Our History

Marcel Mérieux, who founded the Institut Mérieux in 1897 to develop and produce human and animal vaccines.

Infectious diseases cause 17 million deaths each year around the world, predominantly in developing countries. For more than 50 years, the Mérieux Foundation has been taking action to help ensure that every child, woman, and man has fairer access to essential healthcare.

Dr. Charles Mérieux created the Mérieux Foundation in 1967 in honor of his father, Marcel Mérieux, a student of Louis Pasteur.

In the first few decades, the foundation’s work ranged from major vaccination campaigns in Africa and international symposia in the earliest days of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, to the first BSL4 biocontainment laboratory in Europe for research on dangerous pathogens.

Starting in the 2000s, under the impetus of Dr. Christophe Mérieux, the foundation headed into the field to build local capacities to fight infectious disease. A decade later, the foundation started to address other factors affecting the well-being of vulnerable populations with programs for education, nutrition, and socioeconomic development targeting mothers and children.

In 2012, the Mérieux Foundation USA was founded in Washington, D.C. to continue expanding the exceptional international network of partners, scientists, and public health experts improving the lives of those most in need.

Learn more about our legacy by following the timeline below, from our most recent projects to our origins alongside Louis Pasteur in 1897.

2024 (May)

Publication

Results of NOSOCOR international study related to COVID-19 are published in American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

2024 (March)

Bangladesh

Launch of Pneumo-DX study to improve diagnosis of childhood pneumonia in Rohingya refugee camp of Cox Bazar

2024 (January)

Cambodia

Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory at the University of Health Sciences in Phnom Penh earns ISO 9001:2015 certification

2023 (December)

Brazil

Charles Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease, located in Rio Branco in Acre, joins the GABRIEL network

2023 (September)

Washington, D.C.

2nd annual scientific symposium at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health: Unmet needs in tuberculosis diagnosis and case management in LMICs

2023 (August)

Benin, Nigeria, and Togo

40 new Epidemiological Surveillance Centers were established as part of the World Bank-funded REDISSE project Phase III

2023 (June)

Bangladesh

Launch of the EBC-LAM project, a study to evaluate an innovative TB diagnostic test

2023 (June)

Cameroon

The Pasteur Center in Cameroon and Mérieux Foundation inaugurate the Hygiene and Environment Laboratory in Yaoundé

2023 (May)

Burundi

Launch of the Amagara Yacu project to improve the quality of primary healthcare and epidemiological surveillance, funded by AFD

2023 (April)

DRC

The Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Goma, a regional public health laboratory, was inaugurated by the National Biomedical Research Institute

2023 (March)

Les Pensières Center of Global Health

First Epi-Course, an advanced course on epidemiology in complex emergency situations, co-organized with Epiconcept

2023

Moldova

Start of renovations at the microbiology laboratory at Toma Ciorba hospital, serving an influx of Ukrainian refugees

2022 (November)

Republic of the Congo

GABRIEL scientific network welcomes the Congolese Foundation for Medical Research located in Brazzaville

2022 (October)

Cameroon

Workshop on the management of Latent TB infection in French-speaking Africa, co-organized with Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, funded by Qiagen

2022 (May)

Washington, D.C.

1st annual scientific symposium at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health: Pioneering Ebola Response

2022 (May)

West Africa

Project Kickoff Meeting: Coordinated One Health Approach to risk assessment of hemorrhagic fever viruses

2022 (April)

Burkina Faso

Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens Laboratory (LaPathER) in Bobo Dioulasso becomes the 21st member of the GABRIEL network

2022 (March-April)

Guinea

Sample Collection and High Throughput Sequencing Training with representatives from 5 Guinean partners

2022 (March-April)

Senegal

Field Sample Collection and Molecular Laboratory Diagnostics Trainings in partnership with LNERV and WALIC

2021 (December)

Senegal

Senegal hosts the first Advanced Course on Diagnostics in French on the African continent (Afro-ACDx).

2021 (November)

Mali

2021 (October)

Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory of Tunisia

Opening of the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory, a level 3 biosafety laboratory, at the Institut Pasteur in Tunis.

