The College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio security successfully completed the 2022 Summer school and the International Cultural Boma that was held on the Theme; Tropical Veterinary Medicine and One Health in Uganda: A need for partnership and collaboration for development.
Students from the Mississippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, USA took part in a one-month summer school organized by the college.
Following the completion of the activity, a Boma which is a knowledge sharing and exchange session was convened at the College in partnership with AFROHUN Uganda on Friday 1st July 2022. It brought together students under the One health program as well as students from Mississippi State University USA.
Prof. James Okwee Acai, the Deputy Principal on behalf of the Principal Prof. Norbert Frank Mwiine welcomed the participants to the knowledge sharing opportunity where CoVAB and Makerere University as a whole was sitting together with Mississippi State University and AFROHUN to share experiences and what was learnt in Tropical Veterinary Medicine as well as getting to know what happens outside the said sphere.
‘It is in the interest of sharing information to identify and address challenges that affect life’, said Prof. Okwee while extending his appreciation to Mississippi State University for the over ten-year relations it has had with the College despite the challenges. He said what started as a summer school may no only last but grow into problem solving partnerships in research, training and community development.
The Team Leader from Mississippi University Prof. Stephen Reichley appreciated CoVAB for the lead role in organizing the one-month long Summer School that brought his students into contact with a new area with most of them being in Africa for the first time. He said the summer school was opening up opportunities for further collaboration in areas like student exchange programs as well as graduate research. It was a great experience for the students to move out of their area to the unknown and that the exposure left lifelong imprint on the students’ academic, practice and outlook towards life he noted.
Dr. Gabriel Tumwine the Summer School coordinator said the one-month expedition by the students from Mississippi State University was a great field experiential learning opportunity using one health approach. He said the deliberations in the Boma were an opportunity for the organizers to get feedback which would inform the subsequent summer school and Boma. Tumwine commended Dr. Sente for keeping with the team while in the field all through. He took cognizance of the students from AFROHUN who were taking part in the Boma to share their experiences and lessons learnt from their placements in various parts of the country and the projects they handled within the communities.
In a presentation by Dr. Peninnah Nsamba, a Veterinarian and Virologist, it was explained that effort has been on to bring the one health concept to the fore front by showing students that it was not only their individual professions that mattered rather a synergy was necessary for the needed balance and multi-sectoral approach in addressing community challenges. She highlighted some of the successes realized to date and these included bringing together students from various disciplines and colleges in Makerere and other Universities who through a didactic course commit to solve community challenges in a holistic approach.
The Mississippi State University students that included Katie Ann Stanley, Brook Taylor Dominello and Jordan Leigh McCoy presented a report about their field experiences that took them into contact with various disciplines including Aquaculture and fisheries, conservation, the abattoirs, dairy production, the national parks, small animal clinics as well as agriculture.
They appreciated attendant factors like religion that formed part of the reason for family cohesion as one thing that struck them. They appreciated the creativity among Ugandans in the way they handled different Veterinary issues but called for improvement in the abattoirs and slaughter houses as well as general animal welfare.
Similarly, students in the 2021 AFROHUN cohort presented reports where they shared their field experiential learning. Using the one health concept that was developed to appreciate the interconnectedness of every sector,environment, human and animal, the students explained that the experiences helped them appreciate a lot of things and supported the host communities solve some of the identified and prioritized challenges. The areas visited included slaughter houses and the problems identified included lack of protective gear, people involved in self-medication and the associated risk in microbial resistance. The other community challenge handled was sharing water sources by animals and humans in Pallisa and how the situation was addressed together with the community leadership.
Dr. Claire Mugasa, the Dean School of Biosecurity, Biotechnology and Laboratory Sciences (SBLS) formally closed the Boma and congratulated all the teams for having completed the program as scheduled. She said their participation was an opportunity for shared learning and she extended the College’s appreciation to AFROHUN for the opportunity given to students of various disciplines to work on real life challenges using the one health approach. She was happy to learn that the principles learned were put into practice and was optimistic that the future was bright with more and more people working towards the realization of the one health approach.
