UGANDA NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES - National Academies

Uganda National Academy
of Sciences
Brief History and Background
TThe Uganda National Academy of Sciences (UNAS) was founded in 2000. It is an
autonomous, honorific, and service organisation comprising a diverse group of scientists
from the physical, biological, social, and behavioural sciences. These scientists
work together in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary manner to achieve their
main goal of promoting excellence in sciences by offering independent, evidencebased
advice for the prosperity of Uganda. The success of the Academy lies in the
strength and expertise of its membership and its ability to mobilize scientific experts to continually
advise government policy makers and other stakeholders. Given that UNAS is now 118 members
strong and growing, the Academy is well positioned for success in its undertakings.
The mission of UNAS is to contribute toward improving the prosperity and welfare of the people of
Uganda by promoting, generating, sharing, and utilizing scientific knowledge and information; and to
give independent, evidence-based advice to government and society by:
• engaging in scientific activities designed to elucidate potential evidence-based solutions to
pressing national, international, and regional concerns;
• enhancing the general capacity of UNAS to provide relevant and useful scientific policy
advice; and
• building Uganda’s appreciation of and demand for advice from the Academy.
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The organisational structure of UNAS consists of the general assembly, the council, and the secretariat,
each with a specific mandate and role. The general assembly is the supreme body of the Academy and
comprises all members of the Academy. The current council consists of nine members and has constituted
five standing committees 1 to engage and enhance participation of members in Academy programs.
The secretariat is composed of paid employees who work with UNAS membership to implement the
Academy programmes.
MEMBERSHIP
The membership is divided into four categories:
1. Founding members are the scientists that came together in 2000 to found the Academy.
2. Fellows make up the core of the Academy and include eminent Ugandan scientists identified and
honoured by the Academy for their outstanding contributions to sciences.
1 The five standing committees of the Academy are the Fellows and Membership Committee, Finance and Administration Committee,
Publicity and International Relations Committee, Research and Publications Committee, and Science Education Committee.

3. Foreign fellows are elected from among distinguished scientists
who are not citizens of Uganda, but who have made significant
contributions in their respective fields of science.
4. Honorary fellows are elected by the general assembly from among
persons of eminence or highest standing in society who have made
outstanding contributions to the objectives of the Academy.
PARTNERSHIPS
With its increasing membership and staff, UNAS has succeeded in
forging strategic linkages with key national, regional, and international
stakeholders. At the national level, UNAS is a partner with the
Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) in
the implementation of the Millennium Science Initiative (MSI). In
addition, the Academy is linked to several policy advisory activities
that have engaged professional bodies, scientists, and researchers
from various public and private institutions in the country. At the
regional and international levels, the Academy is now affiliated with
the following organisations: the InterAcademy Panel (IAP), a global
network of science academies; the Network of Academies of Science
in the Organisation of Islamic Countries (NASIC); the Academy
of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS); and the Network of
African Science Academies (NASAC). Owing to these and other
linkages, UNAS is now involved in a greater number of national and
international activities. One key programme for the Academy is
implementation of the African Science Academy Development Initiative
(ASADI), which is a close collaboration between UNAS and
the U.S. National Academies.
African Science Academy Development Initiative
The 10-year African Science Academy Development Initiative was
inaugurated in 2004 and aims to foster a more evidence-based
approach to health and development initiatives in African countries.
It was envisaged that this would be done by strengthening the
capacity of African science academies to provide independent, evidence-based
advice to their governments. Facilitated by the U.S.
National Academies, this funding has been instrumental in acquiring
office premises and equipment, hiring and training staff, and
implementing program activities that include consensus studies
and convening activities.
The vision of ASADI is to mobilize a nation’s expertise to provide—
through apolitical, multidisciplinary, independent, consensus-based
processes—authoritative advice on matters of science and technology.
Under this initiative, it is also envisaged that academies will ultimately
be regarded as trusted sources of credible scientific advice.
Indeed, UNAS is becoming increasingly recognized as both an honorific
and a service organization that can convene Uganda’s best and
brightest minds and apply them to timely issues of national relevance.
