Kampala — Uganda's Dr Anthony Mbonye is among 105 scientists who have won grants from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve global health.

Dr Mbonye, an assistant commissioner in charge of reproductive health at the Ministry of Health, is also attached to the Tropical Disease Research Network. Each of the scientists will receive a grant of $100,000 (about Shs180 million).

It marks the first round of funding from the Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to help lower the barriers for testing innovative ideas in global health.

A statement announcing the grants yesterday said the initial set of grants will inject fresh perspective into research for preventing or curing infectious diseases such as HIV/Aids and TB, and limiting the emergence of drug resistance. "Successful applicants showed how their projects fall outside current scientific paradigms and could lead to significant advances if successful," reads the statement.

Dr Mbonye will be conducting research on Involving the Private Sector in the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in Uganda: A Randomised Trial to Evaluate Access to HIV Testing and Antiretroviral Treatment. Repeated attempts to speak to Dr Mbonye were futile as he could not answer both his office and mobile telephones.