Research
Uganda Strengthens Research Ethics Oversight as Makerere and UNCST Equip Ethics Committees for Emerging Scientific Challenges
By Moses Lutaaya
Kampala, Uganda — July 22, 2026
Uganda’s research sector is preparing for a new era of scientific advancement as emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, genomics, digital health; big data analytics and international research collaborations continue to transform the landscape of scientific inquiry. However, experts have emphasized that these developments must be matched with stronger ethical oversight mechanisms to protect research participants, maintain scientific credibility and preserve public trust.
The call was made during the three-day Good Research Regulatory Practice (GRRP) Course for members of Research Ethics Committees (RECs) from Makerere University and other institutions. The training was organized by the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships at Makerere University in partnership with the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) to strengthen research governance and enhance ethical review practices.
Speaking at the official opening of the course, Prof. Robert Wamala, Makerere University’s Director of Research, Innovation and Partnerships, said ethical oversight remains central to achieving quality research that contributes to national development.
Prof. Wamala said Makerere University remains committed to producing research that addresses Uganda’s priorities while contributing to regional and global scientific advancement. However, he cautioned that research excellence cannot exist without strong ethical safeguards.
“Every research project involving human participants carries with it a profound responsibility to uphold the dignity, rights, safety and well-being of those who make research possible,” Prof. Wamala said.
He described Research Ethics Committees as critical pillars of Makerere’s research ecosystem, emphasizing that their role extends beyond regulatory compliance to protecting scientific credibility and maintaining public confidence.
“The quality, consistency, independence and timeliness of ethical review directly influence the quality of research produced by our institution and the confidence that participants, funders, collaborators and society place in our work,” he said.
Prof. Wamala observed that emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, genomics, digital health, big data analytics and cross-border research collaborations have introduced new ethical questions requiring continuous learning and adaptation.
He said modern ethical oversight demands more than simply following regulations. “It requires critical thinking, sound judgment, an appreciation of emerging technologies and strict adherence to internationally accepted standards of ethical review,” he said.
He noted that the GRRP Course provides an opportunity to harmonize ethical review approaches across Makerere’s Research Ethics Committees, improve institutional capacity and ensure that research involving human participants meets national and international standards.
Prof. Wamala also commended UNCST for its continued partnership with Makerere University in strengthening research governance, describing the collaboration as a reflection of a shared commitment to fostering a research environment that is ethical, responsible, innovative and internationally competitive.
Relatedly, Dr. Hellen Opolot, the Assistant Executive Secretary and Head of the Directorate of Research Management and Quality Assurance at UNCST, called on Research Ethics Committees to continuously strengthen their capacity as Uganda’s research environment becomes increasingly complex.
Dr. Opolot said scientific progress presents immense opportunities but also introduces new ethical, legal and regulatory challenges that require regulators and ethics committees to remain ahead of emerging trends.
She noted that research in Uganda is rapidly expanding, driven by developments in artificial intelligence, genomics, digital health, social and behavioral sciences and multinational collaborative studies.
“As REC members, your role extends beyond reviewing research protocols. You are responsible for safeguarding the rights, dignity and welfare of research participants,” Dr. Opolot emphasized.
She commended the organizers, particularly Professor Wamala for their continued commitment to strengthening research governance through capacity-building initiatives targeting Research Ethics Committees, students and researchers.
“I want to express my sincere appreciation to Professor Wamala for continuously inviting me to these meetings and for organizing important capacity-building programmes, not only for Research Ethics Committees but also for students,” she said.
Dr. Opolot encouraged participants to actively engage in the training, share experiences and develop practical approaches to addressing ethical challenges, noting that many issues facing researchers and regulators require collaboration and informed judgment.
She expressed confidence that the knowledge gained from the training would improve ethical review processes, strengthen post-approval monitoring and promote a culture of research integrity across Uganda.
Prof. Fredrick Nelson Nakwagala, the Chairperson of the Accreditation Committee for Research Ethics in Uganda at UNCST, said the training was aimed at equipping Research Ethics Committees with the skills required to protect human participants and improve research quality.
“The main function of this meeting is to build the capacity of Research Ethics Committees at Makerere University to perform their responsibility of protecting human subjects in research,” Prof. Nakwagala said.
He explained that continuous training remains necessary because ethical standards evolve alongside changes in science and technology.
