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Article size: 1156 cm2 ColumnCM: 256.88 AVE: 0.0 Gifted brains, hands in the Covid­19 fight The Covid­19 pandemic has challenged the world in unprecedented ways. Scientists have been brought to the centre stage to help government navigate the path through the pandemic. Whereas all citizens have been key in the fight against Covid­19, a num­ ber of scientists have gone the extra mile to ensure the virus is contained. Daily Monitor's TONNY ABET profiles some of the experts advising government and making the fight against Covid­19 successful. TONNY ABET

Success Mulago medical staff led by Mulago Executive Director Byarugaba Baterana (centre) celebrate after discharging the last Covid­79 patients at Mulago Hospital. FILE PHOTO/FILE. Dr Misaki Wayengera vaccinology, clinical microbiol­ Gene Therapeutic, and next Gen Dr Misaki Wayengera heads ogy and genetics. Dr Wayengera TB Diagnostics. He is a bio­en­ the Ministerial Scientific Advi­ completed his PhD in 20l8.He is trepreneur, and founder of Re­ sory Committee on Covid­19 at member of the African Society strizymes Biotherapeutics (U) Ministry of Health that is advis­ for Human Genetics and inau­ Ltd. In 2019,he won 1st Prize for ing government on safeguard­ gural chair of the H3Africa Con­ the World Health Organisation ing the country from worst sortium's Education and Coor­ (WHO) innovation Challenge case pandemic scenario. He is in dinated Working Group (ECT­ (Product Development). charge of coordinating the work WG, 2013­2016). of different experts on the com­ Dr Misaki's research inter­ mittee. ests focus on Pathogen OMICS Dr Misaki is also develop­ aimed at identifying new mo­ ing rapid diagnostic test kits lecular targets for developing for coronavirus, which are ex­ new diagnostics, therapeutics pected to be ready in a month's and vaccines. time. Dr Misaki also developed test­ He has graduate training ing kits for Ebola RDT, HIV­l across Immunology, filoviruses,

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Article size: 1156 cm2 ColumnCM: 256.88 AVE: 0.0 Prof Rhoda Wanyenze ship and management, gender and health, project planning and Prof Rhoda Wanyenze is an ep­ management, and designing idemiologist who is in charge of clinical research. Covid­19 case modeling on the Dr Wanyenze has 25 years'ex­ National Covid­19 Taskforce. perience in health service deliv­ She is a physician,public health ery, including clinical, research, consultant, academic and medi­ teaching, programme manage­ cal administrator, who serves as ment, and policy development. the Dean of Makerere Universi­ Over the past seven years, she ty School of Public Health. Born in 1968, Prof Wanyenze attended has served on boards of six or­ Nabisunsa Girls S.S. and earned ganisations in Uganda. her medical degree from Mak­ Prof Wanyenze sits on various erere University in 1993­ boards, including that of Baylor­ She studied Master in Public Uganda, and Uganda Aids Com­ Health, also at Makerere in 2002, mission. She is also a member of and a PhD from the Universi­ the Ministry of Health HIV Coun­ ty of Antwerp, Belgium, in 2010. selling and Testing Committee. She received additional training in HIV/Aids programme leader­

Prof Wilson Muhwezi is an associate pro­ committee. He is fessor of Behavioural Sciences and Mental a microbiologist Health at . He is head­ at Makerere Uni­ ing the ad hoc committee on psychological versity. interventions. He advises on Prof Muhwezi is in charge of ensuring safety measures that putting people in quarantine,separa­ such as wear­ tion from family and re­integrating recov­ ing facemasks, ered patients is done with minimal effect hand­sanitising on their psychological wellbeing. and social dis­ He also advises on how to tight the Covid­ tancing. 19 related anxiety and fears. He has been a Born in 1967, he went to Bugamba Inte­ clinical pathol­ ogist specialis­ grated Primary School in Mbarara District. ing in Medical He pursued his O­Level studies at Bugamba Microbiology Prof Denis Byarugaba and A­Level at Nganwa High School. since 1998. Prof Denis Byarugaba is a In 1989, Muhwezi joined Makerere Uni­ In recognition microbiologist who heads versity to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in So­ of his leader­ the National Flu Surveillance cial Works and Social Administration. Prof Muhwezi did his Masters in Health Promo­ ship role in the Group. He is carrying out more control of anti­ tion from Bergen University in Norway be­ research to understand the type microbial resist­ of Covid­19 in the country. Dr tween 1989 and 1998. ance in Ugan­ Byarugaba has been studying He did his PhD in Medical Sciences/Social da, DrKajumbu­ different forms of coronavirus Medicine in bolh Karolinska Institute, Swe­ la was nominat­ for more than 20 years. He un­ den, and Makerere University. He is a social ed to chair the ravels the new findings about scientist. country's An­ the vims and localises Covid­19 timicrobial Re­ ­related knowledge. sistance Surveil­ lance Commit­ tee, a position he still holds. As a result, he has coordinat­ ed development of the Country's Nacrobial resist­ ance as well as a national surveil­ lance plan for antimicrobial resistance. DR HENRY KAJUMBULA Dr Henry Ka­ Prof Wilson Muhwezi jumbura chairs the Infection and Biology

