MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM Basse Field Station is located in the Upper River Region (URR) in the eastern part of The Gambia about 380 km from Banjul. The field station was established on 14 December 1982 and in the past few years its facilities have been upgraded to accommodate large‐scale trials/studies, such as Pneumococcal Vaccine Trial, Meningitis Vaccine Project, Pneumococcal Surveillance Project, Global Enteric Multi-centre Study and Vaccine Impact on Diarrhoea in Africa and the trial on the efficacy of single low dose of primaquine in malaria asymptomatic carriers. 

Currently, some trials are on-going such as Pneumococcal Surveillance Schedule, Capture and Serval, Genomic Epidemiology and Transmission of Campylobacter (GETCAMPY), Enterics for Global Health (EFGH), Heat -in-Pregnancy and PHASE (Prevalence of HPV, AMR, AND STI Estimation)

Basse Field Station has a long history of cordial collaboration with the Department of State for Health, the Regional Health Team, Local Government Authorities and Basse District Hospital and has implemented research interventions targeting grass root communities through primary health care facilities in the region.

Wali Kunda sub-station under Basse Field Station located in CRR (Central River Region) is about 120km from Basse. This site functions as a centre for studying mosquito behaviour and ecology and investigating zoonotic disease risk.

Basse Field Station has excellent laboratory facilities for microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, and tissue culture and has capacity for temporary storage of biological samples in ‐80°C and ‐20°C freezers before transferring them to Fajara (Biobank) for long term storage.  

The Field Station has a well-established Health & Demographic Surveillance System.

Guest and staff accommodation is available to provide better comfort for staff and monitors visiting the Field Station with a conducive environment for qualitative research.

There are seminar rooms with up-to-date IT equipment dedicated for meetings, seminars, and training. There is a constant electricity supply in Basse Field Station with adequate numbers of generators as back-up.

The Field Station has a functional Transport department with vehicles to aid the movement of Field Officers to the various communities and Wali Kunda sub-station for their assignments. There is also a mechanical workshop and fuel dump.

Personnel are available for the maintenance of the equipment across the Field station and the sub-station such as laboratory equipment, air-conditioning, solar panels, generators etc.