Somalia Launches its First Unified National Registry of Health Facilities -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

Somalia took a major step towards strengthening health sector planning and decision-making with the launch of the Master Health Facility List (MHFL), the country’s first unified registry of health facilities. The launch event brought together representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Member States, health partners and the World Health Organization (WHO).

“The Master Health Facility List is a major milestone for Somalia’s health sector, providing trusted data to strengthen planning, coordination and access to quality health services. We appreciate WHO and partners for their valuable support,” said Yussuf Hassan Isack (Yussuf Wadani), Director General, Federal Ministry of Health.

A stronger foundation for health planning
Somalia’s health system operates across federal and state-level structures, with health services delivered by Government, humanitarian and development partners in communities with different levels of access and need. In this context, having accurate, standardized information on health facilities is essential for understanding where services are available and where gaps remain.

The Master Health Facility List (MHFL) brings together information on 1455 health facilities across Somalia in a single, standardized national reference, strengthening the availability and consistency of data for health planning and decision-making.

The MHFL is designed to improve the quality, consistency and accessibility of information on health facilities, including their locations, available services and operational status. By consolidating this information into a single national reference, the list provides the Government and partners with a common basis for health planning, coordination, resource allocation and decision-making.

Before the development of the MHFL, health facility information was maintained across different systems and sources, making it difficult to ensure that Government and partners were working from the same information. With the MHFL at their disposal, health authorities and partners can better understand the distribution of health services, allowing them to identify underserved areas, coordinate investments and support more effective allocation of resources.

“Reliable health facility data is critical to ensuring that resources and services reach the communities that need them most. The Master Health Facility List provides government and partners with a common foundation to improve planning, coordinate investments and strengthen Somalia’s health system,” said Acting WHO Somalia Representative Dr Mohamed Ali Kamil.

Improving coordination and data quality

A comprehensive, regularly maintained facility registry is a critical component of a functioning health information system. The MHFL provides a common reference that can be used across health programmes and information systems, helping reduce duplication and improve coordination among stakeholders.

The registry is also expected to strengthen data interoperability, enabling different health information systems to use standardized facility identifiers and information. This will improve the quality of health data generated at facility and programme levels and support more reliable analysis and reporting.

For health authorities, better facility data can inform decisions on where to strengthen infrastructure, deploy health workers, expand essential services and prioritize investments. By helping health authorities identify gaps in service availability, the registry will support efforts to ensure communities can access essential health services closer to where they live.

Better data to strengthen immunization and polio eradication efforts
The MHFL provides an important foundation for strengthening immunization and polio eradication efforts. Reliable information on health facilities and their locations helps immunization programmes better map service delivery points, identify areas with limited access to vaccination and improve the planning and coordination of routine and supplementary immunization activities.

A standardized facility registry supports more effective microplanning by helping health authorities and partners link vaccination activities with specific health facilities, communities and service areas. This is particularly important for reaching children in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.

For polio eradication, accurate facility and geographic information can strengthen coordination between routine immunization and polio vaccination activities, support the deployment of health workers and vaccination teams and help identify areas where additional outreach or mobile services are required.

Supporting a more resilient health system
The launch of the MHFL comes as Somalia continues efforts to strengthen its health system and expand access to essential health services, including in communities affected by conflict, displacement, climate-related shocks and other humanitarian pressures.

In such settings, reliable information on the health-service network is particularly important, helping authorities and partners identify where populations face barriers to care and where health facilities require additional support.

A standardized national registry provides an important building block for a more coordinated, data-driven and resilient health system. The MHFL will support Somalia’s broader efforts towards universal health coverage by helping decision-makers better understand health-service availability and guide investments towards areas where they are most needed.

Sustaining progress
The value of the MHFL will depend on regular updating as health facilities open, close, expand services or change operational status. Maintaining the registry as a living national resource is essential to ensure that decisions continue to be based on accurate and timely information.

The Ministry of Health, with technical support from WHO and in collaboration with health partners, will continue efforts to strengthen the use and maintenance of the registry as part of Somalia’s wider health information system.

The MHFL launch represents more than the creation of a database. It establishes a shared national foundation for understanding Somalia’s health-service landscape, offering government and partners the information needed to plan, coordinate and invest in health services.