The Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA Ghana, Takayuki Uchiyama, has reaffirmed that: “JICA is committed to strengthening laboratory capacity and biomedical research networks across Africa.”

He made the remarks at the 2026 Third Country Training Programme organised by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in partnership with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), World Health Organisation and key partners.

Eight healthcare professionals from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo and Zambia participated in the blended eight-week course.

The training had an online phase held from April 20 to May 15, 2026, followed by an in-person practical phase at NMIMR’s Advanced Research Laboratories from June 1 to June 26, 2026. The selected health professionals underwent training in Parasitology, Bacteriology, Virology, Biosafety, Biosecurity and Laboratory Quality Management Systems.

The Third Country Training Programme was launched in 2019 in response to the West Africa Ebola outbreak, and since then, JICA and NMIMR have trained 80 biomedical scientists from West Africa, Central Africa, and other African countries, contributing to improved diagnostics, surveillance, and regional outbreak response.

The training programme, hosted at NMIMR at the University of Ghana, brought together representatives from JICA, the Embassy of Japan in Ghana, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the University of Ghana, and other stakeholders committed to enhancing health security across the continent.

Professor Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, Director of NMIMR, praised the partnership with JICA, the Embassy of Japan and WHO, and highlighted the programme’s evolution into a flagship capacity-building initiative addressing COVID-19, Marburg, Lassa fever, Mpox and other emerging threats.

Dr Sally-Anne Ohene, representing the World Health Organisation, emphasised that resilient laboratory systems, underpinned by continuous training, mentorship and collaboration, are essential for timely detection and response to public health emergencies.

Mr. Takuma Teratani, First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan, reaffirmed Japan’s support for strengthening laboratory and surveillance capacity across Africa.

According to a media statement from JICA Ghana’s Public Relations Advisor, Kojo Williams, the successful completion of this year’s training course reinforces the longstanding JICA–NMIMR partnership and shared vision of advancing health security through knowledge exchange, skills development and regional cooperation.