MAMA - Mobiles Against Malaria - is a community building effort in one of the very poor outskirts of the Malian capital Bamako, Yirimadjo. My organisation IICD wants to help the local association Muso Ladamunen combat the main diseases malaria and diarrhoe in the neighbourhood via the integration of mobiles phones in the work of voluntary Community Health Workers.

Approximately 60 women, most mothers who live in Yirimadjo, have organized themselves to pay regular visits to families in the different neighbourhoods of Yirimadjo. This allows them to take stock of the living conditions of these households, and to identify potential women and children at risk (pregnant women, young-borns etc.). They sensitize women about their rights, distribute moskito nets to families in need, take rapid tests on malaria if they detect people who suffer of fever, and facilitate access to the local Health Centre when necessary. In the past three years, these courageous Health Workers have saved hundreds of lifes, and the number of consultations at the Health Centre has tripled. 

Last summer, when I visited them in Bamako, they were distributing 20.000 moskito nets to identified target families in Yirimadjo. The ‘captain’ of the Health workers, Mah Cissé, also told me that they are still struggling with the correct and timely identification of target families, and she asked me if we could help them to integrate an element of mobile phones in their work. This would allow the Health workers to send household data directly to a database and to geo-localize more exactly which areas of Yirimadjo are more at risk. Additionally, the mobile phones would also be used to send alerts and reminders about consultation visits to the Health workers in the neighbourhoods. 

We are now finalizing the project design of ‘MAMA – Mobiles Against Malaria in Mali’ , and we hope to be able to start with the mobile phones in december. If successful, this pilot could be extended to many other communities in Mali (and beyond). Both Muso Ladamunen and IICD have invested money in the project, and ‘De Parade’  (a dutch theatre festival) has raised an additional 6.083 euros, for which we are very grateful. But we still can use a little more help to get it really going.

So have a look at the pages http://www.akvo.org/rsr/project/277/, where you can find a description, photos and updates of the project. You can support in different ways – just by leaving a comment or tips on the pages, by sending this link to others, by putting a link on your blog or webpage, by tweeting, or by donating a little amount via the Donate button. You can also read more about the other activities of Muso Ladamunen by clicking on this link. 

 And by the way, the Health Centre supported by Muso Ladamunen, just received a clinical excellence award from the Ministry of Health in Mali – the Ciwara award:

http://www.akvo.org/rsr/project/277/update/946/