Founded 2002 Revenue $20m (2013) | ||
Key people Executive Director - Dr. Alex CoutinhoBoard Chair - Prof. Nelson Sewankambo Mission To strengthen health systems in Africa, with a strong emphasis on infectious diseases, through research and capacity development. | ||
The Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), established within Makerere University, is a Ugandan not-for-profit organization which aims to strengthen health systems in Africa, with a strong emphasis on infectious diseases; through research and capacity development. In pursuit of its mission both in Uganda and Sub-Saharan Africa, IDI provides care to People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and other infectious diseases, builds capacity among healthcare workers through training and ongoing support, maintains a focus on prevention, and carries out relevant research.
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Background
IDI was created in 2002 as an academic public/private partnership consisting of the Makerere University School of Medicine, the Mulago National Referral Hospital, the Ministry of Health (Uganda), and Pfizer Inc. with the Pfizer Foundation, together with a group of infectious diseases experts from Uganda and North America named the Academic Alliance for AIDS Care and Prevention in Africa (AA). The Academic Alliance Foundation was formed in 2003 and was later renamed the Accordia Global Health Foundation in 2008.
Infectious Diseases Institute Limited (IDIL) (operating as IDI) is registered as a non-profit company limited by guarantee without share capital. In 2004, Makerere University became the sole guarantor of IDIL. In 2009, with the creation of the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University, IDI became an integral part of the School of Medicine within the College. IDI also maintains a strong relationship with the Ministry of Health, Uganda through its support of Regional Referral Hospitals and other key Ministry of Health functions and facilities.
Scope of Work
With a focus on infectious diseases, IDI operates in five main areas:
- Prevention, Care and Treatment: IDI supports over 90,000 HIV+ people across Uganda and has circumcised over 50,000 men, as of June 2013.
- Training and Capacity Development: Each year, IDI trains approximately 1,500 health care workers from across Africa in HIV/AIDS and TB co-infection, malaria, lab services, pharmacy, systems strengthening (data management, monitoring and evaluation, grants management), and research capacity building.
- Research: Since 2001, IDI has published 245 research articles in peer-reviewed journals. As of June 2013, IDI had 48 active research grants and 18 clinical trials.
- Laboratory Services: In 2005, the joint Makerere University-Johns Hopkins University (MU-JHU) laboratory moved to IDI. Every year this lab conducts approximately 160,000 tests. The MU-JHU laboratory at IDI is the first laboratory outside of the United States to be recognized by the Medical Laboratory Observer's Laboratory of the Year Award.
- Outreach: In partnership with the CDC, ViiV, USAID, Gates Foundation, and others, IDI programs operate in 60% of Ugandan districts.
Key IDI programmatic outputs by December 2013 include:
In support of the above areas of activity, IDI maintains transparent financial and general management systems which undergo rigorous internal and external audits annually.