On May 28, 2024, the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), led by Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu, hosted the new Center for Disease Control (CDC) country director, Dr. Mary Adetinuke Boyd. The duo, along with other dignitaries, held a discussion aimed at strengthening the collaborations between the CDC and UVRI. Dr. Boyd was later taken for a tour around to see the great research work that is being done at the institute.
The CDC supports Uganda’s efforts to find more persons living with HIV, expand antiretroviral treatment (ART) to all persons living with HIV in Uganda immediately upon diagnosis, and scale-up viral load testing. In addition, the CDC supports the integration of TB services into existing prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and ART services, TB preventive treatment, HIV testing, and linkage to ART for TB/HIV co-infected clients.
While its work in Uganda dates to 1991, the CDC formally established its office there in 2000 and continues to work with the Ministry of Health to provide high-quality HIV prevention and treatment services. Providing both funding and technical assistance, the CDC employs a service-delivery model integrated with national, regional, and district structures within Uganda to build the capacity of its public health system to respond to HIV and tuberculosis (TB).
Dr. Boyd joined CDC in the CDC Zambia country office, where she first served as Deputy Associate Director for Programs (2016–2018) and then as Senior Medical Advisor (2018–2020). While in Zambia, Dr. Boyd’s accomplishments included: leading the Antiretroviral Treatment Surge campaign; establishing the Zambia National HIV Clinical Mentorship program; and directing the first regional COVID-19 response ECHO community of practice in Southern Africa and West Africa.
Dr. Boyd is a trained vaccinologist and conducted vaccine trials for influenza A (H1N1), live oral Shigella, Vibrio cholera, and Salmonella vaccine candidates from 2009–2013 at the University of Maryland’s Center for Vaccine Development. She subsequently joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where she led global health vaccine efforts, including for Ebola, from 2013–2016.
Commander Dr. Boyd is an active duty physician in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and previously performed clinical practice at the U.S. Embassy Abuja Health Unit. She received her undergraduate degree in neurobiology and physiology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and completed her medical degree, residency, and fellowship in pediatrics and infectious diseases at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Dr. Boyd previously served as Senior Advisor for HIV and TB Prevention for CDC Nigeria as a regional and international expert on HIV and TB prevention. She takes over from Dr. Lisa J. Nelson, who was instrumental in a lot of collaboration work during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda.