Health

Mali is considered one of the poorest countries in the world, occupying position 184 among a total of 189 countries, according to the United Nations Program for Development (UNPD). Water scarcity is a problem that affects half of the population. The illnesses related with water represent more than 80% of the country’s illnesses. Pregnant women and children are impacted the most by these water illnesses.

Thanks to the distribution of insecticides for mosquitoes, the control of diarrheal illnesses and the distribution of antimalarial drugs, there has been a significant reduction in the infant mortality rate. According to data from the Center of Malaria Control, the national coverage for the distribution of preventative medications surpasses 80%. The result of this is that children of ages 0 to 5 die less from malaria than two decades ago. Additionally, there has been significant progress in the fight against AIDS among women HIV positive who are of fertile age, a fight which has considerably reduced the mortality rates of children born to mothers with AIDS.

In this project developed by Casa de Mali, we work to better the conditions of life of children in the Djélibani region and in the Siby village, and to guarantee respecting the rights of children. Our projects are based on:

  • Promoting sanitary education to sensitize younger populations and adults in rural communities regarding health and sexual education. We also have first aid and sanitary hygiene training.
  • Sanitary construction for the development of basic sanitary education, a dispensary and conditioning of latrines.
  • Sanitary materials (disinfectants, masks, protective materials) to help palliate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health and Schools

Well nurtured children with good health are better equipped to study and come to school. On the other hand, the lack of access to portable water and adequate sanitation installation, like inadequate hygiene practices, lead to illnesses like diarrhea that affect millions of children, limiting their education.

To avoid this situation, the health axis is centered around equipping schools with the necessary installations like adequate infrastructures for portable water and sanitation, including separate latrines for boys and girls; in promoting hygiene and sensitization regarding the importance of education for girls.

We wager on sanitary construction and other equipment, like the dispenser and conditioned latrines.

Furthermore, The House of Mali encourages basic sanitary education that allows the entire population to have a more healthy life to prevent illnesses or infections and possess first aid knowledge to be able to quickly react in high risk situations.

This sanitary education also serves to sensitize regarding sexuality to the entire community, to be able to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and undesired pregnancies.

The Dispensary

Djélibani has the presence of a young medic who tends to all the people of the surrounding villages. Casa de Mali installed solar panels since it doesn’t have a lot of its own light. The lack of light leads to big problems when there are births since on average there’s a birth per day and they often occur during late night hours. We have to continually change out these solar panels but we consider this to be clean and renewable energy that guarantees sustainability without impacting the environment. Other common problems that the medic diagnosis are severe gastric disturbances caused by the water, for this. Casa de Mali works on sanitation projects and construction of water wells, and proportions the medication that is solicited.

Mask Manufacturing to Prevent COVID-19

On March 25 Mali confirmed its first two COVID-19 cases. The following day, the Minister of Health and Social Affairs registered 2 new cases. To combat the pandemic, the country’s president, Ibrahim Boubacar Kéïta, declared a state emergency and closed down the borders. On May 9, the National Council of Public Defense published a series of measures:

  1. Required use of hygienic masks in public spaces across the entire national territory.
  2. Lifting the curfew, which had been declared on March 26, starting on Saturday, May 9.
  3. Extending the closing of education centers until June 2.

Through The House of Mali, we work through projects such as the seamstress workshops for women of l’Assotiation d’Appui a la Scolarisation de Filles “Jgiya Bon” (A.S.F.) to provide masks and protective materials with the end goal of helping to palliate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and guarantee the security of their community.