SOS Children's Villages Somalia | Health and Nutrition Programme

The video focuses on the health and nutrition services provided by SOS Children's Villages Somalia to the Somali people in Mogadishu through the support of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO). It highlights on the health needs of the population in a prolonged conflict setting, since the beginning of the civil war in 1991. The situation in Somalia has led to high morbidities and mortalities among women and children, creating a dire need for health and nutrition services. SOS in partnership with ECHO provides health care to approximately 200,000 people annually thus play a key role in reducing the morbidity and mortality of women and children in under five; the services at the hospital are provided through three broad departments maternity and reproductive health, paediatrics and nutrition department. Through the support of ECHO, the SOS Hermann Gmeiner Community Nursing School in Mogadishu provides a three year diploma nursing course to Somali youth, thus playing a key part in building up the low health worker force currently present in Somalia. Since the school begun in 2002, a total of 161 nurses have graduated from the school.