A book titled: “Informed and Healthy; The Theoretical And Applied Perspectives On The Value Of Information On Health Care” that was launched at Makerere University yesterday has left many scholars and health experts optimistic that the health sector may improve on service delivery.

Authored by renowned Makerere Professor, Maria Musoke, the book gives details of how information is important in health care provision and how this can be practically done to improve the lives of Ugandans.

Mary Karooro Okurut, the minister of general duties in the office of the prime minister, read Dr Ruhakana Rugunda’s speech who was supposed to be the guest of honor. In the speech, Rugunda said: "This is a very important book to our societies... I must give total support to market this book not just in Uganda but to the whole global."

The book has 172 pages and is at Shs 100,000, from online and any bookshops in Uganda.

According to Musoke, this book was compiled and completed basing on the research done on women and health workers in four districts of Uganda which included Lira, Mukono, Masaka and Bushenyi.

"If we have an informed society, the health status must improve... If all Ugandans were informed that we should wash our hands after visiting the toilet, there would be minimum disease spread," she said.

Prof John Ddumba-Ssentamu congratulated the author for the excellent work done towards Makerere University as an institution that builds for the future.

"Her work encourages us to achieve value and time in carrying out research...I congratulate Musoke for being an administrator and a full time professor. This book is a must read to students," he added.

Other guests who attended the launch were Miria Mattembe, Prof Lilian Tibatemwa, Prof Kiddu Makubuya, Prof Edward Kigoonya and Staff and students from Nabingo SS, where she finished her six years of secondary studies.

Musoke holds a bachelors of Science degree and a concurrent diploma in Education, a post-graduate diploma in Library and Information Science from Makerere University, a masters degree from the University of Wales and a PhD from the University of Sheffield, UK.

She is also among the women whose CV is full of "firsts". She was the first Ugandan woman to get a PhD in information science in 2001-University of Sheffield, UK and was one of the first two Ugandan women to sit on the Makerere University top management board.

Additionally, She was also the first documentalist of Women and Gender Studies in 1990-1995, first Library and Information Science professional to become a member of the Uganda National Academy of science in October 2014, and the first Ugandan woman to head Makerere University Library services in 2004.

During the process of carrying out research about the book up to its final stage of publishing, Musoke was sponsored by Makerere University, Kulika Uganda, Elsevier Foundation, Rockfeller Foundation and UoShe Foundation.

Among others, Prof Maria Musoke is a member of many national and international governing boards; Documentation on women, Gender and peace building in the Great lakes region representing Uganda (2011), Research for life Advisory Council since 2013, and the congress on media librarianship International Committee since 2015.