Despite recent gains, maternal and infant mortality rates in Mali remain amongst the highest in the world. Governance systems in the health sector are weak and Mali’s health workforce is under a great deal of stress. The health worker to population ratio is only 5 doctors, nurses, and midwives per 10,000 inhabitants, well below the World Health Organization’s goal of 45. Other barriers to care include a lack of sustainable health financing at all levels and a largely rural population that is hard to reach with primary health care services.