CERVE (Centre d’Etudes sur les Resources Végétales), Brazzaville, Rep. of Congo
	Name of Head of Institution: Dr KAMI Emile, PhD Contact: Centre d’Etudes sur les Ressources Végétales B.P. 1249 Enceinte ex ORSTOM, rue de l’Auberge de Gascogne, Château d’Eau Tel +242 81 55 24 Brazzaville, republic of Congo E-mail: cervedgrst@yahoo.fr

From left to right, Mr Nsondé Ntandou F, Ms PN Casimiro, Pr P Brasseur (Institut de recherché pour le développement, RD, Dakar, Sénégal) and Dr M. Ndounga

Institution Profile Created in 1985, the CERVE is a public research institution. Its mission is to promote Congolese medicinal plants. The objectives are:

• to identify and to make an inventory of plants in Congo.
• to investigate the role and importance of medicinal plants in the treatment of infectious diseases like malaria
• to collaborate with academic institutions in the country and abroad for strengthening research capacity
  

The infrastructure of CERVE is composed of

1. An administration building at the basement with the offices of the Director, administrative staff, Phytochemestry lab and a conference room.
2. The national Herbarium, library, laboratories of Pharmacology, Ecology and Botanic are located at the first floor.

Facilities

• 10 isolated offices,
• 12 technical rooms (laboratories),
• 10 laboratories with offices
• 1 conference room with a capacity of 50 seats
• 1 Internet connection via a VSAT (installed by MIMcom in 2005)
• A30 KVA power generator purchased by TRD/RCS

CERVE lodges the National Herbarium with 5300 species.

A total of 20 computers are available for the scientists and administrative staff.

Malaria Program

Malaria Program at CERVE is carried out by the laboratory of Pharmacology. The strategic plan of the lab for developing research activities includes the following vision, mission and objectives

Vision : With the full contribution of national public health and research authorities, and internal and external financial support, the laboratory of Pharmacology will serve as a reference lab for malaria research activities and a training center in the country.

Mission : The major mission of scientists working at the LP/C is to develop sustainable research activities on malaria through building human capacities, developing existing infrastructure and by enabling research environment.

Objectives :

1. to carry out high quality of research on malaria
2. to strengthen research capacity in the lab
3. to develop South-South and North-South collaborations
4. to promote malaria research activities in Congo
5. to be able to compete for international funds

Head of the lab: Dr. Mathieu Ndounga, PhD (ngoualandounga@yahoo.fr)

Research activities:

1. In vivo, in vitro studies on sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum isolates to different antimalarial registered drugs
2. Molecular analyses of P.falciparum isolates collected in individuals presenting with or without malaria
3. Human genetics studies
4. Epidemiology of malaria in Brazzaville
5. Evaluation of antimalarial activity in Congolese plants extracts against P.falciparum isolates
   

Staff

• 5 PhD researchers (2 mathematicians, 3 biologists),
• 2 PhD students PhD, 2 Msc students,
• 2 Medical doctors, 2 nurses, 3 technicians. Two staff members share time at the University Marien Ngouabi.
  

Dr. Mathieu Ndounga and Miss Casimiro (PhD student) reading ELISA plates during the assessment of in vitro chemosensitivity of P. falciprum isolates

Equipment for malaria research
Focusing on the lab of Parasitology, the equipment includes 4 microscopes, hoods, thermal cycler, freezer, centrifuges, 1 horizontal laminar flow, 1 incubator, 1 drying sterilizer, 1 autoclave, 1 plate washer plate, 2 plate readers , 1 balance of precision, 1 refrigerator, 1 freezer (-25°C),

Health centres
The patients suffering of malaria are recruited at two principal locations in the southern part of Brazzaville: Tenrikyo health centre in a meso-endemic area of malaria transmission is whereas Madibou health centre is located in a rural hyperendemic area.

The nurse collecting blood from a child for a thick and thin blood smears and the PhD student recording the necessary information on the patient.

Research team in front of Tenrikyo urban health centre

Dr. M. Ndounga (left) and Dr. DA Malonga Medical doctor (right)

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Local collaborations
■ University Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville

• Faculty of Sciences
  
• Faculty of Medicine
  
• Faculty of Economy
  
• Faculty for Law

■ Laboratoire de Santé Publique, Cité Pasteur, Brazzaville

■ Direction de la Maladie, Brazzaville

Regional and International collaborations

• Unité de Recherche Paludologie Afro-tropicale, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) and Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Paludisme, OCEAC, Yaoundé
• Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, Medical Unity Research, Lambaréné, Gabon
  
• Laboratory of Malariology, International Research Centre of Infectious Diseases, Research Institute of Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
  
• Department of Human Health-Microbiology-Virology, University of Milan
  
• Department of Experimental Medicine and Public Health, University of Camerino

Dr. Ndounga is member of the Developing Countries Coordinating Committee (DCCC) of European and Developing Countries Clinical trials Partnership (EDCTP)

Grants obtained by the Lab of Pharmacology, Malaria Research Program:
a) National funding
The CERVE is financially supported by an annual governmental
b) International funding (2003 – 2007)

 RCS/TDR
 PAL+ (Ministère Français de la Recherche)
 MIMCom
 MIM/TDR
 DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst)
 Osaka University.

Publications

1. Ndounga M, Mayengue PI, Tahar R, Casimiro PN, Matondo Maya DW, Miakassissa-Mpassi V, Malonga DA, Nsonde-Ntandou F, Mallanda G, Ringwald P, Basco LK, Ntoumi F. Efficacy of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, amodiaquine, and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine-amodiaquine combination for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in the urban and suburban areas of Brazzaville (Congo). Acta Trop. 2007 Sep;103(3):163-171
2. Basco LK, Ngane VF, Ndounga M, Same-Ekobo A, Youmba JC, Abodo RT, Soula G. Molecular epidemiology of malaria in Cameroon. XXI. Baseline therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine, amodiaquine, and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine monotherapies in children before national drug policy change. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006 Sep;75(3):388-95.
3. Basco LK, Ngane VF, Ndounga M, Same-Ekobo A, Youmba JC, Abodo RT, Soula G. Molecular epidemiology of malaria in Cameroon. XXI. Baseline therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine, amodiaquine, and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine monotherapies in children before national drug policy change. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006 Sep;75(3):388-95.
4. Mayengue PI, Ndounga M, Davy MM, Tandou N, Ntoumi F. In vivo chloroquine resistance and prevalence of the pfcrt codon 76 mutation in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from the Republic of Congo.Acta Trop. 2005 Sep;95(3):219-25.
5. M Ndounga, Rachida Tahar, LK. Basco, PN Casimiro et al. Therapeutic efficacy of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and the prevalence of molecular markers of resistance in under-five year olds in Brazzaville, Congo, 2007.
   TMIH 2007, in press