WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region Dr Hanan Balkhy’s statement on her …
10 November 2024 – My first visit to Somalia as Regional Director took place as the country stands at a crossroads. On the one hand, Somalia is reeling from more than 3 decades of conflict and instability, extreme weather events, disease outbreaks and regional fragility. On the other, the country is poised for change. Somalia’s leaders are committed to transformation and the Somali people — many of them born during the civil war — are eager to contribute to the progress of their country.
My 3-day visit to Mogadishu included discussions with senior government officials, humanitarian partners and donors during which we focused on strengthening coordination and support to address some of the most critical health issues facing the people of Somalia and the health system that serves them.
In many parts of the country the health infrastructure has been devastated. More than 40% of Somalis lack access to basic health services. More children under the age of 5 and women giving birth die from preventable causes than anywhere else in the world, mainly as a result of limited infrastructure and the shortage of skilled health workers, particularly midwives, in remote and rural areas.
The country is increasingly impacted by extreme weather events such as drought and floods. While coordinated preparedness and response efforts by WHO and partners were able to avert famine during the 2022–2023 drought, tens of thousands of children lost their lives and millions of people remain vulnerable to hunger and disease.
More than 1.5 million children have yet to receive
