Mogadishu (Dawan Africa) – Somalia’s National Health Professionals Council (NHPC) has strongly denied today the authenticity of a letter circulating on social media that claimed the body had issued an order banning advertisements of health services in the country.
The letter, which appeared online on 19 August 2025, carried the NHPC logo and referenced legal provisions related to health advertising. However, the council clarified that it had not originated from its offices.
“The issuance and circulation of this letter is illegal, as it did not come from the legally mandated institution,” the council said in its statement.
The circular reportedly prohibited several categories of advertising, including those deemed misleading, financially manipulative, linked to gifts or discounts, and those creating false hope regarding treatments in health facilities.
The NHPC went further, alleging that the letter was actually issued by the Ministry of Health. It described the move as unlawful and outside the ministry’s authority, insisting that only the council has the legal mandate to regulate professional standards in the health sector. According to the statement, the step amounted to an attempt to pressure private health facilities, driven by personal and political interests unrelated to public health.
The council also noted that Somalia has not yet appointed the Ethics Committee, a legally required body tasked with oversight and disciplinary measures against health professionals. Legal experts have stressed that until such a committee is formally established and sworn in, no entity has the authority to impose penalties on medical practitioners.
