By Aggrey Twesigye
Kampala: Government has been petitioned to support the establishment of a cancer cell line laboratory to advance cancer research using local herbal medicines.
The proposed facility would focus on identifying indigenous plants with the potential to treat various types of cancer which is estimated to be affecting about 33,000 Ugandans every year.
Despite the alarming number of new cancer cases annually, only a fraction of patients can access treatment at the congested Uganda cancer institute.
Dr. Edward Kazaire, the Director of Kazire Pharmaceuticals emphasized the need to invest into the untapped potential in Uganda’s plant resources.
He was speaking during the closing ceremony of the national science week 2025 in Kampala where he was honored as a leading figure in herbal medicine research.
“Many chemotherapy drugs currently used in cancer treatment globally are of herbal origin,” Kazaire said. “That’s why I’ve focused my research on developing herbal treatments for cancer.”
“So far, we’ve created three promising formulations. What we need now is government support to establish a cancer cell line lab to determine which plants are effective against which cancer types,” he appealed.
Kazaire also called on fellow scientists to join the cause, arguing that Uganda’s biodiversity offers a goldmine for drug discovery. He noted that a significant number of Ugandans still rely on herbal remedies including those discharged from Mulago National Referral Hospital and other hospitals.
“Statistics show that 60% of Ugandans seek herbal alternatives, whether or not they’ve been treated in conventional hospitals,” he said. “If scientists don’t step up to standardize these remedies, the public risks exposure to unsafe or ineffective products. Herbal medicine is not witchcraft; it can be standardized, tested, and turned into effective treatment.”
Kazaire urged the government and scientific community to invest more in local pharmaceutical research, noting that Uganda has the scientific and botanical capacity to develop homegrown solutions to one of its most pressing health crises. End.
