About us
About IFOTRODE
Connecting research, community care and prevention to address neglected tropical diseases in Uganda.
Who We Are
Innovations for Tropical Disease Elimination (IFOTRODE) works with underserved communities in Uganda to address neglected tropical diseases. We connect practical research with community detection, care and prevention for tungiasis, scabies and podoconiosis.
Our focus is on people who are often missed by routine health services. We work through Village Health Teams, frontline health workers and local partners to support care close to home.
Our Mission
To eliminate neglected tropical diseases through practical solutions that communities, health workers and government systems can use consistently and affordably.
Our Vision
Communities where people affected by neglected tropical diseases can access care close to home, live with dignity and participate fully in school, work and community life.
How We Work
Detect and care. We bring screening for skin neglected tropical diseases together during community contacts, with condition-specific care, self-care support and referral where needed.
Connect people, animals and prevention. Our tungiasis approach considers both people and affected domestic animals, alongside hygiene and household prevention measures.
Research and Lasting Access
Use evidence. We investigate disease distribution, risk factors and disease processes to inform prevention, earlier diagnosis and care.
Build continuity. We work through existing local health structures and plan a regulated dimeticone procurement and distribution pathway to support treatment availability beyond individual projects.
Who We Serve
We focus on people in remote, low-income communities where distance from health facilities, limited water and hygiene supplies, and unreliable access to treatment make skin neglected tropical diseases difficult to prevent and manage.
Children, older people and people with disabilities can face particular barriers. Our approach supports mobility, dignity and participation in school, work and community life.
How We Measure Progress
We track disease prevalence and severity, people screened and treated, continuity of care and treatment availability. We also aim to understand changes in mobility, participation in school or work, stigma and quality of life.
For future expansion, monitoring will combine health outcomes with evidence on coverage, referrals and the reliability of treatment supplies.
Our Team
Dr. George Mukone
Principal Investigator
Dr. George Mukone has more than 30 years of experience working with resource-poor communities in Uganda. Before his retirement from the Ministry of Health, he led the Guinea Worm Eradication Programme and also headed the malaria and tungiasis control programmes. He played a key leadership role in Uganda’s Guinea worm eradication efforts and helped establish the Uganda National Ambulance Services. His research has included investigating deaths among people with very severe tungiasis and testing dimeticone treatment for the disease. He has also contributed to research on the geographical distribution, magnitude and pathogenesis of podoconiosis in Uganda.
Dr. Francis Mutebi
Researcher
Dr. Francis Mutebi is a veterinary doctor associated with the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity at Makerere University. His research connects human and animal health through a One Health approach, with studies of tungiasis in Jinja and Bugiri districts and publications on veterinary and One Health partnerships. He has contributed to investigations of deaths among people and animals with very severe tungiasis and to studies testing dimeticone treatment in animals. His work also includes research on the magnitude, geographical distribution and pathogenesis of podoconiosis in Uganda.
Collaboration
Collaboration is central to our work. Our projects bring together communities, local government and academic institutions to connect research with practical action.
The completed school gardens project in Napak brought together partners including Charité University Medicine Berlin, Makerere University and Napak District Local Government.