David Martin Atuhe

An ISN Fellow Recounts how his Fellowship Helped Him Build a Brighter Future for Kidney Care in Uganda 

Dr. David Martin Atuhe is a nephrologist in Uganda. Through the ISN Fellowship Program, he spent 12 months training at the East Africa Kidney Institute in Nairobi, Kenya – a recognized ISN Regional Training Center. He has now returned to Uganda and is working to advance kidney health there. 

How did the ISN’s support enable you to advance kidney health in your home country? 

I joined an amazing family of nephrology practitioners in Kenya, learned to speak Kiswahili, participated in an overwhelming amount of nephrology procedures, assisted in writing 2 national clinical practice guidelines, undertook a 10-year retrospective study on transplant patients whose abstract was presented at the WCN 2022, became a father, and tracked the big 5 game in the Masai Mara. I am the 11th adult nephrologist in Uganda, working at a medical postgraduate teaching hospital with 4 dialysis beds, part of a team that aims to start kidney transplants in Uganda, and the Organising Chair for WKD ’22 activities.

What does the future look like? 

Collaborating with colleagues to offer kidney transplant services to Ugandan patients, start a national dialysis registry, create a Nephrology training and research institute interest me. The lack of awareness amongst patients, policymakers is a challenge. I hope to use available ISN avenues for CME and Clinical Research and funding.