Create a national research fund
May 19, 2010
A group of Ugandan scientists have won a sh200m grant to research into the possibility of using indigenous insect-eating plants to fight malaria.
A group of Ugandan scientists have won a sh200m grant to research into the possibility of using indigenous insect-eating plants to fight malaria.
While the Melinda and Gates Foundation should be commended for the grant, it should be born in mind that donors may have their own research priories. This was demonstrated by the fact that the lead researcher, Prof. Jasper Okeng’s initial study was to develop a cure for hookworms but he failed to attract funding because hookworms is considered a poor man’s disease.
It is sad that whereas government funding to research and development rose by 25% from sh27.3bn to 34.3bn between 2006/7 and 2007/8 all expenditure on research and development in the higher education sector was donor-funded — yet this is where the bulk of research is conducted.
Uganda should, therefore, set the research agenda by creating a national research fund to develop indigenous technologies that are beneficial to the masses.
Uganda is endowed with a lot of plants with medicinal properties that can be developed into medicines. In the US, Okeng said he developed two chemical compounds that are effective against malaria but he failed to turn them into tablets due to lack of funding. Since, there is no malaria vector in the US, it can never be in their interest to fund such a research to conclusion.
This is where our national research fund could be utilised since malaria is the biggest contributor to poverty in the country. Uganda spends sh1,200b on diagnosing and treating malaria annually, the equivalent of the entire education budget.
The amount includes the money spent by donors, NGOs and private patients as well. Studies have shown that malaria kills 320 people in Uganda daily, mainly children and pregnant women and its treatment takes up to 20% of household incomes.
Malaria is one single factor frustrating the fight against poverty and government should take the lead in developing indigenous technologies for its control other than leaving donors to take the lead.
While the Melinda and Gates Foundation should be commended for the grant, it should be born in mind that donors may have their own research priories. This was demonstrated by the fact that the lead researcher, Prof. Jasper Okeng’s initial study was to develop a cure for hookworms but he failed to attract funding because hookworms is considered a poor man’s disease.
It is sad that whereas government funding to research and development rose by 25% from sh27.3bn to 34.3bn between 2006/7 and 2007/8 all expenditure on research and development in the higher education sector was donor-funded — yet this is where the bulk of research is conducted.
Uganda should, therefore, set the research agenda by creating a national research fund to develop indigenous technologies that are beneficial to the masses.
Uganda is endowed with a lot of plants with medicinal properties that can be developed into medicines. In the US, Okeng said he developed two chemical compounds that are effective against malaria but he failed to turn them into tablets due to lack of funding. Since, there is no malaria vector in the US, it can never be in their interest to fund such a research to conclusion.
This is where our national research fund could be utilised since malaria is the biggest contributor to poverty in the country. Uganda spends sh1,200b on diagnosing and treating malaria annually, the equivalent of the entire education budget.
The amount includes the money spent by donors, NGOs and private patients as well. Studies have shown that malaria kills 320 people in Uganda daily, mainly children and pregnant women and its treatment takes up to 20% of household incomes.
Malaria is one single factor frustrating the fight against poverty and government should take the lead in developing indigenous technologies for its control other than leaving donors to take the lead.