Political unrest in West Africa has dominated the international headlines over the years. 

Physicians for Peace began a partnership with the people of Mali several years ago when we were approached to help reduce an unacceptably high maternal mortality rate due to post-partum hemorrhaging. The root cause was the lack of access to safe blood. This country of 12 million had only one poorly equipped blood bank in the capital of Bamako. Mothers were needlessly dying because there were no adequate safe blood supplies.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, the Millennium Cities Initiative, Safe Blood for Africa and the Mali Ministry of Health, a solution was delivered. We signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Mali’s Ministry of Health to fully equip and provide training for a highly capable blood bank in Ségou, the capital of Mali’s fourth largest administrative region.

Working with multiple partners, Physicians for Peace responded to the urgent need for clean, safe blood. 

Physicians for Peace and our partners worked closely with the Malian Ministry of Health for more than four years to help plan an adequate blood service system at Hôpital Nianankoro Fomba in Ségou. Blood service and recruited laboratory technicians received extensive education and training to properly utilize equipment and practice safe collection and transmission techniques.

TODAY, Hôpital Nianankoro Fomba is home to the Ségou region’s first blood center with 12 trained technicians and an equipped facility serving a population that did not previously have access to a safe blood supply. In the first year of operation (2013), the blood center was only functional for six months and still saw 33% growth in blood donations and volunteer donors compared to 2012.

Thank you for helping us bring safe blood to the people of Mali.