From research to health policy: The Noguchi story in the past, present and next 25 years
Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Frontiers in Tropical Diseases
Abstract
The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) is a semi-autonomous institute of the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana.
Legon. Founded in 1979, the Institute was built with grant aid from the
Government of Japan as a gift to the people of Ghana in memory of the
renowned Japanese medical scientist, Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, who died from
Yellow fever infection while conducting research on the disease in Ghana. The
The institute has a three-pronged mandate to conduct health-related research, build
human capacity and provide specialized diagnostic and disease monitoring
services in support of the Ghana Health Service. Over the past 40 years, the
Institute has grown to be a leading biomedical research institute in the African
region. It has strong and long-standing collaborations with scientists and
institutions in Africa, Japan, Europe, Australia and North America on several
projects on diseases of public health importance. The Institute also hosts several
regional and national centers, such as the Regional Influenza Laboratory. The
The institute's research activities are relevant to the control and prevention of
infectious diseases in Ghana, particularly HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Buruli ulcer,
Polio, malaria, and emerging infectious diseases. The Institute also plays a
technical/advisory role to government through collaborations with disease
control programmes and has since inception provided the country with
needed critical evidence in support of health policy as well as laboratory
diagnostic services, among others. Going forward, the Institute seeks to expand
and consolidate its activities in areas of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), clinical
trials, genomic surveillance and academic programs, and in the next 25 years,
NMIMR hopes to approach every research area using one health approach.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Noguchi, biomedical research, West Africa