The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), University of Ghana has received a $3.5 million grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Ghana Mission to conduct malaria research, monitoring and surveillance activities. 

The project titled, “Monitoring & Surveillance Data for Effective Malaria Control Activity     ”, is a five-year program expected to run from August 2, 2023 to August 1, 2028. This 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.  

The TES 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.

The Principal Investigator, Dr Benjamin Abuaku, is an experienced Senior Research Fellow and Epidemiologist in the Department of Epidemiology, NMIMR. He has coordinated several malaria epidemiological studies in Ghana. He will work with a team of multidisciplinary Researchers from NMIMR, the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) and Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) to strengthen the shared commitment and capacity building towards reduction of      malaria burden in Ghana. 

Co-Principal Investigators are: 

Dr Samuel Kweku Dadzie, an experienced Senior Research Fellow and Medical Entomologist in the Department of Parasitology.

Professor Nancy Quashie, an experienced Molecular Biologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology, NMIMR; and

Dr Kwadwo Frempong, an experienced Research Fellow and Medical Entomologist in the department of Parasitology, NMIMR.