Somalilandsun: The Republic of Somaliland has struggled for years to establish itself as an independent nation.
Upon declaration of independence in 1991, the nation was left with nothing in terms of institutions or infrastructure. Today, through the dedication and largest of many, we have a rudimentary health care system consisting of: a central ministry; regional health offices (although no district health management structures); volunteer Regional Health Boards {primarily concerned with the financing and management of larger referral hospitals); 1 national referral hospital; 1 national mental hospital; 5 regional referral hospitals; 3 district hospitals; 7 tuberculosis treatment centers; 73 maternal and Child Health Clinics (MCHs) and 200 Health Posts.
In addition, we have medical and nurse/midwifery associations, medical personneltraining institutes and a vibrant private market providing services through private hospitals and pharmacies.
system is largely staffed by under-trained, under-supervised and under-paid staff struggling to provide some services to their people. The system functions on donations from international agencies (such as the UN, NGOs and Islamic charity funds). Given the low levels of financing and management, the fact that the public health system exists is a triumph.
Nevertheless, we know from surveys that less than 15% of the rural population is able to use the public system for regular complairits and that there are major barriers to access and utilization in rural and urban areas.
The public system contributes only marginally to improved
health status of the general population and equity of access for the poor. It is imperative that the public system be developed to be of greater utility to the people of Somaliland.
This means providing better quality care, a better range of services the people need and demand, more accessible services, open for longer hours, and at 2 cost all can afford — especially the poor.
This imperative requires organization and increased financing
Delegates from the MoHL to the September 2007 Health Systems Strengthening workshop in Nairobi, financed by the EC and organized by UNICEF, stressed the urgent need for investment in human resources, institutional development of the Ministry of Health and Labour but first and foremost the development of an Essential Package of Health Services
The EPHS has been developed with an awareness that we do not want to re-build systems of the past — we need to build for the future and according to projections of what we can afford and
manage. This means any health system will need to be modest and simple yet achieve its aims~ {to provide essential services to all citizens at an acceptable level of quality
The EPHS therefore is the basis of the primary health care system and represents an important tool for health systems planning, investment planning, human resource development planning,
This is the forward by the Somalia Minister of health and labour to the Essential Health Services Package-EPHS Somaliland 2019 report
Report full report HERE
