Museveni To Commission Uganda’s Anti-Tick Vaccine Production

President Museveni is expected to launch the first anti-trick vaccine developed by Ugandan researchers. The new vaccine has been dubbed a game-changer with the ability to combat East Coast Fever. 

The TikVaccine, also known as TikV-U, was developed by researchers from Makerere University led by Dr Margaret Saimo-Kahwa. 

Dr. Saimo-Kahawa and her team have been hailed for their effort to produce an anti-tick vaccine to combat the rising epidemic of a new tide of acracies resistant ticks and tickborne disease in East and Central Africa. 

The new vaccine is expected to reduce costs related to the importation of acaricides. It is estimated that Uganda loses over 1.1 billion dollars annually due to ticks and tick-borne diseases. 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries estimates that Uganda loses annual foreign exchange outflow to the tune of $83.3 million, due to expenditures on the importation of over 370,000 litres of acaricides and 83000 litres of associated drugs on an annual basis. 

The President was expected at Namulonge for the launch that will coincide with his visit to the research station. Museveni, while in Nairobi last week, hailed Ugandan scientists behind the anti-tick vaccine.