Main health risks for Mali

Diseases transmitted by insects or animals

Malaria is present in the whole country. Strains are mildly resistant to chloroquine (zone 2). Malaria is one of the principal causes of mortality in Mali.

Yellow fever is endemic in Mali. Several cases have been reported lately (53 cases reported on November 22, 2005) in the Bafoulabé district (Kayes area, close to Bamako). This episode occurs after over 10 years without any case reported; authorities feared an outbreak and launched a massive immunization campaign.

There are cases of animal rabies in the country.

Diseases transmitted by food, water or through the environment

Diarrheic diseases are very common throughout Mali. The risk of cholera is particularly high in the regions of Kayes, Kayes Cercle, Koulikoro, Nara Cercle, Mopti, Segou and Timbuktu. During summer 2011, health officials reported cholera outbreaks in three regions ; altogether, as of August 23rd, 880 people have been infected and 36 died from this disease.

Two cases of polio every year were reported countrywide in 2009-2010. In 2011, seven cases have been identified in Mali. Poliomyelitis is an infectious disease transmitted via the oro-fecal route. It may cause paralysis. An efficient vaccine exists against this disease.

Due to the risk of schistosomiasis and other parasitic infestations, travelers are advised not to bathe in fresh waters (lake, rivers) and should not walk bare-foot.

Diseases transmitted by contact with infected people

The country is located in the meningitis belt, where frequent epidemics of meningococcal meningitis occur, especially during the dry season. Meningococcal meningitis is a disease characterized by sudden fever, intense headache, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck and a rash. The fatality rate is usually 5-15 percent. Transmission occurs by inhaling the bacteria, direct mouth-to-mouth contact with an infected person or contamination by an infected person's nasal secretions.

HIV prevalence is seizable; according to UNAIDS, 1.5% of the adult population (15-49) is HIV-positive. HIV is regularly associated with an increase in tuberculosis. In Mali, 100 000 persons are living with HIV.