Uganda-Canada HIV cure pact aligns with Museveni’s vision
With the right partnerships, sustained investment and bold scientific ambition, Uganda can once again show the world what is possible in the fight against HIV — this time, not only controlling the epidemic, but helping to bring it to an end.
______________
OPINION
By Allan Kajik
In 1986, when President Yoweri Museveni formed a new government, one of his key priorities was to start the national fight against HIV/AIDS. He immediately created the AIDS Control Programme and held intense public awareness campaigns.
The Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) was established in 1991 in Kampala as a non-profit joint venture. It was founded by the Government to fight the severe HIV/ AIDS epidemic and, in 1992, the Uganda AIDS Commission was founded to expand the national strategy across all social and economic sectors.
A lot of positive achievements were made in both research and public awareness; Uganda became an exemplary model in the fight against HIV/AIDS worldwide. Recently, I was invited as a guest speaker during the celebrations of Africa Day at Western University of London Ontario, amazed when of research Canada and I was during an inspection work displayed by researchers, Uganda’s PhD and master’s student in HIV cure, and the director of Africa Institute and Frugal Biomedical Innovations, Dr Margaret Mutumba, updated me on the many scholarships that had been granted to Ugandans and the collaboration between JCRC, Makerere University and her own University of Western Ontario, London.
I have held many discussions with the group of researchers that eventually led to the UN High-Level Political Forum side event on Uganda–Canada Partnerships Advancing HIV Cure Research, Health Innovation and Industrial Capacity, hosted by our colleagues at the Uganda Permanent Mission in New York.
The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, was the keynote speaker, emphasising the continued commitment of the Government and her own office as a co-ordinator of all government programmes.
The discussion was a masterpiece with key takeaways as mentioned below:
EQUITY BY DESIGN: Achieving an HIV cure requires scientific discovery to be accompanied by deliberate investments in implementation, access and affordability, ensuring that from the start, therapies are developed for the viral subtypes that affect the majority, so that breakthroughs benefit all populations.
LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIPS: The Uganda-Canada partnership demonstrates how trusted collaborations can generate scientific excellence, while strengthening national and regional research ecosystems through co-development, mutual learning and shared leadership.
COLLECTIVE ACTION: Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals requires stronger collaboration across governments, academia, healthcare institutions, industry, philanthropy and communities. No single institution or country can achieve these ambitions alone.
Dr Cissy Kityo Mutuluuza, the executive director of JCRC, highlighted the technical aspects of the collaboration and how far they have gone with it, but equally echoed the need for all partners to add in funding in order to achieve IMUNEQUITY HIV cure initiatives.
A big thank you to JCRC and Western University for the research and innovation.
Uganda, through the visionary leadership of our dear President, will continue with this milestone achievement of leading the world in bringing this pandemic to an end.
The writer is the Ambassador at Uganda High Commission Ottawa, Canada