Policy makers and legislators are also now beginning to turn to the
Academy for scholarly advice.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
UNAS recently developed a 5-year strategic plan, outlining the
course through 2011 in which the Academy seeks to craft an
organization that remains true to its purpose and values while
being flexible, forward looking, and adaptive to new circumstances.
The overarching aim of the next 5 years is to increase the
impact of what the Academy does, shaping both ideas and actions
through analysis, education, and advice to stakeholders, thereby
influencing outcomes for improved delivery of evidence-based
scientific advice.
Five strategic areas were identified, and the Academy is committed
to achieving impacts through the following strategic goals:
1. Enhancing the general capacity of UNAS to provide relevant
and useful policy advice and promoting excellence in sciences
through capacity building through staff and membership training
and popularizing sciences by promoting science education and
rewarding successful scientists
2. Building national appreciation and demand for advice from the
Academy by engaging in a series of scientific activities designed
to elucidate potential evidence-based solutions to pressing
national concerns such as consensus and convening activities
3. Raising the profile and visibility of UNAS through long-term partnerships
such as the one with the U.S. National Academies, continued
relationships with stakeholders, engaging in various policy
advisory activities, and continued regional alliances through
annual symposia
4. Improving and diversifying the UNAS financial resource base
through the development of fundraising skills to ensure that each
advisory model developed can ultimately be supported by local
and international resources
5. Operationalising mechanisms for providing and disseminating
evidence-based advice. This is being done through testing a
variety of policy advisory models such as convening activities
or policy studies or formal advisory activities, to match
Uganda’s needs, resources, culture, and challenges. The Academy
is also enhancing the relationship with the news media
by providing training and other outreach activities on science
writing and reporting

C U R R E N T A C T I V I T I E S
Forum on Health and Nutrition
Founded in 2005 under the African Science Academy Development
Initiative (ASADI), the UNAS Forum on Health and Nutrition was
established to provide a structured opportunity for stakeholder discussion
and scrutiny of critical and possibly contentious scientific and
policy issues of shared concern related to issues of health and nutrition
in Uganda and throughout the world. Because of the unofficial
nature of its deliberations coupled with the neutrality of UNAS, the
forum is uniquely positioned to stimulate original thinking about new,
as well as long-standing, problems in these areas.
The forum aims to:
• promote a regular and ongoing exchange of information and ideas
about critical issues among policy makers, public- and privatesector
leaders, individuals, and groups who shape and influence
public policy and opinion;
• clarify policy and research issues and identify options that require
additional emphasis and research, and encourage further exploration
in these areas;
• inform public- and private-sector decision and policy makers on
a number of issues related to health and nutrition in Uganda and
worldwide; and
• formulate priority and collaborative initiatives that require indepth
exploration, review, and/or analysis of existing data and
research, particularly in instances where new strategies are necessary
to advance progress in health and nutrition.
Activities of the forum ideally parallel the emerging and long-standing
health challenges faced by Ugandan policy makers and other health
officials. Through public debate and member consultation, the forum
has been able to identify the most challenging and crosscutting of
these issues:
Partnering for Science in Uganda: Establishing the Forum on
Health and Nutrition
In November 2005, UNAS convened a stakeholders’ meeting in Kampala
to accomplish two goals. One was to identify the most critical
health issues in the country that could be subjected to closer scrutiny
through the relevant Academy activities, and the other was to
introduce the concept of a UNAS Forum on Health and Nutrition.
The stakeholders overwhelmingly agreed that malaria was the single
biggest health concern facing the country and also endorsed the first
UNAS Forum on Health and Nutrition, a decision that was ratified by
the UNAS council, which subsequently decided that the first forum
workshop would address malaria. This decision was based on the
strong reactions of their stakeholders and the Academy members’
desire to assist the nation during this major health crisis. From this
meeting, a report entitled Partnering for Science in Uganda: Establishing
the Forum on Health and Nutrition was produced. This report
captures the presentations from this workshop and explains that the
forum is a type of convening activity that provides an ongoing mechanism
for the Academy’s stakeholders (including government, industry,
and academia) to gather on a regular basis to identify and discuss
issues of mutual concern. Finally, this publication explores the role that
UNAS can play in the health and development of Uganda and delves
into the priority issues for the forum to tackle.
