Ministry of Health and STI Secretariat Hold High-Level Consultative Meeting on Uganda’s Pathogen Economy
Kampala, Ministry of Health Headquarters – A high-level consultative meeting was on Friday 4th September, 2026 held between the Ministry of Health and the Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to advance Uganda’s Pathogen Economy.
The meeting was attended by a team from the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) led by Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu, together with senior leadership and technical teams from key health institutions.
The STI Secretariat delegation was led by the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Eng. Dr. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, while the Ministry of Health team was led by the Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi.
The engagement focused on strengthening coordination between research, innovation, manufacturing and market adoption to build a robust national Pathogen Economy. Discussions centred on sharing critical health data, aligning ongoing efforts, and input into the draft National STI Policy.
Key resolutions under exploration include:
- Establishment of a Joint Technical Working Group between Health and STI;
- Development of a National Pathogen Economy Priority and Product Pipeline;
- Creation of a common research-to-procurement framework informed by Uganda’s disease burden, import bill, national procurement needs and industrial opportunities;
- Comprehensive mapping of national infrastructure, datasets and expertise across health research institutions;
- Addressing institution-specific R&D and innovation bottlenecks; and
- Establishing a coordinated implementation framework with clear timelines and quarterly ministerial reporting.
The shared vision is to translate Uganda’s world-class health research into locally manufactured health products, strengthen national health security and capability, and generate economic value for the country.
The meeting reaffirmed Government’s commitment to moving from research to production – ensuring that Ugandan science serves Ugandan health needs.
