NOGUCHI MEMORIAL INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY
OF GHANA
Background
The University Council established
the Noguchi Memorial institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) as a semi- autonomous Institute
of the University of Ghana
in 1979. The Government of Japan
built the physical facilities of the institute as a gift to the government and people of Ghana and in memory of the
Japanese medical scientist Dr. Hideyo
Noguchi who died in Ghana in 1928
researching into yellow fever. Under
the Ghana - Japan Medical Co-operation Agency (JICA) has provided
technical assistance to NMIMR.
The broad objectives and mandate of
NMIMR are:
•
to conduct research into infections and communicable diseases
prevalent in Ghana and into nutritional problems:
•
to provide training opportunities for post graduate students in medical research;
• To provide
specialised laboratory diagnostic
and monitoring services to
improve the quality of public health
programmes.
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Front View NMIMR
Institutional profile
A Director appointed by the University
Council heads the Institute. He has the
overall responsibility for both scientific
and administrative functions of the Institute. He reports to the Vice
Chancellor of the University of Ghana. A Deputy Director and Administrative
Secretary and an Accountant assist him in the running of the Institute.
There are presently nine research
units operational at the Institute - Bacteriology, Clinical Pathology, Electron Microspy/Histopathology.
Epidemiology, Immunology, Laboratory Animals, Nu- |S
trition, Parasitology and Virology Each unit has a Unit Head responsible for research supervision
and leadership Scientific and Technical
staff of the unit include 23 research Follows- 47 Senior staff and
12 junior staff
The majority of the research activities
have been funded by grants from the
Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), and funds from WHO/TDR, European
Union, Wellcome Trust, DANIDA, CIDA, and the International Atomic
Energy Agency. The government of Ghana contributes to the
running of the Institute by providing core funding for the scientist and administrative
and maintenance support.
The Institute has concluded a five year (1999 - 2003 ) technical co-operation
agreement with JICA to undertake operation researcTh relevant for
the control of Tuberculosis in the area of. Sexually Transmitted
Infection, HIV/AIDs, Viral Haemorrhagic fevers, and measles. An
important aspect of the agreement is the proactive role the Institute
plans to play in training middle level laboratory and technical
staff of the Ministry of Health in improving the quality of diagnosis
of malaria, schistosomiasis, intestinal helminths and onchocerciasis.
Post-training follow up and auditing of practice will be incorporated
in the training programme. Through WHO/TDR funding, the epidemiology
Unit of the Institute is setting up a surveillance system for anti-malaria
resistance in collaboration with the ministry of health.
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Facilities
The
institute is currently housed in quadrangular building with over
fifty rooms. It is well e quipped with facilities for molecular,
biological, immunological (including flow cytomery), biochemical
and haematological research. The institute has an electron microscopy
and a new on have been acquired as part of the refurbishment of
existing facilities.
New Facilities
The research facilities of the institute have expanded with the construction
of a P3 laboratory and an animal Experiment Laboratory and a Conference
facility.
The current Director,,Prof.David Ofori Adjei is a member of the joint programme committee
for the Ghana Duthch Research Collaboration
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