Key data for Mali

NCI9th HRCI16th HANCI10th
HANCI compares 45 countries for their performance on 22 indicators of political commitment to reduce hunger and undernutrition. All the countries compared in the index have high rates of hunger and undernutrition. The comparative approach of the index means that country scores are calculated in relation to the political commitment of the other countries in the index.
Existing rates of: Stunting: 26.9% Wasting: 9% Proportion of population underweight: 9% Source: Government of Mali (DHS,2018)

Strong Performance

  • Spending on agriculture (10% of public spending in 2019) meets government commitments set out in the African Union’s Maputo Declaration (10% of public spending).
  • Relative to other HANCI countries, Mali’s medium/long term national development policy (Cadre Strategique por la croissance et la reduction de la pauvreté (CSCRP)) assigns strong importance to nutrition.
  • Mali instituted a separate budget line for nutrition, enabling transparency and accountability for spending.
  • The National Nutrition Policy/Strategy identifies time bound nutrition targets and a multisectoral and multistakeholder policy coordination mechanism has been set up.
  • Policymakers in Mali benefit from regular nutrition surveys that are statistically representative at national level. The last survey was published in 2018.
  • The Government of Mali promotes complementary feeding practices and has achieved two high doses of vitamin A supplementation for 93% of children in 2018.
  • In Mali, constitutional protection of the right to social security is strong.

Areas for improvement

  • Mali’s spending in its health sector (5.8% of public spending in 2017) does not fully meet (15%) commitments set out in the Abuja Declaration.
  • Agricultural extension services are the preserve of government and poor farmers have no say in setting policy priorities. The agricultural research and extension system is not properly reaching out to poor farmers. There is no policy promoting gender equity in access to extension services. This has been the case for an extended period.
  • In Mali, the law does not give women economic rights equal to men. Men and women have equal legal access to agricultural land, but this is not effectively enforced and discriminatory practices against women continue, increasing their vulnerability to hunger and undernutrition.
  • Weak access to improved sanitation facilities (39.3% in 2017) obstructs better hunger and nutrition outcomes.
  • Social safety nets in Mali are basic and only cover few risks for a limited number of beneficiaries.

Hunger Reduction Commitment Index (HRCI)

Public Spending Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Public spending on agriculture as share of total public spending
?
10%2019Joint 8th
Public spending on health as share of total public spending
?
5.8%201724th
Policies Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Access to land (security of tenure)
?
Moderate2019Joint 14th
Access to agricultural research and extension services
?
Very Weak2019Joint 44th
Civil registration system — coverage of live births
?
86.7%20188th
Functioning of social protection systems
?
Weak2018Joint 11th
Laws Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Level of constitutional protection of the right to food
?
Moderate2019Joint 10th
Equality of women’s access to agricultural land
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 3rd
Equality of women’s economic rights
?
Not in Law2019Joint 16th
Constitutional right to social security
?
Yes2018Joint 1st

Nutrition Commitment Index (NCI)

Public Spending Score Year NCI rank of 45
Separate budget for nutrition
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Policies Score Year NCI rank of 45
Vitamin A supplementation coverage for children
?
93%2018Joint 7th
Government promotes complementary feeding
?
Yes2015Joint 1st
Population with access to an improved water source
?
82.9%201719th
Population with access to improved sanitation
?
39.3%201721st
Health care visits for pregnant women
?
79.5%201837th
Nutrition features in national development policy
?
Strong2012-20171st
National Nutrition Policy/Strategy
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Multisector and multistakeholder policy coordination
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Time bound nutrition targets
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
National nutrition survey in last 3 years
?
Yes2018Joint 1st
Laws Score Year NCI rank of 45
Enshrine ICBMS in domestic law
?
Many Aspects Enshrined2019Joint 19th