Friday 12th February 2010 marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the long-standing partnership between the Medical Research Council and the University of The Gambia. In a ceremony attended by senior members of the Government, the British High Commissioner to The Gambia, the University’s Governing Council and MRC staff, the Medical Research Council donated its field site at Farafenni to the University’s School of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences.The donation includes 13 furnished housing units, laboratories, insectaries, offices, a garage, borehole and 2 large generators. Ten Yamaha motorcycles, 3 Land Rover Defender vehicles and 4500 litres of fuel were also gifted to the Medical School.

Speaking on behalf of the Medical Research Council, Professor Tumani Corrah, Unit Director, stated that the MRC also intends to contribute towards the establishment of an Endowment Fund from which an annual prize will be provided to the Best Graduating Medical Student in Community Medicine.

In his address, the Honourable Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Dr Abubakar Gaye said ‘On behalf of the President, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Dr Yahya A J J Jammeh, the Vice Chancellor of the University of The Gambia, the Provost of the School of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences, and on behalf of the entire community of Farafenni and the Gambian population at large I would like to express my profound gratitude to our long standing friends and partners the Medical Research Council, commonly known as MRC, for their contribution to The Gambia…I also want to thank the British people and all those agencies that have [supported] the MRC.

Commenting on the MRC’s donation of Farafenni Field Site to the School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, the Honorable Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology, Dr Muhammadou Tangara said ‘This gesture of collaboration and support reflects the MRC’s commitment to the development of The Gambia over the past half century…I would like to put it on record that the support of the MRC for the University of The Gambia is highly appreciated by the Government and we look forward to more collaboration in the field of research and the development of medical infrastructure. I would urge that we all cooperate in this partnership and continue to share our knowledge, expertise and research facilities so that The Gambia will continue to be a major centre for tropical medicine.’

In his statement on behalf of the University of The Gambia, the Vice Chancellor Professor Muhammadou O Kah said ‘Anybody who hears ‘MRC’ knows that it is a world class institution. It has contributed immensely to this country and to the world. So I think that this is a great move for the University of The Gambia as it works towards greatness, to be connected to an already great institution. [Considering] the humble beginnings of the University of The Gambia in 1999, the majority of folks would not have believed that we would be at the point today where the MRC sees the University as being worthy of receiving one of its most treasured research facilities.’

Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost of the School of Medicine Professor Ousman Nyan said ‘The framework for using this field site is there - at least in terms of community based medical education. The challenge for us is to graduate from the very modest way it has been done so far to a much more credible establishment. We at the School of Medicine – teachers and students - will do our best to make this a worthwhile investment.’

Professor Nyan and colleagues appealed for financial and other critical support to help sustain and build the Field Site. He said ‘[We will need assistance] in terms of research collaboration, partnership and help with teaching. We promise that we are not going to leave you [MRC] alone as we decide how to [develop] things here. We will need your support and guidance about how to make the best use of this place for medical education and community based research.’

In addition to the donation of Farafenni Field Site, Professor Tumani Corrah also announced that the MRC has agreed to fund two posts for the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital, Banjul: a Head of Paediatrics and a paediatric registrar.

In his conclusion, Professor Corrah said ‘All medical schools in Africa have a field site for Community Medicine. Today, the University of The Gambia is proudly joining their ranks. We hope that these facilities will boost the academic and practical life of the Medical School, opening up further avenues for research, learning and interaction. Indeed, we look forward to The University of The Gambia School of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences attaining the status of a Centre of Excellence for medical education on our continent in years to come.’

MRC and the University of The Gambia School of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences
MRC has been actively involved with the Medical School since before its inception in 1999. Over the years, MRC staff have trained, mentored and supervised many UTG students. Each year, a number of students do attachments at the MRC, and currently several graduates of UTG are employed by the MRC.

In 2008, this relationship was formalized with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the MRC and the University of The Gambia School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences.

Farafenni: world class discoveries
Established in 1983, MRC Farafenni Field Site is the location of some of the most celebrated discoveries in tropical medicine. ‘Farafenni’ has become a ‘household name’ in the scientific world, thanks to the outstanding, productive and mutually beneficial relationship that has existed between the MRC, people and Government of The Gambia. Interventions that are saving millions of lives today, including insecticide treated bed nets and malaria combination therapies were developed in the North Bank Region of The Gambia.

MRC’s new direction
For two years, MRC (UK) The Gambia has been undergoing a radical change process, culminating in the approval of The Unit’s new business model by MRC UK’s governing bodies in December 2009.

The new plan recognises that research across the world is changing due to large investments in science and innovation in developing economies, the emergence of new research centres in West Africa, and the growth of new funding bodies such as the Global Health Fund and the Gates Foundation. MRC (UK) The Gambia’s new direction is focused on ensuring that it continues to do what it does best, providing a unique contribution to medical research in the West African sub-region.

Implementation of the plan will change how and where the MRC spreads its investments and activities across the West African sub region in the coming years, although it is expected that the same level of investment in global health research will be retained.

MRC UK has agreed to fund a core set of strategic resources, capabilities and infrastructure. However, in future MRC (UK) The Gambia’s science will be largely externally funded by international science donor agencies such as Wellcome Trust and the unit’s parent body in the UK.

The decision to close Farafenni Field Site was made within this context, coupled with the growing financial constraints that are being faced by governments around the world.

MRC (UK) The Gambia’s research plans for the next five years will include focusing on three new themed areas: Child Survival, Disease Control & Elimination, and Vaccines. These themes have been selected to build upon the unit’s existing strengths, to target national health needs and to reinforce sub-regional and international collaboration. They will also address some of the current priorities in the UN Millennium Global Health Development Goals.