The pool of expertise available in the Institute for various fields of medical research serves to provide advisory and consultative services to the Ministry of Health Malaysia , other government departments, agencies and institutions in the country, as well as to international organizations.
Besides being recognized locally as a centre of excellence in health research, the IMR has also gained local and international recognition in a number of disciplines. The IMR serves as the:
- SEAMEO-TROPMED Regional Centre for Microbiology, Parasitology and Entomology ( South-East Asia Ministers of Education Organization–Tropical Medicine Programme).
- World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Centre for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases and Nutrition .
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Taxonomy, Immunology and Chemotheraphy of Brugian Filariasis – Parasitology Unit, IDRC. The Unit continues to provide arthropod blood meal identifications facilities to researchers in countries from the Western Pacific and South-East Asian Regions, since 1985.
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Ecology, Taxonomy and Control of Vectors of Malaria, Filariasis and Dengue – Entomology Unit, IDRC since 1986.
- National Focal Point for the WHO Collaborative Surveillance Programme on Antibiotic Resistance in the Western Pacific Region – Bacteriology Unit, IDRC
- National Reference Laboratory for HIV/AIDS – Virology Unit, IDRC between 1985–1987.
- National Reference Laboratory for the Polio Eradication Programme – Virology Unit, IDRC since 1992.
- National Influenza Centre – Virology Unit, IDRC since 1991.
- National Laboratory for potency testing of Viral Vaccines viz. Measles, Polio live viral vaccines – Virology Unit, IDRC
- National Reference Laboratory for SARS – Virology Unit, IDRC
- Secretariat for the Inter-Islamic Network for Tropical Medicine (INTROM).
- Secretariat for the National Committee for Research and Development of Herbal Medicine (NRDHM)
Consultative and advisory services are provided to government, non–government and overseas organisations. Many of IMR's staff are members of various technical committees at national and international levels; many have also served as consultants to WHO and other international organizations.
