The U.S. Navy is awarding funding to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Ghana in support of infectious disease research in Western Africa.
The contract is on behalf of the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit-No. 3 (NAMRU-3), which conducts research and surveillance to support military personnel deployed to Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia.
NAMRU-3 is the only laboratory in Africa with an animal facility accredited by the American Association of Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. It is the largest DOD overseas laboratory, with bio-safety level 3 bio-containment space and field and hospital study sites located throughout Egypt. A malaria field site is located in the upper east region of northern Ghana.
Highlighted services required under the contract include:
- Capability and expertise to work with pathogens in a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) lab
- Support of active field-based biosurveillance
- Molecular testing and diagnostic analysis of human, environmental and animal samples
- Conventional bacteriology and parasitology
- Immunological analysis from human and animal samples
- Laboratory capacity building through host-nation training in Ghana
- Specimen accessioning and archiving
- Collection and identification of insect disease vectors
- Medical management and scientific support services
The estimated period of performance of this requirement is 60 months (a base and four option periods).
Sources: FBO.gov contract award ADVFY18RD00020, Naval Medical Research and Development
