The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called upon African scientists to learn how to take care of themselves by making drugs that benefit them. He says Europeans have neglected diseases affecting Africans because such diseases like malaria are no longer prevalent in their countries.
In a press release issued by PPU, after the laying of a foundation stone for the construction of the ‘Museveni Laboratory’ under the Dei Biopharma pharmaceutical company in Matugga, Museveni said Africans must fight for their people.
“Use the knowledge you have gotten to help solve the backlog of research in medicine,” he said. The state of the art laboratory facility which will be used in pharmaceutical quality control, biotech research and drug discovery will be run by Ugandans.
Museveni hailed the managing director of Dei Biopharma company, Mathias Magoola for his persistent spirit in making sure that the company is established and noted that it was important for Ugandans to practically apply the knowledge that they acquire from school to benefit their countries.
“Despite his struggles, he has the spirit that we the freedom fighters in Luweero had and that is persistence. You heard that he struggled to get money to help in doing his research for a new drug but he kept on fighting,” he said.
Museveni added that it was crucial for the country to invest in its people as opposed to always becoming an obstacle and a barrier to their development through unnecessary bureaucratic tendencies.
The president also thanked Equity Bank for having taken a chance on Magoola and invested in his pharmaceutical project. The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga who was present at the function noted that the reason she supported Dei Biopharma company was that she was a firm believer in Uganda’s capacity to develop its pharmaceutical industries.
For his part, Magoola said the objective of the facility was to discover the new compounds for drugs. He added that they aim to produce all types of life-saving medicines of high quality and sell them at low costs to Ugandans and globally.
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