IDI was established in 2002 in Kampala, Uganda by the Academic Alliance for AIDS Care and Prevention in Africa. The Academic Alliance was founded by a group of infectious diseases experts from Uganda and North America, Dr. Merle A Sande, Dr. Henry A. McKinnell, Jr and Dr. Nelson K Ssewankambo whose vision and perseverance for an Africa free from the burden of infectious disease enabled the IDI to become a world-class center of excellence.