Imagine a large West African country of 13 million people all at risk of being disabled by a parasitic disease that leads to fevers, swollen limbs, and enlarged genitals, which make those infected unable to work in the fields that often provide the only means of survival in an already impoverished economy. This is the case with Mali, where all eight districts are endemic of LF, as revealed by disease mapping completed in 2005.
The Ministry of Health recognizes the seriousness of the consequences of an entire population at risk of becoming disabled and the impact this can have on an already struggling economy. Earlier this year, Mali was able to successfully establish an LF elimination program within the Ministry of Health after a meeting with a representative of the Global Alliance, Ms. Sandra Libunao, the Minister of Health, Maïga Zeïnab Mint Youba, and the new LF Program Manager, Dr. Massitan Dembélé.

After successfully gaining support within the ministry, Dr. Dembélé and Ms. Libunao turned their attention to raising awareness about LF within the international and domestic health community in Mali. As with many countries, the stigmatization that accompanies LF results in ignorance about the origin and consequences of the disease that is deadly to any elimination programme. The first order of business was to inform multilateral agencies, such as UNICEF and the World Bank, about the critical situation of LF in Mali and the Programme’s plans for elimination.

NGOs are also known for their ability to extend the capacity of the Malian government and the LF elimination duo met with many reputable NGOs, such as the Red Cross, Helen Keller International and Catholic Relief Services. A major highlight of the week-long awareness campaign was the televised “plaidoyer,” or solicitation session, which presented the need for LF elimination in Mali to local NGOs to garner support and encourage cooperation, organized by Dr. Dembélé and supported by the World Health Organisation and Dr. Dembélé’s directors in the Ministry.

Dr. Dembélé has also successfully approached the private sector to identify sources for financial support of the mass drug administration (MDA) component of the LF Elimination Programme. Supported by Ms. Libunao, she met with Bramali, a brewery company in Bamako, Pari Mutuel Urbain, the state lottery, Sotelma, the state telecommunications company, among others.

Dr. Dembélé and the Global Alliance hope to celebrate the first round of MDA in late 2005, starting in the region of Sikasso. Elimination plans call for the scaling up of the Programme with three additional regions, Koulikoro, Kayes, and Segou in 2006.

Despite the burst with which the Malian LF Elimination Programme has started and the pledges of support from international and domestic actors, the programme requires even further support to be able to reach all regions in this large country and successfully save future generations from a life of disability and poverty. Specific needs include funds for mass drug administration, morbidity management, social mobilization, and monitoring and evaluation.