▶ Signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the recipient institution of 2022 Dr LEE Jong-wook Fellowship Program entrusted by the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare
▶ Committed to collaborative research and knowledge sharing to advocate the global effort for infectious diseases eradication
GC Labs(President Eun Hee Lee, M.D., Ph.D., MBA) announced on the August 25th that it held a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony with Kibong’oto Infectious Diseases Hospital(hereinafter referred to as ‘KIDH’) in the United Republic of Tanzania on the August 18th.
Since 2021, GC Labs has been actively promoting Official Development Assistance(ODA) projects in developing countries. Following the ‘Dr LEE Jong-wook Fellowship Program’ entrusted by KOFIH to strengthen the capacity of healthcare personnel in developing countries, GC Labs has expanded its international cooperation activities by consigned management of ‘The consulting project on capacity building for screening of cervical cancer and human papillomavirus(HPV) in the Republic of Uzbekistan’ entrusted by KOFIH from 2022 and KOICA Fellowship Program from 2023.
The MOU aims to promote ex-post collaboration between GC Labs and KIDH in a chance of operating KOFIH’s ‘2022 Dr LEE Jong-wook Fellowship Program’ by GC Labs in which KIDH enrolled as a recipient institution. The two institutions agreed on the MOU for conducting joint research in the field of diagnostic laboratory medicine/pathology/epidemiology, formation of consortium for proposing joint projects, strengthening laboratory quality management capabilities and implementing knowledge sharing activities through joint seminars and workshops.
KIDH is an Infectious diseases specialized Hospital under the Ministry of Health of the United Republic of Tanzania located in Siha district, on the Kenyan border in northeast Tanzania. It was first established in 1926 as a sanatorium research center and has been officially noticed by the Tanzanian Government as a specialized hospital for infectious diseases since 2010. KIDH is responsible for providing quality clinical services to inpatients and outpatients referred from other health facilities, conducting health and biomedical research, training, public health and disease surveillance services. KIDH has a state of public health laboratory with biosafety level 3(BSL-3) by WHO guideline and mainly provides patients care and epidemiological investigation of tuberculosis. KIDH aims to obtain national accreditation as the reference laboratory and to deliver external quality control service for all laboratories in the northern region of Tanzania.
In February, a delegation from the GC Labs visited KIDH and conducted a signing ceremony for the initial MOU draft. Following the review and approval of the MOU by the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, the two organizations officially signed the MOU on July 31, after about six months from the first ceremony. In succession, a virtual signing ceremony involving the MOU Collaborative Coordination Committee took place on August 18th.
During the MOU signing ceremony in Tanzania in last February, Dr. Leonard M. Subi, the executive director of KIDH, expressed, "We are delighted to establish a platform for reciprocal exchange and collaboration with the GC Labs, renowned for its expertise in diagnosing significant infectious diseases like tuberculosis. Our endeavor is to bolster international cooperation to promote quality public health by organizing joint research initiatives and seminars in the forthcoming days."
During the virtual MOU signing ceremony on the August 18th, Kyu-taeg Lee, Director of the External Affairs Department at GC Labs, expressed gratitude, saying, "We appreciate to get a chance to engage with KIDH's exceptional healthcare professionals through the invitation training. This agreement enables both organizations to exchange their distinct diagnostic expertise and clinical insights, fostering mutual growth and support global effort against infectious diseases by enhancing the skills of international healthcare personnel."