Situated about 35km from Kampala, the Unit's main operational base is located at the campus of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe. The MRC Unit includes administrative offices, research clinics, laboratories for the Basic Science Programme and the Clinical Laboratory Section (CDLS), the IT and the Data Management and Statistics Section, the Maintenance Workshop and other technical and infrastructural support services and a guest house.
With funding from the Wellcome Trust and the MRC/UKRI, the Unit has set up a world class clinical research facility expected to accommodate 20 staff and 114 patients per day. When completed, the facility will comprise of offices, consultation, nurses’ and examination rooms, Laboratory and a 4-bed observation ward designed to provide maximum flexibility of usage for the different research projects within the Unit.
Integrated into the premises of the Regional Hospital of Entebbe, the Unit operates four study clinics that are related to different projects and study populations. At the same time, these clinics provide specialist health services that benefit the local population. These services include HIV and general health care for about 4,000 study participants and HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) services for the general public.
The maternity and the antenatal clinic, the children's ward and the HIV clinic of Entebbe government hospital have been renovated, a new incinerator provided, and a VCT centre built.