UPDATES FROM THE MALI HEALTH TEAM 
Meet ASACO BAKON
In Mali’s decentralized health system, ASACOs (community health associations) are instrumental to not only the delivery of primary health care services – particularly maternal and child healthcare – but they are also the primary...
Reaching under-immunized children missed during COVID-19
In the first quarter of 2022, Bamako recorded nearly fifty suspected cases of measles. Public health officials collected samples and fourteen cases were confirmed at the national reference laboratory. Several of the 14 positive cases...
Vaccine Confidence: Results and Lessons Learned
Our project to assess and address vaccine confidence using a local, women-designed technology demonstrated that the use of participatory methods and tools to develop and disseminate voice-based social media messages improved both...
Improving community awareness and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines with local women-designed technology
As the world has seen and experienced during the pandemic, vaccinating populations requires much more than a vaccine. While the availability of a vaccine is one important component, a variety of factors can influence vaccination rates...
Meet Bintou and her twins
In West Africa, and especially in Mali, it is customary to go door-to-door when multiples (twins, triplets, etc.) are born, collecting support from neighbors. The birth of multiples can be a significant challenge for families with...
Training and supporting a high-impact team of community health leaders
In January, our community health worker team celebrated another year of not losing a single mother or child in their care. Their achievement is remarkable in any given year, but the disruptions posed by the pandemic makes these past two...
How women build the support and solidarity they need to stay healthy
For four years, the savings group Belle Dame, or Beautiful Lady, has met every Thursday as a part of Mali Health's women's health financing program. Their story begins with Mme. Koné Djénèba Ballo, the group’s founder and treasurer: Ever since I was a little girl, I...
Come along to a SHARE meeting
It's a Tuesday afternoon and the monthly SHARE group meeting in Sotuba is about to get started. SHARE is our special savings program for pregnant women. At each meeting, women not only save funds for their maternal care and delivery, they also receive maternal health...
Keeping communities informed about COVID-19
Mali Health is dedicated to working with communities to strengthen local health systems, so that all mothers and children can stay healthy and have access to quality care. During the past eight months, we have continued to mobilize communication events and activities...
Access by any other name: Equity and the COVID-19 vaccine
This post was written by Mali Health board member, Lisa Nichols. Lisa has served on the Mali Health board since 2014 and worked in Mali for 15 years. She is a Principal Associate in the International Development Division at Abt Associates Inc. The word “access”...