Mak-RIF at the National Science Week 2022
Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund participated in the National Science Week 2022 held at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds commonly also referred to as the Airstrip. This was from November 7th to 10th, 2022. The National Science Week 2022 engagement was guided by the theme, “Uganda in 2040; The Future We Want Through Science Technology & Innovation”. This event was open to the public and general attendance was free of charge.
The 2022 Science week spanned a series of events including a public exhibition showcasing Ugandan innovations, an Investor Summit to drive investment into Ugandan science technology and innovation ventures, and various topical panel discussions bringing together various players within the science, technology and innovation value chain.
“Science and technology hold the key to the present and future development of Uganda and as a government, we are aware that to escape from poverty, investment in science and technology education is the key. This annual event is important as it brings together various players within the value chain to chart a way forward for Uganda’s science, technology and innovation,” said Dr. Monica Musenero, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation during the official opening of the Science Week. The Minister recognized the contribution of Makerere University’s Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) to the science and technology drive in Uganda and encouraged Mak-RIF to work closely with the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in the Office of the President to ensure integration of STI into the national economy in order to drive development.
Stakeholder engagement in a panel discussion during the National Science Week 2022
Project Profiles exhibited during the National Science Technology and Innovations Exhibition 2022
Exploring Stingless Bee Products for Nutritional and Medicinal Values in Uganda (bee-nutri-medicine Project) – Principal Investigator – Dr. Moses Chemurot
Although stingless bee products are important for food and medicine, meliponiculture remains less established in African countries because of the limited domestication of stingless bees. In Uganda, the ongoing domestication of stingless bees under the National Agricultural Research Organisation is an important step towards harnessing benefits from these insects especially through the production of stingless bee products and provision of pollination services. However, data on the nutritional and medicinal values of local stingless bee products are lacking despite it being critical for informed planning of stingless beekeeping promotion. This project will focus on nutritional and medicinal values of stingless bee products. We propose to: i) Determine the nutritional profiles of stingless bee pollen and honey to enhance understanding of their potential benefits; ii) Explore antimicrobial properties of stingless bee honey and propolis; and iii) Investigate the potency of stingless bee honey and propolis as medicines for wounds and skin infections. Building capacity through training of different target groups will not only provide opportunities to learn about nutritional and medicinal values of stingless bee products, but create opportunities to improve in-country technical capacity in meliponiculture besides creating networks of stakeholders.
Essential oil crops commercialization for sustainable Public health products development and rational promotion. Principal Investigator- Dr. Savina Asiimwe
Essential oil crops are crops grown for their aromatic compounds that form the essential oils. Cymbopogon citratus D.C Stapf (Lemon gras), Ocimum bacilicum (Basil) L. Salvia rosmarinus Spenn (Rosemary), Eucalyptus citriodora (Lemon eucalyptus) Hook and Mentha piperata (Pepper mint) are some of the essential oil crops that have proven to be of economic importance to Uganda`s agricultural sector with feasible applications in development of public health products including Herbal teas for management of lifestyle diseases, cosmetics and detergents as therapeutic antibiotic agents and indoor use as air fresheners(car and in-room fresheners) and in development of insect repellents. The national development plan 3 identifies essential oil production as one of the innovations that can possibly create employment and alleviate poverty among the general population. In Uganda lemon grass is being grown in eastern and western Uganda for both the beverage industry, apiary (as bee attractant in new hive), and as an active ingredient in mosquito repellents and herbal topical cream/jelly. This project targets to create a sustainable outgrowers` scheme where farmers will be provided with planting materials, necessary training in production of aromatic crops and linkage to both local and international markets for sustainable income.
