Mmiro dreamt of finding an AIDS cure
IN a profession where many practitioners fly out for greener pastures at the slightest opportunity, he remained steadfast, resisting temptation for wealth that would have seen him render his meticulous service to another nation.
By Francis Kagolo
IN a profession where many practitioners fly out for greener pastures at the slightest opportunity, he remained steadfast, resisting temptation for wealth that would have seen him render his meticulous service to another nation.
Prof. Francis Mmiro opted to serve his own people in a field that has plagued the country the most — HIV/AIDS research.
He worked relentlessly, contributing greatly to patient care, even though he had retired five years earlier.
A great HIV/AIDS consultant and a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology, Prof. Mmiro, passed on at 9:00am on March 28 at the age of 74.
He succumbed to cancer of the pancreas at Mulago Hospital, where he had been admitted a week before after severe illness. Adrian Mubiru, one of his children, said Mmiro refused to go for expensive treatment abroad on grounds that if a lot of money was spent on treatment and he died, the children would suffer much.
Grief and shock gripped the nation as the news of his demise filtered through, medical practitioners, politicians, colleagues in the academia, students, and the clergy. They all gathered to mourn and pay tribute to the fallen gynaecologist.
Many eulogised Mmiro in moving tributes, describing him as ‘a committed, brilliant and ethical practitioner’ brimming with potential, robbed by death of the opportunity to serve the world to his fullest, leaving behind a colossal void.
Edward Ssekandi, the Speaker of Parliament, said he was moved by Mmiro’s death. He described Mmiro as an outstanding medical practitioner who dedicated his life towards saving the lives of children and mothers.
“It is shocking.
To lose such a great researcher, teacher, and medical practitioner who dedicated his life towards saving the lives of others particularly children and mothers,†Ssekandi told mourners during a requiem mass at Christ the King Church in Kampala.
“It is absurd that he has passed away before realising his dream of discovering the AIDS drug.†“He is irreplaceable. The country has lost one of its senior health workers. We have lost a redeemer,†said Ssekandi.
Prof. George Kirya, the chairperson of the Health Service Commission, described Mmiro’s death as worrying, a loss to the entire world.
“It is scary that we have lost a person of such calibre. He always followed the medical ethics, putting patients first, something that is dying out among young doctors.
His family, the nation and the world as a whole have lost a great researcher and obstetrician,†Kirya told the New Vision at Christ the King, shortly after the mass.
Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala, and Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, praised Mmiro for serving God diligently and being a strong Christian, besides his profession.
They called upon mourners to emulate his dedication to the faith. “Mmiro has been known at Mulago hospital as well as at Rubaga Cathedral. He never missed services and was a good member of the church. At Mulago, he has been fighting the killer disease,†said Wamala.
“He has been a servant of God but also a servant of Man. May his soul rest in eternal peace.†News of his demise drew sympathy from former workmates. Dr. Edward Ddumba, the Mulago Hospital executive director, could not hide his sorrow.
He said Mmiro had sacrificed his life to saving the life of others, over-straining himself by working even after retirement.
“Mmiro retired some five years ago, but he continued researching tirelessly. He has been contributing greatly to patient care,†Ddumba said.
And at Makerere University, where he held different positions for 47 years, Prof. Livingstone Luboobi, the vice-chancellor, said he was “a distinguished professional who served as a very dedicated head of department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.â€
He praised Mmiro for being humane with patients. “He has left the finest figures not only in the obstetrics and gynaecology department but also at the entire medical school.â€
“He has left a big gap at the medical school and Makerere University in general. It is an irreplaceable gap,†the vice-chancellor, Prof. Luboobi, said, in a speech delivered by Henry Mayega, his personal assistant, at Christ the King Church.
Born on August 2 1934, to the late Petero and Maria Nsubuga of Lukwanga village, on Mityana Road off Buloba in Wakiso district, Mmiro attended Kiziba and St. Peter’s Nsambya for primary education.
He went to Namilyango College for O’Level and A’Levels, after which he joined Bombay University where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human medicine, in 1963.