Malaria Control and Prevention: Strategies and Policy Issues
In September 2007, UNAS held a workshop on Malaria Control and
Prevention: Strategies and Policy Issues. The findings of the workshop
summary report served as the basis on which the UNAS executive
council selected the topic for their first consensus study addressing
malaria vector resistance to insecticides used for indoor residual spraying
in Uganda. This workshop publication traces the process leading to
the formation of UNAS’ Forum on Health and Nutrition, its composition,
and the planning of the first forum workshop. It also provides a
summary of the proceedings of the workshop itself. Finally, it contains
papers that were presented at the workshop—papers that mainly highlight
contentious issues in the fight against malaria in Uganda.
Promoting Biosafety and Biosecurity Within the Life Sciences:
An International Workshop in East Africa
In March 2008, UNAS convened a workshop on the inadvertent or
deliberate spread of disease stemming from life sciences research.
The meeting, entitled Promoting Biosafety and Biosecurity Within
the Life Sciences: An International Workshop in East Africa, gathered
international and local experts on biosafety and biosecurity, Academy
members, and policy makers for discussions of policy responses and
practical institutional measures.
Cofunded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, this meeting demonstrated
the UNAS’ ability to secure matching funding for its program activities.
In addition to the funding provided by the Sloan Foundation and
ASADI, UNAS secured support for the workshop participants’ travel
from other government and private agencies, including Sandia National
Laboratories, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Academy of
Science of South Africa, the University of Maryland, and the InterAcademy
Panel Working Group on Biosecurity.
International Workshop on Managing and Sustaining Biocontainment
Laboratories in Africa (January 2009)
In July 2008, UNAS held a planning meeting meant to elucidate issues
with regard to laboratory biocontainment and thus guide the selection
of topics for the workshop to be held in January 2009. Some of the
outstanding issues from this planning meeting included enforcement,
regulatory frameworks, monitoring and evaluation functions, good
laboratory practices/quality-control issues, maintaining and supporting
the available labs at lower levels, and the need for biosecurity level
4 labs due to the various disease outbreaks such as Ebola. Specifically,
it was suggested that topics for the January 2009 workshop on planning,
managing, and sustaining biocontainment laboratories in Africa
should include, among others, a situation analysis of laboratories in

Uganda, specific dangers originating from pathogens, laboratory
quality management, laboratory quality principles and certification
requirements, and general government policies and regulatory frameworks.
As a way of preparing for the January 2009 workshop, it was
agreed that UNAS should have access to procedures for lab certification,
it needs to bring all key stakeholders on board, and it must
ensure that an evaluation report of the status of laboratories in Uganda
is part of the agenda.
International Workshop on Quality of Care Issues For Mental
Health and Neurological Disorders in sub-Saharan Africa
(August 2009)
An International Workshop on Quality of Care Issues for Mental
Health and Neurological Disorders in sub-Saharan Africa is planned
to take place in Kampala in August 2009. This workshop will be a joint
forum workshop by the UNAS Forum on Health and Nutrition and
the US-NAS Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders Forum.
A planning meeting was held in Kampala on 16 July 2008. The aim
of this planning meeting was to inform the two forums on the most
critical issues concerning quality of care for mental health and neurological
disorders in sub-Saharan Africa so as to guide the agenda
of the August 2009 meeting. Issues that emerged from this meeting
included the need to focus on policy issues and issues on neurology,
drug abuse, and stigmatization. Lack of human and financial
resources is also considered to be a challenge. The discussion at the
meeting revealed the poor quality of the referral system and services
for mental health and neurological disorder patients, that there is evident
a lack of human resources, that stakeholders (users of services)
are isolated in decision making, and that there is a need for a model of
service delivery, information sharing, and resource allocation, among
others. Potential topics for the August 2009 workshop were listed
and discussed by the Africa-U.S. working group in anticipation of the
September 2008 planning meeting in Washington, DC, that will help
build the agenda for the August 2009 workshop.
