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Chip Title: Reducing maternal and child mortality in Somaliland
Participant(s): Wario Galma, (THET CR), Khadra Ibrahim (Director of Family Health), Rahma Abokar (Deputy Director, HIOHS, and Ahmed Nuri Muse (THET-MEL)
Organization: Somaliland Ministry of Health MOH/THET
Year: 2014
Country: Somaliland
Region: Eastern_Africa

Presentation (PDF)

CHIP Plan (PDF)

Details

About the Organization

Somaliland Ministry of Health has adapted a five years health sector strategic plan to promote quality health care delivery to people of Somaliland. MOH is a public institution responsible for the health care of the nation. It is charged with the overall production, delivery and coordination of the health sector and assuring Somalilanders of good health. The Ministry is headed by a ministry appointed by the President and supported by the vice minister. Their role is policy formulation, advocacy, external relations and serve as the bridge between the people and the government. The MoH is administered by a DG and has six departments under him namely: planning & policy, HR Development, Finance & administration, Health Services, Public health & communicable disease and Family Health.
The structure of the regions mimics that of central MOH but mainly focuses on support to the district health programmes. Each region has regional health board whose composition represents the community. They are usually 7 and have oversight functions on all health institutions in the region including the hospitals, the regional health office, health centres, health training institutions and health posts, etc. There are six public health training institutions that produces qualified which are three medical schools and six institutes of health science. However, there are several other private medical training institutions in the country.
The structure of the health care delivery consists of PHU, HCs, RHC, RH and furthermore there specialist hospitals including TB and Mental Health. The PHU is the closest health facility to the community and services for population of about 300 households, approximately 2000 population. It staffed by at least one trained community health workers and supported by member of Community Health Committee and provides basic care for prevention, promotion including maternal services in the community.
MOH receives 3 % of annual budget from the Government which is grossly inadequate to provide health care services. These resources are insufficient to provide the infrastructures in the existing health facilities as well as employ qualified staff. The public health training institutions lack of teaching and learning equipment and facilities in addition to comprising the quality of the graduates. Most of the community is patrol who lives in hard-to reach areas and therefore don’t get access to the health care. Due to the limited health workers and qualified midwives, most of these communities are not reached by these health care services. More often than not, patients and mothers in labor are referred to nearest health facilities where the roads impassable and do not have proper transportation.
The government in partnership with international organizations gets support from volunteer health workers, both nationals in the diaspora and international to address to some of these gaps.

Current Mission Statement
To create an enabling environment for the provision of socially acceptable, affordable, accessible, equitably distributed essential package of quality health care that responds to the need of the community, with special attention to the most vulnerable in the population and delivered in a sustainable way through a decentralized health system within Somaliland

Proposed New Mission
N/A

Goal Statement
Improve health status of mothers and children in Somaliland

Objective
To  increase by 15% the number of skilled birth attendants (SBA) in Somaliland by end of 2018