Inserm is the only public research institution solely focused on human health and medical research in France. It is a public institution with a scientific and technical vocation under the dual auspices of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Research. Similarly to the US National Institutes of Health, Inserm conducts fundamental and translational research projects through 339 research units, run by around 13,000 scientists, including 5,100 permanent research staff members and 5,100 staff members co-affiliated with university hospitals and medicine faculties. Inserm's laboratories and research units are located all over France, mainly in the largest cities. Eighty percent of Inserm research units are embedded in research hospitals of French universities.. In April 2020, Inserm researchers, Dr. Camille Locht and Dr. Jean-Paul Mira, suggested on live television that COVID-19 experimental drugs be tested in Africa, despite the fact that Africa had the fewest cases of the virus in the world. After the comments were widely denounced as racist, Inserm and the two researchers released statements of apology.