The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) has celebrated its 45th anniversary under the theme: “45 Years of Impactful Research for Sustainable Global Health” to demonstrate its continued commitment towards advancing research excellence.
The anniversary celebrations began with a month-long lecture series dubbed the “October Lecture Series that highlighted the Institute’s immense contributions to Ghana’s healthcare landscape.
The lecture series, which took place every Thursday in October, featured four renowned researchers who delivered thought-provoking presentations on critical health issues affecting Ghana.
In her welcome address at the opening ceremony, Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, Director, NMIMR, reiterated that the theme for the anniversary celebrations highlights the Institute’s selfless efforts and dedication to advancing excellent research over the past 45 years since its inception.
“As we celebrate this remarkable achievement, it is important to reflect on the works of Prof. Easmon and Prof. Honda, whose ideas gave birth to the establishment of this Institute with a grant aid from Japan.”.
Indicating the series of activities preceding the commemoration of the 45th anniversary, Prof. Yeboah-Manu shed light on the “October Lecture Series,” as it provided a platform that showcased the Institute’s invaluable contributions to diseases of public health importance.
“For this 45 years of research excellence, we started with a series of seminars to remind the younger generations of the volume of work done over the years. This series started with Prof. George Armah, Professor, NMIMR, one of our pioneers who shared insights into rotavirus research. His presentation brought to light NMIMR’s impactful role in establishing that most diarrhea in Ghana is caused mainly by viral origin, which is rotavirus. Through his work, he made the case for the introduction of the vaccine as part of the EPI and has championed the monitoring and efficacy as well as the emergence of new variants.
This continued with a malaria research lecture by Prof. Kwadwo Ansah Koram, Professor, NMIMR. His presentation pointed out that the Institute is at the centre of malaria research. Through our work, we have indicated what regiment the country has to move, and through our work, even WHO has used it to impact other countries.
According to her, the lecture on HIV research by Prof. George Boateng Kyei, Professor, NMIMR, revealed that NMIMR was the first institute to diagnose HIV in Ghana and added that “we are now inclined towards how to find a cure within HIV.” She reflected on the final lecture series by the Director Public Health, Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe and reiterated that “NMIMR has been Ghana’s backbone in public health emergency responses.”
To support Ghana’s quest for universal health coverage, Prof. Yeboah-Manu remarked that “the Institute, as it was so much initially involved in infectious disease, has moved into non-communicable diseases. We are now looking at the interface between communicable and non-communicable diseases, such as looking at tuberculosis and diabetes, maternal and child health as well; this would go a long way to reposition the Institute to be useful and to be part of the global conversation in the near future”.
She used the occasion to commend past Directors whose selfless efforts and visionary leadership has brought the Institute this far. “We are thankful to have four of our past Directors who are here to celebrate with us. As we move forward, I would to acknowledge the impactful work of our former Directors which we are building upon.
The Chairperson of the occasion, Prof. Alfred Edward Yawson, Provost of the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, lauded the significant efforts of NMIMR over the past years to advance global health.
Prof. Yawson explained that the anniversary celebrations are particularly meaningful as they offer the Institute the opportunity to highlight its impact both locally and globally in alleviating disease burdens in society. “While other health issues persist, you are at the centre and remain steadfast in your commitment to safeguarding our communities by providing government and policymakers with critical data and guidance to combat, prevent, and address disease conditions,” Prof. Yawson remarked.
According to him, “As the global disease landscape changes, the Institute has continually adapted to stay aligned with evolving trends, ensuring its ongoing relevance. The Institute’s commitment to supporting the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service remains resolute”.
Dr. Angela Ackon, who represented the acting WHO Country Representative, said, “Noguchi’s invaluable contributions to health at the local, national, and global levels are highly commendable. Over the past 45 years, this institute has contributed tremendously to the advancement of scientific knowledge, pushing the boundaries in ways that have profound implications for health outcomes around the world.”
“To enhance local scientific health infrastructure and ecosystems, WHO supports member countries in developing research agendas tailored to local health needs. One of the notable collaborations between WHO and NMIMR is the regional reference laboratory for polio at this institute, which is part of the Global Polio Laboratory Network. A network of WHO-accredited laboratories dedicated to identifying and detecting polio viruses, which is critical towards polio eradication,” she reiterated.
In his brief remarks, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director Public Health, Ghana Health Service, reiterated his outfit’s position on NMIMR being instrumental in disease surveillance and emergency response systems. “In terms of public health, Ghana is where it mostly is, by virtue of what has been done by Noguchi. We are a service; we have benefitted a lot from Noguchi over the years. We need to understand that the success of science is based on confirmation and diagnosis, with Noguchi being a centre of excellence; we are certain of how we are progressing. Moving forward, we continue to collaborate with Noguchi”.
