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The
Tropical Diseases Research Centre
(TDRC) was initiated by the World Health
Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the
Zambian Government. This was in response to a
resolution of the World Health Assembly
(Resolution No. WHO 27.52) of 1974 which called
for the intensification of research in tropical
diseases and stipulated that, as far as
possible, the work should be done in developing
countries where these diseases are endemic.
The Zambian Government generously offered space
at Ndola Central Hospital to accommodate the
Centre. In January 1981, the TDRC became a
National Institution for research, training, and
service in diseases of public health importance
in Zambia. To this effect, the TDRC must be seen
first and foremost as a national resource
dedicated to priority health problems in Zambia
and as a facility for training national and
regional health service personnel. It is a
statutory body under the Ministry of Health with
the mandate to conduct Epidemiological,
Clinical and Biomedical
Sciences research.
Scientific Departments
Department of Public
Health
The
Public Health Department has personnel qualified
in Epidemiology, Social Science, Demography,
Public Health, Medical Informatics and the
Bio-statistics. The department engages in both
field and clinical research with multi-
disciplinary approach, drawing on the techniques
and perspectives of epidemiology, health systems
research, clinical medicine, medical sociology,
medical anthropology, nutrition and health
economics.
Department of
Clinical Sciences
The
Clinical Sciences
Department has well trained Physicians and
Nursing Staff. The department is involved in
clinical trials of new chemotherapeutic agents
against malaria, schistosomiasis, HIV/AIDS and
other diseases of public health significance to
Zambia and the region.
Department of
Biomedical Sciences
This
Department has 7 units, namely: Parasitology,
Immunology, Vector Biology, Haematology,
Microbiology, Nutrition and Clinical Chemistry.
The department gives support to the other
departments and has started conducting
independent basic science research to understand
further the biology of disease causing
organisms. The department provides support to
and is a reference Centre for the National AIDS/STI/TB,
Malaria Control and Prevention Programmes.
It also evaluates all new diagnostic tools for
tropical diseases. It also provides laboratory
support for patients on ARV’s through CD4, HIV
viral load, chemistry and haematological
parameters measurement. The Microbiology unit
has set up a ultra modern TB reference culture
laboratory to carter for the Northern region of
Zambia.
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