Helen Keller International Programs in Mali

Country Profile:
Total population: GNI per capita: Life expectancy at birth: U5 mortality rate: Infant mortality rate: Adult illiteracy rate: Onchocerciasis prevalence: Vitamin A Deficiency prevalence: Trachoma prevalence : Cataract backlog:	11,2 million
HKI Programs in Mali:
Onchocerciasis: Trachoma: SAFE strategy, Nutrition: Delivering essential micronutrients; Vitamin A, Iron, Iodine, food fortification - GAIN, Communication pour le Développement: Niéta Kunafoni, Information Technologies to reinforce the capacity of the Community Radios.

History of Helen Keller International in Mali:

 

 

Major accomplishments:

Development of training modules for training of trainers and for the training of distributors.
Development of a reference book with pictures flip charts, distributors booklets in French and Bambara,
Production of a traditional theater piece 'DIBIDUGU'.
Development of video and audio-cassettes of the theater piece Dibidugu
An evaluation on the impact of onchocerciasis IEC on the implementation of the community-directed Mectizan treatment and the Vitamin A distribution into CDTI Surveillance

After the Abidjan meeting in January 2002, the HKI-Mali office conducted meetings and working sessions, then established a Protocol of Agreement between HKI and the Ministry of Health, through the National Directorate of Health, for the implementation of all activities related to onchocerciasis.

An evaluation on the impact of onchocerciasis IEC on the implementation of the community-directed Mectizan treatment and the Vitamin A distribution into CDTI activities was done by HKI through two consultants all public health epidemiologists Dr Niambele Issiaka and Dr Massitan Dembele.
Some key recommendations came out of the evaluation among others :
- to improve the training manual of distributors(the booklet in Bambara) by adding the section of pregnant women who give birth and must be treated a week after, the seek people after treatment who must be also treated while back to their village;
- to plan refreshing sessions mainly towards distributors
- to make pilot study on the integration of Vitamin A distribution before it putting in place; to consider doing an advocacy for the Vitamin A distribution .For this PNLO should collaborate with others structures of the Ministry of Health such as the Division in charge of Nutrition, the CNIECS(Health IEC Center) and partners specially HKI
- to reinforce the sensitization( consciousness-raising), the community approach, the monitoring and supervision.
On April 18, 2002, the Eye Health Team held a working session with our partners National IEC Health Center (CNIECS), PNLO, Organization for Blindness Control (OPC) and Sight Savers International (SSI). The purpose of the session was to plan and develop some micro programs on onchocerciasis control. Micro programs are brief (two minute) public service announcements that run on television or radio.
During this session, participants:
" Reviewed IEC materials;
" Watched a video about micro programs;
" Viewed a play about onchocerciasis that was recorded on videotape;
" Discussed the design of new video and audio spots. The partners were very involved in the discussions and took advantage of the opportunity to achieve a working synergy.

On June 10, 2002, The Mali team organized a meeting with OPC and SSI. Our goal was to improve our partnerships with them and to coordinate our actions in Mali. On June 11, 2002, the HKI team met with the Coordinator and the Epidemiologist of the PNLO team and with Mr. Adama Sangare, the former HKI-Mali Onchocerciasis Coordinator, to plan field activities.

In July 2002, Dr. Mamadou Oumar Traoré, the PNLO Coordinator and Dr. Achille Massoubodji, a regional expert in the field of Parasitology-mycologie, visited the HKI Onchocerciasis team. During the meeting, we discussed devolution activities after the OCP departure and the position of HKI in terms of onchocerciasis support afterwards. We assured them that, subject to funding, HKI would continue to offer support.

On June 21, 2002, HKI conducted a work session and information exchange with the Chief of Disease Prevention and Control Division (DPLM), the Onchocerciasis Program Coordinator, the PNLO Coordinator and the SSI Representative in Mali. We considered short and middle term solutions to strengthen the new structure.

SSI organized another very important workshop with the PNLC and PNLO in Koulikoro. They gathered all partners acting in Koulikoro region in the field of blindness prevention. The partners and the Regional Health Directorate developed a five-year plan for Koulikoro Region.
- HKI and the National Directorate of Health signed a Protocol of Agreement.
- HKI planned a supervision of epidemiological and entomological surveillance for January 2003 in Mopti and Segou regions.
- HKI will review, with PNLO and CNIECS support, the IEC materials. We will continue and finalize further developments.