Uganda targets domestic HIV cure production via Canada research
The commitment was announced at a Uganda-Canada partnership side event on advancing HIV cure research, health innovation, and industrial capacity, a hybrid event in Canada on July 14.
Uganda targets domestic HIV cure production via Canada research
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Uganda plans to manufacture future HIV cure technologies through a new research partnership with Canadian institutions, marking a shift from being primarily a recipient of global health innovations to becoming a developer and producer of advanced biomedical technologies.
The commitment was announced at a Uganda-Canada partnership side event on advancing HIV cure research, health innovation, and industrial capacity, a hybrid event in Canada on July 14.
Participants, including government officials and scientists, discussed a long-term strategy to combine cutting-edge HIV research with local manufacturing, technology transfer, and workforce development.
Dr Daniel Kyabayinze, representing Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi, said the Government would create an enabling environment for research while investing in laboratories, biomedical engineering, and regional manufacturing to ensure future HIV cure technologies can be produced within Uganda.
"We shall continue to provide an enabling regulatory and policy environment that supports equitable research, clinical trials, and reasonable technology transfer. We shall invest in local capacity in laboratories, biomedical engineering, education, and regional manufacturing so that healthcare technologies, including Immune Equity, are produced here in Uganda," Kyabayinze said.
The initiative, known as Immune Equity, is a collaboration between the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), Western University in Canada, Makerere University, and other partners. It aims to develop an HIV cure that is not only scientifically effective but also affordable and accessible for countries bearing the greatest burden of the epidemic.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said Uganda's strong HIV response and internationally recognised research institutions have positioned the country to contribute to the next frontier of HIV science.
Unlike previous HIV cure efforts that have largely remained inaccessible to low-income countries because of their complexity and cost, scientists involved in the program say the new partnership is designed from the outset with affordability, scalability, and local production in mind.
Dr Cissy Kityo, Executive Director of the Joint Clinical Research Centre, said the project seeks to change how breakthrough medical technologies are developed by ensuring access is considered from the earliest stages of research.
She noted that more than 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV, with nearly two-thirds residing in sub-Saharan Africa, making affordability and accessibility as important as scientific discovery.
"We are not designing a cure first and asking later whether it can reach the world. We are designing the cure and its accessibility together from the start," she said.
The program employs a kick-and-kill strategy that aims to expose hidden HIV reservoirs in the body before using engineered immune cells to eliminate infected cells. Researchers hope the approach could eventually free patients from lifelong antiretroviral therapy.
Beyond laboratory research, the partnership also seeks to establish local biomedical engineering capacity, strengthen diagnostic development, and expand biomanufacturing in Uganda.
Kityo said engineers at Makerere University and Western University are jointly developing lower-cost diagnostic and delivery technologies suited to African health systems while laying the groundwork for large-scale manufacturing of advanced cellular therapies.
"What we are really trying to build is not only an HIV cure but also a permanent capacity upgrade. We are investing in the next generation of African engineers, immunologists, biomedical scientists, and translational innovators," she said.
Professor Eric Arts of Western University said Canada brings expertise in stem cell engineering and HIV cure research, while Uganda contributes decades of clinical experience, internationally accredited laboratories, and strong community engagement built through years of HIV research.
He said scientists have already developed promising technologies capable of awakening dormant HIV hidden inside immune cells and deploying engineered immune responses to destroy infected cells.
"The most important thing in an HIV cure is the collaboration and the training of students. They are the next generation because most likely the implementation of such a cure will be after I retire," Arts said.
He warned that continuing to provide lifelong treatment for millions of people may become increasingly difficult as global health financing becomes more uncertain.
"We can't sustain antiretroviral treatment lifelong for 40 million people. It's not feasible, and we need to develop a system that can get people off treatment," he said.
Uganda has been recognised globally for its HIV response over the past three decades. According to the Ministry of Health, about 90% of people living with HIV have been initiated on treatment, while 94% of those receiving treatment have achieved viral suppression, bringing the country closer to the global 95-95-95 HIV targets.
The ministry also reported significant declines in HIV prevalence and new infections over the past decade, achievements officials attributed to sustained government leadership, community engagement, and partnerships with research institutions such as JCRC.
In 2024, Uganda reported 37,000 new HIV infections and 4,700 babies born with HIV due to mother-to-child transmission. Adolescent girls and young women were disproportionately affected, accounting for over 10,800 of new infections in the 15 to 24 ages.