The International Cultural Boma as a concept in an African context means a meeting that allows learning and a two-way exchange of information between elders and youngsters. African culture involves the transfer of wisdom and knowledge from the wise, knowledgeable, and highly experienced elders to the young that are mentored into responsible community members. The concept was therefore used to allow opportunity to share knowledge from all stakeholders as experienced in the course of learning.
Kampala, Uganda – October 14, 2024 – Makerere University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB) is hosting a five-day Training of Trainers workshop for the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) model. This is part of the Innovation for Sustainability and Societal relevance (INSSPIRE) project, which focuses on enhancing evidence-based education in food systems and climate change.
The workshop that brought together partners and stakeholders from various higher education institutions across Southern and Northern Africa to brainstorm innovative strategies for addressing these pressing global challenges.
During the opening session held at the Centre for Biosecurity and Global Health (CEBIGH) at CoVAB, stakeholders demonstrated their progress in implementing Real Life Learning Labs (RLLL), an experiential learning approach designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration on real-world development projects. These labs aim to tackle relevant issues in agriculture, industry, and society by equipping students with practical skills and problem-solving capabilities.
Associate Professor Robert Wamala, Makerere University’s Director of Research and Graduate Training delivered a keynote address on behalf of Vice Chancellor Makerere University Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. He emphasized the severe impact of climate change on global food systems, particularly in vulnerable regions. “Climate change disrupts food systems globally, aggravating food security by impacting agricultural production through extreme weather events and shifting rainy seasons,” he stated. Prof. Wamala highlighted the need for transformative solutions that address the intertwined issues of food security and environmental degradation, which was on the areas to be addressed through the intervention.
The INSSPIRE project aims to stimulate innovative education and build inter-university capacity through international partnerships. By focusing on capacity building in higher education, the initiative supports staff development at participating universities in Kenya and Uganda thereby enhancing the delivery of educational modules on food systems and climate change.
Dr. Kato Charles Drago from CoVAB who is the team lead for the INSSPIRE project at Makerere University, coordinated the workshop, which attracted participation from institutions such as South Eastern Kenya University, the Institute for Innovation & Development of the University of Ljubljana, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Maseno University, the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, Ghana, and the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani, Ghana.
Prof. Frank Norbert Mwiine, the Principal of COVAB, in his address to the participants noted that Uganda’s economy largely depends on agriculture and the sector supports several families and employs a big part of the population both formally and informally including graduates from Makerere University across several disciplines. He said food systems in the country were rapidly evolving as a result of population demands amidst the increasing challenge of climate change. ‘We are glad that the INSSPIRE project plans to address this gap by strengthening food systems and adapting them to the challenges of climate change, he said.
Prof. Mwiine appreciated the support that CoVAB will receive from the project in enriching curricula for two courses under the Bachelor of Animal Production Technology (BAP) by building the capacity of staff to deliver modules on food systems, which he said, would make the graduates competitive in the ever-changing job market. The training of staff in curriculum enrichment and new course delivery approaches like the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), and gamification will help improve teaching and aid student’s interest and understanding of agriculture-based courses. He observed. While addressing himself on the real life-learning labs pioneered by the INSSPIRE project, he said the model will facilitate students to acquire practical skills and hence enhance their relevance in the community as the students and staff support communities to identify real-life challenges and tackle them holistically. He reaffirmed the commitment of the college leadership in moving these innovations forward, as demonstrated and that the college was ready to engage further in resource mobilization drives to propel the innovations forward.
As the workshop unfolds over the coming days, participants will deliberate on innovative strategies to transform food systems and advance climate change education, underscoring the critical importance of multidisciplinary approaches in fostering sustainable development.
Makerere University Finance Planning, Administration, and Investment Committee (FPAIC) led by Mr. Bruce Kabaasa conducted an inspection visit to the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources, and Biosecurity as part of their university-wide tour on August 27th, 2024. The interface was part of the evaluation of budget execution for the 2023/2024 financial year.