“Ethics keeps changing because circumstances change. We now have artificial intelligence, mathematical modelling and complex study designs that were not known before. There are also new international and national guidelines on how to protect human participants who volunteer in research,” he said.
Prof. Nakwagala emphasized that Research Ethics Committees play a broader role than approving research proposals. He said they also monitor approved studies to ensure compliance with regulations, scientific standards and legal requirements.
“They monitor approved studies to ensure they are conducted within applicable regulations, scientific standards and the law. This improves both the quality of research proposals and the quality of research implementation,” he said.
He warned that unethical research practices such as plagiarism, fabrication of participants and falsification of data could undermine national development efforts, especially when research findings influence public policy.
“You don’t want research products from scientists who are fraudulent, who fabricate participants or falsify data,” he said. “Research Ethics Committees ensure research is what it claims to be and that the process gives confidence in the results.”
Prof. Nakwagala added that ethics committees play an important role in mentoring postgraduate students by providing a framework that enables them to conduct credible and scientifically sound research.
He linked strong research ethics to Uganda’s development ambitions under the National Development Plan IV, noting that science, technology and innovation are increasingly important in sectors such as agriculture, health, infrastructure, housing and environmental sustainability.
“Ethical oversight is critical in balancing the risks and benefits of development initiatives,” he said.
Addressing concerns about delays in postgraduate research approvals, Prof. Nakwagala said new review timelines introduced by UNCST are expected to improve efficiency while maintaining quality.
“We believe that within a week, most student protocols should receive approval. Only larger studies such as clinical trials require more rigorous review, but even these should not exceed 60 days,” he said.
Day One of GRRP Course Brings Together Experts and Research Ethics Practitioners
Day one of the Good Research Regulatory Practice Course was facilitated by Ms. Irene Semakula Suryani, Dr. Fredrick Nelson Nakwagala, Dr. Robert Sekubugu, Prof. Noah Kiwanuka and Ms. Gladys Nakalema, who guided participants through key areas of ethical review, research governance, regulatory standards and best practices for strengthening Research Ethics Committees.
The training attracted members from various academic units and institutions, including 16 participants from the College of Health Sciences, 5 from the School of Social Sciences, 15 from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), 23 from the School of Public Health, 23 from the School of Medicine, 19 from the School of Biomedical Sciences and 5 from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources (COVAB).
Research Ethics Committee Leaders Attend Capacity-Building Training
The course also brought together chairpersons of Research Ethics Committees from different schools and colleges who participated in strengthening ethical review systems at Makerere University and beyond. Among those in attendance were chairpersons of the different RECs including Prof. Stella Neema from the School of Social Sciences, Dr. Paul Kutyabami from the College of Health Sciences, and Dr. Joseph Kagagi from the School of Public Health, among other REC leaders.
The participation of REC chairpersons underscored the importance of institutional leadership in promoting responsible research practices, improving review efficiency and ensuring that scientific advancement is guided by integrity, accountability and respect for human dignity.
The GRRP training, running from July 22 to 24, 2026, is part of ongoing efforts by Makerere University and UNCST to strengthen Uganda’s research governance system and ensure that scientific progress is built on ethical foundations.
Natural Sciences
From World’s Worst Water Weed to Worth: Makerere Researchers Turn Water Hyacinth into Valuable Products
For communities living along Uganda’s lakes and rivers, water hyacinth is more than an invasive weed. Its rapid spread can choke waterways, disrupt fishing and transportation, restrict access to water and interfere with livelihoods and essential community services.
But what has for years been viewed primarily as an environmental menace could also become a source of economic opportunity.
Turning an environmental challenge into an opportunity
Researchers at Makerere University, with support from the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (MakRIF), have demonstrated how water hyacinth can be harvested and transformed into useful, value-added products through a small-scale community bio-refining approach.
Their project, titled “From World’s Worst Water Weed to Worth: Small-scale Community Bio-refining of Water Hyacinth to Produce Value-added Commercially Valuable Products,” sought to shift the focus from simply removing and disposing of the invasive plant to exploring opportunities for value addition, innovation and enterprise.
Led by Dr. Alice Nabatanzi from the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology at the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, the research was inspired by the experiences of communities affected by water hyacinth, including residents of Katosi Ward in Mukono District, where the weed has had significant socio-ecological impacts.
