Mali Success in Vaccination

According to the World Peace Herald, Mali is making great strides in increasing vaccination coverage.

While vaccination rates increased in most parts of the world during the 1990s, they fell dramatically in Africa. But Mali is one country bucking that dismal trend. Vaccination coverage here almost doubled, to 86 percent last year compared to about 45 percent in 1999. Malian officials hope to boost coverage to 90 percent over the next decade. "The government is increasingly considering vaccinations as a public health priority," said Safiou Osseni Raimi, a senior health officer at UNICEF, in Mali. "They're investing in buying vaccines and cold units to store them in, and in new strategies to deliver vaccines in rural areas. "They're realizing," he added, "that vaccinating children is a priority for parents and for the government."