Late Breaking News DoD Overseas Labs Do Invaluable Research, Yet
Remain Undervalued, Underfunded Arlington, VA — The Armed Forces
Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS) in Thailand ran
the world’s largest HIV vaccine trial from 2003-2009. The Naval
Medical Research Unit 3 in Egypt detected the first human case
of Avian influenza in Egypt in 2006. Other invaluable
contributions to world health from DoD labs include the first
vaccine for Japanese encephalitis virus, the first isolation of
the Rift Valley Fever virus, the first identification of new
strains of dengue fever in Peru and the demonstrated efficacy of
several drugs to treat and prevent malaria. So, why are these
labs “undervalued” outside of the research community, “poorly
appreciated” by Congress and the executive branch and constantly
beset with funding uncertainty? A newly-released report, “The
Defense Department’s Enduring Contributions to Global Health —
The Future of the U.S. Army and Navy Overseas Medical Research
Laboratories” set ou