According to a community assessment conducted as part of the research, 68.7% of the respondents reported extreme impacts on fishing, while 65.0% reported extreme impacts on water transport.
During community engagements, residents described how the proliferation of water hyacinth had blocked waterways, disrupted fishing and transportation, affected access to water and created significant challenges for household livelihoods. In some instances, obstructed waterways affected children’s access to essential services.
These experiences provided an important starting point for the research team.
Through different processing methods, the team successfully developed three products from the harvested biomass: a bio-fertilizer, briquettes, and biodegradable sanitary pads.
Water hyacinth transformed into bio-fertilizer
One of the products developed by the researchers was a bio-fertilizer made from water hyacinth biomass.
The process began with harvesting the weed from affected water bodies and shredding the biomass to facilitate processing. The researchers explored biological processing approaches, including composting, vermicomposting and anaerobic digestion, to break down the plant material and release its organic matter and nutrients.
Following processing and curing, the resulting material was developed into an organic soil amendment, providing a productive use for harvested water hyacinth while returning organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
Briquettes offer an alternative solid fuel
The project team also developed briquettes from water hyacinth biomass, demonstrating its potential as an alternative solid fuel.
The innovation could, with further research, development and appropriate commercialization pathways, contribute to community-based enterprises.
From water hyacinth fibre to biodegradable sanitary pads
Another distinctive innovation emerging from the research is a biodegradable sanitary pad.
To produce the absorbent material, researchers extracted cellulose-rich fibre from the petioles of water hyacinth and combined it with other locally available plant fibres, including banana fibre and papyrus.
The resulting plant-based material was incorporated into sanitary pads that were subsequently developed and tested to assess their performance as a menstrual hygiene product.
According to the research findings, the water-hyacinth-based pads demonstrated higher liquid absorption capacity and potential health and safety advantages compared with conventional pads. Their use of locally available plant fibres also offers potential to reduce production costs and improve accessibility.
Research generating scientific knowledge
In addition to developing value-added products, the project has generated scientific knowledge on the socio-ecological effects of water hyacinth on affected communities.
The research findings have been published in Scientific Reports, Springer Nature Journal, in a peer-reviewed paper by Nabatanzi, A., Nambejja, C. and Byarugaba, I. (2026) titled “Socio-ecological impacts of water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes (Mart) Solm) on livelihoods in Katosi Ward, Uganda.”
The study provides evidence of the impacts of water hyacinth on livelihoods, while the wider project demonstrates how the same invasive resource can be investigated as a potential source of useful products.
Other research outputs: Production of personal care and wellness products from different plant materials
Beyond their work on value-added products from water hyacinth, Dr. Alice Nabatanzi and her research team are also translating scientific research into a growing range of locally developed skincare, personal care and wellness products under AURENE AURA, a Ugandan innovation emerging from the Makerere University Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology (PMB) Product Development Hub.
Built around the integration of research, nature and innovation, AURENE AURA brings together botanical ingredients and formulation science to develop products designed for diverse skincare and personal wellness needs. The growing collection includes medicated acne-control bars, radiant and brightening soaps and lotions, hypoallergenic goat-milk cleansing bars, moisturizing shower gels, baby-care jelly, lip balms and lip gloss, liquid soaps and other personal-care formulations.
The portfolio also extends to fragrances and botanical perfume mists, herbal respiratory wellness products, and botanical teas and wellness blends, demonstrating the team’s efforts to explore the potential of locally sourced natural ingredients beyond conventional applications.
According to the team, the products are developed through a research-to-product process that involves identifying specific user needs, selecting appropriate botanical and active ingredients, formulation, testing, refinement and packaging. This approach seeks to combine the benefits of botanical ingredients with formulation science, product stability and user safety.
Research dissemination workshop
Dr. Nabatanzi and her research team presented the findings and innovations to the Makerere University community and key stakeholders during a research dissemination workshop held on 22nd September 2026 at the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology.
The seminar provided a platform for the team to share the research outcomes, demonstrate the innovations and discuss pathways for translating the findings into practical solutions with environmental, social and economic value.
Remarks from the Chair, MakRIF
Representing the Chairperson of the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (MakRIF), Dr. Michael Owor commended the research team for moving beyond documenting the water hyacinth challenge to developing practical innovations with potential community and commercial applications.
