Strengthening institutions and supporting communities in low- and middle-income countries to improve health care is our mission. We believe that access to high-quality laboratories is key to preventing epidemics and ensuring a safer future. By sharing our expertise, building on local knowledge, and focusing on the needs of vulnerable populations, we aim to create sustainable, effective solutions.
What We Do
Working side-by-side with our local partners, we design lasting solutions to improve the health and lives of vulnerable populations. The people and communities that are most impacted by these projects then carry them forward.
To fulfill our mission, the Mérieux Foundation USA draws on extensive technical expertise, decades of field work, and the trust of local partners built on nearly 60 years of international development. We implement programs that support global health security by building, maintaining, and equipping high level medical laboratories; training laboratory professionals including on biosecurity guidelines; and reinforcing diagnostic capacity in partnership with ministries of health.
Our public health priorities
We focus on infectious disease challenges that pose the most significant risk to global public health.
-
Antimicrobial resistance
Identified by WHO as one of the greatest threats to public health, AMR requires a global ‘One Health,’ borderless approach coupled with strong laboratory capacities.
-
Tuberculosis
TB is the second most deadly infectious disease, but it can be contained with widespread access to diagnostics and treatment.
-
Acute respiratory infections
Although they can be prevented and treated, these infections are particularly deadly in children under age five.
-
Emerging pathogens
Disease pathogens, known or unknown, can suddenly cause an outbreak. Laboratory surveillance is crucial to mount a rapid, effective response.
Our approach
We have developed a holistic model for laboratory capacity building and infectious disease control, focused on locally-driven work with onsite teams and partners, in close conjunction with national authorities. Our approach is based on:
-
A powerful commitment
to international cooperation, where expertise and experiences are shared across disciplines to tackle complex global health challenges together
-
A long-term vision
with sustained support leading to autonomy and local ownership of infrastructure, skills and programs
-
A wider lens on global health
to address the broader determinants of health, including access to care, education, nutrition, and socio-economic support for patients
-
Strong local roots
supported by national teams and long-standing partnerships to improve the health of local communities. We accompany them as they carry forward sustainable projects designed for their specific context.
