By Nuh Mohamed - Reporter
Mauritania, July 14 2026 – Somalia on Monday called for stronger regional cooperation and increased healthcare investment as Health Minister Ali Haji Adam urged African countries to deepen partnerships to build more resilient health systems.
Speaking at a regional health investment forum in Nouakchott, Mauritania, Adam said closer collaboration among developing countries, sustainable financing and investment in local pharmaceutical production were essential to improving access to healthcare across the region.
The forum brought together health ministers, international organisations and development partners to discuss strategies for strengthening health systems, mobilising investment and expanding regional cooperation.
Addressing a ministerial panel on South-South cooperation, Adam outlined Somalia’s efforts to rebuild and reform its healthcare system following years of conflict and underinvestment.
He said regional partnerships would play a key role in improving access to healthcare, strengthening health security and supporting equitable health services.
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The minister also called for greater investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing within Africa, saying stronger local production would help reduce dependence on imported medicines and improve the resilience of national health systems.
Somalia’s health system remains highly dependent on international assistance. About 95% of the country’s healthcare financing is supported by external donors, leaving essential services vulnerable to changes in global funding, according to the World Health Organization.
Only 32% of births in Somalia are attended by trained health professionals, while neonatal deaths account for about 33% of all deaths among children under five, WHO said.
Somalia has made rebuilding its healthcare system a priority as it seeks to expand access to primary care, strengthen disease surveillance and reduce its dependence on external assistance.
The Ministry of Health said regional pharmaceutical production and sustainable financing could lower treatment costs, improve medicine supplies and make health services more resilient.