Current Organisation

Makerere University

Current Job Title

Uganda

Biography

Project Title

Career Strengthening for Improved Randomised Controlled Trials in Uganda

EDCTP Project Call

Senior Fellowship (SF)

Host Organisation

Project Objectives

The research project aims to estimate the effects of BCG vaccination and timing on the risk of serious childhood illnesses such as lower respiratory tract infections, malaria and diarrhea in HIV-1 exposed uninfected (HEU) infants.

Study Design

randomized controlled trial

Project Summary

The objective of EDCTP is to contribute to the reduction of the burden of poverty-related diseases in Sub-Saharan (SSA) Africa by accelerating the clinical development of effective, safe, accessible, suitable and affordable medical interventions. This project directly responds to this objective by estimating the effects of BCG vaccination and timing on the risk of serious childhood illnesses such as lower respiratory tract infections, malaria and diarrhoea in HIV-1 exposed uninfected (HEU) infants. HIV-1 exposure without infection of infants is becoming more and more common, and HEU children have a higher risk of illness and death from these highly prevalent childhood illnesses. Effective preventive interventions in these vulnerable children are urgently needed. Such interventions would contribute to sustainable improvement in health and, because HEU children are often from lower socio-economic strata, to health equity. This project, following the priorities of EDCTP, focuses on the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that aims at ensuring healthy lives and the promotion of the wellbeing for all. We are using a multidisciplinary approach that combines epidemiological, clinical and immunobiological methods, the latter to explain possible mechanisms behind observed effects of our intervention. The project will also support the establishment of a clinical trials teaching clinic dedicated to the training of African graduate and postgraduate students in the practical aspects of randomized clinical trials and support these students to obtain their Masters and PhD theses

Results & Outcomes