Dr. Fatoumata Coulibaly Traoré

Dr. Fatoumata Coulibaly Traoré is an internist at CHU Gabriel Touré in Bamako — one of Mali's two main university teaching hospitals and the primary referral center for internal medicine in the capital. With 15 years of clinical experience, she provides specialist internal medicine care in one of West Africa's most challenging healthcare contexts.

Mali faces a severe burden of both infectious and non-communicable disease. HIV/AIDS — with a national prevalence of approximately 1.5% — is a significant concern, requiring antiretroviral therapy and opportunistic infection management. Tuberculosis, both pulmonary and extrapulmonary (including TB-HIV co-infection), is endemic. Malaria is seasonal and can cause severe disease in all age groups. Sickle cell disease has a very high prevalence in Mali's population, and Dr. Coulibaly Traoré manages sickle cell crises, complications, and chronic management. The urban Bamako population has a growing burden of hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

As a female physician and specialist, Dr. Coulibaly Traoré is particularly accessible to Malian women who prefer consulting female doctors. She consults in Bambara — Mali's most widely spoken indigenous language — and French.

Dr. Coulibaly Traoré completed her Doctorat en Médecine at the Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB) and her specialist training through the DES in Médecine Interne at CHU Gabriel Touré or CHU du Point G. She has participated in WHO and UNAIDS-supported training programs on HIV/AIDS management and antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa, and in MSF-supported tuberculosis training programs. She is registered with the Ordre des Médecins du Mali.

Dr. Coulibaly Traoré's internal medicine practice covers HIV/AIDS management — antiretroviral therapy initiation and monitoring, CD4 count and viral load interpretation, opportunistic infection prophylaxis and treatment (PCP, cryptococcal meningitis, toxoplasmosis, CMV retinitis), and PMTCT coordination. She manages tuberculosis — smear-positive and smear-negative pulmonary TB, extrapulmonary TB, and TB-HIV co-infection with overlapping drug regimens. She manages sickle cell disease including painful crises, acute chest syndrome, and chronic organ complications. Her NCD practice covers hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. She performs lumbar puncture, pleural and peritoneal tap, and bone marrow aspiration.

CHU Gabriel Touré serves Malian domestic patients and regional patients from neighboring West African countries. Bamako hosts a significant international humanitarian and development workforce from UN agencies, international NGOs, and bilateral development programs, and Dr. Coulibaly Traoré's internal medicine clinic at CHU Gabriel Touré is accessible to this community. She consults in French, accessible to most Francophone African and European patients. For complex specialist care beyond Malian capacity, referrals to Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, or France are coordinated.

Dr. Coulibaly Traoré is a registered member of the Ordre des Médecins du Mali and has been recognized by CHU Gabriel Touré for her sustained contributions to HIV/AIDS clinical program development and infectious disease service capacity over her 15-year career. She received acknowledgment from the Société Malienne de Médecine Interne for her clinical leadership in HIV/TB co-infection management.

She has participated in West African HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis clinical research initiatives, contributing patient data from CHU Gabriel Touré to regional disease burden studies. She is committed to training internal medicine residents at USTTB, supervising junior doctors in HIV clinical assessment and antiretroviral therapy management. She has been acknowledged by PEPFAR Mali's implementing organizations for her contributions to clinical mentorship.