The Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in collaboration with MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit have launched project that will culminate into the development of a vaccine for the highly fatal Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.
The UVRI Executive Director, Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu said during the launch of the project at Lake Victoria Hotel in Entebbe that developing of the vaccine will go a long way in solving the challenge.
"This is an important project that in contributing to our goal of building capacity in vaccine research and development. The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is highly fatal that about 10 to 40% of people who get infected die. It infects humans and animals as well, but in animals, normally it doesn't cause symptoms, but animals can get abortion and the rest it is transmitted by ticks or contact between infected animals and humans," Prof. Kaleebu said.
He noted that the fever is in the cattle corridor but insisted that it currently has no vaccine or treatment.
The UVRI Executive Director applauded President Museveni for supporting the pathogen economy, noting that the development of the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever will build onto the process started with the development of a Covid vaccine by the country.
He added that the project is partly funded by the Innovate UK and the Medical Research Council from London.
"One of the big reasons we are excited is because we are going to use the chimp adeno platform that has been developed, initially for covid, funded through the Science Technology and Innovation office of the president, started by the president to push to have vaccines made locally. So, we are very excited that the funding and the push from the president is bearing fruits."
According to Prof.Kaleebu, the research will take two years before being completed.
The principal investigator, Dr.Sheila Balinda explained that the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever was listed by the World Health Organisation as a priority disease with a potential of outbreak any time and with a rapid spread to new geographical.
She said this necessitates development of a vaccine.
"We shall use bits of the virus to come with the vaccine that we hope can be applied to both human beings and animals," Dr.Balinda said.
"We will need to have output by next year at pre clinical level. By the end of next year, we should be able to report on our findings from mice and non- human primates to see if the vaccine is safe and protective."
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She said the British government has funded the project to a tune of £2 million.
Prof Moffat Nyirenda , the Director of MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit welcomed the development.
"It's an exciting project. We don't have capacity to manufacture vaccines in Uganda, but it doesn't mean that we should not develop that capacity. Whereas a Uganda, we do a lot of vaccine research, where we receive vaccines that have already been developed, manufactured by other people outside and just try them out whether they work or not, this is different. This is starting from the very precursors of vaccine development," Prof. Nyirenda said.
"The progress so far is promising, and hopefully we will get a vaccine that can be tried out, and not just this vaccine, but the capacity, the expertise, the skills, the pieces of equipment that are being put together, all those things will be absolutely crucial for vaccines, for other diseases, not just the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever."
He hailed the Ugandan government for the political will in funding research and vaccine development.
