This follows the Institute’s renewed commitment to strengthening laboratory systems and safeguarding public health across Ghana and the sub?region.

The 2026 Quality Week, which runs through the week, aims to deepen staff awareness of biosafety and biosecurity while sustaining Noguchi’s reputation for excellence in biomedical research and diagnostic support.

In addition to the technical sessions, the week features departmental competitions and educational activities designed to reinforce internal understanding of Noguchi’s quality management systems.

International partners and delegations, including visiting teams from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Zambia National Public Health Institute, are also participating in this year’s Quality Week.

Their visit forms part of a broader knowledge exchange under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) supported QMS project, which seeks to build capacity and harmonise biosafety and laboratory quality standards across Africa.

Speaking at the opening ceremony which was held in Accra, Professor Dorothy Yeboah- Manu, Director of the Institute, underscored Noguchi’s threefold mandate, including conducting research of public health importance, supporting graduate training, and backing global health interventions.

She emphasised that these responsibilities depended heavily on strong biosafety and biosecurity practices.

She noted that Noguchi’s efforts were anchored in a robust Quality Management System (QMS), reinforced by the Institute’s attainment of ISO accreditation and the Africa CDC’s 4?star Biosafety Level 3 certification.

“ These achievements place Noguchi among the region’s most advanced biomedical laboratories, elevating its role as both a research and health security hub in West Africa,” she said.

The Director stated that quality at Noguchi was not a certificate on a wall but a way of life, a philosophy that drove the institute’s operations, training, and research activities.

She said as part of this year’s programme, the institute was hosting a symposium dedicated to biosafety and biosecurity, focusing on best practices in risk assessment, emergency response, pathogen handling, and secure laboratory operations.

The Director highlighted that such symposiums were essential because Noguchi served as a surveillance backbone for infectious diseases, supporting Ghana’s public health response.

“For instance, the Institute hosts the WHO Global Polio Eradication Programme laboratory, which routinely detects polioviruses in environmental samples data that often triggers national vaccination campaigns,” she said.

The Director reiterated that regional collaboration remained crucial, especially as Africa continues to strengthen biosafety and biosecurity capacities under ongoing Africa CDC initiatives aimed at improving preparedness for biological threats.

These engagements, she said, underscored the Institute’s belief that maintaining high laboratory standards was a shared responsibility
and encouraged continuity in the application of the lessons learnt from the QMS project, emphasising that sustained funding, consistent practice, and long?term collaboration were vital for safeguarding health security across the continent.