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Belinda Siangu is a cohort IV BioInnovate Africa Fellowship for Women Scientists beneficiary. She is an organic & inorganic chemist, and is passionate about unlocking the medicinal potential of natural products and their bioactive compounds to develop sustainable biobased solutions for healthcare. Read her full bio here.
Belinda undertook her fellowship from January to April 2025 and was hosted at Gulu University, Uganda. Her fellowship research focused on upscaling novel bio-rational products for controlling Tungiasis in Eastern Africa, under the mentorship of Prof. Richard Echodu. In her first month, Belinda immersed herself in the orientation and laboratory safety protocols of her host institution. She participated in tissue culture experiments to build her technical skills and also in the extraction processes for plant-based formulations by collecting and processing lantana camara, tobacco, and soot, which are plant-based ingredients known for their natural antimicrobial and therapeutic properties.
“I assisted in subculturing tissue samples and learned how to document culture growth,” she says. “It was critical to understand every step of the process before we moved to the field.” By the end of the first month, Belinda had produced concentrated plant-based oils using olive oil as a solvent for field trials targeting Tunga penetrans, the parasitic sand flea responsible for tungiasis, commonly known as jiggers.
Tungiasis is a painful, debilitating, parasitic skin disease and is a public health threat in the most marginalised, resource-poor communities of sub-Saharan Africa, South America and the Caribbean. In Uganda, the disease remains widespread, mainly among children and the elderly in poor rural areas. Based on national data, Belinda selected Kaabong and Zombo districts for her pilot trials due to the high prevalence of jigger infestations.
Her second month began with baseline surveys and planning meetings with district health and veterinary offices, as well as engagement with local leaders. She introduced the plant-based extracts as bio-rational treatments for jiggers and obtained approvals for field trials. “This is the first time someone brought healing on tungiasis, which has been a struggle,” one woman told her during a visit, a comment that would stay with Belinda.
Belinda worked with a team that supported her in implementing these activities, which was instrumental in building trust with local community members around the use of the plant-based extracts. During her third month, she developed radio messaging campaigns, collaborated with community health volunteers, and translated educational materials into local languages to ensure inclusivity and understanding. She also trained health workers on the safe and effective application of the plant-based extracts and documented community feedback throughout the process. By the end of her pilot rollout, over 40 households had received treatment, with community members actively participating in monitoring and data collection. “I shifted from being a researcher with a solution to test, to a partner in community transformation,” she says.
Despite facing infrastructure challenges like limited internet and television access in the rural areas, Belinda adapted her communication strategies to emphasise radio messaging and face-to-face engagement. The result was a highly localised, participatory model that built trust and generated positive health outcomes.
Belinda finished her fellowship and returned to her home country, where she continues to support the work on plant-based extracts as bio-rational treatments for jiggers. She says that her fellowship experience transformed her view of science and leadership. “What began as a quest to test a natural product grew into a mission to support sustainable community-led health solutions,” says Belinda. “My mindset has changed from assuming that awareness leads to change, to learning that trust must come first, then change follows.”
Belinda conducts her fellowship research
Belinda works on producing concentrated plant-based oils
Belinda and her team member analyse the produced concentrated plant-based oils for field trials targeting Tunga penetrans
