Basic Health Care and Nutrition for Mothers and Children (SESAME)

The goal of this project is to help strengthen the detection treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition and to help combat some of the major causes of child mortality through immunization and improved care at the community level. The project aims to support the provision of basic health services contribute to the response to the nutrition crisis in Mali and ensure that the Malian population has access to vaccines and essential drugs. The project involves establishing a mechanism for active detection and treatment of severely malnourished children at the community level; promoting adequate nutrition for infants and young children; as well as ensuring the timely supply of vaccines included in the national immunization program. Additionally the project includes providing refrigerators to community health centers for vaccine storage ensuring timely supply of medicines for essential care at the community level and distributing light medical equipment to community health centres. This project is part of Canada’s maternal newborn and child health commitment.

The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include : (1) severely malnourished children are identified at the community level managed and monitored integrating the consideration of equality between girls and boys; (2) the expanded program on immunization is implemented in communities targeted by the project; and (3) health centres located in communities targeted by this project have built their capacity to fight deadly childhood diseases and to meet basic obstetric needs.