
From HIV/AIDS in the 1980s to Ebola, Cholera, and Covid-19 together with other influenza viruses, Uganda has survived and successfully emerged from the various wave of infectious diseases that have threatened to wipe off the human race, and the Uganda Virus Research Institute has stood as a forbearer and a beacon of clinical research studies in Africa for the last couple of decades.
Speaking at the commissioning of the new clinical research facility in Entebbe, Prof. Liam Smeeth, the director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine hailed Uganda for successfully emerging from wave of pandemics.
Uganda with its meager and limited resources is showing the value of research and what it can achieve when to put to good use. Uganda Virus Research Institute is showing the way in using scientific knowledge to limit the damage of pandemics like HIV and Covid-19. Over the years, Uganda has built capacity and trained amazing and future research leaders who have contributed to knowledge generation to limit the effects of global pandemics like HIV and Covid-19, Prof. Liam revealed.
Prof. Liam also emphasized the need for partnerships to bring new expertise and knowledge that is able to form new policy frameworks and practices so as to improve human health.
There is a need to continuously work together in partnerships and in a mutual trust bringing together new expertise and knowledge to form new policy frameworks and practice so as to improve human health and the new clinical research facility that has been commissioned will be able to deliver in knowledge generation and research stressed Prof. Liam Smeeth.
Prof. Liam also noted that Uganda like other countries around the world is facing an increasing burden of Non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases that need to be brought under control.
On his part, the Executive Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu revealed that the new clinical research facility that was built with funding from the Medical Research Council that contributed 820,000 approximately (3,603,760,723.00 Uganda Shillings) and Wellcome Trust that contributed 200,000 approximately (878,966,030 Uganda Shillings).
Construction of the new clinical research facility commenced on 11th May 2018 and we are glad that we are commissioning the building. The main objective of the clinical research facility is to create an integrated, multidisciplinary facility where patients’ rooms, clinical research labs, and support spaces are designed to ensure efficient and effective patient management, revealed Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu.
On her part, the British High Commissioner to Uganda H.E Kate Airey revealed that the United Kingdom will continue to work with Uganda in the area of health.
We (the United Kingdom) are here in the development of Uganda, and I believe that the establishment and launch of the new Clinical research facility in the quest for answers to questions surrounding the enhancement of health in Uganda gives us the best opportunity to talk about the achievements of our partnerships with the Uganda government in creating a conducive environment for high impact scientific research that will lead to better research, Kate Airey revealed.
On his part, Prof. Kenneth Akiri, the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health who represented Hon. Ruth Aceng the Health Minister, revealed that government is committed to forming partnerships that improve our ability to prevent, detect and respond to such outbreaks before they escalate into global concerns.
Ministry of Health would like to appreciate Uganda Virus Research Institute for the quality work done in building the new clinical research facility. The construction of the new clinical research facility has come at a critical time when more and more we are looking to and investing in science and technology as a way to ensure more effective and efficient problem-solving approaches in our general operations, revealed Prof. Akiri Kenneth.