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COUNTRY OVERVIEW
Mali is a landlocked nation, without significant natural or economic resources. About 80% of the populace lives in rural areas and engages in subsistence agriculture. Food production during the last two years has exceeded national requirements, but the country is vulnerable to drought and further desertification. Despite higher economic growth since 1994, Mali remains one of the world's poorest countries — rated 175 out of 177 countries in the 2006 UNDP Human Development Index. Social indicators are very low: In 2005, 72 percent of the population was estimated to be living below the poverty line, life expectancy at birth was 48 years, infant mortality was 121 per 1,000 live births, and the adult illiteracy rate was 55 percent.
The democratically elected Government of the Republic of Mali, however, continues to implement forward-looking policies that are liberalizing the economy and political system, and expanding programs in education and health. Access to development information through rural radio and Internet has made great strides since 1997. All these advances are hampered by rapid population growth, which increasingly burdens social services and the economy. Decentralized decision-making and influential civic action are progressing steadily, with communal councils operating nationwide.
WHO Country Health System Fact Sheet 2006: Mali
Mali Statistics from UNICEF:Basic Indicators | Nutrition | Health | HIV AIDS | Education | Demographics | Economics | Women | Child Protection | Rate of Progress
ACTIVE PROGRAMS
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This comprehensive reproductive health and child survival program is being implemented at the national level. It shapes national policies, improves regional and district coordination, and builds capacity, and increases access at the National and regional levels. |
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 Keneya Ciwara Project (PKC): A District-level Health Project Striving for Excellence
An integral part of the Malian Government Health Program, Keneya Ciwara is being implemented in seven of Mali’s eight regions and reaches about 30 percent of the county’s population.
Keneya Ciwara
According to Bamana tradition, the Ciwara is the mythical creature that taught man to till the soil. Strong and graceful as an antelope, the Ciwara’s curved neck brings to mind a farmer bending his back towards the earth. Modern society still holds him in high esteem, associating the Ciwara with excellence and achievement.
Taking inspiration from this myth, the Keneya Ciwara Program celebrates distinction and achievement in the field of health. Dedicated to improving the survival of Malian mothers and children, Keneya Ciwara interventions emphasize high-impact health practices, those actions proven to make the most difference in maternal and child survival. |
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Arresting Malaria with Insecticide Treated Nets
Keneya Ciwara has made insecticide treated nets available to 200,000 vulnerable mothers and children in a country where such deaths are among the highest in the world. |
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Social Networks and Gender Approach Give Family Planning a Boost
One in three deaths among women of childbearing age is the result of pregnancy and childbirth complications. But despite formidable challenges, contraceptive prevalence has begun inching upward. Keneya Ciwara project involves women’s groups (Terikunda) and men’s groups (Grins) in advocacy, promotion, and distribution of modern contraceptives. |
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Defending the Right to Sight: Preventing Trachoma
Trachoma is an eye infection easily spread through personal contact and by flies. It is so common in Mali that blindness is often accepted as a fact of life. |
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Reproductive Health & Child Survival in Mali CD-ROM
This rich collection of materials includes fact sheets, curricula, radio drama excepts and more, all in French. |
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