The Joint Clinical Research Centre has made remarkable progress in research and the research center is now looking at carrying out bone marrow transplant. This is a treatment that only more financially able Ugandans have been getting abroad in the USA, India among other countries.
The Joint Clinical Research Centre that was established in 1991 to give care to HIV/AIDS patients has since moved into research on other illnesses. The Centre does research and offer treatment to HIV/AIDS and related infection, but also does research on diseases like Malaria, Diabetes, Sickle Cells, Cardiac problems among others.
The research centre is now looking for approximately 2 billion Uganda shillings to start the purchase of more than basic equipment.
Currently the available equipment is able to carry out apheresis, which is to remove sickled cells and replace them with red blood cells through red blood cell exchange transfusion.
The hospital has worked on five critically ill patients this year, but the supplies are very expensive and they are looking to get funds to be able to offer free services to the poor.
Dr. Ciccy Kityo Mutuluuza, the executive director Joint Clinical Research Centre, says the sickle cell problem is still big in the country. Over 15,000 babies are born with the disease every year in Uganda.
This was revealed during the Buganda Premier Charles Peter Mayiga’s visit to the facility in Lubowa. Buganda is one of the institutions are taking a lead in the fight against Sickle Cells and HIV.
Relatedly the institution is also doing well in the HIV/AIDS research.
