Researchers at Makerere develop new approach to antibiotic resistance

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When Joshua Muwanguzi was diagnosed with diabetes in 2022, his immediate fear was either gaining excessive weight or becoming too thin.

However, he never anticipated that he would eventually develop wounds. Upon visiting the hospital, doctors confirmed that his wounds were linked to diabetes.

According to health experts, diabetic wounds or foot ulcers are often painless due to nerve damage, but can sometimes cause significant pain.

Because they take a long time to heal, diabetic ulcers require intensive care, which is often costly. As a result, many patients turn to antibiotics, sometimes consuming them excessively.

To address this challenge, Makerere University, through the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources, and Biosecurity (COVAB), is conducting research aimed at finding a solution to antimicrobial resistance.

Although the initial target group for the research is diabetic patients with foot ulcers, the technology, known as bacteriophages, will also treat diarrhoea caused by harmful bacteria such as E. coli, which is responsible for stomach pain, and Salmonella, the bacteria that causes typhoid, among others.

According to Associate Prof. Dr Jesca Nakavuma, bacteriophages are beneficial viruses extracted from the environment, taken to the laboratory for further scrutiny, and multiplied to specifically target harmful bacteria in humans and animals.

Speaking at Hilton Garden Inn in Kamwokya on March 28, 2025, Nakavuma explained that alternatives must be sought as bacteria increasingly become resistant to drugs, rendering many antibacterial treatments ineffective.

“Bacteriophages can be used in human medicine, especially for patients whose organs are not responding to available drugs and where no alternative treatment exists. These bacteriophages could be the solution,” she said.

She further emphasised that through their evaluations, bacteriophages have shown no adverse effects on the human body as they target only specific harmful bacteria, without affecting other organisms in the body or the environment.

To make them accessible to the public, bacteriophages can be packaged in different forms: as a powder that can be sprayed onto packaged animal feeds, as a liquid that can be applied directly to diabetic wounds, or in capsule form for oral consumption to treat stomach-related infections.

Although this innovation has the potential to revolutionise the management of diabetic ulcers and wounds, further evaluations are being conducted to ensure its effectiveness.

Nakavuma also noted that researchers are studying how countries like Georgia, which have already commercialised bacteriophages as medicines available in pharmacies have implemented the technology.

Speaking on behalf of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Prof. Edward Wamala, director of research, innovations, and partnerships at Makerere University, highlighted the critical role of bacteriophage research in addressing the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.

“The misuse and overuse of antibiotics in human health, agriculture, and aquaculture have accelerated the emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains, making treatment ineffective,” Wamala said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance claims over 1.3 million lives annually, a number expected to rise without urgent intervention.