The West African nation of Mali is one of the world’s poorest countries and has extremely high rates of maternal and child mortality. The WHO has approximated that costs of healthcare are a force pushing 100 million people across the globe into extreme poverty every year. So, in the area of Yirimadio during 2008, the community implemented a free door-to-door health-care plan sponsored by the government in order to ensure wellness and combat health ailments. After 7 years of the trial, the University of California collected data from the region and discovered that child mortality in the region dropped by 95%—marking the program as extremely successful. After this news, the President of Malawi announced the goal for the entire country by 2020 to have localized, free health care for pregnant women and children under the age of 5 to fight maternal and child mortality. This program will focus on training community health care workers, providing door-to-door services, and expanding free contraceptive access. Dr. Ari Johnson, co-founder of the organization Muso which supported the trials in Yirimadio, said, “The leading causes of maternal, newborn and child death are curable.” So, the new approach to Mali’s public health crises will hopefully help the country meet the goals of the UN MDGs to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health.
