NAMRU-6 hosted a number of guests and friends from the U.S. and Peru on the occasion, to incorporate U.S Ambassador to Peru Lisa Kenna, Rear Adm. Jorge Enrique Andaluz Echevarría, Surgeon Basic of the Peruvian Navy, Rear Adm. Guido F. Valdes, commander, Naval Medical Forces Pacific and Capt. William Denniston, commander, Naval Medical Analysis Middle. Guests supplied remarks celebrating the historical past of the command and its ongoing mission.
“The U.S. Navy, and Navy Drugs specifically, take nice pleasure in our ties and partnership with Peru,” mentioned Valdes. “Over the past forty years, what started as a humble laboratory detachment has grown to fulfill the altering readiness and well being wants of U.S. service members, our Peruvian nationwide companions, and international stakeholders.”
Capt. Franca Jones, commanding officer of NAMRU-6, took half in a quick panel following remarks, together with previous NAMRU-6 commanding officers and researchers from the command and native collaborating establishments. Members mirrored on previous NAMRU-6 accomplishments and mentioned present command actions.
Established in 1983 because the Naval Medical Analysis Institute Detachment, NAMRU-6 was re-named in 2011, and has supplied analysis experience to help over 100 outbreak investigations in Central and South America since 2008. NAMRU-6 workers, a power of virtually 300, and comprised of 90% Peruvian nationals, supplied detection and identification of the primary case of the Zika Virus in Iquitos, Peru. Additionally they aided U.S. allies within the Peruvian Navy with testing for COVID-19 all through the pandemic. NAMRU-6 collaborates with a community of companies, universities and hospitals across the globe on these and different medical analysis missions.
“It has been a privilege to be a part of this command’s storied historical past,” mentioned Jones. “I stay up for the longer term and the chance to proceed making a distinction on the earth by way of our work.”
NAMRU-6, a part of the Naval Medical Analysis & Improvement enterprise, helps World Well being Engagement by way of surveillance of a variety of infectious ailments of navy or public well being significance, together with dengue fever, malaria, diarrheal ailments, and sexually transmitted infections.