While at CoVAB, the committee interacted with the management and staff of the college led by the Principal, Prof. Frank Norbert Mwiine, including the Deans of the two Schools, Heads of Departments, Principal Investigators of several projects, at the meeting convened in the CEBIGH conference hall.
Mr. Bruce Kabaasa, who was in the company of the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, and other members of the committee noted that the university was moving towards denying researchers grants that do not respond to the needs of the university or the college. ‘Those running grants try to ensure the project activities have a relationship with the host discipline for instance by improving the lab equipment to be used in teaching and learning. The center cannot continue considering issues of sanitation yet we have some overheads accruing from some projects in the units, he said, adding that the colleges needed to operate as a human body, where what happens in one area is felt everywhere with the principal on top of the game, and involving all stakeholders who must take a keen interest in what is going on.
The FPAIC’s visit to CoVAB was part of its broader mandate to ensure financial accountability, effective planning, and proper administration within the university. The discussions that followed a presentation on the budgetary allocations of the year 2023/24 focused on the utilization of funds across various schools and departments. The meeting also reviewed the performance report for the main and off-budget expenditures, highlighting key achievements, compliance issues, challenges, and proposed solutions.
Bruce Kabaasa in his remarks emphasized the need for the college to ensure that the Grants received follow the laid down structure of the institution to benefit the ongoing teaching and learning activities. He cautioned the college that funding next year was likely to be limited hence the need to use all available resources cautiously. Regarding requests for extra staff, he said there was no way the university was going to give extra staff without establishing what those on the ground were doing. He informed the meeting that the university was to provide some funding to improve the state of labs CAES and CoVAB.
The team noted with concern that despite the resources allocated to improve E-learning in the university, this was not moving as expected. He urged the college to make its priorities including IT-related needs known to facilitate timely and adequate planning. ‘We are here to make sure that you demand what you need, and we want everybody to play their roles, he said while emphasizing the need for teamwork in the college. He further explained that the uptake of MakRIF funds was henceforth going to be based on the relationship between the grant received and the unit outputs like teaching and learning.
The Principal CoVAB Prof. Frank Norbert Mwiine pointed out several areas that needed to be addressed including the road accessing the Centre for Biosecurity and Global Health, the training centers at Buyana and Nakyesasa that needed to be invigorated, as well as transport challenges to enable students to go to the field for practical exposures in the field.
FPAIC mandate includes making reviews and approving proposed budget estimates from cost centers for council approval, overseeing the university’s banking and investment operations, and monitoring all expenditures under approved annual estimates. It also reviews requests for expenditures beyond approved estimates, makes recommendations, and prepares and submits the Development plans to the council.
The other role played by FPAIC is making proposals for fees and other rates to the Council, monitoring approved development programs to ensure they meet the university’s objectives, as well as maintaining an accurate, comprehensive inventory of university property. The committee also keeps records of the university’s staff establishments, conducts annual reviews of staff establishments, and makes recommendations for changes.
A consortium of researchers from Makerere University‘s College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources, and Biosecurity (COVAB) and the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), with support from CRDF Global have piloted a cyberbiosecurity project to address the growing threat of cyberattacks on laboratories handling high-risk biological materials.
As per the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA), CyberBiosecurity is the “safeguarding and mitigation of misuse, exploitation, damage to or disruption of valuable information, data, databases, equipment, and facilities at the interface of the biological laboratory, related life sciences facilities, and digital worlds.”
The project, titled “Establishment of Cyber Biosecurity Inventory and Procedures for Effective Safety and Administrative Controls for COVAB and UVRI Laboratories in Uganda,” is led by Associate Professor Lawrence Mugisha from COVAB, Makerere University, and Dr. Stephen Balinandi from UVRI.
While hosting the workshop on August 16, 2024 at the Centre for Biosecurity and Global Health, Makerere University , Professor Mugisha in a special way welcomed the participants to the workshop. He noted that; Cyber threats and attacks have become a serious threat to many establishments including (government institutions, business enterprises and other critical facilities like financial and health facilities) across the global disrupting services and causing serious financial losses in addition to individual and institutional safety.
