Evaluation of the implementation of the strategy of free acts and drugs in the health district of Bourem in Mali in 2014

Abstract

Introduction: Introduced in the northern regions by the Ministry of Health's Circular Letter No. 0700 / MS-SG, in 21th May, 2012, the policy of free medical services and drug delivery following the security crisis that Mali experienced in 2012. Its implementation in the health district of Bourem was confronted with difficulties hence its evaluation. Material and methods: A retrospective study was implemented to collect data from 2011 and 2014 reports followed by an interview with the users / stakeholders of the implementation including a total of 455 participants. The data made compared the period of 2011 and 2014 using chi-square test. Results: We found that 2014 medical and prenatal consultation indicators were better compared to 2011. The drug shortage rate (45%) for common basket medications was high in 2014 compared to the national rate of 20% for the same annual period. Of all the users surveyed, 65.5% found that free consultation was effective and 56.9% found that the medication was also free. Conclusion: At the end of the study, this policy was deemed unsatisfactory by health workers and mayors, while the majority of users (81.9%) and ASACOs (76.9%) felt that it should continue. Therefore, monitoring and evaluation is essential for the success of this policy.