Report:Symposium on Tropical and Infectious Diseases Held in Nairobi. 14-15 January 2016

更新日:2016/03/16

During the period of 14-15 January 2016, a two-pronged international symposium program was held in Nairobi, Kenya: One was “The First Symposium for Innovate Network for Pan-African Surveillance of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and Infectious Diseases,” hosted by Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and Nagasaki University, and supported by Japan’s Ministry of Education and Science (MEXT) and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). The other was “The Second International Symposium for Promotion of Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation between Africa and Japan.” The Nairobi Research Station played an instrumental role in implementing both of these events as an assisting organization.

The aim of the first symposium was to build up an African NTD-response network based on a multiple assay system and to bring the application of NTD surveillance and innovative research to wide swaths of the African continent.

In the symposium, Dr. Pauline Mwinzi (KEMRI) explained how the African people have had successes and will continue to press forward in overcoming NTDs, and Prof. Satoshi Kaneko (Nagasaki University) described a surveillance system that utilizes multiplex assays. In the panel session of the second symposium, the idea was discussed of inserting wording on the promotion of joint S&T research between Africa and Japan into the declaration of 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 6) to be held in August.

Attending this symposium were about 180 people including leading figures from the Embassy of Japan in Kenya, Japan Science and Technology Agency, MEXT, AMED, Japan International Cooperation Agency, as well as from universities in Japan and African countries. This amassing of key stakeholders laid important groundwork for taking the next step forward in improving disease prevention and health care on the African continent.  

photos：Mr. Takeshi Kuno