On Thursday, October 21, USAID’s MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience officially launched its activities in Timbuktu, Mali, announcing its five-year commitment to strengthening health resilience for maternal, newborn, and child health, voluntary family planning, and reproductive health services. In attendance were U.S. Ambassador to Mali Dennis B. Hankins and Mali’s General Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Aly Diop, along with Maïga Seïma Issa, the President of the FERASCOM (the Community Health Association Federation).

Mali has one of the highest rates of maternal and child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. For the past 10 years, the country has experienced security and instability issues leading to the displacement of people fleeing violence. Despite its security and economic challenges, the country has made impressive strides in key health outcomes in recent years, and MOMENTUM plans to build upon that progress.

“If MOMENTUM hadn’t happened, we would have had to invent it because it meets our needs so perfectly,” said Issa, highlighting the importance of engaging local partners in the development of the program.

In his remarks, Ambassador Hankins stressed the U.S. Government’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of the most vulnerable Malians. “Diseases do not respect borders,” he said. “The United States works with all Malians, wherever they live, to build a brighter and more peaceful future…Healthy neighbors are good neighbors, and we are proud to expand our life-saving health assistance in northern Mali.”

For more information about the project’s work in northern Mali, take a look at this fact sheet.