Tropical Health Matters

The Navrongo Research Center located in the Upper East Region of Ghana is observing its 20th anniversary. The Minister for that Region pointed out some of the important knowledge that had been generated at the Navrongo Health Center including, “the administration of Vitamin A to infants, the use of impregnated bed nets in the control of malaria, the Community-based Health Planning System (CHPS) compounds where health delivery and family planning services are made accessible to community members.”

According to Navrongo’s Director, much of current research including “an Artesunate trial, Intermittent Preventive Treatment (ITP) of Malaria in Pregnancy, Distribution channel for Schistosomiasis drugs on trial, the Bolgatanga-Urban Malaria Project, Malaria gene study, Use of Rapid Diagnostic Tests and Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Project,” relate to malaria control.

Navrongo’s mission is as follows: “The NHRC is set up to conduct research into major national and international health problems with the aim of informing policy for the improvement of health. This will be achieved by focusing primarily on assessing the impact of interventions through community and clinical trials,social and demographic research, and human resource development.”

The Regional Minister lamented that this mission may be threatened. While Navrongo had contributed to “national development it was confronted with challenges including inadequate funds to support research work, its inability to attract and retain scientists and under developed infrastructure.”

Below are listed some of the more recent articles eminating from research in and around Navrongo. These demonstrate the wide variety of medical, social and biological research that such a field based research center can produce.  If we are to achieve malaria elimination, more and better funded research centers such as Navrongo are needed in endemic communities to ensure relevant answers are developed for the special challenges in each environment.

• Insecticide resistance profiles for malaria vectors in the Kassena-Nankana district of Ghana. Anto F, Asoala V, Anyorigiya T, Oduro A, Adjuik M, Owusu-Agyei S, Dery D, Bimi L, Hodgson A. Malar J. 2009 Apr 23;8:81.
• A randomized, comparative study of supervised and unsupervised artesunate-amodiaquine, for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Ghana. Oduro AR, Anyorigiya T, Anto F, Amenga-Etego L, Ansah NA, Atobrah P, Ansah P, Koram K, Hodgson A. Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 2008 Oct;102(7):565-76.
• A randomized, controlled trial of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, amodiaquine, or the combination in pregnant women in Ghana. Clerk CA, Bruce J, Affipunguh PK, Mensah N, Hodgson A, Greenwood B, Chandramohan D. J Infect Dis. 2008 Oct 15;198(8):1202-11.
• Understanding and retention of the informed consent process among parents in rural northern Ghana. Oduro AR, Aborigo RA, Amugsi D, Anto F, Anyorigiya T, Atuguba F, Hodgson A, Koram KA. BMC Med Ethics. 2008 Jun 19;9:12.
• Duration of protection against malaria and anaemia provided by intermittent preventive treatment in infants in Navrongo, Ghana. Cairns M, Carneiro I, Milligan P, Owusu-Agyei S, Awine T, Gosling R, Greenwood B, Chandramohan D. PLoS One. 2008 May 21;3(5):e2227.
• Amodiaquine in future combination treatment of malaria in Ghana. Oduro AR, Anyorigiya T, Koram K, Anto F, Atobrah P, Hodgson A. Trop Doct. 2007 Jul;37(3):154-6.
• Severe falciparum malaria in young children of the Kassena-Nankana district of northern Ghana. Oduro AR, Koram KA, Rogers W, Atuguba F, Ansah P, Anyorigiya T, Ansah A, Anto F, Mensah N, Hodgson A, Nkrumah F. Malar J. 2007 Jul 27;6:96.
• Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter and multidrug resistance genes, and treatment outcomes in Ghanaian children with uncomplicated malaria. Duah NO, Wilson MD, Ghansah A, Abuaku B, Edoh D, Quashie NB, Koram KA. J Trop Pediatr. 2007 Feb;53(1):27-31. Epub 2006 Dec 10.

Trackback This Post | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed