Malardé Institute
The Institut Louis-Malardé (ILM) is a medical research institution in Papeete, Tahiti, focused on public health research and epidemiological monitoring in French Polynesia. It was part of the international network of Pasteur Institutes.
History
[edit]The institute was established in 1948 as the Medical Research Institute of Oceania.[1] Initial funding was provided by American sailor William Albert Robinson.[2] The foundation stone for the institute was laid on 24 July 1948,[1] and the institute formally opened on 26 September 1949.[3]
The ILM's research initially focused on Lymphatic filariasis. In its first ten years it reduced the rate of the disease from 8% to 1.2%, and the rate of infestation of the mosquitoes which serve as its vectors from 7.4% to 0.67%.[3] In 1954 it expanded its research into other areas. In 1960 it began work on Tuberculosis.[3] It later worked on Ciguatera fish poisoning[4] leprosy, Zika virus,[5] and Dengue fever.[6]
The ILM is one of the three main players in research in French Polynesia.[7] It hosts a medical entomology laboratory,[5] a laboratory dedicated to toxic micro-algae[8] and a pathological anatomy and cytology laboratory.[9] A P3 (or NSB3) laboratory project was installed in 2016.[10] In 2010 it established the Polynesian Center for Research and Promotion of Island Biodiversity in partnership with the University of French Polynesia, IFREMER, and the Research Institute for Development.[7] In 2019 it was authorised to import sterile mosquito eggs to help in its research.[11]
Directors
[edit]- Andréa de Balmann
- Eliane Chungue (1996 - 1999)
- François Laudon (1999 - 2002)[12]
- Patrick Howell (2008 - 2014)
- Pascal Ramounet (2014 - 2017)
- Hervé Varet (March 2017 - present) [13]
Notable staff
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "NEW WAR AGAINST FILARIASIS French Oceania Starts Campaign :: Famous Scientist Brings Miracle Drug". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. XIX, no. 3. 1 October 1948. p. 8. Retrieved 27 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Les 70 ans de l'Institut Louis Malardé retracés dans une exposition" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b c "Malardé : 70 ans de travaux pour la santé des Polynésiens" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "Joint research on ciguatera". Australian fisheries. Vol. 39, no. 5. May 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 27 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b "L'épidémie de zika en Polynésie va permettre de mieux connaître ce virus" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "Compte-rendu du conseil des ministres du 13 mai 2015" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Recherche: L'UPF, l'ILM et l' IRD créent le CPRBI *" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "La cigüatera est en train de devenir un fléau mondial". Polynesie1. 3 March 2015. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015.
- ^ "Fermeture du laboratoire libéral d'anatomie et cytologie pathologiques" (in French). La Depeche de Tahiti. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 8 August 2015.
- ^ "Un laboratoire de haute sécurité à Malardé" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "Malardé autorisé à importer des œufs de moustiques stériles" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ "François Laudon est le nouveau directeur de la Santé". La Depeche de Tahiti. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015.
- ^ "Rigueur et démissions à l'institut Malardé" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2023.