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gramme in 1996. In July 2010, he was appointed as director of the Bom in 1969 in Moyo Dis­ UVRI. trict, Dr Joyce Moriku Ka­ As UVRI director, he sits on the ducu, is a paediatrician, senior management of the Minis­ academic and politician. try of Health. She was appointed Min­ He leads a number of other na­ ister of State for Primary tional and regional networks of sci­ Healthcare in 2016, replac­ entists and researchers. ing Sarah Opendi.Ln 1984, EXPERTS IN GOVERNMENT she joined Laropi Primary School in Moyo District and proceeded to Metu S.S. in Moyo,for O­ Level and Sacred Heart S.S. in District for A­Level education, Dr Moriku joined Medical School in 2002,pursuing Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Dr Moriku has a PhD in Neuroscience from Gu­ lu University in 2015. She started working at Lacor Hospital in Gulu. She then worked as medical coordinator for The AIDS Sup­ port Organisation (Taso) in Gulu between 2003 and 200S. Dr Moriku later served as a medical director for Mildmay Clinic on Entebbe Road from 2008 to 2009. Between 2010 and 2015, she was a lecturer in paedi­ DR JANE RUTH ACENG atrics at and concurrently serves as a Prof Pontiano Kaleebu Born in 1968, Dr Aceng is consultant pediatrician at Gulu Regional Referral Hos­ Prof Pontiano Kaleebu is a phy­ the Minister of Heatth, a po­ pital. sician, clinical immunologist, HIV/ sition she has held since Aids researcher, academic and 20i6.Her ministry has been medical administrator. He is the at the centre of containing director of the Uganda Virus Re­ the corona virus pandemic. search Institute (UVRI), which is in Dr Aceng studied from charge of testing for coronavirus. Shimoni Demonstration He advises government on testing School in Kampala for pri­ for coronavirus and other disease­ mary and proceeded to speciflc information. Nabisunsa Giris' School for Appointed in July 2010 as the both O­ and A­Level educa­ new head of the UVRI, Prof Kaleebu tion. holds a medical degree from Mak­ In 1993,she pursued a Bach­ erere University and a PhD from elor's Degree of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at Imperial College, London. Makerere University DR DIANA ATWINE Born in i960,Kaleebu attended Jinja Kaloli Primary School in Wak­ Her career started off at Lira hospital in 1994 as a Born in 1973, Dr Diana At­ iso District from where he complet­ health officer. She grew through the ranks until she wine is the permanent sec­ ed and was admitted to St Mary's became a consultant paediatrician/ acting director retary at the Ministry of College Kisubi for O­Level. He com­ in 2010. She later served as Director General of Health Health, a position she has Services for five years until she was appointed Minister pleted his A­Level from Kampala held since November 2016. High School and joined Makerere of Health. She has served through Ebola outbreaks and nodding disease syndrome. She attended Bweranyangi University to pursue Bachelor of Girls'S.S. for O­Level and Mt Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery St Mary's Namagunga Girls' in the mid­1980s. School for her A­Level. In 1988, Kaleebu was awarded a Dr Atwine pursued her scholarship by Royal Postgraduate Bachelor of Medicine and Medical School,UK, to study immu­ Bachelor of Surgery at nology. Upon graduation, he pur­ Mbarara University School of Medicine, specialising sued post­graduate studies at Im­ in internal medicine. She started working at St Francis perial College ­London where he Hospital Nsambya, then joined the Uganda Joint Clin­ completed his PhD programme in ical Research Centre. Dr Atwine moved to State House mid 1990s. where she served as the President's Private Secretary In 1987, Kaleebu was recruited as in charge of medical affairs. In 2009, she was tasked to a medical research officer at UVRI head the State House's Medicine and Health Services while still pursuing his PhD studies. Delivery Monitoring Unit. His service through the years saw Dr Henry Mwebesa is the Director General of Health him appointed as head of the Im­ DR JOYCE MORIKU KADUCU Services at the Ministry of Health. He was appointed munology Department at UVRI in in February after serving as the Commissioner Health 1995. While at UVRI, Prof Kaleebu Col Dr Henry Kyobe joined the joint Medical Research Col Kyobe is the Covid­19 incident Council, MRC/UVRI research pro­ commander. He is an army doctor and

