Somalia Launches Its First National Health Facility Registry

By Staff Reporter

Mogadishu, Somalia — Somalia has launched the Master Health Facility List (MHFL), the country's first unified registry of health facilities, marking a major step forward for health sector planning and decision-making. The launch event brought together representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Member States, health partners, and the World Health Organization

“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 of the Federal Ministry of Health.

A Stronger Foundation for Health Planning

Somalia’s health system operates across federal and state-level structures, with services delivered by the government along with humanitarian and development partners in communities with varying levels of access and need. In this context, accurate, standardized information on health facilities is essential to understanding where services exist and where gaps remain.

The MHFL brings together information on 1,455 health facilities across Somalia into a single, standardized national reference, strengthening the availability and consistency of data for health planning and decision-making.

Designed to improve the quality, consistency, and accessibility of facility information — including locations, available services, and operational status — the registry gives government and partners a common basis for planning, coordination, resource allocation, and decision-making.

Previously, health facility information was scattered across different systems and sources, making it difficult to ensure government and partners were working from the same data. With the MHFL now available, health authorities can better understand the distribution of services, identify underserved areas, and coordinate investments more effectively.

“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 Dr. Mohamed Ali Kamil, Acting WHO Somalia Representative.

Improving Coordination and Data Quality

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

The registry is also expected to strengthen data interoperability by enabling different health information systems to use standardized facility identifiers. This will improve the quality of data generated at the facility and program 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 services, and prioritize investments — helping ensure communities can access essential health services closer to home.

Better Data for Immunization and Polio Eradication

The MHFL provides an important foundation for strengthening immunization and polio eradication efforts. Reliable facility and location data helps immunization programs map service delivery points, identify areas with limited vaccine access, and improve planning and coordination of routine and supplementary immunization activities.

A standardized registry also supports more effective microplanning by linking vaccination activities to specific facilities, communities, and service areas — particularly important for reaching children in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.

For polio eradication, accurate facility and geographic data can strengthen coordination between routine immunization and polio vaccination campaigns, support deployment of health workers and vaccination teams, and help identify areas needing additional outreach or mobile services.

Supporting a More Resilient Health System

The MHFL launch comes as Somalia continues efforts to strengthen its health system and expand access to essential 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 especially important, helping authorities identify where populations face barriers to care and where facilities need additional support.

The registry provides an important building block for a more coordinated, data-driven, and resilient health system, supporting Somalia’s broader push toward universal health coverage by helping decision-makers understand service availability and direct investments where they’re needed most.

Sustaining Progress

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

The Ministry of Health, with technical support from WHO and in collaboration with health partners, will continue strengthening the use and maintenance of the registry as part of Somalia’s broader 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, giving government and partners the information they need to plan, coordinate, and invest in health services.

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Source: WHO