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In Germany, if a woman experiences complications during her pregnancy, an emergency doctor or the nearest hospital is usually not far away. In Somalia, however, it is still the reality that expectant mothers sometimes have to travel hundreds of kilometers when labor begins.

Mariam’s story is just one of many

This was also the case for Mariam*. The 20-year-old woman was about to give birth for the first time. But shortly after labor began, the birth suddenly stalled, and the expectant mother panicked. It quickly became clear that no one in her hometown of Cadale could help her.

The problem: The nearest medical help was about 200 kilometers away at the Shingani Referral Hospital. Mariam’s husband and her mother wasted no time and rushed her to the Somali capital, Mogadishu. By the time the 20-year-old arrived there, she and her unborn child were already in critical condition.

Only thanks to an emergency C-section were both of their lives saved. But according to the surgeon who treated her, Dr. Abdirashid, it was by no means a given that this emergency procedure could be performed at all, because:

“Without a functioning operating room and the right medications, Mariam and her baby would not have survived.”

Dr. Abdirashid Mohamed

Doctor at Shingani Referral Hospital

But even today, not all women in Somalia, like Mariam, have timely access to medical care.

The most vulnerable are hit first

Conflict, displacement, and recurring natural disasters are a reality for the people of Somalia; the healthcare system has massive gaps. Many regions lack not only medicines and medical equipment, but also trained medical personnel. It is precisely the most vulnerable—that is, pregnant women, mothers, and young children—who are hit hardest by the crisis.

As a result, Somalia has the fifth-highest maternal mortality rate in the world. A medical professional is present for only about one-third of births in the country.

Help us build a reliable network

To ensure that the birth of their own child is a moment of joy rather than fear for women in Somalia, reliable medical support is needed—during pregnancy, during childbirth itself, and afterward. Pregnant women, mothers, and newborns should receive the medications, care from medical professionals, and medical transportation they need, when they need it.

Help us build safe healthcare systems in Somalia so that no woman or newborn has to die during childbirth, but instead both can get a good start in life right from the beginning.

*Name changed to protect privacy