A healthcare initiative supported by the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, World Health Organization Somalia, and Action Against Hunger is helping transform maternal and child healthcare access in Mogadishu through an integrated “one-stop-shop” medical approach at Makkah Hospital.
The initiative combines maternal healthcare, nutrition support, vaccinations, and child health services under one roof, allowing healthcare workers to identify and address multiple needs during a single visit. The programme is aligned with Somalia’s National Transformation Plan and broader global goals including Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goal 3 focused on health and wellbeing.
The impact of the initiative is reflected in the stories of two Somali mothers, Dahiro and Nafisa, who received critical support at Makkah Hospital. Dahiro, a 24-year-old mother from Jilib, had previously delivered all her children at home without medical assistance. During her hospital visit, she learned about the importance of childhood vaccinations alongside traditional breastfeeding practices.
Meanwhile, Nafisa, a displaced single mother living in a camp after severe drought conditions, first visited the hospital when her children were suffering from severe malnutrition. Medical staff provided therapeutic nutrition support and later monitored her pregnancy, helping her safely deliver her baby in September 2025.
Healthcare workers also responded to fears surrounding a measles outbreak affecting communities near displacement camps by ensuring children received essential vaccinations and growth monitoring.
According to humanitarian agencies, the integrated healthcare model is particularly important in Somalia, where fewer than one in three mothers give birth with the support of trained medical personnel. Limited healthcare access, displacement, malnutrition, and preventable diseases continue to place mothers and children at significant risk across the country.
By combining medical care, nutrition services, vaccination programmes, and maternal support in a single healthcare setting, organizations involved in the project aim to strengthen trust in healthcare systems while improving long-term outcomes for vulnerable families.
The initiative also highlights the growing role of community education, with mothers encouraged to share healthcare knowledge within their communities to help improve child health and disease prevention across Somalia.
