Duke of York visits Vietnam unit
15 Sep 08
His Royal Highness The Duke of York, KG visited the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam on 10 September during a three-day official visit to celebrate 35 years of diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and Vietnam. The unit carries out research in malaria, dengue, tuberculosis, HIV, typhoid, avian influenza and a number of other infectious diseases of importance in Vietnam.
The Duke of York met Professor Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam. He was also introduced to a number of Doctors and some of the 40 Vietnamese PhD students currently training in the Unit.
Professor Farrar said: ‘It was an honour to welcome back His Royal Highness The Duke of York to this 20-year collaboration. It shows his interest in the country and his commitment to issues such as public health and the rapidly growing research sector in Vietnam.’
The Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Vietnam was established in 1991 with support from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases Ho Chi Minh City, The Health Service of Ho Chi Minh City and the Wellcome Trust. The OUCRU is an integrated clinical research and training institute dedicated to improving knowledge and treatment of infectious diseases important in Vietnam. In 2002 the research capacity of the unit expanded with the building of a dedicated Institute for Clinical Research jointly funded by the Vietnamese Government and the Wellcome Trust. This Institute houses the routine hospital laboratories, the research and training unit and the administrative centre of OUCRU.