Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory (DBL), Denmark

DBL has a mission to contribute to improved quality of life in developing countries through research, capacity building and consultancy services. DBL's programme concentrates on:

• generating and promoting new knowledge, tools and strategies for disease control;
• building and strengthening the capacity for research and disease control at collaborating institutions;
• providing technical and advisory services;

and is accomplished through:

• internationally recognized high quality research on human, water related, vector borne, parasitic diseases and associated health problems;
• implementation of tailor made courses and workshops dedicated to public health and integrated disease control;
• dissemination of information on research findings, and on disease control in general;
• strengthening of research and disease control capacity at collaborating institutions in endemic areas; and
• a wide range of consultancy services within public health and integrated disease control.

The emphasis placed on capacity building is unique for a research institution and all DBL activities and projects therefore contain elements of this concept.

DBL has been actively engaged on filariasis research and training in Tanzania and Ghana in particular.