Countries of West and Central Africa

Countries of West and Central Africa

 

UNICEF Mali*

The Country

• 1.24 million Sq.Km
• 8 Regions, 54 districts, 703 communes
• 2 main rivers: Niger & Senegal
• Sahelo-Saharian climate

The People

• 13.5 million inhabitants
• 59.16% are poor
• 7.4 million child population under 18 years
• 85% of women are illiterate

The Indicators

• Under-5 Mortality Rate = 218%o
• Maternal Mortality Ratio = 580/ooo
• U5 underweight moderate/severe 33/13.3%
• Child labour (5-14 years old) 35%
• Adult HIV/AIDS prevalence 1.7%
• Immunized with DPT3 85%
• Immunized with measles vaccines 86%
• Gross Enrollment Rate 74%
• Use of improved drinking water : 50%
• Sanitation coverage: 46%
• Gross National Income per Capita = 380 US$
• Human Development Indicator: 0.450 ranked 174th

Main issue affecting child survival protection and development

• A difficult start in life
• Low access to quality education, particularly for girls
• Poor protection from violence, abuse, exploitation and discrimination …
• … resulting in increased vulnerability to HIV infection and AIDS impact

Main Causes

• Weak culture of rights among leaders and civil society
• International Conventions ratified but inadequately applied
• National policies and strategies inadequately applied, and not child friendly enough
• Poor performance of basic social services
• Family and communities not able to provide adequate child care and protection