24NV Friday, October 9, 2020
UGANDA EXCELS IN
By Jacky Achan
I
n the mid-1980s, Uganda was
making world headlines as a
country severely hit by HIV/
AIDS. But, when it got to the
late 1990s, the headlines had
changed. Uganda had managed
to reverse the high number of
HIV cases, drawing admiration
from the world.
“It was HIV that revived
medical research in Uganda,”
Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu, a
physician, clinical immunologist,
HIV/AIDS researcher, academic
and medical administrator, says.
Kaleebu is the executive director
of the Uganda Virus Research
Institute (UVRI).
One of the outstanding
researches on HIV conducted in
Uganda, found that the use of
Nevirapine stopped mother-to-
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HE Y. Kaguta Museveni and the People of Uganda upon
the occasion of Uganda’s
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child transmission of HIV.
Another study conducted
in Uganda established that
circumcision in men lowers the
risk of contracting HIV.
“We did the first HIV vaccine
trial in Africa, these were all
important contributions,”
Kaleebu says. Uganda has
performed well in HIV research
and Uganda’s contribution in
the area of HIV research is very
pronounced.
FIELD OF EXCELLENCE
When it comes to medical
research, Uganda has always
ranked high in Africa, Kaleebu
says.
Institutions built in colonial
times (the late 1950s and
UGANDA@58
3,000
Nodding syndrome, a form of epilepsy, had affected about 3,000 children in
northern Uganda.
‹‹
1960s), including Makerere
University Medical School, When it got to the late 1990s, government funding for
agricultural research, but not
Mulago Hospital and Uganda much in health,” he says.
Virus Research Institute (UVRI),
did an excellent job, he says.
the headlines had changed, HOW MEDICAL RESEARCH
According to Kaleebu, at
the time, Makerere University
Uganda had managed to WAS REVIVED
A lot of medical research started
Medical School was recognised
and known for work and
reverse the high number of coming back, especially with
the restoration of peace by the
research that, among others,
focused on cancers and HIV cases, drawing admiration Government in the late 1980s,
but also HIV played a big role in
malnutrition and that they
excelled. from the world. the revival of medical research
in Uganda, Kaleebu says.
“The medical professionals or “There was a lot of interest in
researchers in the colonial times, HIV. It was a big challenge in
did what they could. Uganda is Africa, including Uganda. Many
recognised for its contribution Foundation, who also Uganda, Kaleebu says. international organisations came
in medical research, especially contributed to the success of “The 1970s and early 1980s for research, many funders and
through Makerere University medical research in Uganda,” he was a total collapse.” “Things collaborations started again, to
Medical School and UVRI.” said. However, there were also collapsed, many of our medical work on HIV.”
“Government largely funded low moments. researchers left the country. “Later, of course, there was
the research and there were That was in the 1970s and There was little funding and more funding to tuberculosis
other international partners, early 1980s due to the political little interaction with the (TB) and malaria and,
such as the Rockefeller instability that existed in international community. then, recently, on emerging
Research is funding and infections,” Kaleebu says.
collaboration, so things went What the government has
down,” he says. also tried to do recently is
BAVIMA But that is not all, despite
medical research presently going
creating the Uganda National
Health Research Organisation
ENTERPRISE & on, the current government has
not invested enough money
(UNHRO).
It was also until recently
BAVIMA STEEL LTD in health research, Dr Richard
Idro, a clinical research scientist,
senior paediatric neurologist and
when the Government started
giving Makerere innovation and
research funds, which is a new
senior lecturer at the department move,” Idro says.
WISHES TO of Paediatrics and Child Health “Government also created the
CONGRATULATE THE at the College Health of Health Ministry of Science, Technology
GOVERNMENT AND THE Sciences, Makerere University, and Innovation, headed by Dr
PEOPLE OF UGANDA UPON says. Elioda Tumwesigye. It, at least,
He is also the president of the should be able to advance
CELEBRATING THE Uganda Medical Association medical research in Uganda.”
58TH INDEPENDENCE (UMA). “We are doing well in medical
ANNIVERSARY. According to Idro, Ugandan research and we can do more,
scientists have to apply for even though most of the funds
research funding from outside have come from outside.”
LONG LIVE UGANDA the country. “Since late last year, at least the
“There has been a lot of Government has been providing
� lJfu1NDAE!58 Friday, October 9, 2020 I\J\J 25

MEDICAL RESEARCH IN AFRICA

money to Makerere University,
through the innovation fund. If
the funding can be expanded
across the country, medical
research will improve even
further," Idro says.
OUTSTANDING
OUTCOMES OF
RESEARCH IN UGANDA
For five years now, Uganda has
not registered a single new case
of the nodding disease. "We
stopped the nodding syndrome,"
Idro says.
Nodding syndrome, a form
of epilepsy, had affected about
3,000 children in northern
Uganda.
Last year, the Ministry of
Health said several years of
intensive medical research was
closing in on the exact cause of
the mysterious nodding disease
among children in northern
Uganda, following research and
investigations into the disease,
led byidro.
"Patients are there, sadly they
will stay with us. But for five
years now, there has not been
a single new case," Idro says.
There have been tireless studies
by Ugandan scientists to bring
an end to the disease.
Idro has also led research on
understanding effects of malaria
on the brain, understanding
severe malaria and developing
treatment guidelines for them.
Also set to be released are
two research findings on
good will from the Government
and the President to support
research and science. Most of
the developing countries have
not reached the declarations
they made on how much of their
budget should go into health/
medical research.
"We understand the challenge
we need to encourage our
government to move towards
those targets and fund more
medical research," Kaleebu says.
In April 2001, the heads of
state of the African Union
countries pledged to allocate at
least 150/o of their annual budget
to improve the health sector,
One of the in what was termed, the Abuja
outstanding Declaration, but many countries
researches including Uganda, have failed to
on HIV meet that goal. In the 2020/2021
conducted national budget, only 60/o of
in Uganda, the budget was allocated to the
found that health.
the use of
Nevirapine WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE
stopped Many times we have asked why
mother­ Ugandans, the private entities,
to-child cannot also contribute towards
transmission medical research, Kaleebu says.
of HIV "We have made an effort but
still, it has not been successful.
treating children who have (TB) and malaria. CHALLENGES "We get some money from the In other countries like South
been transfused and preventing The outstanding work of our The challenge we still have is ministries of finance and health, Africa, private companies
stroke in children with sickle cell scientists is the reason Makerere that a lot of medical research and the presidential initiative on contribute towards health
anaemia. University Medical School funding is foreign. The local research tries to fill in the gaps, research. This is another area
These are just a few of the ranks so high on the African funding is still minimal and but still, research, is largely that we, as Ugandan scientists,
medical research Idro has been continent," Idro says. inadequate, according to internationally-funded," he says. should tap into and try to
involved in and plenty of others Last year, Idro was recognised Kaleebu. "But the beauty is that there is advocate this culture," he says.
conducted by various scientists, for his in-depth research on
in various fields in Uganda. infectious diseases (severe
Uganda is one of the countries malaria and nodding syndrome)
which stands out in health or in Africa, winning the
medical research on the African Greenwood Africa Award from
continent. the London School of Hygiene
"Ugandan scientists are and Tropical Medicine for
known. We are unrivalled in contributing towards the control
research on HIV, tuberculosis of the diseases.

• ®

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