Acute malnutrition rates decline in Mali but remain a serious challenge

While Mali has seen some improvement in acute malnutrition rates in recent months, levels remain alarmingly high, according to an IPC alert released last month. The country’s nutrition situation is expected to deteriorate in the latter half of the year. 

The alert cites a 29 percent decline in acute malnutrition rates in 2026 compared to 2025. However, more than 1 million children under the age of 5 are forecast to suffer from acute malnutrition by October 2026, with 227,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Mali’s lean season generally lasts from June through October, and IPC forecasts an increase in malnutrition during that period. Child wasting rates are expected to be widespread in multiple areas of the country by the end of the year. 

There are multiple factors driving Mali’s continued nutrition insecurity. Dietary diversity remains low throughout the country, with few households meeting the minimum threshold for adequately diverse diets or adequate meal frequency. Continued conflict has displaced populations and disrupted food security, livelihoods, and health services in many regions, and much of the population lacks adequate access to safe drinking water and adequate hygiene and sanitation conditions. 

Coordinated, long-term humanitarian aid and interventions are needed to support the population through this ongoing nutrition crisis, according to the alert. This includes scaling up feeding activities in areas with vulnerable populations, such as displaced persons sites, and promoting optimal infant and child feeding practices like breastfeeding and dietary diversification. In the longer term, policymakers should focus on strengthening social protection programs and incorporating nutrition-sensitive factors into the country’s food system.   

Sara Gustafson is a freelance writer.