National Institute for Medical Research, Tanga Medical Research Centre

Background
National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) was established by Act of Parliament No.23 of 1979 and became operational in October 1980.NIMR is a parastatal under the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare. Tanga Medical Research Centre (NIMR Tanga), is one of the Centres of NIMR.
Prior to becoming an operational Centre, NIMR Tanga Centre had been operating as a Field Station and then Research Station known as Bombo under the NIMR Amani Centre until August 2005. Bombo Research Station, which had been researching on filariasis during the East African Community as Tanga Centre, continued to work under the supervision of Amani Centre until it became fully operational in September 2005 when most research activities were shifted from Amani toTanga. The Centre is situated adjacent to Bombo Regional Hospital in Tanga City. Most of the laboratory activities are carried out at the Amani Biomedical Research Laboratory (AMBRELA) within Bombo area. Tanga Centre is managed by a Director appointed by NIMR Council.
Mission: To conduct health research to alleviate disease burden in Tanzania
Vision: To be a Centre of excellence in clinical and biomedical research in northeastern Tanzania

Amani Biomedical Research Laboratory (AMBRELA): Front view

Staff: Tanga Centre has around 58 permanent staff members of whom 15 are research scientists, 1 IT technician, 8 are laboratory technicians, 4 laboratory assistants, and 8 laboratory attendants. Project staff working in Korogwe, Muheza, and Tanga are around 62.

Departments: Currently, the Centre has 5 scientific departments: Biochemistry, Immunology, & Molecular Biology; Epidemiology & Clinical Research; Medical Parasitology & Microbiology; Health Systems & Policy Research, and Information Technology & Medical Documentation.

Photos from general lab and pharmacol/immunology lab

Research Projects
Some ongoing research activities include epidemiology of Malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and lymphatic filariasis; Clinical trials; (efficacy of antimalarial drugs through East African Network for Monitoring Antimalarial Treatment (EANMAT) and National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) at some sentinel sites in Tanzania, Kilimanjaro intermittent preventive treatment for malaria in infants (Kili IPTi) with short and long acting antimalarials (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), Malaria vaccine trial [RTS,S sponsored by Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI)] with additional capacity building by Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance (MCTA), preparation of malaria vaccine sites in Korogwe (sponsored by African Malaria Network Trust, AMANET); malaria morbidity and immunity in pregnant women and children (sponsored by DANIDA through ENRECA); human genetics and immunity (MalariaGEN, Oxford University).

For more information contact
Director, NIMR Tanga Centre
P.O. Box 5004, Tanga,
Tanzania
Telephone: +255 27 26 46084
Fax: +255 27 26 43869
E-Mail: tanga@nimr.or.tz
Website: www.nimrtanga.org

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