Somalia

Q: Domestic resource mobilization

The government is exploring the introduction of health taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages as potential sources of domestic revenue for NCD prevention and care. These measures are still under consideration. Effective public financial management will be critical to ensure that any future revenue supports health priorities.

Q: Pooling

In some regions, community contribution schemes allow households to pool funds to support those most in need, including people living with NCDs. These initiatives draw on cultural and religious norms, such as the 2.5% contribution to social services, reinforcing community solidarity-based financing. While promising, these mechanisms remain limited in scale and formal tracking systems are still developing.

Somalia, with a population of around 13 million, faces a fragile health system, with NCDs accounting for roughly 30% of deaths and only 29% of public health facilities offering NCD services. Decades of conflict, displacement, and natural disasters have strained the sector, yet the government has shown political commitment to strengthening services and integrating NCD care into primary healthcare.

Despite these challenges, Somalia illustrates both the possibility and potential lessons for establishing sustainable NCD financing and services in fragile settings.

Download Somalia NCD Financing Landscape poster

The Cost of NCDs in Somalia

There is a unique opportunity for Somalia to build comprehensive NCD data systems to generate robust evidence for investment cases, budget advocacy, and fiscal planning, establishing a foundation for sustainable financing.

Health financing for NCDs: Progress in Somalia

Somalia has begun laying the foundation, aiming to develop a comprehensive health financing policy while continuing to explore all options for revenue generation. A tobacco control framework is currently under parliamentary review, and health taxes are being considered as potential revenue sources, while an innovative solidarity-based pooling mechanism is helping support vulnerable populations access essential NCD services.

The government is exploring the introduction of health taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages as potential sources of domestic revenue for NCD prevention and care. These measures are still under consideration. Effective public financial management will be critical to ensure that any future revenue supports health priorities.

In some regions, community contribution schemes allow households to pool funds to support those most in need, including people living with NCDs. These initiatives draw on cultural and religious norms, such as the 2.5% contribution to social services, reinforcing community solidarity-based financing. While promising, these mechanisms remain limited in scale and formal tracking systems are still developing.

FAN Fund Project

Somalia's first regional NCD registry

Fragmented information and the absence of a dedicated NCD budget line have long limited the country’s ability to direct resources to supporting communities and people living with, and at risk of, developing NCDs.

By establishing Somalia’s first regional NCD registry in Southwest State and the Banadir Region, the country will begin building a foundation of reliable evidence that can inform investment cases, strengthen budget advocacy, and support the integration of NCDs into Universal Health Coverage and national budget frameworks.

Learn more

Our focus in Somalia

Building capacity for NCD financing and planning, including stronger data systems and analytical capacity to generate evidence for investment cases
Developing health financing policies
Tracking NCD budgets and expenditures systematically
Implementing innovative financing mechanisms, such as health taxes, public–private partnerships, and community-based schemes
Integrating NCD financing within broader health financing systems
Strengthening intersectoral collaboration and advocacy for NCDs

Country core group members

Designated Country Core Groups bring together key country-level stakeholders responsible for policymaking, program design and implementation, evidence generation, and systems-level change.

Dr Hamdi Mohamud Osman, Head, National NCD Program, Ministry of Health
Khalid Mohamed Mohamud, Health Financing Specialist, Ministry of Health
Mohamed Farah Jesow, Senior Budget Advisor, Ministry of Finance
Dr. Omar Abdulle Omar, CEO, Gapbridge Institute

Dr. Abdirezak Mawlid Abdi, Program Director, NCD Alliance Somalia
Dr. Mohamed Addow, Program Director, ESGA Consultancy
Dr. Abdikadir Mohamed Hassan, Minister of Health, Ministry of Health Southwest
Mohamud Omar Elmi, Program Director Advisor, Hopebase Advisory