Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine (AITM) is one of the world’s leading research and training institutes in tropical medicine. Established in 1906, it has been at the forefront of global efforts to control and eliminate infectious diseases prevalent among populations living in tropical regions.
The institute is located on the banks of River Scheldt, close to Antwerp city centre. It currently consists of four departments: Clinical Pathology, Public Health Microbiology, Travel & Tropical Medicine and Medical Entomology. This multidisciplinary approach enables AITM to conduct advanced studies into various aspects of tropical diseases such as diagnostics, epidemiology and therapies for their prevention or cure.
Research conducted by AITM covers a wide range from basic science topics like pathogenesis mechanisms to applied clinical research on specific diseases like malaria or tuberculosis. The overall goal is always aimed towards improving public health outcomes through better understanding and control measures against these neglected tropical infections that are most common among resource-poor countries worldwide. In addition, AITM also organizes postgraduate courses in collaboration with several universities across Europe including University College London (UCL), Imperial College London (ICL) and Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). These courses focus on teaching medical students about different aspects related to infection biology as well as current practices around diagnosis, treatment strategies and prevention methods associated with these illnesses..
In order to maximize its impact globally, AITM actively collaborates with other institutions both within Belgium as well as internationally such as World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) etc., which further helps foster exchange between experts from all over the world who have similar interests pertaining to disease eradication campaigns targeting poverty stricken areas where access quality healthcare remains inadequate . To this end , many projects are implemented every year so that progress can be made not only in terms of scientific breakthroughs but also social equity when it comes providing appropriate care for those affected by these ailments .
Overall , Antwerp Institute Of Tropical Medicine stands out today due its commitment towards innovation driven research that ultimately aims at making a difference when it comes alleviating suffering caused by some most persistent infectious diseases known mankind .