MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Ministry of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), held a quarterly meeting of the National Quality of Care Technical Working Group in Mogadishu on September 10, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss improving healthcare quality and patient safety.
The meeting, held at Hotel Peace, was attended by representatives from the Health Ministry, health partners, United Nations agencies, medical organizations, public and private hospitals, and other stakeholders involved in strengthening Somalia’s healthcare system.
Discussions focused on establishing a unified national system to monitor, measure and improve the quality of healthcare services across the country.
Participants examined existing challenges and ongoing quality improvement efforts, as well as the need to harmonize tools and approaches used to assess healthcare services. The goal is to ensure that Somalis have access to safe, effective and evidence-based care.
Officials also highlighted the importance of healthcare quality in improving patient safety and public health, particularly maternal and newborn services. They called for stronger quality assurance, monitoring and accountability systems to help reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
The meeting concluded with a commitment from the Health Ministry to follow up on agreed actions and advance the development of a National Healthcare Quality Strategy. Dr. Hassan, head of the ministry’s Quality of Care Department, said the strategy would provide an overall framework for guiding, measuring and improving healthcare quality nationwide.
The meeting also underscored the importance of coordination and accountability among Somalia’s health-sector stakeholders to achieve sustained improvements in the quality and safety of healthcare services.
