MRI celebrates 111th anniversary with new initiatives

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

The Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka (MRI) has planned several new initiatives for this year. The MRI celebrates its 111th anniversary on January 31, MRI Acting Director Dr Anil Samaranayake said.

According to Dr Samaranayake operational research on quality assurance and accreditation in clinical biochemistry, hormone assays and biochemical tumor markers, research on etiological factors of non communicable diseases are among them. MRI will also research on the affect of ground water in relation to high incidence of cancer.

It will work on strengthening surveillance of viral infectious diseases (viruses, measles, rubella, hepatitis, JE, gastroenteritis, dengue, polio).

The establishment of antiviral susceptibility testing for influenza, strengthening of surveillance of parasitic diseases (toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis, filariasis), establishment of molecular testing and geno-typing for measles, rubella, hepatitis, dengue and introducing improved techniques for mosquito surveys, he said.

Similarly upgrading the Natural Products Department through research activities, identification of allergens responsible for atopic diseases, identification of genetic mutations in hemophilia A and B patients and carriers, appropriate and time tested nutritional interventions to reduce malnutrition in Sri Lanka, local Food nutritive values available to enhance the awareness of population, dietary consumption patterns available to maintain the food security, technical evaluation and recommendations of all human vaccines before and after registration by the Drug Regulatory Authority are among the other activities planned by the MRI for 2011, he added.

MRI will also embark on vaccine quality assurance conducted to ensure safe and quality vaccines to reduce adverse events following immunization, technical recommendations on the safety of using Gelatine as a component of the Rubella vaccine in patients with allergy to beef and pork, technical recommendations for all aspects of quality assurance in clinical biochemistry and related laboratory investigations, are also among the activities planned by the MRI this year.