Safe Motherhood: A Review - Family Care International

Mali
Safe Motherhood Policy
Mali has demonstrated growing
political commitment to reducing
maternal mortality, as evidenced by
its accession to various international
declarations and conventions, including:
• the Bamako Declaration by the First Ladies
of West and Central Africa (Vision 2010),
issued in 2001, which calls for a 50%
reduction in maternal and neonatal mortality
by the year 2010. In recognition of the
fact that any woman can face risk during
pregnancy and childbirth, the Vision 2010
Forum mobilized First Ladies, ministers
of health, reproductive health experts,
women’s associations and groups, NGOs,
development partners, and the media to:
- ensure political commitment and political
support for the implementation of regional
operational strategies for the reduction of
maternal and neonatal mortality.
- advocate for pro-women’s health policies,
particularly the allocation of resources for
maternal and newborn health care.
- raise awareness of the magnitude of
maternal and neonatal mortality in West
and Central Africa.
- share experiences concerning the
reduction of maternal and neonatal
mortality in
the region.
• the Millennium Development Goals, which
aim to reduce current maternal and child
mortality rates by 75% by 2015.
• The Alma-Ata conference in 1978 which
highlighted the importance of maternal and
child health.
• The Safe Motherhood Conference held
in Nairobi in 1987, which set the goal of
reducing maternal mortality, and which
was subsequently reaffirmed at other
international meetings.
• The International Conference on Population
and Development (1994) in Cairo and the
Safe Motherhood Technical Consultation
(1997) in Colombo, which incorporated a
gender and rights lens for addressing
safe motherhood.
The highest level government authorities
have demonstrated a commitment to safe
motherhood—in particular the First Lady,
who is a trained midwife—through a number
of advocacy initiatives. These include the
designation of a national Safe Motherhood
Day (June 8); the celebration of National
Midwives’ Day; and the awarding of the
Tara Boré prize for outstanding efforts to
reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. In
addition, a number of national entities such
as the Ministry of Health; the Ministry for
the Promotion of Women, Children and the
Family; the Ministry of Social Development,
Solidarity and Aging; and civil society
groups such as the Malian Association for
the Protection and Promotion of the Family
(AMPPF) and Groupe Pivot/Santé Population,
have also demonstrated strong commitment
to maternal health.
Mali’s national health policy is grounded in
the principles of primary health care, the
Bamako Declaration, and the African Strategy
for Health Development. 70 The overarching
goal of the national health policy is the
achievement of health for all. To attain this
overall objective, the following intermediate
goals have been identified:
70 The African Strategy for Development (1998 – 2007) aims to help member-states develop comprehensive reproductive
health programs, especially at the district level, in an effort to foster a more coherent approach to program conception and
development