Eight health professionals from six African countries have successfully completed the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)–Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) Third Country Training Course on Enhancing Laboratory Skills for Infectious Diseases in Africa.
The participants, drawn from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo and Zambia, underwent an intensive eight-week training programme covering parasitology, virology and bacteriology at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
This year’s programme was conducted in two phases.
The online component ran from April 20 to May 15, 2026, while the in-person training took place from June 1 to June 26, 2026.
Since its inception, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-NMIMR Third Country Training Course has trained 80 laboratory professionals from across Africa, including the latest cohort.
The programme is designed to strengthen regional capacity in disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostics and infectious disease research.
Organisers said the successful completion of the 2026 training programme reflects the enduring partnership between JICA and NMIMR and their shared commitment to advancing public health through knowledge exchange, capacity building and scientific collaboration across the African continent.
