The Institute had the honour to receive Dr. David Walton, United States of America Global Malaria Coordinator on June 6, 2024.
His visit follows a $3.5 million grant received by the Institute in 2023 from the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Ghana Mission to conduct malaria research, monitoring, and surveillance activities.
The five-year project titled “Monitoring and Surveillance Data for Effective Malaria Control Activity,” is expected to run from August 2, 2023, to August 1, 2028.
The project covers two main activities in furtherance of the U.S President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) strategy to support Ghana’s malaria control and elimination efforts. The activities are (1) Therapeutic Efficacy Studies (TES) and (2) Entomological monitoring of malaria vectors.
In her welcome remarks, Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, Director, NMIMR, gave a brief overview of NMIMR and highlighted the Institute’s commitment to conducting excellent malaria research.
“As the Director of this Institute, I warmly welcome Dr. David Walton. We are very happy to have you here. I believe your visit here reaffirms our lasting relationship with U.S institutions and bodies. This is just among the many relationships that goes beyond research. It speaks more about the good collaborations between Ghana and the U.S. We can assure you of how our research works have influenced several health policies and decisions in Ghana”.
During his visit to the Institute where he toured the malaria research laboratories, Dr. David Walton affirmed the United States commitment in supporting NMIMR and expressed satisfaction of the achievements the Institute had made in its fight against malaria.
“I have to tell you how pleased I am to be here, but also see this work taking root. It is just the beginning of something amazing and as we both put in the work, we are going to move forward together.”
Also present was Principal Investigator of the project and Epidemiologist in the Department of Epidemiology, Prof. Benjamin Abuaku. Co-Principal Investigators present were Prof. Samuel Kweku Dadzie (Medical Entomologist in the Department of Parasitology), Prof. Nancy Duah-Quashie (Molecular Biologist in the Department of Epidemiology), and Dr. Kwadwo Frempong (Medical Entomologist in the Department of Parasitology). Prof. Abuaku presented the therapeutic Efficacy Studies (TES) component of the project whilst Prof. Dadzie presented the Entomological component.
The therapeutic efficacy studies will be conducted in ten (10) sentinel sites to provide continuous efficacy data on Ghana’s first line and second-line medicines for treating uncomplicated malaria.
The Entomological studies will be conducted in thirty (30) sentinel sites to measure key indicators in support of the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of vector control interventions in the country.
