Challenges Facing the Health System in Somalia and Implications for Achieving the SDGs
Abdi Gele
Abstract
Abstract While Somalia's health system has been slightly progressing over the last 6 years, there has been significant challenges in both the provision of health services and enabling access to the services. The existing health system is essentially privatized, and it is confined to major towns, leaving the poor majority, in the rural areas, out of affordable health care. Moreover, the national health system is fragmented, and the absence of unified health system governance has affected the capacity of national authorities to regulate the private sector and to partner NGO's to deliver services to remote areas. Consequently, less than 30% of the Somali population have access to health services. The neonatal mortality rate is 40 deaths per 1000 live births and the under-5 mortality rate is 137 deaths per 1000 live births. The maternal mortality rate is estimated at 732 per 100 000 live births. The use of family planning remains low, resulting in high fertility rates. The progress, and also the setbacks, of the health sector has been obscured by lack of reliable data at regional and national level. The absence of research institutions and human resources in research are among the obstacles to implementing evidence-based health interventions and the subsequent quality of health policy and practices. Investing health research is prerequisite for evidence-based health interventions that not only save lives, but also are crucial investment in the wider economy and development of the country. Therefore, to achieve the health-related SDGs, Somalia should invest in research by revitalizing essential public health research institutions.