A Finnish anesthetic nurse is training a local nurse in the Hargeisa hospital. From 2008 doctors and nurses belonging to Finland’s Somali community have been training health care professionals and building health services in Somalia. The prolonged conflict has destroyed health services in many parts of the country of 12 million inhabitants.

Finland has supported the work to improve health care in Northern Somalia through the International Organization for Migration IOM. The initiative for the work came from the Finnish Somali community, which has played an active role in the implementation of the programme.

Between 2014–2017 more than 700 health care workers received training as part of the programme. Dialysis and emergency wards as well as a dental clinic have been established in the Hargeisa hospital. They are the first such public services in Somalia. The maternity and delivery wards established in the Hargeisa hospital have saved the lives of a large number of newborn babies. The wards have helped to reduce child mortality from 24 to 5 per cent from 2014 to 2017.

Photo: Aaro Ylitalo, graphics: Juho Hiilivirta