Improving Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Mali – Response to COVID-19

This project builds on a previous project that supported the Malian Red Cross’ efforts towards the Government of Mali’s plans to reduce maternal and child mortality in the regions of Koulikoro and Sikasso. The delivery of health services in times of stability as well as in times of emergency is critical in Mali where there are significant governance and security challenges and where there are low levels of economic and social development. This project is providing additional funds in response to the immediate needs of the COVID-19 pandemic to support the national health system efforts, while safeguarding the provision of critical reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services for women and girls.

Project activities include: (1) training health staff and community health workers in targeted areas of Sikasso to safely and effectively respond to epidemics, especially COVID-19; (2) rehabilitating and/or installing water sanitation and hygiene facilities in targeted health facilities/communities in Sikasso; (3) installing hand washing stations in highly vulnerable communities and high-risk areas such as markets, churches, mosques, borders entry points; (4) providing Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) materials and personal protection equipment to health centers/integrated community case management ( iCCM) sites in Sikasso to effectively prevent COVID-19; (5) adapting current communication strategies, including radiobroadcasting messages, to demystify rumours and provide information on prevention, protection and coping practices related to COVID-19; (6) delivering targeted communication for couples, pregnant women, adolescents, the elderly and disabled through household visits and community demonstrations by Red Cross volunteers, community health workers and gender champions accompanied by religious leaders and community health associations; (7) providing adapted psycho-social support to Covid-19 patients and their relatives in Sikasso; (8) training and supervising staff and volunteers on early warning and case detection through contact tracing to strengthen community-based surveillance; and (9) updating the Malian Red Cross Preparedness for Effective Response Assessment to identify and correct gaps and areas that need strengthening, including supporting women’s participation as decision-makers in the response, and support the implementation of prioritized actions, including linking to and operationalization of Malian Red Cross Emergency Operations Centre.

A consortium led by the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and collaboration with the local partner and the Malian Red cross implemented this project. The activities of the COVID-19 response in the two districts of Sikasso (Sikasso and Kadiolo) will reach a total of 386,526 direct beneficiaries (including 194,848 females) as well as 646,472 indirect beneficiaries (including 325,887 females).