The Rotary Club of Muyenga has recognized the efforts made by David Ssenfuka, the brain behind Uganda’s cancer and diabetes curing herbal remedy but also the proprietor of Leonia-NNN-Medical Research and Diagnostic Center Limited in Kasubi, a Kampala suburb.
Ssenfuka was recognized with Dr.Moses Ampaire, one his partners at the facility by the Rotary Club of Muyenga headed by Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba.
During the meeting held at Hotel International in Muyenga, Ssenfuka was asked to explain more about his herbal research to members of the Rotary club who among others included retired Court of Appeal judge, Remmy Kasule among others.
The duo was later awarded with certificates of recognition for their efforts in herbal research.
Speaking during the meeting, Ssenfuka said they are now looking for funds and any other form of support to ensure the herbal medicine are developed and used massively in Uganda.
“Currently we are at community level where we are only allowed to give the herbal medicine to only nearby communities under our close supervision. We however need support to develop it for use by all medical personnel to administer to patients in the country,”Ssenfuka said.
He said they have failed to get support from government on this front.
Gov’t to bankroll
However, speaking during the same meeting, the director of research at the Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute (NCRI)Dr. Grace Nambatya who is also a member of the Rotary Club of Muyenga confirmed that Ssenfuka’s herbal remedy passed confirmatory tests.
“He came to me and tasked my team to do due diligence on what it can do in small animals. It is true we found that it had some positive impact regarding regeneration of bitter cells. It took us about 12 months and the report was so good,”Dr.Nambatya said.
She however noted that that was only the initial stage that Ssenfuka needed more steps for his herbal medicine to qualify for production in large quantities.
“There are so many other steps that one has to go into and for a long time we could not in Wandegeya go beyond that because of financial constraints. Herbal medicine had always been neglected until Covid came,” she noted.
Nambatya explained that after reawakening by Covid President Museveni ordered that herbal medicine is supported as required but also a bill assented to, to become law.
“The first ever clinical trial on Covid-19 was ushered in and I headed it. Traditional medicine is now being looked at as part of the pathogen economy by the Ministry of Science and Technology under the office of the president.”
She noted that government is ready to fund clinical trials for Ssenfuka’s cancer and diabetes herbal cure.
“As I talk, a clinical trial template is being finalized under Mulago hospital. It will come to help test medicines like what is being talked of by Ssenfuka. If it is cancer medicine, the Uganda Cancer Institute will be part and parcel to it,”Nambatya said.
Nambatya said the budget of up to shs5 billion is available from government to fund the clinical trial for Ssenfuka’s herbal remedies, adding other researchers in herbal medicine too, can benefit from the same funding.
She noted that she would soon meet Ssenfuka’s team to list the requirements for the process to commence.
