The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, conducted an official visit on Friday, July 17, 2026, to the biomedical laboratories of the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), located on the Point-G campus in Bamako. VIDEO
Guided by the University Rector, Professor Mahamadou Diakité, with the directors of the various programs, the visit focused on three strategic laboratories within the institution’s research centers, as well as their infrastructure of support. These notably included the Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory of the University Clinical Research Center (UCRC), the IT infrastructure unit, etc.
This visit, which aimed to inquire about the institution’s biological research capabilities, is part of a fruitful international collaboration. “I would like to express my admiration for the exemplary synergy between technological innovation and ingenuity that I witnessed today in Mali. The genomic sequencing processes, the IT infrastructure, and the joint research with the NIH are of exceptional quality. This visit augurs major scientific prospects in the very short term. The pooling of data and skills between this Malian center and the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda perfectly illustrates the strength of global research. On a personal note, since the NIH played a decisive role in my wife’s recovery, it is with deep emotion and immense gratitude that I welcome this strategic partnership.“, said Frank Garcia.
This biomedical partnership has linked our two states for over three decades, specifically through Mali’s USTTB and the United States’ National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over the past ten years, during major health crises in West Africa, the clinical laboratories of the USTTB, particularly those of the University Clinical Research Center (UCRC), have played a crucial role. In addition to detecting the first cases of Ebola and coronavirus, UCRC laboratories also coordinated critical clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of the Ebola vaccine.
UCRC Communication Office
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