Reflections on the 2024 Sahel symposium: presenting HealthyMaman and stimulating partnerships

On december 16-17, I participated in the 2024 sahel symposium, an engaging hybrid and bilingual event co-hosted by Uppsala University’s forum for Africa studies and the Institut des Sciences Humaines (ISH) in bamako. The symposium, themed “citizen perspectives on societal challenges,” brought together scholars and practitioners to discuss research and innovative approaches to key issues in the Sahel.

The event featured two physical venues—Zootissalen at Uppsala university and the Salle de conférence at ISH in Bamako—while also welcoming online participants via zoom. This dual-site setup enabled inclusive dialogue and collaboration across continents, embodying the symposium’s commitment to strengthening global partnerships.

I played a dual role at the symposium: as part of the organising team and as a panelist / presenter. During the session on “Building international and transnational research networks,” I shared insights on conference organisation and transnational collaborations, drawing from our experience with events like the Mande studies association conference along with Pr S. Hagberg and Pr B. Coulibaly, director of the Forum and General Director of ISH respectively. The discussions explored strategies to strengthen academic spaces in the sahel and beyond.

I also presented the project, HealthyMaman, RSTHM funded, during the session on “Developing partnerships 2” . My talk highlighted the project’s milestones, including its SMS-based approach to improving antenatal care attendance (ANC) in Mali. A live demonstration of the app showcased its functionalities, including group messaging, weekly updates, and customisable templates for multilingual communication (over voice). The audience expressed enthusiasm for the project’s scalability and potential impact.

Participating in the symposium was an enriching experience, both as a presenter and an organiser. It provided an excellent platform to share ideas, demonstrate solutions, and build lasting partnerships for addressing societal challenges.

For more about the symposium and its sessions, visit africa studies or the perspectives citoyennes programme.