Consensus Studies
Consensus studies are advisory models that UNAS is using to advise
government by providing scientific evidence to help policy making.
Consensus-based policy studies are in-depth analyses conducted
by a committee of experts on subjects selected by the Academy in
consultation with the stakeholders. Careful procedures are used for
selecting members to the committee to best ensure that the committee’s
experience and expertise are appropriate to the task, and that
financial or other interests that might interfere with members’ ability
to serve objectively are addressed. The goal is to appoint a committee
that is free from bias and conflicts of interest and works together
to achieve consensus in order to provide the specific policy guidance
requested.
Malaria Mosquito Alert: Approaches to Assessing and Managing
Malaria Vector Resistance to Insecticides Used for IRS in
Uganda—Contributing to a National IRS Strategy
When the Ministry of Health in Uganda embarked on the programme
of indoor residual spraying (IRS) as one of the major strategies to
combat mosquitoes that spread malaria (the country’s leading cause
of death), stakeholders asked UNAS to convene an expert committee
to help foster a successful implementation strategy for IRS in
the country. The committee consisted of experts from diverse fields
including epidemiology, public health policy, entomology, medicine,
health economics, and public health—independent experts
whose selection was based on their individual expertise (they did
not represent the organisations they work for), free from intractable
bias and conflicts of interest. The committee was presented with a
statement of task (“the charge”) agreed upon by the donor and was
expected to provide responses to it. To appropriately and successfully
respond to the charge presented to it, the committee analysed
data from a variety of sources (including scientific literature and testimony
from experts on the topic and the general public) before drafting
recommendations that were later peer reviewed for accuracy
and appropriateness The result of this rigorous Academy process is
UNAS’ first-ever consensus study report entitled Malaria Mosquito
Alert: Approaches to Assessing and Managing Malaria Vector
Resistance to Insecticides Used for IRS in Uganda—Contributing
to a National IRS Strategy. It contains the committee’s conclusions,
recommendations, and supporting text. The report says that as the
spraying continues, the Ministry of Health needs to monitor mosquitoes
for resistance to insecticides, and manage the spraying programme
in ways that minimize resistance. The report was launched
on the 20 June 2008 in Kampala. The launch attracted scientists,
government officials, and the media. Prior to the launch, the committee
gave a special briefing (focusing on the key conclusions and
recommendations) to the Ministry of Health as the principal consumers
of the report. Overall, this report was well received by the
government and received media coverage from the two major print
media houses (New Vision, which is government owned, and The
Daily Monitor, which is independent). It also received coverage in
the international media.
Science Education
Science education is a national priority, and UNAS is actively engaged
in science education programs at both the national and international
levels. Through the years the Academy has worked in
collaboration with the InterAcademy Panel to promote science education
in Uganda. The international Workshop on Inquiry-Based
Science Education was hosted by UNAS in Kampala in 2005 and
produced proceedings entitled “Best Practices in Sciences Education.”
Currently, UNAS is the lead Academy for Anglophone Africa
Science Education Programs and is implementing a project with
support from the InterAcademy Panel. The project commenced in
May 2008, and UNAS is the lead implementer working in collaboration
with the National Academies of Kenya, Senegal, and South
Africa, and the Network of African Science Academies to execute
planned activities.
MP/Scientists Pairing Scheme (Pilot)
Together with the Parliament of Uganda, UNAS is running a pilot
scheme that aims to pair up Ugandan scientists and members of
parliament (MPs) who would like to learn more about each other’s

work. The scheme is based on a successful and unique project that
has been running in the U.K. for 7 years and which is managed by
the Royal Society in London. The Ugandan project is being supported
by the Royal Society and the U.K.’s Parliamentary Office for
Science and Technology (through a charitable grant from the Gatsby
Foundation).
