Implementation of National programme

Mali’s proposal to SCI was approved by the Advisory Board on October 30th 2003, subject to agreement to work on a regional basis with Burkina Faso and Niger.

Mali’s proposal to SCI was approved by the Advisory Board on October 30th 2003, subject to agreement to work on a regional basis with Burkina Faso and Niger.

The nominated National Co-ordinator in the Ministry of Health is Dr Robert Dembele. The National Programme is under the responsibility of the Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Division, Dr Benoît Karambiri. The National Director of Health is Dr Youssouf Konate. They in turn work closely with the public health research wing of the Ministry, the Institut National de Recherche en Sante Publique, where Dr Moussa Sacko is responsible for the collection of data on schistosomiasis. Dr Aly Landoure is also working closely with him on data collection and analysis; and Dr Adama Keita of the national hospital in Bamako will be collecting ultrasound data.

This team has prepared a detailed plan for the regions where data will be collected; and data collection started in the Segou region in late March 2004.

The immediate needs of praziquantel have been donated by the Canadian Charity Children’s Emergency Foundation and MedPharm. A supply of both praziquantel and albendazole has been ordered through the Pharmacie Populaire du Mali (PPM), with the intention of starting phase 1 of treatment in May.