Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary (PS) Ministry of Health has commissioned new offices, laboratories, stores and staff houses at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) during a function held on Friday evening at the research centre's main office in Entebbe municipality.

Among the new infrastructure include, the Medical Research Council (MRC) clinic built to conduct research on infectious and non-communicable diseases.

Other commissioned facilities include a library built for the collection and storage of books among other media material accessible for use by the institute's scientists and members of allied institutions.

Officially opened, was also a sample reception facility that will be the first point of contact and where specimens requiring analysis will be received.

Dr Diana Atwine (right) viewing an approved plan for the ongoing constructions at the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe /Photo by Julius Luwemba

A level 2 laboratory was built to study infectious agents that may be transmitted through air. This will enable researchers to perform all experiments in the biosafety cabinet.

Dr. Atwine also opened stores, a 500KVA generator and NIH laboratory which was renovated with $500,000 (sh1.9b) support from the US government. According to Dr. Julius Lutwama, the acting UVRI deputy director, the NIH is a virology laboratory which focuses on vector-borne zoonotic pathogens via a one-health concept that incorporates veterinary and human health considerations.

Among others, is a data centre designed on a network of computing and storage resources for UVRI to process, store and communicate data. Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu, the UVRI director noted that there was an extension of office space to accommodate more than 700 staff working with different entities on the institute ground. The AA VP building previously gutted by fire, was also renovated with support from the government.

"We have been very active in attracting funding. I was going to provide details of all our funding from the government, partners and all other funders to see how we are doing. But I deleted this because the moment you bring financial figures, the media will lose interest in the rest," stated Kaleebu. "All I can say is this institute is run using billions of shillings, with the largest coming from international partners and funders," he added.

One of the newly constructed structures at the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe /Photo by Julius Luwemba

The health ministry's permanent secretary lauded the management and staff of UVRI plus partners for the new infrastructural developments as well as the scientific research work that was extended from infectious diseases to include non-communicable diseases. "I am glad to note that the centre is already taking steps in developing the HIV vaccine among other research works in rodents," she remarked.

Atwine on the other hand, implored UVRI to build capacity as an institution, to start generating its own resources. "The money we are giving you as the government is too little compared to the work you are doing here and the potential you have," she noted, further pledging to offer whichever support on behalf of the health ministry.

The ceremony saw several persons awarded for their long-time contribution to UVRI, including drivers and cooks who served under the institute for a long time. The latest award was given to one Rajab Lukwago who was a senior assistant secretary up to 2023 before seeking employment with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development. Under UVRI, Lukwago was in 2022 voted the president of young public administrators in Africa.

UVRI is a government research institute with a mandate to engage in health research of human infections and disease processes associated with or linked to viral aetiology. Established in 1936, the UVRI conducts scientific investigations on viral plus other communicable and non-communicable diseases. It has been at the forefront to investigate disease outbreaks such as COVID-19 where it was the only scientific investigating institution in the initial three months of the outbreak.