Next Story Malaria Research Facility Dedicated in Mali A new malaria laboratory facility was recently dedicated at the University of Mali in Bamako, Mali, West Africa, to promote malaria research, especially the development of vaccines. The facility provides tools, resources and technology to scientists who can then carry out malaria research in their native countries where the disease is endemic.
Malian researchers study blood smears in one of the new labs.
The labs are part of the Malaria Research and Training Center, which opened in 1989. The MRTC works closely with the Malian Ministry of Health as well as the National Malaria Control Program. Each year, an estimated 300 million people are infected with the malaria parasite, and more than 1 million people, mostly children, die from the disease. The MRTC labs conduct a range of research activities, including studies on the basic epidemio-logy of disease. Diana Carroll Imagine what it would be like to conduct research with no Internet connection, no email communication, and no reliable phone system to communicate with your colleagues.