AMANI CENTRE HISTORY

The NIMR Amani Centre was established at Ubwari, Muheza, Tanzania by Capt. Dr. Bagster Wilson in 1949 as the former East African Malaria Unit (EAMU) under the Colonial and Welfare Scheme. The unit served British Somaliland, Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, and Zanzibar in the control of malaria and other vector-borne diseases.

In 1951 the unit was moved to Amani Hill and renamed East African Malaria Institute (EAMI) and became operational under the East African High Commission. Amani Hill did not provide an environment suitable for malaria field activities (mainly due to the lack of malaria vectors, hence a lack of malaria transmission) and the Ubwari site continued to operate as a field station. Research covered malaria, schistosomiasis, and onchocerciasis. The Centre had a strong training component targeting malaria field workers covering basic malariology and control of malaria vectors.

In 1954, the EAMI was renamed the East African Institute of Malaria and Vector Borne Diseases (EAIMVBD); research on schistosomiasis was phased out in 1960. Bancroftian filariasis and plague were introduced as new research areas at the EAIMVBD then operating under the East African Community (EAC) in the 1970′s.

Following the collapse of the EAC in 1977, the EAIMVBD was renamed Amani Medical Research Centre, which was to operate under the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR).

The NIMR Amani Centre continued its research activities at both Amani Hill and its three Field Stations, namely Ubwari Field Station (located at the former EAMU premises in Muheza), Bombo Field Station at Bombo Hospital in Tanga City and Gonja Field Station in Same, Kilimanjaro Region. From 1998 research areas at NIMR Amani have increased to include clinical research as well as health systems and policy research.

In 2005 NIMR split the Amani Centre into two, namely Tanga and Amani Medical Research Centres. Amani Centre consists of Amani Hill and Ubwari Station.

The New Amani Medical Research Centre has a vision of being a centre of excellence in vector biology and disease control research. The strategic plan focuses on a wide range of public health issues including research on malaria, plague, lymphatic filariasis, tick-borne relapsing fever, onchocerciasis, health systems and policy, bio-informatics, diagnosis and laboratory sciences, demographic surveillance systems, basic/applied research (genetics and molecular biology) and indigenous knowledge and traditional medicine.

Its mandate covers vector biology and ecology, vector control, surveillance for vector susceptibility to insecticides, basic and applied research on appropriate vector control technologies, operational research on vector interventions, product development & evaluation, health financing and service delivery.