On the outskirts of Hargeisa in Somaliland, local residents are seeing changes in maternal and child healthcare. Ayaan Dahir Ainan, a mother of six, described her experience at the Hawadle Health Center. “There was nothing like this before,” she said. “We used to travel far or just wait and pray the children would recover. But now, help is finally reaching us.”
Ayaan explained that she and her children now receive routine immunizations, malnutrition screening, and guidance on maternal health at the center. She noted that after a community health volunteer informed her about new services for mothers and children at Hawadle, she brought all her children for care and later delivered her youngest child there.
She credited these interventions with improving her family’s health: “He was very weak and had never been vaccinated,” she said about one of her sons. “He received his first immunizations here. The health workers also screened all my children for malnutrition and taught me how to feed them properly using what I already have at home.” She added that information on pregnancy spacing and self-care during pregnancy was new to her: “They taught me how to space pregnancies, how to take care of myself during pregnancy, and what warning signs to look out for. No one had ever explained those things to me before.” According to Ayaan, “The children are stronger, more active. They don’t get sick as often. I feel more confident and informed as a mother.”
These improvements are part of the Damal Caafimaad Project—officially known as the Improving Healthcare and Services in Somalia Project—which is funded by the World Bank through its International Development Association (IDA) alongside support from the Global Financing Facility (GFF) for Women, Children and Adolescents. This marks the first World Bank-financed investment in Somalia’s health sector in three decades.
Launched in early 2024 in Somaliland by the Ministry of Health Development with Alight International as service delivery partner, Damal Caafimaad currently supports 49 operational health facilities across Somaliland.
Dr. Mohamed Yusuf, project coordinator, reported notable progress: “In 2024, outpatient visits exceeded 425,000, a 27% increase from the previous year. In the last quarter alone, we recorded more than 133,000 visits,” he said.
Most visits were by women and children; female outpatient attendance reached over 76,500—covering more than half of the targeted population—and antenatal care coverage increased significantly: “thanks to the Damal Caafimaad Project, over 16,000 pregnant women across Somaliland completed at least four antenatal care visits in 2024,” Dr. Yusuf said.
The initiative aims to reach up to 1.84 million beneficiaries—including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and nomadic communities—and supports government capacity building efforts such as workforce regulation and management systems.
Nurse Maryan Abdullahi Yusuf emphasized outreach efforts: “Our mission is to make essential health services accessible to families where they live,” she said. She highlighted that using local data helps target underserved areas: “We take time to explain things clearly—what each vaccine does, why nutrition matters, and when to return for follow-up,” Maryan added.
As Damal Caafimaad expands throughout Somaliland and other regions of Somalia, its stated goal remains expanding equitable access to essential health services for women, children, IDPs and underserved communities.