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 effective malaria vaccines. The MRTC works closely with the Malian Ministry of Health as well as the National Malaria Control Program. The new building, which has recently been wired for Internet service, contains two large labs, a conference room and library, and several classrooms. Many Malian scientists come to the United States for training and education, but then they return to Mali where they can apply the most modern tools to the study of malaria.
Malaria is caused by a parasite that lives in Anopheles mosquitoes.
An infected mosquito can transmit the parasite to a human when the bug bites and its infected saliva mixes with human blood. Elsewhere, in tropical climates such as Africa, Asia, and South and Central America where mosquitoes thrive, malaria is at epidemic proportions. 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 broad range of research activities, including studies on the basic epidemiology of disease. Parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs is a serious concern.