You Funded It!
You Funded It!
Thanks to your support, ConnectHER gave the Edna Adan Hospital a grant in February. The hospital supports women in Somaliland with a four-pronged wraparound approach.
Maternal and Infant Health
In Somaliland, a country with one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, Edna and her dedicated staff are dramatically improving outcomes for women and babies. In addition to a 75 percent reduction in maternal mortality, they are improving the odds for babies like these premature twins, who were born at the hospital in January 2022. “They are of course very premature and small, and will need care and oxygen for a while,” says Edna. “We will give them the best care, and we hope and pray that they will make it. We have many similarly small premature babies who are now fully developed and who come back for checkups and run around the clinic."
Women’s Education and Livelihoods
Layla Shurki, Student
Edna Adan University has trained more than 1,000 nurses and midwives, 70 percent of them young women. This opens up a promising and rewarding career in healthcare for girls like Layla Shukri, the eldest of six children. Her father supports the family with his small shop on a wheelbarrow. When her father became ill during Layla’s first year of study, the students in her class collected money to pay her fees for the semester. “I am the oldest one, so I want to be a role model for the rest of the children,” says Layla. She says that she is able to keep her GPA high thanks to the good quality of education at Edna Adan University.
Improve Healthcare System
In addition to training nurses and midwives, the Edna Adan Hospital provides doctor and pharmacy training, elevating the level of healthcare across Somaliland. It is Somaliland's only COSECSA site (recognized as a training site by the College of Surgeons of East, Central, Southern Africa).
End FGM
Edna Adan is a pioneer in fight against female genital mutilation. Her hospital staff confront the effects and complications of FGM almost on a daily basis. FGM can cause birth complications and increases the danger for both the mother and the infant. The Edna Adan Hospital seeks to end this practice by working with community and religious leaders across Somaliland to change the perception of this cultural norm.
