The Uganda Virus research institute has revealed that the government has never provided any funding towards its COVID -19 activities.
The issue was brought to the attention of Parliament this morning by the director of the institute Prof. Pontiano Kaleebu while appearing before the committee chaired by chwa west mp Okin Ojara
Prof. Kaleebu said that the institute has had to suspend all other activities for the 3rd and 4th quarters in order to fund COVID 19, diverting UGX.780 million shillings from other programs.
The institute which hosts a regional referral laboratory on influenza has been the sole research and testing facility for COVID 19 in Uganda throughout the Pandemic. It also serves as the center of quality assurance for COVID-19 testing in Uganda where samples from complimentary laboratories across the country are reassessed
Kaleebu added that the institute presented a budget of 1.7 million dollars to the ministry of health to go towards their COVID 19-related work but that funding has never been availed.
He stated that most of the funding has come in from donors and partners like the WHO, CDC and the Jack Ma foundation.