Uganda to Expand Infectious Diseases Institute

Uganda to expand infectious diseases institute

KAMPALA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) — Uganda has a plan to expand the two- year-old Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) with an estimated cost of 2.93 million US dollars to handle the local and international demand, local press reported on Saturday.

The Pfizer-funded IDI, which belongs to Makerere University Medical School, is the only one in Africa to combine training of personnel and handling HIV/AIDS patients, research and patient care as complementary activities.

The institute handles mostly HIV/AIDS and other related infectious diseases. The IDI, which opened in 2003 and was handling 30 patients three days a week, now handles 300 patients everyday.

The institute trains doctors and other health workers form Africa. It also allows researchers from all over the world to conduct research on HIV/AIDS and related diseases.

So far, 531 personnel have been trained from 21 African countries, 334 of them medical doctors.