Somalia’s health sector 'improving every year'

Somalia’s Health and Social Welfare Director General Guled Abdijalil has given a thumbs up to the state of the health sector in the country.

He spoke on the sidelines of the 7th Health Annual Financing Forum (AHFF7) in the US.

World Bank

The event, which was hosted by the World Bank, USAID and the Global Financing Facility (GFF) was held between April 15-17.

This year's forum explored new pathways to prioritise health in government spending, channel increased government funding into vital health programs, and boost the impact of Development Assistance on government investments in health.

Abdijalil stressed the importance of discussing the challenges faced in health services in Africa but assured the forum that Somalia had set aside resources in a bid to overcome any setbacks.

Donor alignment

 “We emphasise the critical role of donor alignment in the One Plan, One Budget, One Report process, especially in conflict and fragile settings where resources are scarce,” tweeted The Global Financing Facility for Women, Children & Adolescents.

Dr. Guled Abdijalil also expressed confidence that government statistics show the health sector has improved in Somalia while attributing that to the extra efforts to the commitment by government towards enriching livehoods.

UHC goals

“I also got the opportunity to gain insightful experiences & knowledge on how LMIC (Low- or Middle-Income Countries) like Indonesia & Nigeria navigated through the same challenges we had and aim to achieve UHC goals and improve access to quality Healthcare for all,” he said.

In the post COVID era, low- and middle-income countries face vexing challenges in financing the investments necessary to restart progress toward UHC and strengthen health security. 
For many, the macro-fiscal outlook is bleak and government spending will remain constrained for years to come. 

Simultaneously, the priority given to health in government spending has dropped to pre-COVID-19 levels; while the funding needs for other development challenges, in particular climate change, continue to grow rapidly.

Annual financing forum

The seventh health annual financing forum was attended by world leaders, health ministers from across the globe, international organizations, experts from around the world, international donors, health stakeholders and other guests.