Mali Medical Health Points

The Malian population continues to be subject to obtrusive illness and high mortality rates due to a variety of often preventable diseases. Structural flaws in the country’s health infrastructure, including a menial medical staff, absence of funding for supplies and facilities, and the inaccessibility to existing services, pose challenges to the current healthcare system. Further, populations suffering from malnutrition, inaccessibility to clean drinking water, and inadequate sanitation increase the spread of illness. The life expectancy for the whole country is 55 years, with female life expectancy at 58 years. One child out of every ten dies before the age of one. Half of all deaths in Mali are due to either malnutrition or malaria. In 2001, the Malian population living with either HIV or AIDS was estimated to be 110,000 people, or 1.7 percent of the population. That number increased to 9.8 percent in 2006. Mali is almost entirely dependent on international development organizations and foreign missionary groups for health services. Government healthcare expenditures made up 6.8 percent of the Malian budget in 2001, totaling 4.3 percent of GDP or approximately USD 450 million; however, this spending is greatly hampered by misappropriation and fiscal corruption. In 2000, 36 percent of the population had access to healthcare services. The Kayes, Gao, Kidal, and Tombouctou regions permit the Federation Nationale des Associations de Sante Communautaire (FENASCOM) to provide 700 community health centers in their communities. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) also maintains a team of four people providing health consultations, operations, and training.