With a passion to save the lives of mothers and children at birth, Mmiro went for further studies to Queen’s University in Ireland, where he was awarded a master’s degree in obstetrics and Gynaecology in 1968.
Obstetricians and gynaecologist are surgical specialties dealing with the female reproductive organs. The two subjects are often combined to form a single medical specialty and postgraduate training programme.
Mmiro is survived by a widow, Sarah Wannyana Mmiro, to whom he has married for 39 years, and 10 children.
Mmiro’s Fact file
Mmiro joined Makerere University Medical School in 1971 as a lecturer and became an associate professor in 1973.
He was “rapidly†promoted to the position of a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology in 1975, shortly after completing a PhD at Makerere in the same year.
While at Makerere, Mmiro steered over 10 research proposals in obstetrics and gynaecology, in addition to writing and editing several articles in international journals.
He began rigorous research on HIV/AIDS shortly after the scourge was discovered in Uganda in 1982.
Mmiro became part of a team of researchers that conducted a study on Nevirapine, a drug that prevents mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus, in 1998.
In 1999, Mmiro scooped a recognition award for his outstanding contributions to advancing the prevention of prenatal HIV transmission.
The second conference on global strategies for the prevention of HIV transmission from mothers to infants, held in September 1999 in Montreal, Canada, ruled that Mmiro be awarded for the struggle to control mother-to-child transmission.
As the chairperson of the Mulago Hospital Housing Committee (1985-2000), a number of new buildings and renovations were done including that on New Mulago.
From 1985 t0 1995, Mmiro served as the chairman board of governors for Rubaga Hospital and as governing board member for World Health Organisation (1994-1996).
He later became the chairperson of the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV national programme in Uganda.
Mmiro has been the principal investigator for the Makerere University-John Hopkins University collaboration research on microbicides, the compounds that can be applied inside the vagina or rectum to protect against sexually transmitted infections including HIV.
Last month Parliament passed a resolution to honour him as one of the outstanding contributors in the fight against HIV/AIDS in its commemoration of the 25 years of HIV/AIDS response in Uganda.
Besides Mulago Hospital and the Medical School, he served under numerous capacities in Mbale and Masaka hospitals.
IN a profession where many practitioners fly out for greener pastures at the slightest opportunity, he remained steadfast, resisting temptation for wealth that would have seen him render his meticulous service to another nation.
Prof. Francis Mmiro opted to serve his own people in a field that has plagued the country the most — HIV/AIDS research.
He worked relentlessly, contributing greatly to patient care, even though he had retired five years earlier.
A great HIV/AIDS consultant and a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology, Prof. Mmiro, passed on at 9:00am on March 28 at the age of 74.
He succumbed to cancer of the pancreas at Mulago Hospital, where he had been admitted a week before after severe illness. Adrian Mubiru, one of his children, said Mmiro refused to go for expensive treatment abroad on grounds that if a lot of money was spent on treatment and he died, the children would suffer much.
Grief and shock gripped the nation as the news of his demise filtered through, medical practitioners, politicians, colleagues in the academia, students, and the clergy. They all gathered to mourn and pay tribute to the fallen gynaecologist.
Many eulogised Mmiro in moving tributes, describing him as ‘a committed, brilliant and ethical practitioner’ brimming with potential, robbed by death of the opportunity to serve the world to his fullest, leaving behind a colossal void.
Edward Ssekandi, the Speaker of Parliament, said he was moved by Mmiro’s death. He described Mmiro as an outstanding medical practitioner who dedicated his life towards saving the lives of children and mothers.
“It is shocking.
To lose such a great researcher, teacher, and medical practitioner who dedicated his life towards saving the lives of others particularly children and mothers,†Ssekandi told mourners during a requiem mass at Christ the King Church in Kampala.
“It is absurd that he has passed away before realising his dream of discovering the AIDS drug.†“He is irreplaceable. The country has lost one of its senior health workers. We have lost a redeemer,†said Ssekandi.
Prof. George Kirya, the chairperson of the Health Service Commission, described Mmiro’s death as worrying, a loss to the entire world.
