Scaling up maternal and child health care in rural MaliLimited access to health services in rural Mali contributes to excessive maternal and child mortality rates. Mali Red Cross has successfully trained Community Health Workers and paired them with Red Cross volunteers to reach over half a million people living in rural communities with maternal and child health care.

Barriers to maternal and child health careDespite progressive development in Mali for the past 20 years, the rural population still faces many challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, illiteracy and limited access to health care, particularly due to a scarcity of human resources. A situation of protracted conflict has further deteriorated the situation.

In Mali, 80 children of every 1,000 born will die before their first birthday and 15% of children less than 5 years old are undernourished, despite the fact that 80% of Malians are engaged in agriculture. Maternal mortality remains high with 550 deaths per 100,000 live births.

MAIN RESULTS OF THE PROGRAM• 542,686 people reached

with health information• Increase in post-natal

consultations for newborns within 2 days after birth from 35% to 55%

• Increase of women who completed 3 antenatal visits from 34% to 55%

IMPROVING ACCESS TO MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

Kadia, a Red Cross volunteer in Mali explains: “The blame for the high mortality rate is not only due to the limited access to basic health care. The problem also lies with poor hygiene, bad dietary habits, and ill-adapted practices. People don’t always understand that simple, everyday gestures can save lives – the lives of mothers and their children.’’

Red Cross actionIn 2012 the Mali Red Cross launched its largest program in two of Mali’s eight regions, Koulikoro to the west and Sikasso to the south. Spanning a population of almost one million people, the project supports the Ministry of Health’s efforts to improve access to health services for mothers and children.

The project has deployed 224 Community Health Workers (CHW) in villages with little or no access to health care and high mortality rates. The CHWs receive standardised training and refer more complex cases to community health centers.

In each of the villages, the CHWs partner up with two Red Cross volunteers to promote healthy practices and care seeking behaviours. 1,120 volunteers are involved in raising awareness on preventable diseases affecting pregnant women, babies and young children.

Korotomou Diallo, a 27 year old nurse, is deployed in a village 200 kilometres north east of Bamako. Her tiny clinic is never empty, with up to half a dozen women waiting their turn. The local Red Cross volunteers who she works closely with were instrumental in helping her gain the trust of the community and explain to them the type of treatment she could provide.

Achievements Since 2012 the project has seen more than half a million people reached with information about preventive practices and use of maternal and child care services, such as birth spacing and exclusive breastfeeding. The combination of qualified CHWs and local volunteers has been successful and, in general, far fewer mothers and children are ill or dying.

It was Abou’s training as a Red Cross volunteer that allowed him to recognise that Mama, in her 40th week of pregnancy, was in danger when she began bleeding heavily. He hurried to call on the help of a volunteer and together they transported her to the clinic by motorbike. Only 45 minutes after her arrival, Mama gave birth to a boy, weighing just 2.85g. With the continued postnatal care provided by Red Cross volunteers and the CHWs, Ibrahim at 18 months, is in perfect health.

For further information please contact: Mary Thompson, Canadian Red Cross, Mary.Thompson@redcross.ca, +1 613 740 1949

KEY ACTIONS FOR SUCCESS• Educating community health

workers to scale up care and support to women before, during and after childbirth

• Training local volunteers to monitor pregnant women and newborns for early detection and referral

Scaling up maternal and child health care in Mali