Mali - Traditional Knowledge and the Reduction of Maternal and Infant Mortality

Abstract

Maternal and infant mortality remains very high in Mali, despite the technical, organizational and financial efforts made by the Ministry of Health and donors during the last ten years. The data available from the three EDS are eloquent in this respect: infant mortality, which was 108 (EDS I, 1982-1987), reached 123 (EDS II, 1996) to freeze at 113 (EDS III, 2001); maternal mortality rose from 577 deaths out of 100.000 births (EDS II, 1996) to 582 (EDS III, 2001). The retraining of Traditional Birth Attendants ( TBAs ) From the 1980s, many attempts at "retraining " TBAs and the matrons were supported by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and other bilateral and multilateral cooperation agencies, as a temporary measure, pending the training of more health professionals who could take charge of childbirth assistance functions.