Research Group Heussler (Malaria I) - Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für ...

Tropical Medicine Section
2003 saw the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research
in its 6th year of operation serving as a platform for collaborative
scientific projects. At present, 11 research
projects are running in parallel. They mainly address
topics on malaria, tuberculosis, filariasis and Buruli ulcer.
KCCR has staff strength of 30 and comprises up to
130 temporarily employed hospital and field personnel
to support the projects.
The term was marked by the realization of an ambitious
building project funded by the Volkswagen Foundation,
the Association of Friends of the Bernhard
Nocht Institute, and by German federal and state authorities
(see also page 176). In addition to the laboratory
and administration block, the new buildings include a
lecture and conference room, cafeteria, guesthouse,
vehicle workshop, and animal house. These facilities
will enable scientists from Ghana and abroad to conduct
timely biomedical bench research, working alongside
each other in fully equipped laboratories, and to
make use of an outstanding infrastructure for epidemiological
field studies. Since the inauguration on November
13th 2003, KCCR has established functional laboratory
units including microbiology, molecular biology,
immunology and virology. The Head of the laboratories,
Dr. Berberich, played a pivotal role in organizing the laboratory
work and in introducing state-of-the-art technology.
KCCR is contributing to the postgraduate programme
of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, by supporting 12 students
in their postgraduate training. Two students defended
their theses in the Deptartment of Microbiology
at the Medical School and in the Department of Biology,
Faculty of Science. Two of three PhD students are
currently working at the BNITM in Hamburg and at the
University of Bonn, and eight Masters students are integrated
in KCCR research programmes. Furthermore,
six German doctoral students participated in field and
laboratory work at KCCR. A seminar series has been
started at KCCR and attracted a number of scientists
from KNUST. This is seen as an essential tool in upgrading
KCCR and KNUST as scientific institutions and naturally
contributes to capacity building for Ghana as a
whole.
Substantial work continued in the KCCR laboratories
at Agogo (Malaria, Buruli ulcer), Dunkwa (Onchocerciasis,
Buruli ulcer) and Essiama (Elephantiasis). KCCR
also works in close collaboration with the Department
of Child Health at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,
where it participates in the running of a laboratory used
for the investigation of severe malaria. The collaboration
with the Health Research Unit of Accra, initiated
through the project on genetic susceptibility to tuberculosis
included support for a laboratory at the Korle-Bu
Report on KCCR Activities
88
Teaching Hospital, and this has opened avenues for
future fruitful collaborations.
We are most grateful to the School of Medical
Sciences (SMS), which has hosted KCCR laboratories
and offices for six years. Through this close proximity,
KCCR became firmly established as part of the university
from its early stages. The close relations with SMS
continued and were fruitful, resulting in many of the still
on-going collaborative projects.
The scope of KCCR activities broadened through
acquisition of new projects to cover genetics, clinics,
diagnostics, therapeutics and ecology of tropical
diseases. Various research groups at present are
conducting research at KCCR covering:
• the genetic background of susceptibility and
resistance to malaria and tuberculosis
• preventive intermittent treatment of malaria,
• chemotherapy and prophylaxis of filariasis,
• vaccine candidates in onchocerciasis,
• transmission of malaria and filariasis,
• diagnostics and environmental studies of Buruli ulcer
• HIV seroprevalence among health workers.
• health impact of Aflatoxin ingestion
Funding for the current KCCR-based research projects
is obtained from the European Commission, the
German national genome research network (NGFN), the
German Malaria Initiative and Volkswagen foundation.
Thomas F. Kruppa, Director KCCR
Selected KCCR projects are summarized on pp. 70, 80
and 92 of this report.