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Abstract

The Prince Léopold Institute for tropical medicine in Antwerp: an overview

The struggle against the sleeping sickness in Congo was the major reason for the opening of a School of Tropical Medicine (1906). The edition of new statutes in 1931 at the moment of the transfer to Antwerp conformed the autonomous and neutral character of the Institute. On the other hand, as the person responsible to the community represented by the Ministry of Colonies and – later – the Ministry of Education, she had to publish an annual report on their activities and finances. After the independence of the colony (1960) the teaching and research policy accentuated development aid, and in particular the fight against tropical disease (malaria, sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis ...) and HIV (AIDS and Tuberculosis). The Institute delivers postgraduate and master's degrees. Each year, two hundred doctors and nurses attend its classes, and around a hundred students from over the world prepare for their medical degree. The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp is a ‘center of excellence’ and an important component in an international network that aims for ‘Health for All’.

Keywords: Prince Léopold Institute for tropical medicine, Antwerp, Congo