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During his 3-day visit to Somalia, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, visited North Galkacyo in the Puntland state of Somalia to monitor WHO's ongoing drought response activities, see the work of community health workers in providing integrated health and nutrition services to people displaced by the recent drought in Somalia and also visit one of the population camps internally displaced people to see the challenges communities face in meeting their health, nutrition, food, and water and sanitation needs.
Later, he attended an event in Mogadishu where the WHO emergency health response plan for the drought was officially launched, which was also attended by HE Dr. Fawziya Abikar Nur, the Minister of Health and Human Services of the Federal Government of Somalia. , Mr. Jocelyn Mason, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Somalia, interim, and Mr. Mugatte Guisse, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, interim.
The ongoing drought in Somalia and throughout the Horn of Africa is known to be the worst in the region in the last 4 decades. In Somalia alone, an estimated 6.1 million people have been affected by drought, of whom 759,400 have been displaced in search of water, food and grazing; 3.5 million lack sufficient access to water; 6 million continue to face severe food shortages, with approximately 1.4 million children facing acute malnutrition by 2022, including 329,500 likely to be severely malnourished; So far, a total of 3,675 suspected cholera cases and 2,720 measles cases have been confirmed since January 2022 in the drought-affected areas.
“Whenever natural disasters strike, disease inevitably follows, especially in fragile contexts. At all levels, WHO is leaving no stone unturned to help the people of Somalia cope with the stark effects of the drought,” said Dr. Al-Mandhari.
“As one of the first responders on the ground, WHO is working with the government, donors and other UN agencies and health cluster partners to reduce the spread of disease and complications related to malnutrition, while rebuilding health systems to deal with similar calamities. in the future."The WHO emergency health response plan for the drought in Somalia for 2022 urgently requires US$35 million over the next 10 months to carry out life-saving emergency operations and reach more than 2.5 million vulnerable people in the most affected areas of the country.
Dr. Al-Mandhari explained that the drought response plan, which will serve as a WHO model for intensifying efforts to save more lives and protect Somalis from severe forms of disease and malnutrition, was based on lessons learned from past droughts in Somalia and help prevent epidemics, save lives, protect the health and nutrition needs of communities, and avert a further health crisis.
He also commended the Federal Government and UN partners for their collaborative efforts, emphasizing that the true essence of the Eastern Mediterranean Region Vision 2023 of “health for all by all” was solidarity with drought response work. in progress. “WHO is responding to the most dire needs of Somali families and is working to ensure that all Somali households, including the most vulnerable, can access lifesaving emergency support, especially during emergencies. The WHO Emergency Health Response Plan for the drought in Somalia calls for early action without regret. It is imperative that WHO has access to flexible, smart and unallocated funds to expand our lifesaving operations in hard-to-reach areas to protect the health and well-being of people affected by drought,” said Dr. Mamunur Malik, WHO Representative in Somalia.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the importance of health research in finding solutions to health challenges. To address the most urgent health priorities using evidence-based solutions, the Ministry of Health and Human Services of the Federal Government of Somalia and the National Institute of Health (NIH), with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, convened the first health research conference in Garowe, Puntland, from January 30 to February 1, 2022.
Some of the brightest Somali minds gathered at the event ─ 200 national and international researchers ─ to present 51 previously unpublished research briefs, showcasing new evidence and best practices around public health action in Somalia that no one had ever researched before in the country nor did it have any previously generated evidence on these priority public health issues. Overall, Somali authors submitted 91 abstracts; the rest were already published or did not meet the expected criteria.
Dignitaries who participated in the conference included: HE Dr. Fawziya Abikar Nur, Federal Minister of Health and Human Services; HE Dr. Jama Farah Hassan, Minister of Health, Puntland; HE Per Lindgarde, Swedish Ambassador to Somalia; Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Representative in Somalia and Head of Mission. Also participating were representatives from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the Swedish Public Health Agency (PHAS), and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), and colleagues from Umea University and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
Professor Khalif Bile, Chairman of the NIH Board of Directors and Chairman of the NIH Research Conference Scientific Committee, spearheaded the event and took it from idea to reality. Under the leadership of NIH Executive Director Dr. Abdifatah Diriye Ahmed, NIH Public Health Specialist and Research Coordinator Dr. Mukhtar Bulale organized the conference, bringing together all relevant stakeholders.
Institutions that support the NIH
WHO provided financial support to the conference, through the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR), which aims to build health systems research capacity for low- and middle-income countries and use new knowledge and evidence from public health research to establish policies that build the support system. AHPSR promotes the generation and use of health policy and systems research to improve health systems in low- and middle-income countries, such as Somalia, while building the research capacity of institutions, systems, and individuals.
Other WHO partners supporting this first research conference include PHAS, which provided financial support to the conference, and collaborates with NIH, as well as AFENET and SIDA, which provide regular technical support to NIH activities.
Academia members from 32 public, private, and international universities attended the conference and supported the NIH team at various stages of planning and implementation.
Budding young Somali researchers spark a ray of hope
Conference participants included scientific and technical committees, organizers, presenters, stakeholders, panelists and partners. The event's scientific committee evaluated the abstracts, advised some of the authors whose abstracts needed further refinement, and developed guidelines and checklists for peer review of studies.
