We work with governments and local organisations in Mali and countries across Africa to deliver vital charity work and make sure everyone has the chance to thrive.
Sightsavers in Mali
Mali, in the Sahel region of West Africa, is among the world’s poorest countries.
In recent decades it has been hit hard by environmental disasters, political instability and armed conflict. Yet the government of Mali is working to roll out universal health coverage and improve health services, particularly in rural areas where poverty rates are highest. Mali’s health care system is boosted by foreign aid, with significant investment in eye care.
In May 2023, Mali announced that it had eliminated trachoma, supported by Sightsavers and partners. Despite this achievement, other neglected tropical diseases are still prevalent in the country and the focus is now on tackling river blindness and lymphatic filariasis.
Many people with disabilities in Mali face barriers and discrimination in society. Yet progress is being made: in 2008, Mali ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In 2018, the National Assembly of Mali unanimously adopted a law on the rights of people with disabilities, and its implementing decree was signed by President of the Transition and Head of State Assimi Goita in 2021.
Facts about Mali
- Population: 22 million
- Capital: Bamako
- Official language: All 13 national languages, with French as the working language
- Human development index (HDI) ranking: 186 (low)
Four men sit on the back of a white truck with a Sightsavers logo on the door. They're driving through a dusty road in Mali, with trees on either side.
What are the challenges in Mali, and how can these be addressed?
Eye care
People in rural areas struggle to access quality eye care.
Mali’s eye care services are affected by a lack of investment and resources in the general health care system. Sightsavers’ charity work focuses on reducing blindness in the Koulikoro region, in the south-west of the country.
Infectious diseases
People in Mali are at a high risk of infectious diseases.
Neglected tropical diseases that can cause blindness and disability are prevalent in Mali. Sightsavers’ work in the country has already helped to eliminate trachoma, and now we focus on protecting people from river blindness, schistosomiasis, intestinal worms and lymphatic filariasis.
Inclusion and equality
Not everyone can claim their human rights.
People with disabilities and women and girls face stigma and discrimination in society. Our charity work on disability rights in Mali focuses on improving everyone’s access to health care, education and employment.
Wearing a surgical mask, Noutene reads braille at an inclusive school in Mali.
“It was a bit difficult to learn before I had glasses. The school gave me glasses, which has helped me a lot.”
Noutene, from Hamdallaye, attends an inclusive school where she’s learning through braille
How you can help
Our charity work in Mali has already helped to eliminate trachoma, but there’s still more we need to do.
With your support, we want to continue providing quality eye care services, protect people from disease and create a ripple effect in Mali, so everyone can learn, earn and thrive. To do this, we need your help.
Charity donations, legacies, corporate partnerships and gifts from charitable foundations are a vital source of funding for our programmes in Mali. We also welcome opportunities to work in partnership with governments, institutions and development organisations.
Contact us: If you have any questions about our work in Mali, would like more information about our programmes or wish to discuss ways you can donate or support us, email [email protected]
Latest stories from Mali
How Mali overcame three big challenges and eliminated trachoma
Sightsavers’ Boubacar Morou Dicko shares the obstacles Mali faced on the road to eliminating trachoma, and how the country was able to overcome them.
Boubacar Morou Dicko, May 2023
Benin and Mali become the latest countries to eliminate trachoma
Both countries’ achievements have been validated by the World Health Organization, meaning they join a growing list of countries to have banished the disease.
May 2023
The last mile: paving the way to eliminating river blindness in Mali
Since 1991, Sightsavers been helping Mali’s ministry of health to treat and prevent this blinding disease. Now the country is on track to banish it for good.
June 2022
The last five years: Mali’s journey to protect the rights of people with disabilities
The signing and passing into law of a new social decree that protects the rights of people with disabilities was years in the making. But how did we get to this historic moment?
Daouda Kone, October 2021
How inclusive education is transforming lives
In Mali, a Sightsavers project is ensuring children with disabilities are able to learn alongside their peers. Students, teachers and parents describe how the project has made a difference.
May 2021
How Sightsavers has helped to adapt braille into Mali’s local language
As part of Sightsavers' inclusive education project, which supports children with visual impairments across Mali, we’ve worked with linguistic expert Dr Issiaka Ballo to translate braille into the local language for the first time.
December 2020
Discover where Sightsavers works in Africa and Asia
Where we work