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Mak Stems TB Drug Resistance Trend through Quality Research
The Department of Medical Microbiology in the School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences in conjunction with the Ministry of Health has secured US $10 million from the World Bank to establish Centre of Excellence Laboratories in Mbale, Gulu, Mbarara and Arua.
The Department of Medical Microbiology in the School of Biomedical Sciences, Makerere University College of Health Sciences in conjunction with the Ministry of Health has secured US $10 million from the World Bank to establish Centre of Excellence Laboratories in Mbale, Gulu, Mbarara and Arua.
A state-of-the-art laboratory has already been built in Mulago under this project to carryout rapid drug resistance detection, and hence detection that used to take 3 to 6 months can now take one day.
This initiative came in place after research revealed that in Uganda about 500 new cases of multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis occur every year, 50% of which are co-infected with HIV. The World Health Organization also estimates that by 2015 there will be 2 million cases of multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis globally.
Earlier on, Makerere University College of Health Sciences worked with the Welcome Trust, a UK Charity organization to pioneer the treatment of Drug Resistant TB. Consequently, 20 people were treated and cured and the project was handed over to the National TB Programme.
So far the Medical Microbiology Department and the Ministry of Health have also secured funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) –CDC (PEPFAR) and have renovated and upgraded the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTRL) to a world class laboratory. As a result the NTRL has been recognized as a Supra-National Reference laboratory receiving samples from other countries as well as conducting training for them.
In addition, a specimen referral system has been established where samples of difficult cases are referred to the NTRL from upcountry. A quality assurance system has also been established for all TB laboratories in the country. A Kampala survey was also conducted as well as a national survey which showed the level of drug resistance in the country which helps in guiding control measures.
Another important breakthrough is that the Department of Medical Microbiology working with SIDA SAREC found that 70% of TB in Uganda is caused by one type of organism which the research team named Uganda Genotype. “This is a very important achievement for us because it might give clues on the control of TB in Uganda”, said Associate Professor Moses Joloba, Head of the Medical Microbiology Department and also a member of the research team.
Under the Aeras Global TB Vaccination Foundation, the European and Developing countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), The Infectious Disease Institute (IDI), and the College of Health Sciences through the Department of Microbiology have started work to evaluate various TB vaccines “we have a big population in Iganga and Kampala which we are studying” added Professor Joloba.
The College of Health Sciences is working hard together with its global partners so as to contribute to the national and regional efforts aimed at stemming this trend.
Article by Toko Paul, Intern, Public Relations Office, Makerere University
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