Scientists have said that establishment of a national capacity to respond to pandemics is a milestone in the development of vaccines.
This revelation was made during a meeting with the Committee on Public Accounts (Central Government) on 20 March 2023.
The scientists appeared before the committee to respond to the Auditor General’s queries on the expenditure of Shs31 billion in 2020/2021.
The money was meant for 23 selected projects of scientists and innovators engaged in the Covid-19 scientific research.
Professor Vinand Nantulya, Chancellor Busitema University and Principal Investigator, Zygen Biotech said that so far, the country has established a national capacity to respond to epidemics by development of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
“I alerted the President that he should not think that we shall get a vaccine before developed countries because they were already ahead. What was important was to establish a national capacity to respond because Covid-19 is not the last outbreak we are going to get,” said Nantulya.
He added that, ‘Covid will come in periodic attacks. It is important that we continue the work on the development of vaccines against Covid including vaccines against other variants which are going to emerge’.
The Director of Natural Therapeutic Institute in Mulago Hospital, Dr. Grace Nambatya said that a herbal product to treat Covid has been tried out on 124 patients in Mulago.
“It has been called the clinical trial on natural therapy, the first ever in this country. If it were not for this funding, there was no way we would have been able to do that,” said Nambatya.
Sheila Belinda, Principal Investigator of Novel Advenovector at the Medical Research Council said there is a vaccine candidate and pre-clinical trials on the Covid-19 vaccines are scheduled to start in April.
“We are at pre-clinical stage but positively hoping that our results will lead us to at least phase one of clinical trials,” she said.
The Assistant Director, Uganda Virus Research Institute Dr. Jennifer Serwanga said that development of the vaccine stalled due to complexities in accessing green monkey cells which are used to multiply the virus.
“You cannot access many of these biological things because they do not come to this part of the world. It took six months for us to get the green monkey cells and we are the first ones in Africa to get them. We have stocks of them, we now have enough vile of the viruses,” she said.
She re-assured the legislators that Ugandan scientists have the capacity to develop vaccines but she urged government to plan for expansion of vaccine development facilities and invest in equipment.
Their responses were prompted by Hon. Michael Bukenya (NRM, Bukuya County) who tasked the scientists to update the country on their progress in development of the Covid vaccine.
“During the Covid pandemic, the President would come and tell us that in two weeks, something is coming up and we waited. I want to request that the principal investigators give us an update on what stage of vaccine development they are. Somehow Ugandans need to get accountability,” said Bukenya.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Medard Ssegonna however, questioned the scientists capacity to develop vaccines to respond to other epidemics given the delay in developing the Covid vaccine.
“If you have not developed the vaccine for Covid which we have seen and whose characteristics you have already observed, how do you assure us that you have now developed the capacity to manage other emergencies,” Ssegonna asked.
Tororo County South Member of Parliament, Hon. Fredrick Angura accused scientists of misleading the President that the vaccine would be developed in a short period.
“With what professor has said, can I be right to say that the investment we were putting which was in line with a quick remedy for us to fight Covid in one way or the other went to waste. Am I right to say that someone did not tell the President the truth?” Angura said.
Hon. Emmanuel Otaala (NRM, West Budama South) advised the scientists to move away from ad hoc responses to pandemics and exploit existing systems of research.
“It looks like the advent of Covid is what triggered a reaction into research. I would imagine that even before Covid happened, we already had a system of research so why are we not exploiting the existing system,” Otaala said.
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