Vestergaard Frandsen partners Noguchi to fight malaria, others

Vestergaard Frandsen, a European-based company which produces disease control textiles for people living in developing countries, including Ghana, has partnered the prestigious Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research (NMIMR) at the University of Ghana to set up infectious disease research centre at the Institute.

According to management of the company and institute, scientists at the newly opened facility will conduct research and share knowledge leading to infectious disease including malaria control solutions 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 characterises the type of insecticides resistance present.

Speaking at the commissioning of the well-equipped research centre in Accra, yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer of Vestergaard Frandsen Group, Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen indicated that his company believes that doing good is the best way to service people, hence the opening of the centre to provide opportunities for Ghanaian researchers to find lasting solution to the infectious disease 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'.

Mr 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, Prof Alexander Nyarko in his welcome address thanked the Vestgaard Frandsen for partnering the institute which resulted into the centre.