Uganda might again be at the limelight of the struggle against HIV/AIDS if hopes by Makerere University to find a drug for HIV are come to pass.

May youth from Makerere University remain unemployed

Makerere University under the umbrella of the inter university council of East Africa led by its college of Agriculture and environmental sciences has begun a research to find an HIV/ aids drug from local herbs.

The ongoing research is being conducted in the districts of, Palisa, Mukono, Mpigi,Kaliro and Kampala partnering with traditional herbalists.

his has been revealed by Prof.  John Tabuti the lead researcher at media briefing at Makerere University this afternoon.

Proof Tabuti is hopeful that the drug will be found at the end of the research after all the key herbs in the research have been found.

The three year project titled “Value chain analysis and development of plant-derived medicinal products for management of HIV/AIDS in the face of climate change in the Lake Victoria basin” is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and is implemented by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), through the Lake Victoria Research Initiative (VicRes). The project has a budget ofUSD$600,000.

This project is going to determine and evaluate plants to produce new anti-HIV therapies. And because plants, the sources of traditional medicines, are threatened, this project will also research, demonstrate and promote plant conservation.

This is a regional project with partnering universities in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi. The project is headed by Prof. Philip Aduma of Maseno, Kenya. Professor John Tabuti, an ethnobotanist in Makerere University’sCollege of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is leading the Ugandan team.

Please see Downloads for full proceedings.

Downloads

Highlights from the 23rd Media Briefing: doc(500KB), pdf(55KB)

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