The personalities present at the inauguration
A recognized strategic partnership
Guests at the official opening ceremony included Mr. Razafindrafito, Governor of the Haute Matsiatra region, Mr. Hajalalaina, President of the University of Fianarantsoa, and Mrs. Andriamampionona Tsitohery, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
Mrs. Luciana Rakotoarisoa, Indian Ocean Director at the Mérieux Foundation, who was also present, welcomed the fruitful collaboration that had made the project a success.
“We are delighted at the completion of this project and very grateful to everyone involved. The University of Fianarantsoa is an excellent partner, and we hope to continue with our collaboration.”, she stated
This project emerged from a strategic partnership between the University of Fianarantsoa’s Faculty of Medicine and the Mérieux Foundation, and was fully funded by the Foundation, including the laboratory’s advanced scientific equipment.
“We are sincerely grateful to the Mérieux Foundation for this valued collaboration, and to all the deans in turn whose commitment made it possible to complete the project. We are convinced that this new building, dedicated to strengthening the skills of laboratory technicians, will make a significant contribution to improving the quality of teaching at our university. We cherish the hope that this achievement will mark the beginning of a series of ambitious projects, all guided by the same desire for progress,” Mr. Hajalalaina concluded.
A key step forward in improving medical education in Madagascar
The laboratory was designed with two aims: to improve training for health professionals and strengthen local diagnostic and research capacity.
As Mrs. Razaifenohasina, senior midwife at Andrainjato University Hospital, emphasized: “The impact of this laboratory is immense. It will not only improve learning; it will also open up new prospects for research and improved care.”
With capacity for 20 students, the laboratory is intended for future laboratory technicians from the second year of their bachelor’s studies onward. It provides a very well-equipped environment for practical learning, with workstations dedicated to hematology, biochemistry, parasitology, immunology, and bacteriology, a classroom, and two modern technical spaces.
The facility will enable students to practice under realistic conditions before gaining work experience with real samples. The goal is to increase the safety, effectiveness, and quality of sample handling within an immersive, progressive educational setting.
Luciana Fanjanofy, a second-year bachelor’s student, explains: “Before, we had to find laboratories for our practical work. Now, we can practice on-site, more often and more effectively.”
This innovation will also have a direct impact on the health system, making it possible to train professionals who are better prepared, more confident, and thus more effective on the ground. Ultimately, this will help to improve the quality of care throughout the region.
Projects are already being planned to fence the site, develop a physical and digital documentation system, and increase the laboratory’s capacity. In the medium term, these developments will make the laboratory a leading regional training center.