Advocacy campaign on microbicides to begin
Gloria Katusiime. June 21, 2003

A campaign on the development of safe and affordable microbicides is set to begin in Uganda.

This will be the first time that a large-scale campaign on microbicides is launched after years of ongoing research about the efficacy of this product.

Microbicides are agents that kill or deactivate disease causing microorganisms, technically known as pathogens and are supposedly developed to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in women.

Scientists and women's health advocates have long argued that given the growing prevalence of HIV and other STDs around the world, new and especially female-controlled means of protection are desperately needed.

Dr. Margaret Muganwa with the Institute of Public Health Makerere University says that through interaction with a number of women, many of them say they look forward to the day when they will not have to negotiate with their partners.

Nevertheless it has been for this same reason that research in microbicides has often hit a snag.

Microbicides face the same social and political challenges that contraceptives and other reproductive health products historically have faced.

According to Polly Harrison, who directed a 1996 Institute of Medicine study exploring barriers to contraceptive research and development says this area has always lagged behind other areas of product development because of the social controversy surrounding matters of sexuality, reproduction and women's empowerment.

In Uganda even while clinical trials on microbicides have been going on for the last three years a lot has been kept from the public and nothing is known about the research studies.

Dr Muganwa who also works for Society of Women against AIDS in Africa (SWAA) says it is for this reason that an advocacy campaign is being launched to find out the progress and challenges in developing microbicides and the potential impact on the Ugandan woman.

Later on in the year another high profile policy makers meeting is scheduled to take place congregating ministers of health, policy makers, members of parliament, religious and cultural leaders and human right activists.

'Our goal is to sensitize the masses on this issue so that they can push the government to inject money into the development of this product and also lobby policy makers' Muganwa says.

Dr. Bridette Sleap with the International family health arrives in Uganda to kick-start the year long campaign.

For more information on the campaign, contact:
Email: swaaug@infocom.co.ug

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Last update: June-23, 2003