charge psycho-médico-sociale au niveau du centre de santé https://www.ares-ac.be/en/cooperation-au-developpement/pays-projets/projets-dans-le-monde/item/145-prd-etude-d-implantation-d-un-modele-de-prise-en-charge-psycho-medico-sociale-au-niveau-du-centre-de-sante Partners: Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain, Free University of Brussels, Louvain cooperation, South Kivu Provincial Health Division Promotor: Jean Macq (UClouvain) DRC coordinator: Prof Ghislain Bisimwa Balaluka DRC operational coordinator: Dr Espoir Bwenge Malembaka 2. RIPSEC: Renforcement Institutionnelle des Politiques de Santé basée sur l’Evidence en RDC https://ripsec.org UCB coordinator: Prof Ghislain Bisimwa Balaluka Partners: University of Lubumbashi (UNILU), University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Ecole National de Santé Publique (ENSP, Morocco and Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp (Belgium). 3. The use of health facility data to generate maternal and child health statistics in the Kivu Principal investigator: Dr Espoir Bwenge Malembaka Partner: Countdown to 2030 women’s, children’s and adolescent’s health Recent publications Bedha A, Shindano T, Hermans MP, Havelange V, Makali S, Minani J, Ngaboyeka G, Kunaba E, Donnen P, Dramaix M, Bisimwa G & Mwene-Batu P. (2023). Association between severe acute malnutrition in childhood and hematological disorders in adulthood: the Lwiro follow-up study in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. BMC Nutr 9, 128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-023-00783-0 Bigirinama RN, Makali SL, Mothupi MC, Chiribagula CZ, St Louis P, Mwene-Batu PL, Bisimwa GB, Mwendo AT & Porignon DG. (2023). Ensuring leadership at the operational level of a health system in protracted crisis context: a cross-sectional qualitative study covering 8 health districts in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. BMC Health Serv Res 23, 1362. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10336-7 Makali SL, Karemere H, Banywesize R, Eboma CM, Mwene-Batu P, Lembebu C, Ferrari G, Paul E, Balaluka GB, & Donnen, P. (2023). Adaptive Mechanisms of Health Zones to Chronic Traumatic Events in Eastern DRC: A Multiple Case Study. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, (), -. DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2023.8001 Molima CEN, Karemere H, Makali S, Bisimwa G & Macq J. (2023). Is a bio-psychosocial approach model possible at the first level of health services in the Democratic Republic of Congo? An organizational analysis of six health centers in South Kivu. BMC Health Serv Res 23, 1238. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10216-0 Makali SL, Lembebu JC, Boroto R, Zalinga CC, Bugugu D, Lurhangire E, Bigirinama R, Chimanuka C, Mwene-Batu P, Molima C, Mendoza JR, Ferrari G, Merten S & Bisimwa G. (2023). Violence against health care workers in a crisis context: a mixed cross-sectional study in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Confl Health 17, 44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-023-00541-w Read moreResearchers Researchers Nom Orcid Mail 1 Prof Pacifique Mwene-Batu Lyabayungu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0413-2732 lyab.pacifique@ucbukavu.ac.cd 2 Prof Ghislain Bisimwa Balaluka https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4799-1115 bisimwa.balaluka@ucbukavu.ac.cd 3 Dr Christian Molima Eboma https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6833-7414 molima.eboma@ucbukavu.ac.cd 4 Dr Gaylord Amani Ngaboyeka https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4906-1851 amani.ngaboyeka@ucbukavu.ac.cd 5 Dr Samuel Makali Lwamushi https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3538-1715 makali.lwamushi@ucbukavu.ac.cd 6 Dr Rosine Bigirinama Nshobole https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2461-0212 rosine.bigirinama@ucbukavu.ac.cd 7 Dr Christine Chimanuka Murhima’alika https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3065-3144 chimanuka.murhimaalika@ucbukavu.ac.cd 8 Dr Christian Chiribagula Zalinga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9889-6356 chiribagula.zalinga@ucbukavu.ac.cd 9 Dr Corneille Lembebu Zubulu https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2993-1330 lembebu.zubulu@ucbukavu.ac.cd 10 Dr Emmanuel Lurhangire Ongezi https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0706-6902 lurhangire.ongezi@ucbukavu.ac.cd 11 Dr Daniella Bugugu Mapendo 12 Dr Mugisho Murhula Christian https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7650-0107 mugisho.byamungu@ucbukavu.ac.cd 13 Mr Charles Mushagalusa 14 Dr Bertin Kasongo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7658-6982 15 Dr Melissa Lukula https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2177-944X