“It is scary that we have lost a person of such calibre. He always followed the medical ethics, putting patients first, something that is dying out among young doctors.
His family, the nation and the world as a whole have lost a great researcher and obstetrician,†Kirya told the New Vision at Christ the King, shortly after the mass.
Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala, and Kampala Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, praised Mmiro for serving God diligently and being a strong Christian, besides his profession.
They called upon mourners to emulate his dedication to the faith. “Mmiro has been known at Mulago hospital as well as at Rubaga Cathedral. He never missed services and was a good member of the church. At Mulago, he has been fighting the killer disease,†said Wamala.
“He has been a servant of God but also a servant of Man. May his soul rest in eternal peace.†News of his demise drew sympathy from former workmates. Dr. Edward Ddumba, the Mulago Hospital executive director, could not hide his sorrow.
He said Mmiro had sacrificed his life to saving the life of others, over-straining himself by working even after retirement.
“Mmiro retired some five years ago, but he continued researching tirelessly. He has been contributing greatly to patient care,†Ddumba said.
And at Makerere University, where he held different positions for 47 years, Prof. Livingstone Luboobi, the vice-chancellor, said he was “a distinguished professional who served as a very dedicated head of department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.â€
He praised Mmiro for being humane with patients. “He has left the finest figures not only in the obstetrics and gynaecology department but also at the entire medical school.â€
“He has left a big gap at the medical school and Makerere University in general. It is an irreplaceable gap,†the vice-chancellor, Prof. Luboobi, said, in a speech delivered by Henry Mayega, his personal assistant, at Christ the King Church.
Born on August 2 1934, to the late Petero and Maria Nsubuga of Lukwanga village, on Mityana Road off Buloba in Wakiso district, Mmiro attended Kiziba and St. Peter’s Nsambya for primary education.
He went to Namilyango College for O’Level and A’Levels, after which he joined Bombay University where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human medicine, in 1963.
With a passion to save the lives of mothers and children at birth, Mmiro went for further studies to Queen’s University in Ireland, where he was awarded a master’s degree in obstetrics and Gynaecology in 1968.
Obstetricians and gynaecologist are surgical specialties dealing with the female reproductive organs. The two subjects are often combined to form a single medical specialty and postgraduate training programme.
Mmiro is survived by a widow, Sarah Wannyana Mmiro, to whom he has married for 39 years, and 10 children.
Mmiro’s Fact file
Mmiro joined Makerere University Medical School in 1971 as a lecturer and became an associate professor in 1973.
He was “rapidly†promoted to the position of a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology in 1975, shortly after completing a PhD at Makerere in the same year.
While at Makerere, Mmiro steered over 10 research proposals in obstetrics and gynaecology, in addition to writing and editing several articles in international journals.
He began rigorous research on HIV/AIDS shortly after the scourge was discovered in Uganda in 1982.
Mmiro became part of a team of researchers that conducted a study on Nevirapine, a drug that prevents mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus, in 1998.
In 1999, Mmiro scooped a recognition award for his outstanding contributions to advancing the prevention of prenatal HIV transmission.
The second conference on global strategies for the prevention of HIV transmission from mothers to infants, held in September 1999 in Montreal, Canada, ruled that Mmiro be awarded for the struggle to control mother-to-child transmission.
As the chairperson of the Mulago Hospital Housing Committee (1985-2000), a number of new buildings and renovations were done including that on New Mulago.
From 1985 t0 1995, Mmiro served as the chairman board of governors for Rubaga Hospital and as governing board member for World Health Organisation (1994-1996).
He later became the chairperson of the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV national programme in Uganda.
Mmiro has been the principal investigator for the Makerere University-John Hopkins University collaboration research on microbicides, the compounds that can be applied inside the vagina or rectum to protect against sexually transmitted infections including HIV.
Last month Parliament passed a resolution to honour him as one of the outstanding contributors in the fight against HIV/AIDS in its commemoration of the 25 years of HIV/AIDS response in Uganda.
Besides Mulago Hospital and the Medical School, he served under numerous capacities in Mbale and Masaka hospitals.