Microsoft Word 02Preface doc

Fi
gure 2.1 
 Interelations
hi
p
 between 
Or
ganizations related to Communi
cable Diseas
es 
control 
Pr
epared by
 th
e 
inves
tigat
ion 
tea
m
 

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2.1.3
 
Functions of NIID 
As mentioned above, NIID is the main research institute for infectious diseases control 
in Japan and is obliged to conduct research to meet national priority targets in the 
health sector, and its research outcomes are expected to contribute to proven social 
benefits.   
The functions of NIID can be divided into research activities, reference services for 
infectious diseases, surveillance of infectious diseases, national assays, international 
cooperation, and training activities.  Reference services aim to provide the testing 
systems for infectious diseases; the surveillance services aim to collect, analyse, and 
distribute information on infectious diseases, and the national assays aim to conduct 
national tests to guarantee the quality of biological products (vaccines and blood 
products) and provide reference standards for such biological and antibiotic products 
that are required for national assays.  Unlike the research activities and training 
activities conducted by the research institute itself, such services including reference 
services, surveillance services, and national control tests and other tests conducted in 
cooperation with other affiliated institutes of the MOHLW as part of a national 
programme.    Therefore, in this report, these services are categorized as “health care 
services”. 
International cooperation comprises surveillance activities, such as isolation and 
identification of pathogens and epidemiological investigation and diagnosis; reference 
services such as the preparation and supply of standard materials, the improvement of 
diagnostic antigens; and training activities for overseas trainees.  All of these 
activities are functionally categorized into surveillance, reference, national control tests 
and other tests, and training activities.    Therefore, in this report the activities under 
international cooperation are re-categorised into surveillance, reference, national 
control tests and other tests, and training activities. 
From these viewpoints, the functions of NIID are categorised into research, human 
resources development and contributions to the health service, such as reference 
services, surveillance, and national control tests and other tests as shown in Table 2.2. 
 

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