I created the country's first molecular biology laboratory at the University of Brazzaville, the capital of Congo. If this project worked, it was onl… - Francine Ntoumi

In Congo, we are probably at the stage where Germany was about 25 years ago. The difficulties start with the Internet, which does not work well. Congolese students therefore have difficulty following the latest research.

I started studying in France, where I passed my medical exam and my state doctorate. When I returned to Africa,I wanted to specialize in a field of research that is important to my compatriots. Malaria kills thousands of people in Africa every year. I want not only to fight this disease.

Raised in a family of six children, being the only girl and the eldest facing a demanding father, I learned competition and above all to never feel diminished because I was a woman.