Civil-military coordination in health emergencies: Lessons for health system resilience from a Rift Valley fever response in Mali
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Fragile and conflict-affected settings can disrupt routine surveillance while insecurity prevents conventional public-health teams from reaching populations at risk. This commentary examines a joint Rift Valley fever (RVF) response conducted in Mali’s Ménaka Region from 22 to 30 October 2016. The paper combines a retrospective first-person account by the mission lead with review of the operational mission report, planning documents and relevant health-systems and civil-military literature. The mission used integrated civilian and military planning to reach seven purposively selected sites, investigate suspected human and animal infections, conduct mosquito trapping, and deliver risk communication and basic clinical services. Operational records report that 228 sheep and goats were tested, of which nine were RVF IgM-reactive (3.95%; two-sided exact 95% confidence interval, 1.82%-7.36%); 60 suspected human cases were investigated, with no active RVF infection recorded. These figures are descriptive of the people and animals reached and do not estimate regional prevalence. We argue that the episode illustrates how adaptive governance, negotiated access and multisectoral coordination may temporarily restore selected surveillance functions under extreme insecurity. It does not demonstrate sustained health-system resilience or validate a transferable model. Comparison with African civil-military and emergency-surveillance experience suggests that early role definition, civilian health leadership, transparent coordination and attention to community trust are central to such operations and warrant evaluation across settings and over time.
Source: SSM - Health Systems
Language: English
Subfield: Emergency Medical Services
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,490
OpenAlex ID: W7222426833