Mr. Naoki Mitori, Representative of the Japanese Ambassador, indicated that NMIMR has been Japan’s flagship project in Ghana during the last 45 years. “Based on this long-standing friendly relationship, the government and people of Japan have been providing various assistance to Ghana covering health centres, electricity, human resource development, among several others. We are proud that our flagship project in Ghana, Noguchi, is playing the leading role in health research not only in Ghana but also in West Africa”, Mr, Mitori added.
The symposium session featured Prof. Barney Graham, Director, David Satcher Global Health Equity, Morehouse School of Medicine who spoke on “Vaccines and Global Health” ; Prof. William K. Ampofo, Associate Professor of Virology, NMIMR and CEO, National Vaccine Institute, who’s presentation centred on The Future of Vaccine Manufacturing on the African Continent ; and Prof. Kwaku Poku-Asante, Director, Kintampo Health Research Centre who presented “Equitable Collaboration in Global Health Research: What Is Required of Us in the Global South”.
Prof. Graham’s presentation underscored the critical role of vaccines in promoting global health and well-being and highlighted the need for continued investment in vaccine research and development, improved vaccine confidence, and global collaboration to address the challenges of vaccine-preventable diseases. “New era of vaccinology requires precision antigen with rapid platform manufacturing and policy and practice that have kept pace with technology,”.
In his presentation, Prof. Ampofo gave a comprehensive overview of the future of vaccine manufacturing on the African continent with an emphasis on Ghana’s local capacity for vaccine development. He stressed partnership as a critical component to enable Ghana to materialize the quest for vaccine development. “We set the national roadmap to assess our local capacity for research and development to get the private sector to make the vaccines and to build the factories and to look at partnerships that would enable us to establish a permanent national secretariat to coordinate this vaccine research and development.”.
Ending the symposium, Prof. Poku-Asante’s presentation emphasized the need for equitable collaboration in global health with a focus on the responsibilities of individuals and institutions in the Global South., as the current state is often characterized by power imbalances, with institutions from the Global North holding more power and influence.
“To address this, the Global South must show highest level of commitment evidenced by funding framework, facilitating tax framework for research. Through this, we are assured of solid backing and therefore can negotiate for research to ensure equitable distribution of funds”, Prof. Poku-Asante explained.
Reflecting on the Institute’s past achievements, current endeavours, and future prospects, past directors, Prof. David Ofori-Adjei, Prof. Alexander Kwadwo. Nyarko, Prof. Kwadwo Ansah Koram, and Prof. Abraham Kwabena Anang, shared their insights, highlighting growth and expansion in both research and workforce.
Prof. Koram indicated the key role played by NMIMR in malaria research, around which a significant volume of data has been provided to make informed decisions primarily on its treatment and pave the way for different research angles.
In his brief comment on research and innovation, Prof. Nyarko added that NMIMR has adapted to the new trends in global health research. “We are at a point where it has become necessary to consider the holistic nature of health research, which encompasses primary health care, policies, collaborations, new technologies, epidemiology, and the integration of economics.”.
Prof. Anang explained that priorities of research agenda can be traced to the innovative research carried out at the Institute, and this includes rotavirus research. NTDs have also shaped the prioritization discussion both nationally and globally.
Ending the discussion with his remarks on research funding, Prof. Ofori-Adjei explained that the Institute’s strong network of collaborations and visibility has enabled its seamless funding acquisition. “To say that NMIMR has a track record of securing funding, we need to also acknowledge the efforts of
Administrators, both past and present, for putting in place the necessary mechanisms to enable scientists to secure funds.”
Mrs. Emelia Naa Kwantsua Agyei-Mensah, Registrar, University of Ghana, Representative of JICA, Ms. Mako Nagao, Prof. Sandra Hewlett, Dean, Dental School, University of Ghana, Prof. Florence Naab, Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Ghana, Prof. Julius Isaac Asiedu-Gyekye, Dean, School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana, Mr. Michael Opare-Atuah, College Registrar, were among other important guests who graced the occasion.
The first day of the celebrations was climaxed with an interesting debate on the topic ‘Funding research is a waste of taxpayers’ money”.
To crown it, the last day of the month-long anniversary celebrations was marked by an impressive turnout at the “Noguchi Open-day” with over 1,700 students from 22 schools, representing basic, secondary, and tertiary education. This significant event highlighted the Institute’s commitment to promoting scientific literacy and inquiry among students of all ages, while fostering meaningful connections between education, science, and community.
