Health workers and local government officials gathered to welcome an unprecedented special delivery in Koulikoro and Kayes regions in Mali this summer: essential hospital equipment and supplies worth over US$200,000.

It’s the first time this volume of new surgical equipment and supplies has been delivered to health facilities here. And what arrived wasn’t just a donation—it was a targeted contribution of the most-needed medical supplies identified by the health centers themselves.

We think this approach is key—not only to how we offer holistic care for women with obstetric fistula in Mali, but to all our work expanding access to high-quality health care around the world. Alone, supplies and equipment will never solve the biggest problems in health care. It takes collaboration with engaged government partners and solid, honest relationships with health workers on the front lines of care.

It started with an assessment

In 2016, IntraHealth International and Project C.U.R.E. teamed up to assess the greatest needs in three of Mali’s main health facilities that provide fistula treatment and repair. We found that despite the availability of trained staff, some facilities housed entire rooms and wards devoid of equipment and supplies. Many were making do with broken beds, instruments they were unable to sterilize, and/or a shortage of equipment tailored to their clients’ needs.

The assessment revealed a list of high-priority supplies and equipment specifically related to fistula treatment and prevention. The top three: oxygen concentrators, surgical kits, and beds with new, clean mattresses and linens.

The new gear that arrived in Koulikoro and Kayes this summer—shipped by our friends at Project C.U.R.E.—will equip two health facilities to care for a high volume of obstetric fistula patients. There are beds and walkers, monitors and centrifuges, lights and linens, and much more that will give comfort and restore dignity to women who needlessly suffer from this preventable condition.

We’re proud to work with our partners at Project C.U.R.E., the Clinton Global Initiative, and the US Agency for International Development to help Malian women in need—and to transform reproductive health care in one of the most challenging areas in the world.

Make a donation today.

Through IntraHealth’s Fistula Mali Project, which is funded by the US Agency for International Development, we train and coordinate with health workers to provide the surgical procedure that can cure fistula, and the social, psychological, and economic skills and resources women need to rejoin their communities. Learn more.

Also read:

A Clean Bed, Anesthesia, and Other Small Comforts We Can Give Mali’s Moms

How Much Can We Squeeze In?