In the village of Goofa Gaduud, located 30km from Baidoa, Saido Isak’s journey to a happy ending began. Like many women in her village, she faced difficulty in obtaining professional birthing support and encountered complications during childbirth. When she delivered her first child with the assistance of a traditional birth attendant in January, 2024, complications arose, putting her health at risk.
Transported to SOS Children’s Hospital in Baidoa on a rugged road using a tri-motorcycle known as a Bajaj, Saido arrived at the hospital in a coma on January 15th, requiring immediate attention. The medical team conducted ultrasound examinations, which revealed the urgent need for emergency medical intervention to safely deliver two additional babies. With great skill and efficiency, a caesarean section was performed.
Saido received emergency medical treatments and comprehensive post-operative support to aid in her recovery, including pain management, wound care, and emotional support. After ten days in the hospital, her condition improved, and she became stable. It was a moment of pure joy as she proudly held her newborn triplets, supported by her mother, Shamso, and a relative. Saido’s mother expressed gratitude for her daughter’s improved health and the well-being of the newborns, saying, “We faced difficulties, but when SOS intervened, everything turned out well.”
Saido’s husband, a farmer, was also facing the harsh realities of climate change. The floods had negatively impacted their farm, resulting in a poor harvest this season, adding to the challenges of supporting their growing family. Somalia has been enduring recurring droughts for the past five years, worsening food access issues and displacing over a million people.
In the face of these difficulties, SOS Children’s Villages, operating as part of the Caafimaad Plus Consortium, has been reaching out to vulnerable families in remote areas where access to critical services is limited. Witnessing others from her village seek assistance at the hospital, Saido made her way there to receive the necessary care.
Somalia faces significant challenges in maternal health, with high rates of maternal mortality and limited access to quality healthcare services for pregnant women. Inadequate infrastructure limited skilled birth attendants, and low access to emergency obstetric care contribute to the country’s high maternal mortality ratios. Recurrent conflicts, insecurity, and the impact of natural disasters further disrupt healthcare systems and hinder access to maternal healthcare services.
Through the generous funding of the European Union Humanitarian Aid to the Caafimaad Plus Consortium, emergency life-saving assistance is provided to mothers like Saido. The consortium utilizes mobile outreach service delivery, collaborating with various partners and implementing approaches such as Integrated Community Case Management (ICCM), ICCM+, and family Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) screenings to extend vital services to populations in hard-to-reach locations affected by droughts and conflicts in Somalia.
Efforts are being made to improve maternal health outcomes in Somalia through the Caafimaad Plus Consortium. These efforts include enhancing healthcare infrastructure, training and deploying skilled healthcare workers, and increasing community awareness about the importance of prenatal care and skilled birth attendance. The objective is to improve access to quality healthcare services for pregnant women and reduce maternal mortality rates in the country.
The consortium, comprising six organizations with diverse geographical locations across Somalia, received a generous donation of 10 million euros from the EU Humanitarian Aid in 2023. By leveraging the unique strengths of each organization, vulnerable families like Saido’s are provided with comprehensive services and assistance.
It is through this generous funding that vulnerable families are receiving life-saving assistance. Last year, SOS Children’s Villages Hospital provided 1,172 instances of successful birth support and deliveries in Baidoa alone, offering a wide range of services to many mothers. These services included counseling, consultations, nutrition support, delivery assistance, and stabilization services for severely malnourished children.
Without these interventions, the risk of higher levels of maternal and infant mortalities would increase, as mothers would not have access to professional birth assistance, protection, and counseling, including support for breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding programs. Working with other partners, SOS provides ambulance services to emergency cases in most areas. The funding is directed towards initiatives and programs that aim to improve access to quality healthcare services, skilled professionals, and essential resources for pregnant women, ultimately ensuring safer and more comfortable childbirth experiences.
