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

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

Notable staff

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Les 70 ans de l'Institut Louis Malardé retracés dans une exposition" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Malardé : 70 ans de travaux pour la santé des Polynésiens" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Joint research on ciguatera". Australian fisheries. Vol. 39, no. 5. May 1980. p. 31. Retrieved 27 May 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "Compte-rendu du conseil des ministres du 13 mai 2015" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 13 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Recherche: L'UPF, l'ILM et l' IRD créent le CPRBI *" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  8. ^ "La cigüatera est en train de devenir un fléau mondial". Polynesie1. 3 March 2015. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ "Un laboratoire de haute sécurité à Malardé" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Malardé autorisé à importer des œufs de moustiques stériles" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  12. ^ "François Laudon est le nouveau directeur de la Santé". La Depeche de Tahiti. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015.
  13. ^ "Rigueur et démissions à l'institut Malardé" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2023.

17°32′40″S 149°34′25″W / 17.5445°S 149.5736°W / -17.5445; -149.5736