Summary:

• President Museveni is set to inaugurate Uganda’s first diagnostic test kits manufacturing plant, owned by Microhaem Scientifics, which aims to reduce the country’s annual spending of over USD 100M on imported test kits and enhance regional medical capabilities, producing high-quality and affordable kits, including for HIV and Malaria.

Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | President Yoweri Museveni is set to inaugurate the first diagnostic test kits manufacturing plant in the Great Lakes region on November 28. The Ntinda-based facility, owned by Microhaem Scientifics (MHS), is a state-of-the-art plant that will reduce Uganda’s annual expenditure of over USD 100M on imported test kits.

Supported by technology transfer partners from China and the United States, MHS has constructed the plant in compliance with WHO standards and has received approval from the Uganda National Drug Authority. The plant aims to enhance the region’s medical industry by producing high-quality and affordable essential test kits, including those for HIV and Malaria.

Dr. Cedric Akwesigye, the Managing Director of MHS, highlighted the plant’s significance in advancing Africa’s public health agenda and Uganda’s commitment to industrialization and import substitution. The facility, equipped with advanced technology, will produce Molecular and Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits, HIV Viral load test kits, HIV Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) test kits, and more.

Dr. Akwesigye emphasized that local production will reduce costs, ensure quick response to outbreaks, and create employment opportunities. He pledged to support local firms in building capacity for future resilience. In a region where malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, the new plant addresses a critical need for modern technology to combat health challenges.