Today, we celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the United States President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and Mali's unprecedented success in malaria reduction. Malaria is one of the world’s deadliest diseases. According to the most recent World Malaria Report, there were an estimated 228 million cases of malaria worldwide and 405,000 malaria-related deaths in 2018. The United States, in partnership with the Government of Mali and other donors, contributed to a 60% drop in the prevalence of Malaria between 2015 and 2018 making Mali one of the world’s great success stories in the fight against Malaria. 

This success did not happen overnight. It was the result of years of hard work and cooperation.  Since 2005, the American people have generously invested over $319 million in Mali to roll back Malaria. These funds have provided the Malian people with important tools to prevent the disease including over 15 million insecticide treated bednets, more than eight million courses of anti-malarial medicine for pregnant women, and a staggering 17.5 million courses of anti-malarial medicine for children under the age of five.

For those suspected of contracting Malaria, the American people have provided Mali with well over 21 million rapid diagnostic tests and nearly 17 million courses of treatment. These life saving interventions have been complimented by a wide range of other measures including indoor residual spraying in homes to kill the mosquitoes that spread disease, laboratory strengthening, and training for doctors, nurses, and other dedicated caregivers in the health sector.

All of this hard work and generous investment has paid off. Mali is one of the top countries in Africa and around the world in terms of Malaria prevention. With support from PMI, 84% of pregnant women and 79% of children under five in Mali now sleep under bednets and malaria prevalence is the lowest it has ever been.

When President George W. Bush launched PMI on June 30, 2005, the goal was to save lives, give children the gift of a healthy childhood, and break the cycle of disease and poverty in places like Mali where malaria hits hardest. He said, “we know that large-scale action can defeat this disease in whole regions. And the world must take action.” Led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and co-implemented with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PMI has become one of the U.S. government’s greatest development success stories. Together with its partners, PMI has helped save more than seven million lives and prevented more than a billion cases of malaria since 2000.

For more information, contact:
Embassy Press Office / ACI 2000 Rue 243 Porte 297 / Bamako, Mali
Tel : 20 70 24 24 /20 70 24 26 / Fax : 20 70 24 79 / Email : PASBamako@state.gov
Embassy: https://ml.usembassy.gov/