By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Mogadishu — Somalia opened a women's mental health unit at Lansaleeti Hospital to expand psychiatric care for women.
Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama inaugurated the renovated facility on Sunday. The project, supported by the Italian government, adds a specialised women's ward to a hospital that previously offered mental health services only for men.
The new unit will provide psychiatric treatment, counselling and other mental health care services, giving women access to services equivalent to those already available to male patients.
Speaking at the inauguration, Jama said the opening represented more than an expansion of healthcare services.
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"Opening the women's ward today is not only about healthcare; it is about justice and good governance by ensuring that both men and women receive equal access to essential services. Mental illness affects women just as it affects men, but women may be more reluctant or less able to seek treatment because of stigma," he said.
Jama added that the government and the wider community would work together to make mental health a national priority and to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness in Somalia.
Lansaleeti Hospital’s management said the institution had long operated a psychiatric unit for men, but women will now receive comparable treatment and counselling services through the newly established ward.
Health officials say the expansion is expected to improve public awareness of mental health conditions while increasing access to specialised care for Somali women.