Mali, like the rest of the world, is urbanizing.

Growth in Mali’s bustling capital city, Bamako, has been rapid and uneven. Newcomers often make their homes in informal, quickly-settled neighborhoods that usually lack access to basic services like improved water, electricity, sanitation, education, and health services.

Mali Health works in 16 peri-urban communities across Bamako. It is easy to make the assumption that more resources exist in urban communities, but in the peri-urban communities where we work, resources are extremely limited.

Residents of peri-urban communities often live below the international poverty line, and struggle to access education or economic opportunities that could help them overcome poverty. At the same time, these are dynamic and busy neighborhoods and residents are eager to come together to improve their communities.

As Bamako continues to grow rapidly, investment in health infrastructure and services today will determine health outcomes and urban living conditions in the future.