He noted that the project exemplifies MakRIF’s mandate, established by the Government of Uganda to support research and innovation that responds to national development challenges.
“This project exemplifies that mandate by moving beyond describing the problem of water hyacinth to developing practical solutions that communities, enterprises and public institutions can potentially adopt,” he said.
He, however, noted that research findings and prototypes do not automatically translate into sustainable impact, stressing the need for stronger collaboration amongst stakeholders to advance product validation, safety, quality, affordability, regulatory compliance, intellectual property protection and market access.
He urged stakeholders to use the workshop to agree on concrete pathways for advancing the innovations, including further testing, standards development, community-based production, manufacturing and distribution partnerships, and resource mobilisation for scale-up.
Regarding the biodegradable sanitary pads, Dr. Owor stressed the need for sustained engagement with women and girls, schools, health professionals and relevant regulatory institutions to ensure that the product is safe, acceptable, affordable and responsive to the users’ needs.
He further challenged the research team to develop a clear post-project action plan.
“Dissemination should not mark the end of the project; it should serve as a transition from research findings to adoption, enterprise development and demonstrable community impact,” he said.
On behalf of the MakRIF Grants Management Committee, Dr. Owor appreciated the Government of Uganda for its continued investment in research and innovation through the MakRIF, and acknowledged the University Management for providing an enabling environment for the research.
He also recognized the contribution of the participating communities and stakeholders whose knowledge and experiences informed the project.
CoNAS: Turning knowledge into solutions for society – Remarks by the College leaders
On behalf of the Principal of the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), the Deputy Principal, Prof. Godwin Kakuba, congratulated Dr. Nabatanzi and her team on undertaking impactful, transformative and accessible research that demonstrates how a persistent environmental challenge can be turned into an opportunity for innovation, livelihoods and sustainable development.
Referring to the priorities of Uganda’s National Development Plan IV (NDP IV), Prof. Kakuba emphasized the importance of harnessing the country’s innovation capacity to drive socio-economic transformation. “Such research demonstrates how university-generated knowledge can contribute to addressing real-world environmental and socio-economic challenges.”
He commended Dr. Nabatanzi for involving communities and students in the research process, noting that such engagements strengthen the relevance of university research while providing students with practical opportunities to apply scientific knowledge to challenges affecting society. He further underscored the need to strengthen industry-academia partnerships to facilitate the translation of research findings into products and technologies that can be adopted.
Prof. Kakuba also linked the initiative to the principles of competency-based learning, noting that practical, problem-solving research equips students with skills beyond the classroom and prepares them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
He urged Dr. Nabatanzi and the research team to widely disseminate their findings to increase awareness, uptake and potential commercialisation of the innovations. He also called for increased support to enable the project to progress beyond research and product development towards further validation, refinement, scaling and potential adoption by communities and industry.
The Head of the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology at CoNAS, Dr. Jamilu Ssenku, equally commended Dr. Nabatanzi and her team for undertaking impactful research that demonstrates the potential of science to address pressing environmental and socio-economic challenges. He noted that the project contributes to the department’s growing body of impactful research, which continues to generate practical solutions and innovations with relevance to communities, industry and national development.
MUTIC support
The Acting Manager of the Makerere University Technology and Innovation Centre (MUTIC), Prof. Michael Lubwama, commended the research team for its innovative approach to research and effective dissemination of the findings, noting that the project provides a valuable model that could be benchmarked by other research projects. He appreciated the contributions of the stakeholders, particularly the local communities whose participation was central to the success of the project. Prof. Lubwama further pledged MUTIC’s support in advancing the innovations towards product development, commercialization and wider community impact.
Innovation, commercialization and intellectual property
Ms. Esther Kabinga from the Makerere University Intellectual Property Management Office congratulated Dr. Nabatanzi and her team on the achievement and urged them to prioritise intellectual property protection as they advance the innovations towards wider use and commercialisation. She highlighted the need to formally register the innovations to safeguard them against unauthorised use, imitation and misappropriation, and pledged support in securing the necessary intellectual property rights.
Inspiring young women and advancing menstrual dignity
The Guild President of Makerere University, H.E. Gracious Kadondi, represented by the Guild Minister for Academic Affairs, Ms. Kalazani Neena Elsie, equally applauded Dr. Alice Nabatanzi and her research team for the achievements.
