Health Workers Training in Mali

The results achieved as of the end of the project (December 2019) include the following: (1) the introduction of a competency-based approach to training paramedics and doctors in Mali’s 2 public schools the INFSS and the diplôme d’études spécialisées [specialized study diploma] (DES) in family medicine/community medicine; both institutes train over 1 000 students annually (60% of whom are women); (2) the introduction of a DES in family medicine/community medicine offered by the University of Bamako’s faculty of medicine and accredited by the Government of Mali; (3) the establishment of 5 university health centres as places for clinical training and internships for female and male students; (4) the emergence of a different attitude in the medical community that encourages medical professionals to reach out to people to better understand their health challenges and needs and to better serve them in local health centres in collaboration with community organizations and local communities; (5) the delivery of quality front-line health care services focusing on practical training for doctors and paramedics in the field through internships in rural areas where there is a greater shortage of health professionals; and (6) the recruitment of 24 graduates with a DES in family medicine/community medicine into the federal public service and their deployment to several regions of Mali including the northern regions to help improve the quality of front-line health services in outlying areas.