Improved Health Services and Systems in the North of Mali | 720 688 20 RFI 00001

Opportunity Information: Apply for 720 688 20 RFI 00001

USAID Mali (based in Bamako) issued a Request for Information (RFI) tied to an anticipated activity called "Improved Health Services and Systems in the North of Mali" (Funding Opportunity Number 72068820RFI00001). This is not presented as a finalized solicitation for awards yet, but rather as an early-stage outreach to gather feedback from potential partners and stakeholders on how the activity should be designed and implemented. The opportunity sits in the health sector (CFDA 98.001) and is framed as a district-level effort aimed at improving access to essential services in northern Mali, where insecurity, distance, and weak service delivery often limit routine care.

The core concept is to strengthen primary health care and the ability of the district system to provide referrals for select higher-level services, while keeping the service package intentionally limited and practical for the operating context. USAID signals that the approach would rely on targeted facility-level support rather than broad, resource-intensive upgrades, with an emphasis on what can realistically be delivered and sustained. The activity would support integrated management of newborn and child illness (IMNCI) and basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC), indicating a focus on reducing preventable maternal, newborn, and under-five morbidity and mortality through better diagnosis, timely treatment, and improved management of obstetric and newborn complications at the appropriate level of care.

A notable implementation feature is the use of mobile clinics and community health workers "where possible." This implies a service delivery model designed for hard-to-reach or conflict-affected communities, where fixed facilities may be too distant, nonfunctional, or underutilized due to security and access barriers. Mobile outreach would help extend the reach of essential services, while community health workers can provide routine, doorstep or community-based services, reinforce preventive behaviors, conduct basic screening, and help ensure timely referral for complications. The repeated emphasis on referral suggests that strengthening linkages between community, peripheral facilities, and higher-level services (including transport, communication, and coordination) may be a critical element of the anticipated program.

USAID also outlines potential components that could be included in the limited package. These include family planning, covering service delivery, counseling, commodities, and behavior change communication, which points to both supply-side support (availability of methods, trained providers) and demand-side work (addressing misconceptions, social norms, and informed choice). Malaria support is described in terms of commodities, suggesting an emphasis on the provision and availability of key items such as diagnostic tests and treatment, potentially alongside standard prevention materials depending on final design. Nutrition is framed around prevention, paired with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) treatment products, signaling interest in reducing malnutrition and illness through improved feeding practices and basic household-level WASH interventions that can reduce diarrheal disease and related nutrition setbacks. Maternal and child health is listed as a component in addition to IMNCI and BEmONC, indicating broader support to the continuum of care such as antenatal and postnatal care, routine child health services, and possibly immunization linkages depending on how USAID scopes the final package.

From an applicant standpoint, the eligibility field is listed as "Unrestricted," which typically means a wide range of organizations could potentially respond to the RFI and later compete if a formal procurement or assistance solicitation is released. However, at the RFI stage, the main purpose is usually to collect ideas, operational considerations, and partner capacity information rather than to select an implementer. The listing does not provide an award ceiling, expected number of awards, or instrument specifics beyond generic "Other," reinforcing that this notice is exploratory and focused on shaping an eventual activity rather than announcing finalized funding terms.

Key practical takeaways are that USAID is prioritizing feasible, high-impact primary care interventions for conflict-affected northern districts, delivered through a mix of light facility support, community-based platforms, and mobile service delivery. The program logic centers on keeping essential commodities and services available, strengthening frontline clinical care for mothers and children, and ensuring functional referral pathways for complications that cannot be managed at the community or primary facility level. The original closing date for feedback was July 16, 2020, and the posting date was July 2, 2020, which places this as a time-bound request for stakeholder input intended to inform subsequent design decisions.

• The Mali USAID -Bamako in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Improved Health Services and Systems in the North of Mali" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-07-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-07-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for 720 688 20 RFI 00001

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