Yaw Osafo Maafo
An ultra-modern science laboratory has been commissioned at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra.
The Advanced Research Laboratories for Infectious Diseases, which comes at a cost $20.7 million, would strengthen the regional capacity for early detection and effective response to disease outbreaks, including those emanating from highly pathogenic agents such as Ebola, HIV, H1N1 pandemic flu, Lassa fever and yellow fever.
Director at Noguchi, Prof. Abraham K. Anang, who spoke at the opening of the laboratory, said the new facility presents an additional resource in specialised equipment, facilities and even human talents for promoting the mission of the institute as a centre of excellence for advancing global health security.
In his view, the advanced laboratory would strengthen the capacity of the institute as a key player in national, regional and global surveillance to prevent, detect, diagnose and monitor outbreak events caused by dangerous particles.
“By the establishment of this facility, the institute is also positioned to play a critical role as a centre of research networking and a hub for multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that brings together biomedical and social scientists for a holistic one health approach,” he added.
Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo, who read a speech on behalf of President Akufo-Addo, said Noguchi has become a national asset for the country and his government would fully support the mandate of the institute, as well as its maintenance.
He, however, bemoaned how state facilities are often left untidy and charged Noguchi and the University of Ghana to guarantee that the facility would be taken care of properly.
“If this centre is going to continue to provide the service into the future and continue to provide that cutting edge research, then we must provide the right type of maintenance to this edifice.
We cannot make this nature of ours apply to this building. This is a state-of-the-art edifice giving us value for money and we must maintain it,” he said on behalf of President Akufo-Addo.
Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Tsutomu Himeno, also charged the management of the research laboratory to maintain and preserve the facility.
According to him, the government of Japan takes pride in this new edifice, so it would be prudent for the staff of Noguchi to provide good maintenance to the laboratory.
“The quality of the work discharged by your Japanese friends can be counted on and that is very very important hallmark and we’ll like to take pride of it. Besides research, maintenance is very important particularly for this laboratory which deals with life and death issues. Good maintenance is crucial,” he maintained.
In 2016, the government of Japan approved a grant aid of over two billion Japanese Yen in support of the construction of the Advanced Research Laboratories for Infectious Diseases at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research of the University of Ghana and supply of research equipment for the laboratories.
The decision to establish the Advanced Research Laboratories for Infectious Diseases at Noguchi was prompted by the need to strengthen the capacity of the institute to enable it to function effectively as a leading biomedical research institution in the West Africa sub-region in the light of increasing infectious disease outbreaks.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri