Innovations in TB Healthcare

Moses Joloba: Dialogues on Academic Advancement, Laboratory Leadership, and Trailblazing Innovations in TB Healthcare

In a recent interview with Ms. Daphne Martin, the TB RICC Program Manager, Dr. Moses Joloba, a renowned scientist in Uganda’s medical and research community and a RePORT International Principal Investigator, shared insights into his remarkable journey in the field of tuberculosis (TB) research.

One of the key highlights of Dr. Joloba’s career is his leadership in revitalizing the National TB Reference Laboratory in Kampala. Tasked with transforming a facility in disrepair, he successfully obtained international accreditation, expanded the team’s capacity from 5 to 80 members, and extended support to 26 countries in East, Central, and South Africa. His academic journey also saw him rise from an assistant lecturer to a distinguished professor, contributing to the training of numerous students and Ph.D candidates which he considers one of his greatest achievements. He believes in knowledge transfer and passing on the baton to the younger generation. Throughout his academic and research endeavors, Dr. Joloba acknowledged the guidance of mentors such as Professor Jerrold Ellner, Professor Henry Boom, Professor Christopher Whalen, Professor Kathleen Eisenach, Dr. Armand Van Deun, Professor Michael Jacobs, Professor Nelson Sewankambo and Dr Baingana Baingi. Dr. Joloba also continues to be inspired by his students as each day is a new learning experience in his classrooms.

Lessons learned, community services, and the future

Expressing optimism about Uganda’s TB research future, Dr. Joloba takes pride in the country’s internationally accredited research laboratories and digitized diagnosis systems. He discussed the importance of mentorship and setting high career goals especially for students in the TB research world. “TB is a preventable disease, it is a curable disease, and yet it continues to claim lives. With all the technologies, we can optimize what we have and improve things.”

Dr. Joloba expressed aspirations for his center to develop products and services addressing local problems. “Serving the community is something very close to my heart. In fact, when I came here, there was one laboratory, and no way for people to access lab services across the country. I immediately thought of the role of the Post Office. There were buses coming every day from all over the country, some of them twice a day. So, I created a system where the samples were carried by the buses to the post office which helped us to collect samples.” This innovation paid off and he was able to set higher standards of sample sharing.

To Dr. Joloba, RePORT International presents itself as an excellent opportunity for research alliances. His experience in Goa at the RePORT International Annual Meeting in September 2023 was highly positive, revealing a wealth of available information. He reflected by saying, “I am impressed that India had progressed in terms of basic sciences and would like to have more discussions to exchange ideas. They probably have similar conditions like us.” He feels the amalgamation of these insights and the use of samples could prove valuable in assessing the effectiveness of various programs.

Dr. Joloba’s dream is to package a product for communities to have access to and find ways to address the needs of the population. This will entail working closely with stakeholders such as local government to manufacture diagnostic kits that can be made available to people in dire need. He says, “The COVID-19 pandemic helped our nation to understand its limitations. So, it is now time to build a more sustainable infrastructure that will address the flow of resources. With the available resources, it will be possible to achieve greater dreams of ending the toll of TB.”