Mali

The Mali country profile provides an overview of the community health system in Mali according to the most up-to-date policies available. It particularly focuses on the country’s community health providers, the structures that support them, and the services they deliver across many health areas – with a spotlight on family planning. The profile is targeted towards policymakers, program implementers, donors, researchers, and others interested in the country’s community health system.

The table below captures key information from the full, downloadable country profile. The complete CHS Catalog data set is also available for download, including information for Mali.

Community Health Quick Stats

Main Community Health Policy / Strategy | Last Updated
  • Decennial Health and Social Development Plan (Plan décennal de développement sanitaire et social (PDDSS) 2014–2023) | No date1
  • Decennial Health and Social Development Program (Programme du développement sanitaire et social (PRODESS Ill) 2014–2018) | No date1
  • Essential Community Health Care: ASC Handbook (Soins essentiels dans la communauté (SEC) : cahier/ directives de l’agent de santé communautaire (ASC)) | 2015
  • SEC National Implementation Guide (SEC : Guide national pour la mise en oeuvre) | 2015
Number of Community Health Provider Cadres

2 main cadres

  • Community health agents (ASC) 
  • Relais communautaires (relais)
Recommended Number of Community Health Providers

Information not available in policy
Estimated Number of Community Health Providers
  • At least 2,317 ASC²
  • 26,939 relais
Recommended Ratio of Community Health Providers to Beneficiaries
  • 1ASC: 700 people (southern Mali); 1 ASC : 100–500 people (northern Mali)
  • 1 relais: 50 households
Community-Level Data Collection Yes
Levels of Management of Community-Level Service Delivery

National, regional, health district, health zone, community
Key Community Health Program(s)

Various national health programs in multiple health areas (e.g., FP, malaria, TB)

1 These documents do not include a publication date; however, they were likely developed in 2013 or 2014.
2 Data from 2014 shows that 2,317 ASC were trained in community integrated management of childhood illness. Data on the total number of ASC is not available.

Key Policies and Strategies

Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Ministry of Labor and Social and Humanitarian Affairs, and Ministry of the Promotion of the Women, Children, and the Family, Republic of Mali. 2015. Plan décennal de développement sanitaire et social (PDDSS) 2014-2023. Bamako: Republic of Mali (accessed August 2016).

Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Ministry of Solidarity, Humanitarian Action, and Reconstruction of the North, and Ministry of Women, Children, and the Family, Republic of Mali. 2014. Plan stratégique du système d’information sanitaire et sociale 2015-2019 (PS-SNISS 2015-2019). Bamako: Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Republic of Mali (accessed August 2016).

———. 2015. Programme de développement socio-sanitaire 2014-2018 (PRODESS III). Bamako: Republic of Mali (accessed August 2016).

Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, National Health Directorate, Republic of Mali. 2015a. Soins essentiels dans la communauté (SEC): cahier/directives de l’agent de santé communautaire (ASC). Bamako: Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Republic of Mali.

———. 2015b. Soins essentiels dans la communauté : Guide pour la mise en œuvre. Bamako: Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Republic of Mali.

———. n.d. Manuel de procédures du système local d’information sanitaire. Bamako: Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Republic of Mali.

Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene. 2014. Plan d’action national de planification familiale du Mali 2014-2018 (Draft). Bamako: Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene (accessed August 2016).

Ministry of Health, National Health Directorate, Nutrition Division, Republic of Mali. N.d. Manuel sur la prise en charge de la malnutrition aigüe. Bamako: Ministry of Health, Republic of Mali (accessed August 2016).

Ministry of Health, National Health Directorate, Reproductive Health Division, Republic of Mali. 2009. Manuel de référence: soins essentiels du nouveau-né. Bamako: Ministry of Health, Republic of Mali (accessed August 2016).

Ministry of Health, National Program for the Fight against Malaria, Republic of Mali. N.d. Plan de communication et de plaidoyer en matière de lutte contre le paludisme 2014-2018. Bamako: Ministry of Health, Republic of Mali (accessed August 2016).

Ministry of Health, Republic of Mali. 2012. Arrêté No. 2012-1741 : Fixant la liste des médicaments essentiels en dénomination commune international (DCI). Bamako: Republic of Mali (accessed August 2016).

Ministry of Health, Solidarity, and Elderly Persons, Ministry of Territorial Administration and Security, and Ministry of Finance. 1994. Arrêté Interministériel No. 94-5092 / MSSPA-MATS-MF : Fixant les conditions de création des CSCOM et les modalités de gestion des services socio-sanitaires de cercle, de commune, des CSCOM. Bamako: Republic of Mali.

———. 1995. Arrêté Interministériel No. 95-1262 / MSSPA-MATS-MFC : Modifiant l’Arrêté Interministériel No. 94-5092 / MSSPA-MATS-MF du 21 Avril 1994 fixant les conditions de création des CSCOM et les modalités de gestion des services socio-sanitaires de cercle, de commune, des CSCOM. Bamako: Republic of Mali.

Ministry of Public Function, State Reform, and Institutional Relations and the President of the Labor Tribunal of Bamako, Republic of Mali. 2006. Convention collective des centres de santé communautaires. Bamako: Republic of Mali.

National Program for the Fight against Tuberculosis, Technical Assistance for Management, and the World Health Organization. 2012. Plan stratégique tuberculose 2013-2017 : Relance de la lutte antituberculose au Mali. Bamako: National Program for the Fight against Tuberculosis (accessed August 2016).

Secretariat General of the Government, Republic of Mali. 2005. Décret 05-299 : Conditions de création des Cscom. Bamako: Republic of Mali (accessed August 2016).

———. 2013. Décret No. 2013-711/P-RM du 2 Sep. 2013: Portant modification du décret No. 05-299/P-RM du 28 Juin 2005 fixant les conditions de création des CSCOM et les modalités de gestion des services sociosanitaires de cercle, de commune, des CSCOM. Bamako: Republic of Mali (accessed August 2016).