The Diamniadio Institute for Health Research, Epidemiological Surveillance, and Training (Iressef): One Man's Vision and a Bet on the Future.

Abstract

To reduce congestion in its capital, Dakar, Senegal decided in 2012 to construct a new city in Diamniadio, in the suburbs. This new urban center, an integral part of the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE), is a major first step towards the organization of land use planning. The Institute for Health Research, Epidemiologic Surveillance and Training (Iressef) is one of the very first new operational buildings in this new city. Conceived and directed by Professor Souleymane Mboup, Iressef was made possible by the support of the government of Senegal and the GILEAD Foundation. The vision of its sponsors is to make it a hub of excellence for research in the domain of tropical infectious diseases, with expertise and technical equipment and facilities comparable to those in research institutes in developed countries. The existing platforms include, among others, several state-of-the-art laboratories, a health and demographic surveillance system covering a population of 30000 inhabitants, a clinical trial center, a dynamic community participation program, and a training center. To achieve this vision in the short- and long-terms, Iressef has developed a strategic 5-year plan focusing on two principal objectives, that is: (i) to conduct research programs according to the strictest ethical standards, and (ii) to train an elite group of Senegalese and African scientists, competitive and capable of developing health research in Africa. To attain these objectives, international partners will play an essential role.