05-12-2023 | di COOPI

Mali. Free, quality medical care with local support

In Mali, access to medical care remains very limited, particularly in the northern and central regions where the presence of armed groups of all kinds has led to the flight of medical staff and the abandonment of health facilities (MSF, 2023).

We met with Francine Mbida, head of mission for COOPI - International Cooperation in Mali, who told us about the difficulties of access to medical care for the local population, particularly for internally displaced persons, who have left their localities with almost nothing and in most cases have no income-generating activities to meet their needs.

In the south of Mali, in the Ségou region - explains Francine - COOPI is working in the field of health and nutrition with the project "Emergency response to the health, nutrition and food security needs of displaced persons and host populations in central Mali", funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). With the objective of decreasing the number of recorded cases of disease within the villages of Barouéli, Bla, Ségou, and Bamako, the project improved access to and use of quality nutritional health care.

We work with 135 local health facilities and 5 referral centers that enable us to provide free medical and nutritional care and help us with awareness activities.

In addition to offering medical consultations and health care COOPI has designed information sessions on how to improve behaviors related to hygiene and health, Infant and Child Nutrition, and behaviors to prevent COVID-19.

Photo: information session

The beneficiaries are mainly women who are pregnant, lactating and of fertile age, together with infants in the '1,000 days' of life, a crucial phase in their development and growth.

It is thanks to the active participation of local communities and partners that the project has been a real success. The Health Department, for example, supports us in supervising and ensuring compliance with government regulations and protocols on nutrition.

Photo: distribution of dignity kits to IDPs

Since 2013, COOPI has been intervening in Mali with projects to fight malnutrition, providing support to local health centers to improve access to medical care. In addition, COOPI also collaborates with AICS by providing mobile clinics that travel to different areas in the regions of Mopti and Ségou on designated days to provide medical care and psychosocial support to the most vulnerable populations.