Dr. Emilio Baliki Liociri Ovuga is a retired Professor in Psychiatry and Mental Health. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Gulu University. Dr. Ovuga trained in Suicidology, Suicide Prevention and Psychiatric Epidemiology in Karolinska Institute, Sweden. He is a practitioner in cultural psychiatry, social sciences, counselling and psychotherapy, trauma therapy, family therapy, addiction therapy, and forensic psychiatry.
With a wide practice experience in diverse cultures in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa, Dr. Ovuga does not label individuals that experience crises and problems in living as “mad”.
His clinical experience is characterised by involving clients, families and their care-takers in the planning of treatment to achieve optimum recovery. Aware of the problems that people in crisis experience, Dr. Ovuga works to protect the rights of not only clients but also their family members.
Dr. Ovuga devoted much of his practice and research time to training village representatives to provide cheap but ethical and effective mental health first aid to individuals in crisis at household level in Northern Uganda. He has empowered communities to take charge and responsibility for their social and health situations and in improving their relations with government departments.
Dr. Ovuga is a researcher, educator, administrator, and mentor and, he has conducted research and mentored students in wideranging fields in health, social sciences, business, agriculture, and the application of information technology in health.