‘’ More recently these attacks have extended and targeted laboratories handling biological materials including high risk and highly pathogenic organisms like anthrax, ebola, SARS-CoV2 viruses with potential for bioterrorism.
To contribute to data driven interventions aimed at securing and protecting laboratory facilities handling high consequence/risk pathogens from cyber-attacks and the need for cyberbiosecurity, Makerere University led by College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) in collaboration with Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) is implementing the first pilot project in Uganda on Cyberbiosecurity.
This collaborative project is aimed at mapping and identifying potential cybersecurity threats to the biological laboratories at Makerere University and UVRI by conducting a thorough information and communication Technology (ICT) risk assessments. The project will then develop comprehensive Cybersecurity Standard Operating Procedures, guidelines and manuals with a goal of establishing Cyberbiosecurity Policy. Furthermore, the project is aimed at creating awareness about cyber threats, cyber biosecurity, biosafety and biosecurity among staff, scientists/researchers and management at the two institutions to promote Cyber security best practices’’ explained Prof. Mugisha
In his opening remarks, CoVAB Principal Prof. Frank Norbert Mwiine emphasized the reality of cyberbiosecurity threats, sharing that he himself has been a victim of a cybersecurity breach involving his atm. He urged the team to consider developing training projects focused on cyberbiosecurity and to build a strong cybersecurity research team within CoVAB and UVRI. Prof. Mwiine also called on the team to actively seek research opportunities around cyberbiosecurity adding that CoVAB is open to collaborations.
Furthermore, Prof. Mwiine expressed his gratitude to Prof. Mugisha for his tireless efforts in coordination and leading activities and projects advancing ethics, bioethics and biosafety in Uganda, noting that Prof. Mugisha played a key role in establishing Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) at Makerere University. Prof. Mwiine also reiterated Makerere University’s commitment to cyberbiosecurity and biosecurity, highlighting the ongoing research collaboration between CoVAB and UVRI.
In her presentation centered around Dual-Use Research of Concern (DURC), Sandra Matinyi, Co-founder and Executive Director of Nuo Bioscience, shared critical insights on the global guidance framework for the responsible use of life sciences. This framework, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2022, focuses on mitigating biorisks and governing dual-use research.
‘’With the emergence of new technologies and rapid advancements in life sciences research, there was previously no global guidance for identifying or mitigating risks related to dual-use research of concern until the WHO introduced this framework in 2022.’’
She noted that Uganda, while still lacking a specific policy on DURC, is among the first countries to pilot the introduction of the WHO framework. This positions Uganda at the forefront of adopting international standards for biosecurity, which is essential given the global nature of these concerns.
“As a country, Uganda has not yet developed a specific policy, but we are among the first to pilot the introduction of this framework.
‘’Mitigating biorisks and governing dual use research is a global issue as we live in a global village. Its a shared responsibility and everyone has a role to play including scientists, researchers, the public among others. The framework is based on a one health approach and it does not assume a one fits it all approach. We ought to customize framework to the Ugandan context.’’” added.
In her presentation, Dr. Monica Namayanja highlighted the critical importance of establishing a Bio-Risk Management Committee, the role of dedicated biosafety officers, and the need for specialized laboratory managers. She emphasized that the involvement of top management is crucial for effective bio-risk management, noting that continuous improvement in this area is essential for maintaining best practices.
During the workshop, participants and project team shared lessons and facility based best practices desired for cybersecurity focusing on pertinent aspects of safeguarding digital and biological infrastructures.
The presentations also explored emerging topics in biosecurity including Dual Research (DUR), Dual Research of Concern (DURC) and Know Your Collaborator |(KYC)
The project, which started in April 2024 and is set to conclude in September 2024, was made possible with support from CRDF Global (Strengthening Individuals | Building Relationships | Improving Our World).
For More Information, please contact project Principal Investigator, Prof. Lawrence Mugisha, Tel.+256772566551, email: mugishalaw@gmail.com/lawrence.mugisha@mak.ac.ug