SEAMEO TROPMED Regional Centre for Tropical Medicine
Bangkok


TROPMED/Thailand

 

 

 

 


Centre Director and Dean:
Assoc.Prof. Pratap Singhasivanon



TROPMED/Thailand is hosted by the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University under the Ministry of University Affairs, Thailand. The Faculty was established in 1960, with specialties in tropical medicine and tropical pediatrics. Courses are conducted at the Bangkok School of Tropical Medicine.

Vision:
Asia's Leader in Tropical Medicine 

Mission:

Excellence in research for new knowledge, development and application
Produce/develop qualified health human resources
Provide medical care services for the quality of life of the people
Promote self-sufficient economic life style
Conduct transparent and efficient administration and using it for academic development

Objectives:

Teaching endemic tropical diseases, parasitology, community and preventive medicine, with special reference to Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Research in the field and laboratory on tropical diseases and public health leading to innovation on alternative control measures of diseases, and promotion of health of people in Southeast Asia.

Clinical care of patients suffering from endemic tropical diseases, and clinical research into medical problems of Thailand and neighboring countries, including trials of new chemotherapeutic compounds and new vaccines.

 Regular Training Programmes:

Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 6 months

Diploma in Tropical Medicine, with the Austrian Society of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology

Master of Public Health (Urban Health), with a partner institution, the Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, 10 months

Master of Science in Tropical Medicine, 2 years

Master of Clinical Tropical Medicine/Tropical Pediatrics, 12 months

M.Tropical Pediatrics is offered jointly with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, U.K. and Children’s Hospital (Bangkok)

Master of Science in Medical Epidemiology, 12 month

M.Sc. Med. Epi. is offered by a consortium of seven institutions in Thailand.

Doctor of Philosophy in Tropical Medicine, 3 years

Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Tropical Medicine/Tropical Pediatrics, 3 years

Applications for admission to graduate degree programmes are subject to approval by  a duly constituted faculty committee.  A minimum TOEFL score of 500 or its equivalent is required.

Special Training Programmes:

Elective programme in tropical medicine for foreign medical students
Research attachment programme, travel medicine, others (by arrangement)

 Other Institutional Capabilities/Sub-specialties:

Vaccine Trial Centre
Research and Reference Hospital for Tropical Diseases (250-bed hospital)
Wellcome-Mahidol University-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Programme
Museum and Reference Centre, including publication of Mosquito-Borne Diseases Bulletin, monographs and bibliographies
Malaria research (clinical trials, pathophysiology, clinical pharmacology, management of severe malaria)
Snake bites
Other infectious tropical diseases (amoebiasis, opisthorchiasis, salmonellosis, rabies, dengue, vector-borne diseases, etc.)
Nutrition and food science, socio-economic research, tropical epidemiology

Vaccine Trial Centre

The VTC is a clinical facility in the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, for testing newly developed vaccines which reach the step where evaluation in human volunteers is needed.  Individual scientists at any national or international institution may have their vaccines tested at this Centre.  It is a joint responsibility of Mahidol University and the Ministry of Public Health, and is operated by the Faculty of Tropical Medicine on their behalf.  The establishment of the Centre was started in February 1984, however, full operation was possible in September 1986 and the first admission of volunteers into the the ward was on 3rd November 1986.  The VTC Bangkok, is the first and the only facility of its kind in Thailand, in the Region and perhaps also in the developing countries.  The advantage of conducting vaccine trials at this Centre is that the studies will be on persons residing in an area where the vaccines are going to be utilized most.  The knowledge gained will benefit vaccine department and thus lead to effective control of infectious diseases in developing countries.

 

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases

 

Medical Care Services

 

Medical care service is one of the main functions of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine.  The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, a specialized hospital, provides medical care services for patients suffering from tropical diseases, as well as internal medicine.  At present, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases can accommodate up to 250 in-patients.  There are services for out-patients, 4 male and female general wards, a children's ward, 2 special care wards, a geriatric ward, an intensive care unit, an intensive care unit for tropical diseases, a gastroenterology division, a dermatology division, and a sexually-transmitted diseases division. 

Out-Patient Department services are as follows:

General medicine:  daily except public holidays, 8.00-16.00 hr.
Malaria clinic:  24 hours daily
Electrical stimulation health chair:  daily from 6.30-16.00 hr.
Health examination for emigrant workers:  daily except public holidays, 8.00-16.00 hr.
Laboratory diagnosis for helminthiasis:  daily except public holidays, 8.00-10.00 hr.
Consultation in traveler medicine
Center for diagnosis and detection of various specimens in cooperation with other departments and units of the Faculty
Medical care services to all Mahidol University students, staff and their families
Electrocardiography (ECG)
Spirometry
Audiogram
Visual acuity test and color blindness test

International Linkages

 

The Faculty of Tropical Medicine has ongoing collaborative activities in research and training with the following:

 

  1. WHO/TDR Programme

  2. Free University Berlin, Germany, under the assistance of the German Agency for Technical Cooperation

  3. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK

  4. The University of Calgary, Canada

  5. Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK

  6. Asian Parasite Control Organization (APCO), Japan

  7. The Wellcome Trust, UK

  8. International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada

  9. Japanese Association for Parasite Control (JAPC)

  10. SEAMEO TROPMED Regional Centres in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia

  11. University of Innsbruck, Austria

  12. Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Australia

  13. James Cook University of North Queensland, Australia

  14. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), Germany

  15. Department des Maladies Infecteuse et Médicine Tropicale, Groupe Hôpitalier Pitié Salpêtrière, France

  16. Pasteur Institute, France

  17. Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, PR China

  18. Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

  19. University of Tsukuba, Japan

  20. The Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland

  21. The Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health and Nutrition (ACITHN) of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and the University of Queensland

  22. The Health of Animals Laboratory, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Government of Canada, Saskatoon, Canada

  23. Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA

 

The nature of these activities are:  collaborative research work; consulting services; personnel exchange, specimen and information exchanges; joint training courses, seminars and conferences.

 

The Asian Centre of International Parasite Control (ACIPAC)

 

ACIPAC is attached to the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University and Dean, Professor Sornchai Looareesuwan is the Project Manager.  At the JICA collaboration centre, there are at least 3-4 Japanese experts working at ACIPAC at any one time, and the present Chief Advisor is Professor Emeritus Somei Kojima, former Chairman of the Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo.  The administration of ACIPAC is in close collaboration with the Department of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand.

 

ACIPAC Mission 

 

The mission of ACIPAC is to promote parasite control in the Southeast Asian Region with the expectation that at the end of the project the prevalence of parasitic infections in this region will be reduced to the level of a non-significant public health problem.  The activity will include human resource development through training courses and operational research, human/information networking, and supportive role through the partnership implementation programme.

 

Address for Inquiries:
The Director  
SEAMEO TROPMED Regional Centre for Tropical Medicine  
Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University  
420/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand  
Tel. Nos.: +66 (0) 2246-9000 to 12;  2246-0321; 2245-8251; 2247-1688
Fax Nos.: +66 (0) 2246-9013; 2246-8340; 2247-1688 
E-mail: deantm@mahidol.ac.th; tmslr@mahidol.ac.th
Website: www.tm.mahidol.ac.th

 

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TROPMED Central Office Functions

Highlights of Accomplishments
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SEAMEO  TROPMED Network Centres:

TROPMED/Indonesia
TROPMED/Malaysia
TROPMED/Philippines
TROPMED/Thailand
SEAMEO TROPMED Network Organizational Chart
Directory of SEAMEO TROPMED Network
Acknowledgements