Professor Kaleebu, the outgoing Director of the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit (MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit), has received the OBE in recognition of his services to education and public health.
The Director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute, Professor Kaleebu Pontiano, is scheduled to give a keynote address exploring the advancement of regional vaccine manufacturing and access in Africa.
Tuberculosis (TB) caused 1.6 million deaths in 2021, being the leading cause of death among infectious diseases, above HIV. Yet, it is a curable and preventable disease. While a quarter of the global population has been infected, only 5-10 % of infected individuals develop symptoms. The highest burden regions are South-East Asia, Africa, and the Western Pacific.
This Strategic Plan 2020/21-2024/25 is a major milestone in the journey to re-position UVRI as a world class Centre of excellence in health research. Functions of UVRI have ably been portrayed in the PCR tests performed at the on-set of the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020.
A team from Sabin Vaccine Institute led by the Chiel Executive Officer Amy Finan visited UVRI on Monday 19th February 2024.
Significant milestones have been made in the development of COVID-19 diagnostic technologies. The government of the Republic of Uganda and the Ministry of Health mandated the Uganda Virus Research Institute to ensure the quality of COVID-19 diagnostics. Re-testing was one of the methods initiated by the UVRI to implement external quality assessment of COVID-19 molecular diagnostics.
Today the President met at his Rwakitura home with a delegation led by the Hon. Minister of Health, which included the UVRI team led by the Director Prof Pontiano Kaleebu, a team of Oxitec led by its CEO, Dr. Grey Frandsen, and Mr. Echodu Calvin, the Founder and Executive Director of Pilgrim Uganda.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified Ugandans who would like to compete for an PhD fellowship opportunity through the GIISER project within the Viral Pathogens Theme. The GIISER project is Global Immunology & Immune Sequencing for Epidemic Response, funded by the Bill and Gates Foundation and coordinated by MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified Ugandans who would like to compete for an MSc fellowship opportunity through the GIISER project within the Viral Pathogens Theme. The GIISER project is Global Immunology and Immune Sequencing for Epidemic Response, funded by the Bill and Gates Foundation and coordinated by the MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit.
