MALI
“Good Health Concerns us All”

Basic health care is a luxury that many people in North America take for granted. Mali is one of the world’s poorest states, ranked 174/177 in the UN’s Human Development Index, and is shockingly intimate with the deadly consequences of lacking basic health. 

In Mali’s northern Gao District especially vulnerable populations include women and children. This remote rural area lacks basic health care, the effects of which can be seen in staggering statistics:

• 238/1000 children die before they turn 5 years old.
• maternal mortality is approximately 1,200/100,000 women

One of the most devastating facts about the lack of health care is that due to gender norms women do not typically participate in the decision–making processes of the community- including health related process that have a significant impact on their lives. Women are responsible for the care of the children, yet do not have access to the families (slim) financial assets. The current local government is also incredibly decentralized and often lacks the capacity to mobilize the necessary resources to respond to the needs of the community.

CARE’s project, “Good Health Concerns Us All,” aims to help these vulnerable and marginalized populations in Mali to obtain quality health care. This is to be achieved through linking local governments to the health care sector more effectively; capacity building within the professionals of the field; and creating sustainable and representative local health care initiatives for women and children.

This programme has significantly improved the life of Zeinab, a 45 year old mother of three in Northern Mali. Zeinab was traditionally raised to be submissive to her husband. If her children fell sick she had to beg for the money to get medicine. As Zeinab became increasing involved with CARE’s programme her self confidence improved and she became a leader within the community of women. 

They established an income generating activity fund and Zeinab was able to start a small garden selling fruit and vegetables. The profits she makes give her the freedom to independently buy medicine for her children and the imitative has even improve her husband’s awareness of the important role women play in the community. Zeinab continues to actively promote basic health care within Northern Mali.

You too can help women like Zeinab in the community. Please support CARE’s work empowering women in their communities by providing them with the tools they need to succeed.

She has the power to change her world; You have the power to help her do it.