Development of a recyclable-water hand-washing facility (ECO-WASH). Principal Investigator- Dr. Peter Olupot
Handwashing with soap and clean water is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, despite its effectiveness in preventing the spread of COVID-19, handwashing still remains limited among some communities in Uganda, due to water scarcity. In fact, about 51 and 82% Ugandans lack access to safe water and improved sanitation facilities, respectively. This scenario disproportionately affects the poor, refugees, and/or displaced persons in crowded settlements, exposing them to high risks of spreading COVID-19, as well as other illnesses. Moreover, with the increased practice of handwashing among the populace, a significant amount of wastewater is generated, which is merely left to go down the drain. With the use of wastewater treatment technologies, the handwashing wastewater can be treated, and subsequently recycled for similar purposes. We thus propose to develop a low-cost handwashing facility, with a wastewater treatment system for subsequent recirculation. The wastewater treatment system shall be a granular activated carbon (GAC) sandwich slow sand filtration system, consisting of a layer of fine sand at the top, followed by a layer of coarse sand, GAC, fine gravel, and coarse gravel at the bottom. The other system components shall include a wash-basin, water tank, and a solar-powered recirculation system. The wash-basin shall be equipped with solar-powered auto-timed water and/or detergent dispensers. These features shall enable savings on water and soap, making it possible for more users to practice handwashing. Moreover, since auto-timed dispensers ensure hands-free water and soap supply, chances of catching COVID-19 through cross-contamination shall be eliminated, making our system more appealing, even for use in public settings. Essentially, during operation of the handwashing facility, the generated wastewater shall pass through the treatment system, allowing removal of contaminants via physical, chemical, and biological processes. The treated water shall then be pumped to the water tank, where it shall be disinfected prior to recirculation for handwashing purposes. Overall, with the potential for wastewater treatment and recycling, savings of water, as well as elimination of risks of cross-contamination, our proposed handwashing facility shall contribute to solving the problem of water scarcity for handwashing, which would otherwise derail efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, and other illnesses in Uganda. This proposed concept builds on our ongoing research activities from which activated carbons generated from rice husks, with support from MakRIF Grant RIF/CEDAT/015, shall be employed in the proposed technology.
Developing dry season feeding technologies for different cattle production systems in Uganda- Principal Investigator – Dr. Justine Nambi Kasozi
The project is about development of various feeding technologies to address the problem of feed scarcity faced by Ugandan farmers in the dry seasons. Many farmers don’t conserve surplus feed to solve the problem of feed shortages especially during the dry season when the forages decline both in quantity and quality. This results into serious reductions in animal body weights, milk production and under extreme conditions, deaths of the animals. Such problems lead to hunger, reduced household incomes and retardation of attainment of some of the nation’s sustainable development goals. This project seeks to utilize several crop residues in the development of nutritionally rich feed blocks and pellets to bridge the gap caused by feed scarcity. The feed blocks and pellets will be made using simple technologies that can be adapted by farmers in the different areas of focus. The most abundant crop residue in each respective area will be the major component in the feed blocks and pellets to which other nutrient-rich feeds will be added. Utilization of these nutritionally rich feed blocks will enable improved animal productivity which will lead to food security and improved household incomes.
Enhancing The Grain Amaranth Value Chain for Improved Nutrition, Livelihoods and Enterprises Development in Uganda- Principal Investigator – Dr. Dorothy Nakimbugwe
Malnutrition, poverty, un- and under-employment are prevalent in Uganda. Amaranth grain (AG, Doodo, in Luganda) is a potential solution due to superior nutritional characteristics, fast growth and climate resilience. Makerere University, Department of Food Technology & Nutrition (MAK-FTN) and partners have pioneered grain amaranth research and promotion for over ten years, resulting in heightened awareness and interest in the crop. However, the grain amaranth Value Chain is constrained by limited capacity of farmers to produce sufficient quantities and quality of the grain to meet demand.MAK-FTN is partnering with Kirinda Farm, a large-scale grain amaranth farmer and Peak Value Industry (PVI) a food processor, to unlock the potential of the grain amaranth Value chain by: Enhancing the quality and quantity of AG produced by farmers for use as raw material in food products; refining and up-scaling production of a multi-purpose AG-enriched flour for use in nutrient-enhanced snacks and road-side vended foods; piloting an innovative distribution model for the multi-purpose AG-enriched flour and; raising awareness for this flour and its products among consumers in Uganda. The multi-purpose AG-enriched flour shall be used in commonly consumed foods and snacks, especially by under-reached yet nutritionally vulnerable individuals such as children and low-income earners.
Virtual Reality Technology for Optimizing Safety and Competence in Management of COVID-19 Patients – Principal Investigator – Dr. Daudi Jjingo
Epidemics and pandemics are causing high morbidity and mortality on a still-evolving scale exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Infection prevention and control (IPC) training for frontline health workers is thus essential. However, classroom or hospital ward-based training portends an infection risk due to the in-person interaction of participants. We explored the use of Virtual Reality (VR) simulations for frontline health worker training since it trains participants without exposing them to infections that would arise from in-person training. It does away with the requirement for expensive personal protective equipment (PPE) that has been in acute shortage and improves learning, retention, and recall. This represents the first attempt in deploying VR-based pedagogy in a Ugandan medical education context.
Makerere University researchers and innovators at the National Science Week 2022
Compiled By: Grace C Ruto, Mak-RIF Engagement Officer
Edited By: Harriet Adong, Mak-RIF Communications Officer
