Joint Clinical Research Centre

The JCRC Mbarara Regional Centre of Excellence

Overview

The Mbarara RCE is located in the south western Uganda, about 270km from Kampala and located within Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital/University Teaching hospital. The RCE started operating as early as 1999 but was officially opened on the in June 2006 by the then United States ambassador to Uganda H.E Stephen Browning. The center opened with the TREAT project, a USAID-funded programe meant for offering quality HIV/AIDS care to those who needed it most. As a result over 3,698 patients were started on ART at the Mbarara facility and supported a combined 3,690 patients at the Kitwe Health Centre IV, Itojo Hospital, Rushere Hospital, Ishaka Hospital, Kitagata and Ibanda Hospitals, and offering counseling and adherence monitoring and lab services to over 11,877 patients at the Mbarara facility (data accurate as of 30th October 2010). Click here to download the Mbarara RCE annual report of 2009, which explains more.

With the current staff load of 13 health worker, the RCE collaborates with the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, TASO Mbarara and over 80 Ministry of health facilities through the national while spearheading the DNA PCR Early Infant Diagnosis( EID) program in the region.

Activities

Patient Care: The RCE gives support to public and private health facilities in Mbarara, Ibanda, Kiruhura, Bushenyi, Ntungamo and Isingiro districts. The provide care includes provision of antiretroviral therapy for both first and second line treatment, pain management and management of opportunistic infections. Pre-test and post test counseling and ART adherence counseling are also done. These services are provided under the TREAT hand-over activities to the SUSTAIN project.

Laboratory services: With a state of the ART laboratory in place the RCE is empowered to offer a whole range of diagnostic and monitoring laboratory tests including CD4, DNA, HIV Rapid and ELISA testing, Viral load, Syphilis tests, among others.

Operational research: Two multi-site clinical trials protocols are currently being implemented at the RCE: The Europe - Africa Research Network for Evaluation of Second-line Therapy (EARNEST) and the Cryptococcal Optimal Antireviral Therapy Timing (COAT). The site has participated and completed the JCRC Children's Study (JCS) cohort.