Malaria Institute injects itself into Vietnam

By Pte Simone Heyer
DIRECTOR Army Malaria Institute Prof Karl Rieckmann recently returned from Vietnam after helping open laboratories that will not only help malarial research, but strengthen strategic relations between Australia and Vietnam.

Three laboratories were opened in August this year – two in the Military Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi.

Prof Rieckmann said that the research laboratories were opened as part of the Vietnam Australia Malaria Project, which is in its third year of existence.

Present at the openings were the Australian Ambassador to Vietnam and Vietnamese military directors of logistics and military medicine.

The laboratories are only part of the collaborative Vietnam Australia Malaria Project, which originally was for five years but has been now extended to six.

There is also training involved. Military-based scientists from Vietnam came to Australia four months ago and another group will arrive in February.

Members of the AMI go over to Vietnam for short visits to check out the latest in malaria research in the country.