July 30, 2025
The West African country of Mali, with an estimated population of 22 million people, continues to be plagued by civil unrest, displacement and severe flooding - putting immense strain on both physical and mental health care needs across the country. Mental health resources in particular have been scarce, with only one dedicated mental health center operating in all of Mali until 2024.
To help address this critical need, we recently completed the Halil Demir Mental Health Unit, named after our Executive Director, in 2024 in the capital of Bamako, Mali, located within the ANIASCO Health Center. On July 3, 2025, Director Demir himself paid a visit to the new center, now the second existing mental health center in Mali. The unit includes consultation and observation rooms, meeting spaces, a terrace, ablution facilities, and solar lighting - offering a safe space for patients to bring their mental health concerns in a professional environment. The district in which our new unit is located has specifically faced a sharp, ongoing rise of drug abuse which has only exacerbated mental health conditions for the area’s residents. Through our new initiative, it is our hope that we can offer a true source of comfort and solace from this chaos - and a means by which Mali’s people can bolster their mental fortitudes and lead holistically healthy lives.
