Mali
From the expanding Sahara in the north to the fertile Niger River basin in the south and east, Mali covers a broad section of western Africa. It is home to the fabled city of Timbuctou as well as the modern capital of Bamako. Although rich in history, in economic terms Mali is one of the world’s ten poorest nations. The country’s poverty has contributed to limited health care resources, which in turn have led to low life expectancy and high maternal and infant mortality rates.
IntraHealth is working with local partners to strengthen Mali's national health systems, increase access to maternal and child health, family planning and reproductive health care services and enhance community health resources. In addition, IntraHealth is working to strengthen health care services in areas such as nutrition, immunization, and diarrhea control. IntraHealth is contributing to the development of Behavior Change Communication activities and materials for malaria, as well as leading the monitoring of implementation of all malaria-related activities for Project Keneya Ciwara II. IntraHealth is also planning and executing malaria training, training follow up, and, where necessary, refresher training (particularly in artemisinin-based combination therapy).
Our efforts are:
- Providing refresher training for doctors, nurses and midwives, who then coach community-based health agents
- Providing technical assistance, training and support to the Ministry of Health, USAID/Mali and private-sector partners
- Working to increase access to active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL), a practice to prevent postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), the leading cause of maternal death
- Assisting USAID’s Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage Initiative (POPPHI) to show that a group of health workers, matrones, can be authorized and trained in AMTSL to further increase access to this life-saving practice. As a result of these efforts, the Minister of Health has recently agreed to arrange for matrones to be trained in AMTSL
- Strengthening the Ecole des Infirmiers de Gao and promoting promising practices at this private-sector nurse-training school
- Enhancing national and regional human resources information systems
- Managing obstetric fistula care and prevention activities.
Donors/Projects: USAID (Capacity Project, Keneya Ciwara II, Improving National Capacity to Implement High Impact Health Services and Promote Healthy Behaviors in Mali Project, Fistula Care)
Partners, Keneya Ciwara II: CARE (lead)
Partners, Assistance Technique Nationale: Abt Associates (lead)
Partners, Fistula Care Project: EngederHealth (lead)
Selected health statistics for Mali (WHO, accessed July 2008):
Life expectancy, in years (m/f): 45/48
Probability of dying under 5 years of age (per 1000 live births): 217
Adult prevalence of HIV/AIDS: 1.9%
Maternal mortality (per 100,000 live births): 1200