CDC in Mali

In today’s globally connected world, disease threats can spread faster and more unpredictably than ever before. CDC’s global health security efforts in Mali help improve the country’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks before they become epidemics that could affect global populations. These efforts help Mali reach the targets outlined in the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), a global partnership launched in 2014 to help make the world safer and more secure from infectious disease threats.

Working closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other partners, CDC provides expertise and support across the 11 technical areas known as GHSA action packages. These action packages help Mali build core public health capacities in disease surveillance, laboratory systems, workforce development, emergency management, and other critical areas. Mali has made significant progress in laboratory systems strengthening, real time surveillance, workforce development, and emergency operations center establishment.

Malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in many countries, and young children and pregnant women are the groups most affected. Under the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, CDC has assigned a resident advisor to the malaria-endemic country of Mali to support the implementation of malaria prevention and control interventions. These interventions include providing long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying, preventing malaria in pregnancy, and improving diagnostics and case management.

HIV is a leading cause of death and a health threat to millions worldwide. As a key implementer of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), CDC works with Mali to build a sustainable, high-impact national HIV response program to accelerate progress towards the UNAIDS global targets to control the HIV epidemic.

With tuberculosis (TB) emerging as the leading cause of death among people living with HIV, CDC provides technical assistance to the MOH’s HIV and TB control efforts, focusing on laboratory strengthening, surveillance systems for key populations (i.e., men who have sex with men, female sex workers, and injection drug users) and HIV case-based surveillance. CDC provides technical assistance for laboratory quality assurance, viral load optimization, and national strategic information efforts. CDC is also collaborating with Global Fund and other UN agencies to achieve the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goal by 2020.

CDC supports Mali in strengthening the capacity of its workforce to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks through the establishment of the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP). FETP trains a workforce of field epidemiologists—or disease detectives—to identify and contain outbreaks before they become epidemics. Participants focus on “learning by doing” to develop the skills for gathering critical data and turning it into evidence-based action. The MOH launched the Mali FETP in 2016 with the roll-out of a frontline-level training, a three-month program focused on local MOH staff. Mali FETP trainees and graduates have been actively participating in outbreak investigations and responses for Rift Valley Fever, measles, meningitis, polio, yellow fever, and rabies.

Influenza viruses require continued vigilance to protect the United States and the world from seasonal influenza as well as novel viruses that could trigger a pandemic. CDC works with Mali’s Center for Vaccine Development to help build surveillance and laboratory capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to influenza threats. Surveillance is being conducted using sentinel sites in two regions and in the capital city of Bamako.

Every year, over one million people worldwide are affected by meningitis. CDC has a long history of collaboration with the Mali MOH in meningitis prevention and control. CDC assistance has included technical support and evaluation of the 2010-2011 MenAfriVac mass vaccination campaign, assessment and strengthening of meningitis surveillance, and technology transfer of real-time sensitive diagnostics for the three main vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis pathogens.