Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)

The Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) is Germany’s largest institution for research, services and training in the field of tropical diseases and emerging infections.

Services of the institute include specific laboratory diagnostics of tropical diseases, emerging and other rare infections, a close co-operation with the German army as well as consultation of the scientific community, industry, politics and the public, which greatly contribute to the national standing of the institute. The institute comprises the National Reference Centre for Tropical Pathogens and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research.

Teaching activities include a 3-months, full-time course on all aspects of tropical medicine for physicians, further a structured training program for PhD students and a number of activities of continuing education in topics related to travel medicine and international health.

In co-operation with the Ghanaian Ministry of Health and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, the institute runs since more than ten years the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), a modern research and training centre in Ghana, which is also available to external research groups.

As a member of the Leibniz Association and as research institute of national importance, the institute is jointly funded by the Federal Government, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the other federal states.

Due to its research content, proximity and affiliation with the Leibniz Association, the BNITM is one of LIV’s most important partners, along with the Research Center Borstel (FZB). Together, the three institutes form the Leibniz Center Infection (LCI).