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STORY: SOMALIA / UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE DAY
TRT: 02:54
SOURCE: UNTMIS
RESTRICTIONS: CREDIT UNTMIS ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / SOMALI /NATS
DATELINE: 14 DECEMBER 2025, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA
1. Wide shot, Dr. Aisha Haji, Coordinator of the Brain Story Somalia, speaking at the celebration to mark the Universal Health Coverage Day in Mogadishu
2. Close up shot, Dr. Osman Gedow, Director of the Somalia National Museum, following proceedings at the celebration
3. Close up shot, Haji speaking
4. Wide shot, invited guests at the event
5. Wide shot, the Chief of the Human Rights Protection Group (HRPG) at UNTMIS, Kirsten Young, and Dr. Gedow
6. Close up shot, Abdullahi Nour Omar, Head of Health Governance, Ministry of Health, Federal Government of Somalia, following the proceedings at the event
7. Med shot, Young addressing the gathering
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Kirsten Young, Chief of Human Rights Protection Group, UNTMIS:
“What is important for Somalia is that the Somali government is a party to treaties that codify the right to health, and it is also in Article 27 of your Provisional Constitution, and the right to health has many components, and the one we really want to talk to about today is accessibility.”
9. Various shots, Dr. Abdullahi Nour Omar speaking at the celebration
10. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Abdulahi Nour Omar, Head of Health Governance at Somalia’s Ministry of Health:
“As you know, the Ministry recently launched the National Health Insurance Agency, even though it has not been passed and made legal, but at least there are ongoing efforts to revive this critical institution because that institution will provide services to every Somali who cannot afford healthcare.”
11. Various shots, video presentation on people sharing their experiences
12. SOUNDBITE (Somali) Aisha Haji, Coordinator, Brain Story Somalia:
“We did not just meet here this morning to celebrate Universal Health Coverage Day, but to highlight the numerous health challenges the Somali community faces, which cannot all be addressed in a day, but we can ask ourselves what can we address today, tomorrow, this year, and what have we have achieved. So, the bare minimum is to see what we can do to help alleviate the populations’ suffering.”
13. Various shots, guests signing on the banner as a commitment to the cause
14. Various shots, patients at a hospital in Mogadishu
The importance of all Somalis being able to access health care was highlighted today at a celebration to mark the recent Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day, organized by the United Nations and Somalia’s Ministry of Health and Human Services, along with a special call for improved access to healthcare for vulnerable communities in Somalia.
“Universal Health Coverage Day reminds us that everyone is entitled to the right to health, which is codified in the Federal Government of Somalia’s Provisional Constitution,” said the Chief of the Human Rights Protection Group at the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), Kirsten Young.
“Today we are thrilled to share some of what we have been doing with partners such as the National Museum of Somalia, the Somali Academy of Sciences and Arts and health rights advocates and practitioners as well as artists and civil society – you see how diverse the room is, this is about inclusivity” added Ms. Young, who also serves as the Representative to Somalia of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The UN official was addressing a gathering made up of ministry officials, physicians, civil society representatives and UN agency officials at the National Museum of Somalia. The theme of the UHC Day observance was ‘Unaffordable Health Costs.’
In his remarks at the event, the Head of Health Governance at the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Abdullahi Nour Omar (known as Dr. Guraash), said Somalia currently has approximately 1,261 health facilities, but warned of possible closure of some facilities due to the ongoing funding gaps.
To mitigate these challenges, he said, the government plans to seek additional funding from domestic revenues and to revive the National Health Insurance Authority to provide free healthcare to citizens, although this will not materialise in the short term.
