President Yoweri Museveni has hailed partners who have worked closely with the Joint Clinical Research Center (JCRC) in promoting research and clinical development over the years.
Since its establishment in 1991, JCRC has continued to expand her services both in terms of services offered and geographical presence across Uganda and it has also undertaken several landmark research trials that have shaped HIV/AIDS policies and treatment guidelines worldwide.
“I specifically want to thank Dr. Manfred Dietrich, we should recognize his contribution with a medal or something for the tremendous contribution towards this center. I also thank our other partners like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and all other groups. We thank them so much for their partnership,” he noted.
The President made these remarks on Friday while officiating the JCRC 30th Anniversary celebrations held at the center’s headquarters in Lubowa Wakiso District.
At this event, Museveni also underscored the role of vaccines in solving problems such as epidemics and he later challenged local scientists to fast- track the development of the HIV/AIDS vaccine.
“You know how much these vaccines can solve problems. In 1893, we had a very bad problem with smallpox and it killed a lot of people, but when the vaccine was introduced, it disappeared. I don’t think that smallpox still exists now. Therefore, I challenge the scientists especially our own scientists to wake up and deal with these problems instead of just sitting and waiting for others to the work.” He stressed.
President Museveni further commissioned the first ever bone marrow transplant center at JCRC headquarters and he also laid a foundation stone and signed off a master plan of the new proposed cell and gene therapy center.
“I congratulate JCRC for the bone marrow transplant center which you have just opened here, as Prof. Ibingira said, when it’s done here, it will be much cheaper than when you do it outside,” he stated.
In her remarks, Jane Ruth Aceng the Minister of Health also hailed JCRC and attributed the improvement in the HIV/AIDS statistics in Uganda to the use of a multi-sectoral approach in partnership with the country’s development partners.
“The Joint Clinical Research Centre has made significant contributions on each step of the journey that we have taken towards the end of HIV/AIDS as a public health threat and we expect it to make a significant contribution in the last mile of this journey in ending AIDS by 2030,” Dr. Aceng noted.
“As we move to the last frontier in the cure of HIV, JCRC is again at the forefront of efforts to find an effective HIV vaccine and to ensure that Ugandan scientists actively contribute to the designing of research for the HIV/AIDS cure especially through the emerging cell and gene therapy technologies whose clinical trials have already started in the United States of America,” she added.
On his part, Prof. Charles Ibingira the Chairman Board of Directors of JCRC hailed the President for taking a bold decision to address the HIV challenge head-on at a time when it was required most because the disease was new, and many lives were lost at that time.
“Your great vision to start JCRC to intervene and address the desperate situation that the Ugandans were in and the untold suffering with HIV/AIDS is a clear demonstration of your great care for Ugandans. We can never thank you enough for this,” he highlighted.
Dr. Cissy Kityo the Executive Director of JCRC also highlighted that the center has played a vital role in the fight against the HIV/AIDS in the region by pioneering the use of HIV drugs in sub-Saharan Africa in 1992 and importing the first generic HIV drugs from India to bring down the costs and subsequently became the case study for the architecture of the PEPFAR.
“We will continue to push the boundaries, there is no limit of knowledge and strive for excellence in research. Our laboratory has pioneered many tests to monitor how HIV drugs are working including CD4 count, viral load and testing of children as early as 6 weeks,we used to test until at 8 months, now we can test them using molecular tests and determine if they should start treatment,” Dr. Kityo said.
The President later awarded the former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Amama Mbabazi, the former Deputy Chief Justice of Uganda, His Lordship Steven Kavuma, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, Justice Epelu Opio, Mr. Ben Luwum among others for their immense contribution towards the Centre and also donated Shs100m to the JCRC SACCO.