Bringing healthcare closer to children in Bardhere

Sadia has brought her 8-month-old baby, Arsha, to the Horseed Health Centre in Bardhere, situated about 350 kilometres west of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, because she has been suffering from a fever and diarrhoea. As a first-time mother, Sadia is anxious and unsure of the outcome. “I am nervous, but the nurse knows what to do,” she says. Nurse Shukria examines Arsha and diagnoses her with acute malnutrition.

Bardhere hosts 56 sites for internally displaced persons and is one of the high-priority districts targeted by UNICEF’s integrated humanitarian intervention, which aims to reach 400,000 people nationwide with basic health services. Due to the main bridge being washed away during flash floods, this hard-to-reach location is even more isolated and contends with insecurity along access roads. Bardhere has limited health services, making the Horseed Health Centre indispensable to the surrounding community.

With support from the US Government, UNICEF is supporting the health centre to provide life-saving healthcare services, including immunization, child health, and maternal and newborn care to mothers with children under five years old. The centre offers infant and young child feeding counselling and nutrition outpatient services, efforts that are part of a broader initiative to increase coverage of quality nutrition services and promote appropriate nutrition-related behaviours among children under five, adolescent girls, and women.

“It is very important that the community’s health needs are met. We will ensure that women are linked to these services. We are all part of the solution,” says Ismail Sheikh Abdi Qorac, the District Commissioner and Mayor of Bardhere. The partnership between the Jubbaland government, the Ministry of Health and local NGO Himilo Relief and Development Association is improving access to essential health interventions. The centre is well stocked with medicines and ready-to-use therapeutic food for the treatment of malnutrition. 

Thanks to support from GAVI, a nationwide immunization campaign recently reached the area, improving coverage and preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. The campaign successfully vaccinated 46,624 children in Bardhere alone. In total, over 15,000 individuals were reached with malaria and HIV prevention, supported by the Global Fund. Distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets continues to help prevent malaria.

The US Government-funded programme is an integrated, multi-sectoral response in the Gedo region that prioritises health, nutrition, WASH, child protection, sexual and gender-based violence services and education access. Vulnerable children and families now have increased access to quality protection services, including community-based mental health and psychosocial support, and family tracing services.

UNICEF is committed to reaching the most vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach areas, such as Bardhere, ensuring that children like Arsha have a fair chance to survive.