A Critical Review of National Medicine Policy in Mali: A 21st-Century Perspective from East Africa

National medicine policies are essential for equitable access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines. Mali's policy framework, established some time ago, requires evaluation against modern health challenges. An East African perspective offers relevant comparative insights due to shared health system constraints. This brief report critically reviews Mali's national medicine policy from a 21st-century perspective. It aims to assess the policy's alignment with current health priorities, its strengths, and its key gaps, drawing comparative lessons for East African contexts. A desk-based critical policy analysis was performed. This involved a structured review of Mali's official policy documents, supplemented by analysis of relevant regional policy literature from East Africa to establish a comparative framework. The review identified significant gaps. These included the lack of systematic integration of essential medicines for non-communicable diseases and weak provisions for local pharmaceutical production. The policy also showed limited focus on sustainable financing, a common regional challenge. The regulatory framework was stronger in documentation than in practical implementation. Mali's national medicine policy provides a foundational structure but requires substantial revision to meet contemporary health demands. It lags behind some regional best practices observed in East Africa, particularly in areas critical for health system resilience. Key recommendations are to commence a comprehensive policy revision to address modern disease burdens, to strengthen regulatory enforcement, and to develop strategies for local manufacturing capacity. Fostering south-south collaboration with East African nations is advised to share implementation lessons. Health policy, pharmaceuticals, essential medicines, policy analysis, West Africa, health systems This report provides a novel, cross-regional critique of Mali's medicine policy, offering specific insights for its modernisation and relevant lessons for similar policy processes in East Africa.