Kenya Research Station and its Research Activities

Abstract

The Institute of Tropical Medicine Kenya Research Station of Nagasaki University (NUITM) was established in 2005 with Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) funds. The station involves clinical and epidemiological research programs focusing on tropical medicine and emerging infectious diseases based on education and research exchanges between Africa and Japan. This project is supported by about 22 Japanese staff members, including short-termers, in addition to 85 Kenyan staff members. It has at least 12 research groups studying the prevention of tropical and emerging diseases in collaboration with stakeholder institutions. The station also implements a JICA grassroots technical cooperation project since 2012. In April 2010, the Nagasaki University Africa Research Station was incorporated into the Kenya Research Station, enabling other faculties to conduct research in Kenya. The Nagasaki University School of Dentistry then started an oral health survey in Mbita and the Schools of Fisheries, Engineering, and Health Sciences have started joint research projects conserving and managing Lake Victoria basin water and fishery resources. Our aim is to develop a foundation enabling researchers from all different fields to conduct research for improving local community health and living standards. The NUITM was invited to become an associate member of the Japan Initiative for Global Research Network on Infectious Diseases (J-GRID) in 2011.