She particularly commended the development of biodegradable sanitary pads, noting that the innovation could help promote menstrual dignity among women and girls, especially those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Ms. Kalazani also described Dr. Nabatanzi’s achievement as an important source of inspiration for young women and students pursuing science and research. She called for greater involvement of students and young people in research and innovation, noting that such opportunities can nurture the next generation of scientists and innovators capable of developing solutions to challenges affecting their communities.
Communities at the centre of research impact
On behalf of the Najjembe community in Buikwe District, Ms. Nabukeera Sylvia expressed gratitude to Dr. Alice Nabatanzi, MakRIF, and the wider University community for the continued support extended to local communities through the Alice Mabira Foundation (AMAF) and other research initiatives undertaken in the area.
Ms. Nabukeera said the community had greatly benefited from Dr. Nabatanzi’s work and the support provided through the Alice Mabira Foundation, which she established to empower households to develop home-based enterprises and cottage industries. Through the Foundation, community members have gained practical skills in baking, processing food and medicinal products, and preserving and sustainably utilising important tree species.
She noted that these initiatives have enabled community members to turn knowledge and locally available resources into livelihood opportunities and solutions to everyday challenges, demonstrating the value of research that responds directly to community needs. She expressed gratitude to the researchers and partners for their continued engagement with the Najjembe Community and called for sustained collaboration to ensure that the innovations generated through university research continue to reach communities and create tangible social and economic benefits.
Future prospects
The research has laid the groundwork for transforming water hyacinth from an environmental challenge into a potential source of community enterprise and sustainable livelihoods through bio-refineries and circular bio-economies.
Moving the innovations from research to wider application will require collaboration among researchers, communities, government, industry and other stakeholders to refine the technologies, assess production and market opportunities, strengthen quality standards and establish pathways for scale-up and commercialisation.
Beyond the three products already developed, the research also opens opportunities for exploring additional value chains, including animal feed, crafts and other potentially marketable products, subject to further research to establish their safety, technical feasibility and economic viability.
If successfully scaled, the innovations could create new opportunities for employment, income generation and community enterprise, while contributing to the sustainable management of water hyacinth and the restoration of affected waterways.
Uganda must strengthen the systems that move university research beyond prototypes and publications into policies, public services, products and enterprises that improve people’s lives, Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, Minister in charge of Science, Technology and Innovation in the Office of the President (STI-OP), has said.
He made the call during a visit to Makerere University School of Public Health on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, as part of his wider engagement with Makerere University’s research and innovation ecosystem. Accompanied by University Management, led by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Minister met researchers presenting work across major public health priorities before touring the School’s new building.
Hon. Eng. Asiimwe linked the challenge to Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, which targets expanding the country’s GDP from nearly USD 50 billion in 2023 to USD 500 billion by 2040. He argued that science, technology and innovation must help deliver that ambition by raising productivity, improving public services and creating viable enterprises.
“The Tenfold Growth Strategy will not be achieved by one particular project alone,” he stated. “It will be achieved when science, technology and innovation repeatedly raise the productivity and incomes of millions of ordinary people.”
The work presented at MakSPH showed how public health research can contribute to that ambition by shaping clinical guidance and national policy, strengthening systems that improve services and protect population health, and advancing technologies towards wider testing and adoption.
One such example was the PURPOSE 1 study, a 2022–2024 trial that evaluated Gilead Sciences’ twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention among adolescent girls and young women. Prof. Noah Kiwanuka served as Site Principal Investigator for MakSPH’s work at Makerere-Kalangala site through the UVRI-IAVI collaboration. The trial recorded no HIV infections among participants who received lenacapavir, contributing evidence that informed regulatory decisions and WHO’s 2025 recommendation of the drug as an additional HIV prevention option.
In maternal and newborn health, MakSPH’s Centre of Excellence for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health recently partnered with St. Francis Hospital Nsambya to establish Uganda’s first human milk bank and generate evidence on the safe use of pasteurised donor milk. The work has now contributed to Uganda’s first National Donor Human Milk Guidelines and provides a model that other hospitals could adopt.
