Fondation Merieux

Herd immunity / protection: An important indirect benefit of vaccination

Jason Soffe — 2010-10-25T14:42:00Z

RESAOLAB

Jason Soffe — 2010-09-06T07:29:06Z

Reinforcing access and quality of biological diagnosis in West Africa

The consequences of inaccurate medical diagnosis are particularly severe in Africa, especially in the area of infectious diseases. In Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal, around 300 000 people are living with HIV, yet more than 80% are being ignored.

Tuberculosis affects around 100 000 people annually, with one third amongst them not having access to a proper diagnosis. Malaria is the second biggest killer between all age groups in Senegal and the third in Burkina Faso and Mali.

In 2008, Fondation Mérieux and the health ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal, worked together on the development of a project to improve the efficacy of diagnostic laboratories in the three West African countries, thanks to financial aid from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).

Named RESAOLAB, this project was created with the help of 4 million Euros of financial aid over a period of 3 years with the aim of developing and supporting a network of biomedical analyses laboratories in order to continue in its training mission of laboratory staff. As the follow up to the programme ACTION BIOMALI, set up by Fondation Mérieux in 2005 in Mali and which ended at the end of 2009, RESAOLAB has benefitted from the experience of its predecessor in order to continue its work.

The reinforcement of the laboratory network will in turn support the set up of other programmes to help in the fight against epidemic diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other predominant infections, and in doing this, will contribute to the fulfillment of long term objectives for development.

The programme operates around the following modules:

Module 1 : Biosecurity and waste control
Module 2 : Quality assurance
Module 3 : Equipement maintenance
Module 4 : Antibiogram and resistance studies
Module 5 : Pre / post analyses
Module 6 : Microscopy
Module 7 : Supervision of chronic illnesses
Module 8 : Diseases with epidemic potential
Module 9 : Laboratory Management Information System

The expertise of each of the three countries will be brought together and a sub-regional network of laboratories established in order to begin the process of procedure harmonization.

ACTION BIOMALI Training

Jason Soffe — 2010-09-03T08:07:32Z

The first HIV / AIDS training session took place from the 9 to 13 April 2007
(c)Action BioMali

The ACTION BIOMALI programme, co-financed by the European Commission and established in 2005 by Fondation Mérieux, had the general objective of increasing screening and aftercare for those affected by HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Mali and the surrounding areas, through the strengthening of local biological capacities.

Within the framework of this project, an analysis of the situations of Malian laboratories was carried out revealing an urgent need for complementary training courses alongside those already set up by national programmes, to better train health professionals in the fight against infectious diseases.

A set of short training courses, drawn up by the Health Minister of Mali, was therefore created. These courses were structured around 5 teaching modules aimed at more than 240 national professionals from both the private and public sectors: head doctors, leaders of regional and national analytical laboratories, laboratory technicians.

The main actions of the programme were as follows:

to create a network of laboratories by strengthening existing capacities;
to integrate the programme into a global approach to health care;
to put in place an efficient and high quality data collection system in the field of biological diagnosis;
to broadcast the methodology and results of the programme.

Today, 73 of the network's laboratories were equipped with analytical and environmental equipment, as well as smaller pieces of apparatus and consumables. 82 laboratories were involved in the development of the programme.

More than 350 health professionals have been trained since the programme was launched in 2005:

through training courses ending in qualifications (Quality Assurance, HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria);
within the framework of BAMS (Bachelors Degree in Applied Medical Biology);
through partnership with the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Bamako.

With a view to harmonizing scientific practices, a Guide to the Correct Execution of Biomedical Analysis was written up and established by the Health Minister on the 2 April 2009 in all the biomedical analysis laboratories in Mali.

The creation of an External Quality Evaluation Unit at the heart of the National Research Institute for Public Health began in September 2009. This laboratory will allow the evaluation and assurance of the quality of the results produced by the medical analysis laboratories of Mali and distributed to patients.

An awareness campaign was launched by ACTION BIOMALI in Mali and in the sub-region in order to broadcast information to its target group and the laboratory network.

The ACTION BIOMALI programme ended at the end of 2009; the RESAOLAB (West African Biomedical Laboratories Network) project has continued its work, benefitting from the experience of its predecessor.

Charles Mérieux Room

Jason Soffe — 2010-08-30T12:40:04Z

Area: 200 m²

Capacity (seats):

Theater	Class Room

180	120

A two-level amphitheater in which a temporary floor can create a one-level room.

Vaccine efficacy: Immunological correlates of vaccine derived protection

Jason Soffe — 2010-08-20T14:41:00Z

The assistant meeting coordinator coordinates and checks information relating to the effcient organisation of the conferences. They commercialize and represent Les Pensières Conference Centre to scientific and non-scientific societies. They support les Pensières team in all matters relating to the operation of the Conference Centre.

Missions

Assist the Seminars & Training Manager in the management of scientific and non-scientific conferences and training by ensuring the logistics: registration, travel, welcoming participants, etc;
Commercialize les Pensières: monitor and manage business documents (estimates, billing, payments, presentations and visits to the Centre, etc.);
Assist the Director in all matters relating to the operation of les Pensières Conference Centre.

Competances

Bac +4 (Languages / Commerce / Marketing / Communication / Events);
Good command of English, written and spoken. A second foreign language is an asset;
Experience in hotel / restaurant;
Availability and flexibility required (weekends and holidays and possibility of long hours).