Noguchi Boss Criticises Suspension Of Ebola Vaccine Trials

The Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Prof. Kwadwo Koram, has criticised the suspension of clinical trials of an Ebola vaccine, saying the country has missed a great opportunity.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra, a greatly disappointed director of the country’s leading medical scientific research institute maintained that in the unlikely event of the spread of the disease in Ghana, the country would be challenged in accessing any vaccines successfully tried in other countries.

He said it beat the mind that Ghanaians would distrust their own institutions such as the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) which had been mandated to undertake such trials based on international standards.
What was also baffling him was the distrust of Ghanaians in institutions like Noguchi, which is recognised internationally, including the sub-region as sterling institution of medical research.

A case in point, Prof. Koram said, was the discovery of the H1N1 virus in the country which was tested by Noguchi, with the results showing the presence of the virus.

He said, not satisfied, samples were sent to Italy, and the samples came back confirming the tests conducted by Noguchi.

‘Ghanaians are gullible’

For the director of Noguchi, the reason for the protests against the trials could be attributed to a lack of education on the part of Ghanaians, and the fact that people were venting their fears on others.
It resulted in most Ghanaians jumping on the bandwagon of criticism without any reasoned basis, whenever an issue arose.

They, therefore, did not take the time to understand and properly think through issues.
Although he was of the view that Ghanaians reserved the right to doubt the work of any institutions, the level of gullibility, where people could be told anything for them to believe without question, was worrying.
On Monday, June 8, 2015, the FDA at a press conference announced that it had given approval for an Ebola vaccine trial in the country but this resulted in public outcry and consequent suspension.

A suspension of the 18-month-long trial, which was to be the first phase of a trial enrolling 36 people, was announced by a Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, two days after the FDA’s announcement public outcry, including criticism from Parliament.

The NMIMR was established in memory of Dr Noguchi, a Japanese, who came to Ghana, selflessly served when he risked his life to investigate yellow fever and died from the disease in Accra on May 21,1928.
Today, the institution stands as a sterling research centre accredited by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the research facility for polio and the national influenza centre in the West African sub-region.

Noguchi also has several renowned partners such as the African Malaria Network (AMNET) Tanzania; the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and reputable global collaborators such as the Kintampo Health Research Centre, Navrongo Health Research Centre, the US Naval Medical Research Centre, the US Naval Research Laboratory and the Cornell University.