2021 (July)

Partnership

IRD and the Mérieux Foundation renew their agreement and strengthen their cooperation on healthcare and research relating to infectious diseases.

2021 (June)

Chad, Guinea and Mali

Global Laboratory Leadership Program launch, supported by the Global Fund

2021 (April)

Morocco

Inauguration of the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory – Centre of diagnostics and expertise for tuberculosis and mycobacteria in Casablanca.

2020 (November)

Senegal

Inauguration of diaTROPIX rapid diagnostic test production unit at Institut Pasteur of Dakar.

2020 (November)

Latin America and the Caribbean

Partnership with PAHO to develop a polio containment e-learning course for the Americas

2020 (October)

APRECIT

Launch of APRECIT project to improve latent tuberculosis screening and care.

2020 (August)

Southeast Asia

Launch of SEALAB project to strengthen lab networks and epidemic response in Southeast Asia.

2020 (July)

Madagascar and DRC

Mérieux Foundation joins multi-year USAID Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance (IDDS) project.

2020 (March)

COVID-19

The Mérieux Foundation and its partners mobolized against COVID-19.

2020 (January)

Madagascar

Inauguration of the Alain Mérieux High School in the village of Mahatsara, built with the Akamasoa association.

2019 (November)

RESAOLAB

Launch of Phase 3 of RESAOLAB – West African Network of clinical biology laboratories.

2019 (November)

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory at the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) in Goma.

2019 (October)

MOOC

New massive open online course (MOOC) on Quality Management, created with AFNOR and Institut Pasteur.

2019 (September)

ACDx

10th Anniversary of the Advanced Course on Diagnostics (ACDx), created with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

2019 (July)

Cameroon, Mali and Niger

Start of Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa (TDDA) program initiated by the UK government.

2019 (June)

Lebanon

Inauguration of a new health center for vulnerable populations in the Bekaa plain.

2019 (May)

ADVAC

20th anniversary of the Advanced Course of Vaccinology (ADVAC), created with the University of Geneva.

2019 (March)

BAMS Haiti

The Bachelor of Applied Medical Sciences (BAMS) professional training program for senior lab technicians integrated into the State University of Haiti.

2018 (July)

Bangladesh

Launch of the study on lower acute respiratory infections in Rohingya refugee camps to determine the healthcare interventions needed.

2018 (March)

Niger

Inauguration of the Laboratories Directorate and Continuing Training Center Inaugurated in Niamey, part of the RESAOLAB project.

2018 (March)

G5 Sahel

Inauguration of a second mobile laboratory provided to G5 Sahel member countries.

2018 (March)

Guinea

Inauguration of the National Laboratories Directorate and Continuing Training Center in Conakry, built through RESAOLAB.

2018 (January)

Madagascar

Launch of the first health education kits for children with the Malagasy Ministry of Public Health.

2018 (January)

Guinea, India, Laos and Senegal

Launch of four-year project to conduct biological threat reduction activities.

2017 (October)

GTFCC

Launch of the new Global Task Force on Cholera Control strategy to reduce cholera deaths by 90% by 2030.

2017

50 years

Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Foundation at the Les Pensières Center for Global Health.

2017

Laos

Inauguration of the first Food Safety Laboratory in Vientiane.

2017

Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Cambodia

Inauguration of the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Phnom Penh, following renovation work and strengthening of the technical capacity of the laboratory.

2017

Madagascar

Inauguration of the “Maison Bénédicte”, a training and community center for young people.

2016

Center of Infectiology Lao Christophe Mérieux Lao PDR

The Christophe Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease becomes the Center of Infectiology Lao Christophe Mérieux following official recognition by the Laos Ministry of Health.

2016

Brazil

Inauguration of the Charles Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease with a Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in the Fundhacre Hospital in Rio Branco

2015

SPHaitiLAB

Inauguration of the SPHaitiLAB project to help improve the health of Haiti’s population by conducting analyses and offering strategic advice on laboratory policy.

2015

I-Lab

Launch of the I-Lab project in an effort to help Senegal’s National Laboratory Directorate implement an automated system for collecting epidemiological data from laboratories.

