BIOTECHNOLOGY BILL INTO LAW; WHAT IT MEANS

 As many of you are already equipped with the information that the parliament of the Republic of Uganda finally passed the Uganda National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill into law, this shows how much interest we have in solving global bio-science related challenges. This came after years of some Honorable members singing their usual song titled "bill requires more research and time to understand" The bill had been tabled a number of times so the speaker requested them to go read articles at the Science and technology dept at parliament. Thank God they understood the bill this time round and passed it into law. I recommend that inquiries into any bill regarding science be conducted by MPs with a scientific background to enable quicker and efficient interpretation of information gathered.

HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT
To avail biotechnology products to the public, there should be a national legal framework that protects the consumer and environment this being a law aimed at ensuring safe use of biotechnology in the country. This is demanded for by the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) to which Uganda is a signatory.
In Uganda the first meeting about bio-safety was convened in march 1994 by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) and then the National Bio-safety Committee(NBC) was formed in 1996 that drafted the biotechnology bill immediately.
Biosafety here refers to the need to protect human health and the environment from the possible adverse effects of the products of modern biotechnology.
April 2008; The first success in biotechnology is received and this was the approval of the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy. This was aimed at promoting biotechnology research. This came five years after H.E YK Museveni opened the first National Biotechnology center at Kawanda Agricultural Research Institute. Agriculture has been a sector the president has put on emphasis in all of his terms and we give him credit for having wanted the National Biotechnology And Biosafety Bill passed earlier than 2017.
Many NGOs created awareness and put pressure on the legal minds to adopt biotechnology, these include Uganda Biotechnology And Biosafety Consortium (UBBC), Uganda Biosciences Information Centre (Ubic) among others.
And finally the bill was passed into law and forwarded to the president.

WHAT PASSING OF THE BIOTECHNOLOGY BILL INTO LAW MEANS
Scientists upon completion of research will be free to release products to consumers after being proven harmless to human health. With these products ranging from pharmaceuticals, plants among others will solve many of the challenges the country faces. From confined fields to our world, the farmer will have that banana wilt resistant banana soon and the army worm will be eradicated too.
A lot of research has been ongoing for so many years thus from the table below, many products are expected to be up for grab.

Till next time, biotechnology for sustainability.

DAKA ANTHONY
+256784780324
dakaanthony84@gmail.com
Bsc In Biotechnology
Makerere University

BIOTECHNOLOGY AWARENESS

Hello readers,

I have had overwhelming joy over the new ministry- Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations, further more, the choice of such a well informed minister (Hon Dr Elioda Tumwesigye). All we can say is congratulations Uganda. We can see a much more brighter future in the field of science now more than ever before, however, lets get started on the subject matter.
In a long time i haven't had simple arguments about the savior technology-biotechnology. its very ridiculous that majority of the masses can't state a single correct sentence about biotechnology in this day and era where we have all information at our fingertips, the internet and our now many science professors to consult.
I won't be bitter with all those that know only the theoretical dangers(no scientific practical proof written so far) of biotechnology after all a lot of resources have been effectively spent on feeding them with bad food for the soul about biotechnology.
The reason as to why the anti biotechnology group has risen this much is because they have let the masses think its all about plants and specifically GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), I at at times think they will soon change it to Genetically Modified Plants (GMPs) to better suit their arguments and defenses tabled because they will definitely lose the battle when the technology is looked at as a whole.
Now dear readers, biotechnology is a technology you rely on daily and trust me avoiding it will lead to a complicated life where basic problems wont be solved.
Biotechnology is not just about plants!! this is a so much broad field you are relying on to spread evil about it, lets  put this GMO thing aside and we focus on other bio technologies by quietly answering the following;
Do you have diabetes and you are taking insulin injections?
Do you brew or take alcohol?
Have you tested for cancer or you are about to do so?
Do you have a genetic disorder that was put right or yet to be? (Genetic disorder is a complication you inherit from parents such as sickle cells, diabetes mellitus, cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease among others)
And by the way have you ever needed to do a paternity test?
Your answer is definitely yes to one of the questions above, if not so then you know many people that will answer yes. Now thank the scientist that fights hard for the above benefits to be brought to you under regulation, the Uganda Biotechnology And Biosafety Bill, 2012 is that one bill you should applaud and accept to be passed in the Ugandan parliament.

Looking at the controversial issue (GMOs) which some people have based on to trash the bill.
Many GMOs have been developed over time to solve;

• nutritional problems
• climate change
• low soil fertility
• treatment of diseases
• increase farm output
• environmental challenges
• poor breeds

It's so absurd that despite having proven these benefits achievable and harmless to human life, baseless  information is being accepted to suggest that these are harmful.
Of recent, rural homes have been sprayed with DDT to curb malaria, the army worm has been trending in maize farms and the solution was heavy spraying, worse still, this didn't produce the desired results. Is this intensive spraying having less or no effect on human life and the environment? Of course no, the effects can be stated by a non scientist too. Now the GMOs say we don't need spraying, its a matter of us being accepted.
Insulin is produced by a GM(Genetically Modified) bacterium, and then you have insulin injected into you but would not consume a GM plant? Are we being superstitious? conserved? wrongly indoctrinated?
I highly agree that wrong indoctrination about biotechnology is the problem, this is the reason as to why we are working this much to bridge the knowledge gap between the scientists and the beneficiaries to be.
Untill nwxt time, Biotechnology for sustainability. Thank you.

Author DAKA ANTHONY

Daka Anthony
Bsc In Biotechnolgy
Makerere University Kampala
+256756484679
+256784780324
dakaanthony84@gmail.com