Focus on politics will allow Mali’s epidemic to grow

Subject

COVID-19 impact on Mali.

Significance

COVID-19 is a serious threat in Mali but increasingly, many leaders’ and citizens’ attention is focused on other issues, especially the massive mobilisations of citizens calling for President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita to resign. Nevertheless, the public health crisis is not yet contained, and the pandemic is taking a toll on the economy and the food security outlook.

Impacts

• The secondary impacts of COVID-19 could begin to accumulate, for example in terms of excess malaria deaths, as resources are diverted.
• Insecurity persists in northern and central Mali, but so far looks likely to simply continue along pre-existing (worsening) trends.
• COVID-19 has infected personnel in key international security deployments, but is unlikely to disrupt operations significantly.