Roy Mugerwa

Roy D. Mugerwa (2 January 1942 – 19 April 2019) was a Ugandan physician, cardiologist and researcher. His contribution to the world of academics include being a Professor Emeritus at Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Kampala, cardiology in Uganda, researching HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and his efforts to find an effective HIV vaccine.

Background Mugerwa was born on 2 January 1942, to Yowana Ziryawula and Maria Namatovu. Not only did Dr. Mugerwa have a role in founding UHI, but he also served as both Executive Director and Director. Among his other efforts in the world of cardiac health in Uganda are introducing the practice of echocardiography, founding the country's first hypertension clinic, and establishing the Uganda Heart Association. In October 1985, shortly after their Slim Disease publication, Dr. Mugerwa attended a Workshop on AIDS in Central Africa, which was put on by the World Health Organization (WHO). The workshop discussed the establishment of an AIDS Surveillance System in every African country, which would be charged with confirming the presence of AIDS and collecting data. Dr. Mugerwa, along with two other colleagues, was appointed to Uganda's AIDS Surveillance Sub-Committee, and by 1986 they had succeeded in implementing public health efforts such as educational programs, supplying condoms, and screening potentially infected blood donors. They also emphasized mutual monogamy, openly disclosing one's HIV status, and increasing the number of available HIV tests. Outside of hospital work, he was one of the founding members of the Uganda-Case Western Reserve University Research Collaboration and held the position of lead principal investigator for twenty years. At its 20th anniversary celebration, it was stated that the collaboration had provided over fifty Ugandans with upper level degrees, published over two-hundred articles in peer-reviewed journals, and presented at over five-hundred conferences. Dr. Mugerwa was also a member of the Academic Alliance for AIDS Care and Prevention in Africa. Established in 2001, the Alliance succeeded in providing treatment to patients with HIV/AIDS, training medical providers about HIV/AIDS care, installing programs to increase outreach and prevention efforts, and providing lab resources. The Infectious Disease Institute at Makerere University broke ground in 2003 to help carry out these efforts.

Around this time, suspicions that questioned if HIV truly causes AIDS were circulating, and these were supported by South Africa's president Thabo Mbeki. In opposition to these denialist claims, over five-thousand scientists signed the Durban Declaration in 2000, which cited multiple studies that link HIV as the only cause of AIDS. Dr. Mugerwa demonstrated his support for the Durban Declaration's stance by being on its Organizing Committee.

HIV vaccine trial From 1999 to 2002, Dr. Mugerwa conducted a clinical trial of a potential HIV vaccine in Uganda, the first of its kind in Africa. There were concerns about the safety of the volunteers that were recruited, but the normal ethics requirements were waived due to the need for a vaccine as quickly as possible. Uganda had an HIV prevalence of around 20% in 1998, and most citizens could not afford the antiretrovirals needed to prevent the development of AIDS. The prospect of testing a vaccine, however, was not without controversy. There were fears about the vaccine's scientific merit, vaccine recipients falsely testing positive for HIV, and the use of Ugandans as guinea pigs for risky experiments that would only benefit the West.

The vaccine (named ALVAC 205) was tested on forty HIV-negative Ugandans, but was stopped in phase I after newer vaccines started to receive more attention.

Personal life Mugerwa was married to Rosemary Kibulo Mugerwa, a physical therapist, and they had eleven children together. Many of them followed their parents' example and also pursued careers in the medical field. Outside of his profession, he was both a businessman and a farmer. His wife preceded him in death in November 2018.

Death Mugerwa died on 19 April 2019, at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala. At the time of his death, he was a Professor Emeritus at Makerere University, where he had also gone to school and conducted research programs. He was said to be suffering from depression, which led to an onset of other illnesses. He was buried in Meru Village, located in Southwestern Uganda.

Selected publications