KAMPALA - The Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) has been officially designated the East African Community (EAC) Regional Centre of Excellence in Virology, strengthening Uganda's role in infectious disease surveillance.
The designation was announced during the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health meeting in Arusha, Tanzania, in July 2026. UVRI will coordinate virology research, training, and outbreak response across the seven EAC partner states.
UVRI, based in Entebbe, has a long history of collaborating with international partners like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The institute played a key role in detecting and responding to Ebola, Marburg, and COVID-19 outbreaks in the region.
As a regional centre, UVRI will provide diagnostic support, conduct genomic surveillance, and offer specialized training to health workers from EAC member countries. The designation is expected to enhance the region's capacity to detect and contain emerging infectious diseases.
