The Joint Learning Network for UHC is growing! Help us extend a warm welcome to our newest member, the Federal Republic of Somalia!
Officially known as the Federal Republic of Somalia, it is a resilient nation located in the Horn of Africa. It has an estimated population of 19.7 million people (2025 est.) spread across its strategic coastline and interior. While Somali and Arabic are the official languages, English and Italian are also spoken by many.
The government is steadfastly committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and has made significant progress despite a complex post-conflict environment. Their vision is a nation where all citizens have equitable access to quality essential health services. With support from international partners, the Federal Ministry of Health and Human Services (MoHHS) is actively leading the national UHC reform agenda through the Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS).
In this evolving context, the ministry is dedicated to strengthening its health system through policy development, multisectoral action plans, and innovative contracting-out models with non-state actors. Collaboration with other government bodies, including the ministries of Finance, Education, and Labor, is crucial in defining a roadmap for UHC and addressing challenges like infrastructure deficits and high maternal mortality.
Furthermore, the government has expressed its commitment to providing the leadership needed to advance health security and primary health care. The focus is on three (3) UHC priority areas:
- Expanding Access to Primary Healthcare: Strengthening the EPHS at all levels, with a focus on maternal, newborn, and child health services.
- Health Financing: Advancing pooled financing mechanisms and exploring national health insurance foundations to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.
- Workforce Development: Institutionalizing quality improvement and developing a gender-equitable health workforce.
As Somalia joins the JLN family, it aims to leverage JLN’s expertise for designing its forthcoming UHC Roadmap (2026–2030), fostering partnerships for health system resilience, and sharing its experience in managing stewardship through robust regulation in fragile settings.
Immediate areas of learning include:
- Understanding Health Financing Models: Exploring innovative pathways for UHC implementation in fragile and decentralized contexts.
- Strengthening Service Delivery: Learning effective provider payment mechanisms in mixed delivery systems.
- Policy and Governance: Gaining insights into best practices for integrating private and NGO providers into national accountability frameworks.
Primary Point of Contact:
- Name: Abdirezak Mawlid Abdi
- Title: National UHC Coordinator
- Organization: Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS)
- Experience & Skills: Abdirezak is a seasoned Public Health Strategist and Epidemiologist with extensive experience in leading health systems for Primary Health Care (PHC), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), and Maternal and Child Health (MCH). He serves as a systems leader driving the Ministry’s efforts toward UHC.