Of the 51 researchers, seven were women. In addition, 10 trainees from the first Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP-Frontline) conducted in Somalia in 2021, with the support of WHO, PHAS, AFENET and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. United States (US CDC), offered support to carry out the research conference.
Sadia Hussein, one of two trainees in the first FETP cohort to submit an abstract and a WHO public health specialist, explained that she came up with the idea for her study while working in Deynile, Banadir, as part of fieldwork. of the FETP. . He added that he enjoyed participating in the conference, as it was a forum where researchers and experts met with policymakers to showcase their research skills, while highlighting gaps in the health system and linking research with the overall health picture.
The researchers presented a wide range of topics.
The researchers presented their findings on six topics that had been selected after considering the Essential Package of Health Services (Somalia EPHS 2020), universal health coverage (UHC), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The researchers presented 10 abstracts under the theme of health systems; 15 as part of reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health; 18 in communicable diseases; 8 as part of noncommunicable diseases. The panelists made 12 informative presentations related to the topics of production and dissemination of health research; and research training and capacity building, linking research with action.
Presenters stimulated thought-provoking discussions between sessions, including strengthening pharmacovigilance and drug regulation; increase and motivate human resources for health; occupational safety of health workers with the introduction of new diagnostics, improving access to medical care for women; and provide compassionate care while maintaining the dignity and privacy of patients. They discussed how to reduce and eliminate the harmful practice of female genital mutilation (FGM); and hiring community midwife assistants to improve maternal health care in rural areas. The only experimental study that was presented focused on 'Effects of coenzyme Q10 on peripheral nerve injury: an electrophysiological study', presented by a university professor.
In addition, participants discussed how to address the high burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Somalia and the need to deploy community health workers to improve early detection of the disease, in order to achieve the SDG target of ending epidemics of the disease. tuberculosis by 2030. These rich discussions are intended to spur changes in policy and programming eventually.
Introduction of the first Somali journal of health action
As another important milestone, the NIH Board of Directors launched the Somali Health Action Journal (SHAJ) at the conference. This is the first Somali health journal to receive articles, facilitate peer review, motivate Somalis to do more research, write and publish new articles, and take advantage of opportunities to disseminate and use research for policy and design of useful programs. .
The editors of the journal pledged to support young Somali researchers by advising them where possible. The magazine aims to inspire the young and future generations of Somali health professionals to study different topics that will lead to innovations in the health of the country.
Research must address the country's problems
Her Excellency Dr. Fawziya Abikar Nur, Minister of Health and Human Services of Somalia, commended the NIH, its board of directors, and scientific committees for motivating several young Somalis to present their findings on critical health issues.
“I encourage you to document these national efforts ─ both what works and what doesn't and why ─ but, above all, provide us with solutions that can address the challenges we face,” he said, while thanking the partners who made the event a resounding success.
While praising the Government of Somalia for its exemplary role in organizing such a historic event, praising international researchers for visiting Puntland for the historic meeting, and partners like PHAS for their support, Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik inspired young and experienced Somali researchers. announcing that WHO will work with NIH to introduce state-of-the-art libraries in all Somali Ministry of Health buildings. He also added that the WHO would award young researchers nominated by the NIH for the best research presented at future conferences.
Dr. Malik reminded the audience that in 1990 it was noted that only 10% of global health research was allocated to address 90% of global health problems. A commission set up to tackle this problem warned that if this disparity did not change, the world would experience a huge burden of infectious diseases, increasing rates of tuberculosis, malaria and epidemics of non-communicable diseases, including heart disease. As predicted, Dr. Malik explained, the world is now experiencing a high burden of these diseases, including infectious and non-communicable diseases.
“I encourage you to develop a national health research agenda and improve collaboration between the public and private sectors, especially universities,” said Dr. Mamunur Malik. “In addition, research must contribute to improving national health. For example, diarrhea and malaria contribute to a high burden of disease, but people do not have access to health services. Research should help tackle problems like this and how to improve access in fragile settings like Somalia, tackle health inequalities and increase access to medicines so people can lead healthier lives.”
Putting Somalia on the global research map
On behalf of the NIH team, Dr. Mukhtar Bulale explained that the sessions were successful and led to rich discussions answering questions, which was an iconic symbol illustrating useful nationally owned health research.
“Although we started small, this conference has put Somalia on the global research map. Seeing young researchers give their best has given us immense hope that Somalia's health research development is undergoing a recovery phase. We saw at the conference a unity of purpose, solidarity, and enthusiasm for research partnerships and solutions to challenges. I urge stakeholders to make sure they don't miss out on the opportunity to support these young and dynamic researchers,” said Dr. Bulale.
At the end of the conference, the Federal Ministry of Health, NIH and stakeholders advocated for sustained investment in health research to further promote the 2020 Essential Health Services Package, which would benefit the Somali population. They also resolved to promote health system research, linking it to public policy making, while ensuring that it focuses on addressing existing barriers to health service delivery. This implies the development of a national research agenda to invest (attention, resources and skills) in research that results in better health outcomes for populations and thematic areas where more evidence is required to inform policies and strategies. Together, they also committed to fostering public-private sector cooperation in health system research and promoting the development of innovative technologies and approaches. The partners resolved to strengthen the links between evidence generation and healthcare provision, while calling on all national and international stakeholders to build the capacity of learning institutions and facilitate high-quality research in the world. country.
