Sabrina Kitaka

Sabrina Bakeera Kitaka (born in 1971) (née Sabrina Bakeera), commonly known as Sabrina Kitaka, is a Ugandan physician, pediatrician, pediatric infectious diseases specialist and academic, who serves as a senior lecturer in the Department of Pediatrics at Makerere University School of Medicine.

Quotes

• My mother is a retired nurse while my father was a mining engineer. Growing up, I was influenced by many people including my aunt’s friend who was an air hostess. At one point I wanted to be an air hostess. I also aspired to be a news anchor and a high court judge. But along the way, I leaned more towards medicine following in my mother and sister’s footsteps.[1]

• After a long day, I went to present my day’s report to the professor. Because we were meeting at the paediatric ward, I found they had lined up nine dead babies. All had died of measles. I broke down and started crying and on this day I vowed to be part of the team that helps children survive. And I had to work hard. Paediatrics is tough and you need to excel. Undertaking my internship at Nsambya Hospital made me think more and more of doing paediatrics because I had a very good consultant doctor who loved her job and she was so inspirational. She would always be at the ward at 7:30 in the morning, taking care of children.[2]

• Include iron-rich foods in your child’s diet, such as meat, poultry, fish, beans, and iron-fortified foods. Continue serving iron-fortified cereal until your child is eating a variety of iron-rich foods.[3]

• Children and teenagers are encouraged to eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly and sleep for at least 8 hours a day.[4]