Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine

As part of the Ghana Government plan for long term plan for growth and development enshrined in the Vision 2020 document, the Ministry of Health document outlines five main areas for priority attention in the medium — term to the long-term health delivery. One of the priority areas stresses on the promotion of science and improved technology as tools for growth and development. And as part of the government’s strategy, there are proposals to reorient and improve the secondary and tertiary service delivery to support primary health services. It is in line with this objective and the objective of increasing and improving the health delivery system that the Government of Ghana agrees that the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Ghana, the School of Medical Science of the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, sign a bilateral agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany through the Bernhard Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine, Hamburg to establish a research centre to conduct collaborative research projects into Tropical Medicine and to apply scientific achievements to the betterment of the population. 1.1 COLLABORATORS The essence of collaboration shall be that research will exclusively be conducted in joint programmes proposed and executed by pairs of scientist from both the School of Medical Science and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine using facilities and equipment from both Institutions (- i.e. the School of Medical Sciences and the Bernhard Nocht Institute of Tropical medicine in Germany). The School of Medical Sciences at the University of Science and Technology charged with the training, research and development of personnel and issues relating to health delivery sector started its first course in Human Biology in October 1975. It had followed the aims and objectives of modem medical education in two ways. 1. The provision of a solid foundation of general education in the basic medical sciences then followed by one of the three professional stream namely medical practice, medical science and medical laboratory technology. 2. The adoption of the philosophy of community- oriented problem based approach to medical education. The school has made great strides in the field of Medical practice and Medical science. The medical laboratory technology course is yet to be started. With the establishment of the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, in Tropical Medicine it is hoped that the needed infrastructure will be provided for the take off of the Medical Laboratory Technology course. The School of Medical Sciences has the responsibilities - to establish the centre in collaboration with the Bernhard Nocht Institute - to provide scientist for collaborations in research programmes. - to assure free access to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and other public health institutions in Ghana for research projects. - to provide the necessary laboratory office and storage space at the University of Science and Technology. - to provide the site and its development required to construct facilities of the centre. The Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical medicine is Germany’s oldest and largest institution for research in the field of Tropical Medicine. It is a government institution affiliated to the Federal Ministry of Health of the Federal Republic of Germany and Ministry of Health of the state of Hamburg. It belongs to the institutes of the so-called ‘blue list’ that have national impact on science in Germany. The Bernhard Nocht Institute was founded in 1900 to pursue research on tropical infections and to treat patients with tropical diseases coming to Hamburg Harbour by ship. Today the Bernhard Nocht Institute is a modem research institute focussing on diseases caused by tropical parasites and viruses. The Bernhard Nocht Institute has many co-operation and contacts with developing countries. Most of them operating in countries in Africa, South America and Asia. The Institute presently maintains a research laboratory in Macenta, Guinea for research in onchocerciasis. The institute is equipped with the only P4 (highly sophisticated) facility in Germany for work with hemorrhagic fever viruses. The Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine has the responsibilities - to establish the centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Ghana and the University of Science and Technology. - to construct and equip the facilities of the centre and expand them with funds from Bernhard Nocht Institute. - to cover the running and maintenance cost of the facilities of the centre. - to enable scientist for collaborations in Research Programmes. - to sponsor Research projects of the centre. 1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE CENTRE Objectives of the centre are - to conduct basic and applied research into tropical diseases. - to addtess scientific topics in medical epidemiology and health implementation on subjects of regional importance. - to contribute to the development of human and technical resources through teaching, post graduate training, scientific collaboration and maintaining research facilities. - to foster multinational scientific collaboration. 1.3 SCOPE The project intends to provide for the following. - laboratory facilities - teaching / training facilities - conference facilities - administrative facilities - residential facilities

Source: KNUST