• Mali begins construction of 15 hospitals under $349M national health project

• New and upgraded facilities aim to ease overcrowding, cut evacuations

• Health system strained by conflict; project funded fully by national budget

Mali’s interim head of state, Army General Assimi Goïta, broke ground on Monday, November 10, 2025, on the Presidential Emergency Hospital Project. The ceremony marked the official start of construction on 15 new healthcare facilities across the country.

The project will improve healthcare services, reduce the need for medical evacuations, and ease overcrowding in existing hospitals, according to Health and Social Development Minister Colonel-Major Assa Badiallo Touré.

The initiative aims to upgrade six existing Reference Health Centers (CSREF) in Bamako’s districts into standard district hospitals. It also covers the construction of two new hospitals in Bla and Kangaba, and seven regional hospitals in San, Koutiala, Bougouni, Dioïla, Nioro, Bandiagara, and Koulikoro, the Health Ministry said.

The project follows the December 2024 National Health Conference, which underscored the urgent need to make care more accessible and improve the quality of medical services nationwide.

Mali's health system remains severely strained by insecurity and conflict, particularly in the central and northern regions, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Communal violence and attacks by armed groups have caused large-scale population displacement and destroyed medical infrastructure, limiting access to essential care. These challenges are compounded by shortages of medical personnel and equipment.

The project will be fully funded by the national budget. Construction is expected to take 12 months in Bamako and 24 months in the other regions.

The government allocated 198.1 billion XOF($349.2 million) to the health sector in the 2026 national budget, up from 160.9 billion XOF in the revised 2025 budget.

Lydie Mobio