Research Institute for Tropical Medicine

The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) had its humble beginnings soon after the culmination of over a decade of negotiations between the governments of the Philippines and Japan for the establishment of a tropical medicine research center.

RITM was tasked to plan and implement research programs for infectious and tropical diseases. In 1984, it was expanded to include a building for animal research and laboratory animal breeding and was established as a vaccine laboratory in 2000.

RITM was designated as the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for dengue, influenza, enteroviruses, measles and other viral exanthems, polio, tuberculosis and other mycobacteria, bacterial enteric diseases, mycology, emerging diseases, malaria and other parasites.

Locally and internationally recognized leading institution for research, training, clinical and diagnostic services, and biological production in infectious disease by 2022.