Department of (Clinical Unit for Research)
The Clinical Unit for Research (CUR) was initially a small facility located on the UVRI main campus as one of the sources of many clinical specimens for Arbovirology and general virology research from study participants. It started by providing basic preventive and curative health services to UVRI staff members, including vaccination against yellow fever and hepatitis B infections. With the emergency of HIV/AIDS, the clinic soon started research on the epidemic. With the recent COVID 19 pandemic, the clinic has contributed to reduction in disease transmission through intensified testing and vaccination.
The department focuses on the;
The CUR is a health centre II under Entebbe Health Sub-District (EHSD). The Unit conducts and supports health research to contribute to the mission of UVRI; and provides basic preventive, promotional and curative health services to research participants, staff and the UVRI clinic catchment areas.
General Goal:
To conduct conducts applied research on viral infectious diseases.
Specific Objectives of the Department/unit
- Improve population health, safety and management
- Scale up health education, promotion and disease prevention
- Contributing to UVRI mission by conducting and supporting clinical research
Activities include:
Our services include
- Routine HIV testing and counselling
- out patients’ medical care
- Family planning
- Childhood Immunisations
- COVID 19 vaccination and testing
- Internship training
- Antenatal care services
- Cervical cancer screening
Recent Impact /Achievements by the department/unit
Over the years, the community has gained confidence in the quality of our services, which has nearly transformed the clinic into a referral-testing centre for HIV testing. We receive a number of clients countrywide referred for HIV test confirmation and other services.
In the financial year 2020/2021 the clinic has;
Counselled and tested 2,272 clients for HIV, seen 7,695 outpatients, distributed 1,003 condoms, 122 girls received HPV vaccination, 65 women screened, vaccinated 2,642 children, 1429 women attended ANC, 3786 covid 19 samples were collected and sent to UVRI for testing, 3640 vaccine doses were given, and 991 women received family planning methods.
The unit has participated in several studies;
- Clinical patterns, severity, management and outcomes of febrile illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa : the FISSA study (“ALERRT Core Study”)
- Evaluation of Alere q HIV-1/2 Detect as a Supplementary Test in the Uganda National HIV Rapid Testing Algorithm
- Matrix Equivalence and Stability study of plasma samples from finger-stick and venous whole blood with the Alere™ q HIV-1/2 VL plasma test
- Evaluation of the clinical performance of a plastic capillary tube with the Determine HIV1/2, Determine HIV early detect, Determine HBSag 2 rapid test and Determine syphilis TP rapid tests with additional validation of the Determine syphilis TP rapidtest
Major Funders
- Govt of Uganda
Patients wating to be attended to by the UVRI health workers ar