2015

LAB-NET

Launch of the LAB-NET project in Guinea to establish a dedicated surveillance system for viral hemorrhagic fevers.

2015

Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Bangladesh

Inauguration of the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Chittagong (Bangladesh).

2014

Mother and Child

Launch of Mother and Child projects in Iraqi Kurdistan.

2014

Mobile laboratory in Mali

Inauguration of a mobile laboratory dedicated to the detection of the Ebola virus is set up in the Charles Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease in Bamako.

2013

RESAOLAB

Four countries join the RESAOLAB network: Benin, Guinea, Niger and Togo.

2012

Docteur Christophe Mérieux Center

Creation of the Docteur Christophe Mérieux Center in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) with “Enfants du Mékong”

2011

Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Lebanon

Inauguration of the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Beirut.

2011

BAMS Haiti

Four years after Mali, the BAMS (Bachelor in Applied Medical Sciences) training course is launched in Haiti.

2010

ACDx

The first ACDx advanced diagnostics course is held at Les Pensières Center for Global Health.

2010

Charles Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease in Madagascar

Inauguration of the Charles Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease and the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Antananarivo.

2009

RESAOLAB

Launch of the West African Network of Biomedical Analysis Laboratories (RESAOLAB, Réseau d’Afrique de l’Ouest des Laboratoires de Biologie médicale) to strengthen the health infrastructure in Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal.

2009

Christophe Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease in Lao PDR

Inauguration of the Christophe Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease and the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Vientiane.

2009

Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Haiti

Inauguration of the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Port-au-Prince.

2008

GABRIEL network

Launch of the GABRIEL network, an international network of laboratories cooperating on research into infectious diseases in developing countries.

2008

Christophe Mérieux Laboratory in China

Inauguration of the Christophe Mérieux Laboratory in Beijing.

2008

Emerging Pathogens Laboratory

Inauguration of the Emerging Pathogens Laboratory in Lyon (France).

2007

BAMS Mali

Launch of the BAMS (Bachelor in Applied Medical Sciences) training course for laboratory technicians in Mali.

2007

Charles Mérieux Conference

The first Charles Mérieux Conference, on the theme of global health.

2007

Fondation Christophe et Rodolphe Mérieux

The Fondation Rodolphe Mérieux becomes the Fondation Christophe et Rodolphe Mérieux.

2005

Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Cambodia

Inauguration of the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in the University of Health Sciences in Phnom Penh.

2005

Charles Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease in Mali

Inauguration of the Charles Mérieux Center for Infectious Disease and the Rodolphe Mérieux Laboratory in Bamako.

2003

Faculty of Pharmacy in Phnom Penh

Reconstruction of the Faculty of Pharmacy in Phnom Penh (Cambodia).

2003

Alain Mérieux

Alain Mérieux becomes President of the Mérieux Foundation

2001

Fondation Rodolphe Mérieux

Creation of the Fondation Rodolphe Mérieux.

2000

ADVAC

Creation of ADVAC, an international advanced course in vaccinology.

1999

Jean Mérieux-Inserm BSL-4 Laboratory

Creation of the Jean Mérieux-Inserm BSL-4 laboratory in Lyon (France).

1986

Cent Gardes

Creation of the Cent Gardes Symposium dedicated to HIV at Les Pensières Center for Global Health.

1983

Bioforce Development

Creation of Bioforce development, for training human health logisticians.

1976

Granted public interest status

The Mérieux Foundation receives public interest status.

1974

Vaccination campaign in Brazil

One hundred million Brazilians are vaccinated against meningitis in a huge vaccination campaign.

1972

Association for the Promotion of Preventative Medicine

Creation of the Association for the Promotion of Preventative Medicine (known today as the Agence de Médecine Préventive, AMP).

1967

Mérieux Foundation

Creation of the Mérieux Foundation by Doctor Charles Mérieux, as a tribute to his father Marcel Mérieux.

1897

Institut Mérieux

Marcel Mérieux, a student of Louis Pasteur, creates the Institut Mérieux, dedicated to the development and production of human and animal vaccines.

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