The exhibition also showed how university expertise can strengthen national systems. Through the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS) Programme, MakSPH worked with the Ministry of Health for more than 15 years to develop and support platforms for health reporting, disease surveillance and programme management. The U.S. CDC funded the programme through PEPFAR, providing US$103.8 million across three five-year grants. In March 2026, MakSPH transitioned 16 digital health systems developed through METS, together with their supporting infrastructure, to Ministry of Health stewardship.
Makerere University School of Public Health Dean Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze said the School embeds teaching and research within communities, health facilities and public institutions through its “Public Health School Without Walls” model, designing research around the problems it must address and the value it can create.
“For us, translation is not alien. It is where we start when designing our research,” Prof. Wanyenze noted. “We examine what drives ill health and what we can do to solve the problem. As we consider translation and commercialisation, we must define how scientific impact grows into societal impact and track that contribution through health outcomes and economic growth.”
That approach informs VectorCam, an artificial intelligence-enabled smartphone tool that MakSPH is evaluating in Mayuge and Adjumani districts. It enables community health workers to identify mosquitoes by species, sex and feeding status, generating faster data for malaria-control decisions. Prof. Peter Waiswa serves as Uganda Principal Investigator for the Gates Foundation-funded project, which MakSPH implements with Johns Hopkins University. The partners plan to extend it to 22 districts and assess its performance under routine conditions in 12.
Watch how VectorCam uses a smartphone and artificial intelligence to identify mosquitoes and strengthen malaria surveillance:
The School’s national survey work also demonstrates local capacity to generate evidence for policy. Uganda launched the 2024–2025 Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) in May 2025 with support from the U.S. Government and technical leadership from MakSPH. The Ministry of Health expects to release the findings on 1 October 2026, providing updated evidence on HIV prevalence, new infections, viral suppression, service coverage and associated risk behaviours to guide the country’s future HIV response.
The School also led Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) Uganda, a nationally representative platform that generated recurring evidence on contraceptive use, access and service quality. Working with the Ministry of Health and other partners, it enabled Uganda to track change, identify persistent gaps and guide family-planning policy and investment.
This combination of evidence generation and local capacity gives practical expression to Makerere University’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030, launched in July 2026, which seeks to build a sustainable, research-led and responsive university. During a visit to MakSPH on 18 June 2026, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe described the School as a model of that institutional direction.
“I think the School of Public Health is the perfect example of what a research-led unit should be,” Prof. Nawangwe said. “You are really showing the way for the rest of the University and what we should be as a research-led university.”
The work supports priorities under Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), including stronger health research, innovation and uptake of locally generated solutions. Speaking at a public dialogue on health financing jointly organised by MakSPH and partners in April 2026, Prof. Nawangwe said Makerere attracts more than UGX 1 trillion into Uganda annually through research and urged the Government to increase support for the University’s national role.
Today, the Government allocates about UGX 25 billion annually through theMakerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) to support research and innovation across Makerere. Beyond Mak-RIF, it recently contributed UGX 14 billion to the construction of the new MakSPH building. Work began in 2020 and remains on course for completion in December 2026.
The facility will expand space for teaching, research, laboratories and collaboration. The School’s next infrastructure priority is a specialised environmental health laboratory to investigate health risks associated with air, water, food and other environmental exposures.
Through STI-OP, the Government also supports the NUTRIMEAL Project. Dr Barbara Eva Kirunda leads the project, which brings together MakSPH and Makerere University’s School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering to develop a non-dairy probiotic beverage from locally available finger millet and beetroot for people living with HIV. The team will test its safety and effects on immune and nutritional outcomes among 432 participants.
Hon. Eng. Asiimwe placed that support within a longer pathway from research to use. He said developing and testing an innovation represent only part of the journey and called for stronger systems to move viable innovations into policy, public services, products and enterprises.
“Every innovation should be able to name its user, define the problem it solves and show the value it creates,” he said. “We should move beyond saying, ‘We developed a prototype,’ to showing who uses it, who manufactures it, how it reaches the market and how it will grow.”
Reaching that point requires the capacity to generate and test evidence, alongside collaboration among universities, government and industry in validation, standards, intellectual property, financing, manufacturing, procurement and public trust.
Public health research creates value not only through commercial products but also evidence that changes policy, strengthens surveillance, improves clinical practice and guides national programmes. The challenge now is to move the strongest research into use and turn it into better services, greater productivity and healthier lives, all essential to Uganda’s tenfold growth ambition.
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