Makerere University, in a ceremony that was graced by the vice president of Uganda H.E Edward Ssekandi, on Thursday 28th June, 2018 honoured a Ugandan scientist who made pioneering discoveries about Bilharzia (schistomiasis) posthumously at the university main building.
The Scientist in question, Prof. Virginio Lachara Ongom, the first African director of the Institute of Public Health at the university between 1975 and 1980, was honoured for his extensive research into the disease of Bilharzia that is caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes.
Prof. Ongom was born on 7th June 1933 and died on 25th June 1980 having suffered a stroke from around Mary Stuart Hall in Makerere. The disease he made landmark research in, according to a survey conducted by Makerere University School of Public Health in 2017, is suffered by more than one in three Ugandans with more than 11 million people in Uganda currently suffering from it.
Prof Ongom, who passed away 38 years ago, left a large profile of works about the disease that was later published in several globally respected medical journals.
The memorial lecture was under the theme “Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) and other Neglected Tropical Diseases in Uganda since 1980: Towards elimination in realisation of Uganda Vision 2040, what is the way forward?”
Prof. Ongom’s research was pioneer work on Bilharzia in Uganda, which informed policy formulation and initial response to Bilharzia for Uganda.
According to the Dean School of Public Health Makerere University School Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Ongom’s research generated much interest in Bilhazia in Uganda and interest in having it eliminated and it was from that background that in 2003, Uganda became one of the first African countries to launch a national-scale bilharzia and intestinal worm control programme.
The vice chancellor of Makerere Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said the memorial lecturer shall act as a kick start to a comprehensive discussion on efforts to eliminate Bilharzia and other neglected tropical diseases in Uganda.
Besides the vice president, the memorial lecturer also had in attendance, Prof. Josephine Nambooze the first female medical doctor in East and Central Africa and former Dean at the School of Public Health in Makerere.
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