President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Wednesday evening authorized Shillings 3.7 billion funding to Gulu University to speed up its research into the Coronavirus Disease cure research.
On Monday the University’s Faculty of Bio-technology and Pharmaceutical Studies (PharmBiotec) headed by Dr Alice Venronica Lamwaka revealed it had made significant strides towards the discovery of a cure for Covid-19 now named COVILYCE and that it needed financial backing for large scale production of the herbal medicine.
Dr Lamwama, a Senior Lecturer and the in-charge of the PharmBiotec said the COVILYCE 1 invention which comes in a powder, nasal drops, anal suppositories and linctus was formulated from a recipe of eight different herbs.
Dr. Lamwaka disclosed that herbal treatment can cure a patient presenting COVID-19 pandemic like symptoms within 12-72 hours of administering the doze, which is done through drops in their mouth, ears, and nose.
James Onono Ojok, the University’s Assistant Public Relations Officer said news of the COVILYCE cure caught the attention of the President Museveni who invited the University top officials for a meeting at State House Entebbe.
Onono explained that Dr Lamwaka requested for 3.7 billion to support her clinical trial to be done at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital which the President approved, and he directed the Ministry of Health to immediately clear her to proceed with the clinical tests.
Meanwhile, Prof George Openyjuru Ladaah, the University Vice Chancellor revealed that during the meeting, they also reminded the President over pending pledge 12 billion shillings he made in 2012 to support pharmacy programs.
The Minister of Health Dr Ruth Jane Ruth Aceng applauded Dr Lamwaka for her innovative discovery and pledged support towards further development of the cure to save lives of Ugandans. Dr Lamwaka’s discovery becomes the second solutiin coming out a public university after Prof Patrick Ogwang also made similar finding, COVIDEX at Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Western Uganda.
Gulu University is currently using the more than 200 traditional herbalists that got trained at its Faculty of Medicine to administer the herbs to COVID-19 patients in the community.
Since January 2021, the University says more than 100 patients of COVID-19 have benefited from the herbal treatment.
On Tuesday, the National Drugs Authority-NDA headed by their Regional Office Manager gave a positive nod towards COVILYCE discovery after leading a delegation that inspected the the University’s Bio-technology and Pharmaceutical Studies premises.