The key objectives of this scheme are:
• to help scientists recognize the potential methods and structures
through which they can feed their scientific knowledge to parliamentarians
and the government of Uganda;
• to provide an opportunity for MPs to forge direct links with a
network of practicing research scientists;
• to give MPs the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the
process of scientific understanding and topical research and
ultimately bring this new knowledge into better informed discussions
and policy decisions; and
• to help practicing scientists understand the pressures under
which MPs operate.
Baseline Study: The Role of Science and
Technology in Evidence-Based Scrutiny of
Government by the Parliament of Uganda
UNAS, in collaboration with the Parliament of Uganda and the U.K.
Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, is conducting a
baseline study on “The Role of Science and Technology in Evidence-
Based Scrutiny of Government by the Parliament of Uganda.” This
activity is part of a wider programme of activities to strengthen
evidence-based scrutiny of government by the Parliament of Uganda.
The primary aims of the baseline study are:
• to establish benchmarks for describing how effectively the Parliament
of Uganda currently deals with science and technology
issues, and
• to identify gaps and enhance handling of science and technology
issues by the Parliament of Uganda.
Research, Academia, and Science (RAS)
Self-Coordinating Entity of the Uganda
AIDS Partnership
A C A D E M Y L E A D E R S H I P
Council Members
PROF. PAUL E. MUGAMBI
(President)
Retired Professor of Mathematics,
Makerere University and Acting Vice-Chancellor
Nkumba University
PROF. ELLY N. SABIITI
(Vice-President)
Professor of Agronomy, Department of Crop Science,
Faculty of Agriculture, Makerere University
DR. A. M. S. KATAHOIRE
(Treasurer)
Managing Partner/Principal Consulting Engineer,
Multi-Konsults Consulting Engineers and
Technical Planners
PROF. EDWARD K. KIRUMIRA
Chair, UNAS Forum on Health and Nutrition,
Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Makerere University
DR. FINA A. OPIO
Program Manager, Staple Crops, Association for
Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and
Central Africa
HON. DR. HAM-MUKASA MULIRA
Ministry of ICT, Government of Uganda
PROF. WILLIAM B. BANAGE
Retired Professor of Zoology, Makerere University
DR. MARGARET SAIMO KAHWA
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
Makerere University
PROF. PATRICK R. RUBAIHAYO
Professor Emeritus, Department of Crop Science,
Faculty of Agriculture, Makerere University
RAS is one of the self-coordinating entities of the Uganda AIDS
Commission (UAC). The Academy is the focal point for RAS and
has played a key role in collaboration with other stakeholders to
design a national research agenda for HIV/AIDS. In partnership with
the UAC, the Academy (representing RAS) is one of the major stakeholders
in designing and implementing the “Long-Term Institutional
Arrangements for Management and Coordination of Global Health
Grants in Uganda.”

UNAS PUBLICATIONS
Uganda National Academy of Sciences. 2006. Partnering for Science in Uganda:
Establishing the Forum on Health and Nutrition.
Uganda National Academy of Sciences. 2007. Malaria Control and Prevention:
Strategies and Policy Issues.
Available at: www.ugandanationalacademy.org
Uganda National Academy of Sciences. 2008. Mosquito Alert: Approaches
to Assessing and Managing Malaria Vector Resistance to Insecticides Used for
Indoor Residual Spraying in Uganda—A Contribution to a National Indoor Residual
Spraying Strategy.
Available at: www.ugandanationalacademy.org
Uganda National Academy of Sciences and Research, Academia, and Science
Self-Coordinating Entity of Uganda AIDS Commission. 2008. Major HIV/AIDS
research institutions/programs, researchers, and research areas.
CONTACT INFORMATION
The Secretariat
Uganda National Academy of Sciences
Flat A4 Lincoln Flats
Makerere University Main Campus
Kampala, Uganda
Telephone: +256 414 533 0444
Fax: +256 414 533 044
Website: http://www.ugandanationalacademy.org
E-mail: unas@infocom.co.ug
Support for this publication was provided by the Presidents’ Circle
Communications Initiative of the U.S. National Academies.