Infectious diseases centre for Ghana

An infectious diseases research centre has been set up at the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research (NMIMR) of the University of Ghana. 

The centre is partnership with Vestergaard Frandsen, a European-based company which produces disease control textiles for people living in developing countries, including Ghana.

According to the management of the company and institute, scientists at the newly opened facility would conduct research and share knowledge leading to the control  of infectious disease including malaria in West Africa and beyond.

The primary goal of the public private partnership is to strengthen research and development of public health tools aim at addressing malaria and waterborne diseases in Ghana and the rest of Africa.

The two-storey research centre contains insectaries housing three mosquito and one fly colony, two large bioassay laboratories for conducting standard tests such as those developed by the World Health Organisation (W.H.O) and the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

A new molecular biology lab will assist in providing a wide range of tests from identifying mosquito species and flies to characterise the type of insecticides resistance present.

Mikkel Vestergaard Frandse, Chief Executive Officer of Vestergaard Frandsen Group said at the inauguration of the research centre in Accra that the opening of the centre was to provide opportunities for Ghanaian researchers to find lasting solution to the infectious diseases menace in Ghana and other African countries.

He added that: “We are honoured to partner with the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research at the University of Ghana to support mutually beneficial research and development tools to fight infectious disease in West Africa. Together we can improve the health of Ghanaians and all West Africans by increasing knowledge and creating next generation tools to fight disease”.

Frandsen was confident that with opening of the centre, the scourge of malaria and other troublesome diseases would be eradicated in Ghana by the year 2015.

The Minister of Health, Joseph Yieleh Chireh, who commissioned the research centre observed that:”the new research facility is an excellent demonstration of a public private partnership that will not only progress the science of public health and build capacity, but also help tackle the many diseases that affect us”.

The Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research, Alexander Nyarko in his welcome address thanked the Vestgaard Frandsen for partnering the institute which resulted into the centre.

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Posted by AfricaSTI on December 6, 2011. Filed under Headlines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry