The Challenges of HIV/AIDS Research in Uganda

Research as a systematic way of observing and collecting data, analyzing it and deducting conclusions serves to solve human problems. It is not just academic; naturally all animals are researchers.

Through experience they will compare life risks and minimize them as much as possible in the near and far future. But because problems can be specific, researchers too choose one narrow line of emphasis. However, human problems are so many and diverse. They demand that research must be on-going as long as mankind exist -to support life and ensure eco-system balance.

Even as we live, the kind of life matters so much that it must aim at building confidence, creating comfort and making the world a better place to live in -through continuous reductions of uncertainties and life risks. HIV/AIDS being one of the most biting human problems has over years attracted researchers, but the level of it (research) varied greatly, as of now, depending on priorities nations consider.

To some nations, like those in Africa, emphasis is put on maintaining regimes in power. This, as a result, consumes a lot resources to facilitate massive recruitment and training of security personnel, cramp downs suspected traitors and sustaining of defensive wars. On top of that, corruption takes its toll because of prevailing uncertainties about the future of life and jobs.

Countries, mainly developed ones, have tended to emphasize future generations in all their national planning and decision making levels, not only mere current satisfactions. And not until their future is guaranteed by certain minimum standard, they will not settle for the current “satisfactions.”

However, in spite of the positive benefits research serves, there exists rebellions towards it. These rebels may be government manifested -through misallocation of resources and corruption; individuals targeted as participants -who put high stakes to participate like demanding money before hand and for different reasons, refusing to cooperate; and research institutions that find fellow researchers competitors rather than partners. Whereas, decision to cooperate is democratic, it is ridiculous not to yet, at the end of it all, one will want to benefit from research.

Frustrating researchers may not stop here; organizations charged with ensuring right research ethics tend to have long processes of approving research proposals against the time set by a given researcher and his or her sponsors.

Still when required to give expert opinions, concerned organizations will hesitate with fear that their weaknesses might be exposed and leak into the ears of donors. Organizations working in the health sector have been the most frustrating. No wonder, corruption in the sector takes the highest toll with recent reports indicating absenteeism at work and drug theft.

Urban areas are more uncooperative than rural areas. In urban areas, hardly will someone give information regarding himself. People there are very sensitive and insecure. They will prefer preserving their privacy to revealing themselves up. They will always think that the researcher is some kind of spy who is gathering and selling their information, or planning some unfriendly moves against them.

And because research generally focuses on a specific problems -even with the fact that human problems are diverse and intertwined, researchers will as much as possible avoid linkages and circular reasoning. While attempting to solve a specific problem, their solutions will always be tagged by worse challenges. Researchers will assume the title, “god” in their expertise or work -regardless of how narrow and number of gaps that may exist -worthy filling. Luckily, in some of their conclusions they will emphasize such weaknesses anyone else would take on in future research.

There is much evidence that easing research efforts involves utilizing one's immediate resources -including the organization -where the prospective researcher works. In an organization framework, all efforts will be streamlined by the fact that one may not even need permission to carry out research. He or she could enjoy research efforts, publishing and sharing it with parent organization or choose to partner with it for collective research efforts.

Research is an import part of living and nature developments or evolution. It is a universal need that everyone should embrace and support. Given its vitality, why wouldn't it be a human right?

Jacob Waiswa
Situation Health Analyst
www.situationhealthanalysis.blogspot.com