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senior consultant epidemiologist.He is tients like the hydroxychloroquine, Vi­ She is the presidential adviser ments in various sub­Saharan deputised by Dr Atek Kagirita. tamin C and antibiotics. on epidemics. countries. Dr Kyobe is responsible for emergen­ She was among Ugandan ex­ She has engaged with multina­ cy response, including quickly develop­ perts who led the fight against tional and multi­cultural leaders ing incident objectives, managing all Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone in both managerial and front­ incident operations, application of re­ in 2016 and DR Congo in 2018. line contexts. Dr Musenero's sources as well as responsibility for all Dr Musenero is a public health leadership versatility extends persons involved. professional who has distin­ to initiat ives that seek to build a Dr Jane Nakibuka guished herself as a trailblazer critical r lass of thought leaders in implementing strategic re­ to contribute to the country's Dr Jane Nakibuka is an intensivist sponses to medical emergen­ development agenda. and internal medicine expert at Mul­ cies. ago National Referral Hospital. She is Her service spans Uganda's heading the ad hoc committee on Cov­ Ministry of Health, local govern­ id­19 case management. Dr Monica Musenero ments,higher education institu­ Dr Nakibuuka is behind the type of tions, field epidemiology train­ Dr Monica Musenero is an epi­ treatment being given to Covid­19 pa­ ing programmes and engage­ demiologist and a veterinarian. policies such as lockdown and Prof Neoline Nakasujja, js a special­ when it should be lifted. ist in psychiatry and the Chair for the Prof Ssengooba is the director of Department of Psychiatry where she the SPEED Project. SPEED refers to serves as a senior lecturer at the Mak­ Support for Policy Engagements for erere University College of Health Sci­ Evidence­based Decisions for uni­ ences. versal health coverage in Uganda. Prof Pauline Byakika Prof Ssengooba is also a lecturer in the Department of Health Policy, is a Ugandan specialist physician and Planning and Management at the epidemiologist. She serves as an Asso­ School of Public Health, College of ciate Professor of Medicine at Makerere Health Sciences, Makerere Univer­ University College of Health Sciences. sity. He is a seasoned researcher in Dr William Worodria, jj a physician health systems and policy. In the trained in pulmonology and clinical re­ Dr Julius Lutwama last 12 years, Prof Ssengooba has led search. He is a member of the MSAAC. He has a (Internal Dr Julius Lutwama is a virolo­ a programme of research on the or­ Medicine) from Makerere University, gist leading the testing for coro­ ganisational reforms like decentral­ Kampala and a Doctorate from Univer­ navirus at UVRI. He has long­ isation of health services; autono­ sity of Antwerp, Belgium. term experience in infectious my and efficiency of hospitals; per­ disease diagnosis. Dr Lutwama formance­based contracting and its Dr Ethel Nakakawa, js a medical impacts on health system in gener­ trained as an Entomologist, ob­ Microbiologist, College of Health Scienc­ taining his PhD in 1991 and re­ al and on the workforce in particu­ lar. es, Makerere University She holds a Mas­ ceived further specialised train­ ters in Medical and Diagnostic Virology ing in molecular virology and His current research engagements entomology at the Centers for focus on the effectiveness of donor Dr Arnold Kiwereza, is an anesthesi­ Diseases Control, Fort Collins, aid for HIV/Aids on the health sys­ ologist at Mulago National Referral Hos­ Colorado,US. tem and researching the transla­ pital who is also member of MSAAC. tion of evidence into policies and He is the acting deputy direc­ Dr James Elima, the director of Gu­ tor of the Institute and he is the programmes. lu Regional Referral Hospital. head of the Department of Ar­ He has provided technical serv­ bovirology, Emerging and Re­ ices to World Health Organisation, DrByarugabaBaterana, is the exec­ Emerging Infectious Diseases at World Bank, ministries of health, utive director of Mulago National Refer­ UVRI. He also heads the WHO Uganda Aids Commission and mul­ ral Hospital ti­lateral and bilateral agencies. Collaborating National Influen­ Dr Moses Muwanga, is the director za Centre and the Highly Infec­ Other scientists tious Diseases Diagnostic Labo­ of Entebbe Grade B hospital. ratory at UVRI. Prof Noah Kiwanuka, is ^ infectious DrSu—nNmbaddaNdkkto, js the Dr Lutwama is Honorary As­ Disease Epidemiologist at Makerere head of Central Public Health Laborato­ University College of Health Sciences, sociate Professor in the Depart­ ry that is also testing for cornnavirus. ment of Medical Microbiology at He is a member of the advisory commit­ the Makerere University College tee. He harmonises strategies for case of Health Sciences. identification and infection prevention. Prof Freddie Ssengooba Dr Betty Kivumbi, is a mathemati­ cian, who is helping to develop Covid­ Prof Freddie Ssengooba is a health 19 models for Uganda. The models are policy expert heading the ad hoc used to predict how various measures committee on policy implication being put or lifted could impact the ex­ for Covid­19. He is in charge of as­ tent of Covid­19 spread. sessing the public disposure and ad­ vises on the best way to put in place

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