Somalia Launches Its First Unified National Registry of Health Facilities

• Somalia has officially launched the Master Health Facility List (MHFL), the nation's first unified registry of health facilities, developed by the Ministry of Health with support from the WHO.
• The registry consolidates standardized data on 1,455 health facilities, covering locations, available services, and operational status.

A Foundation for Health Planning

• Replaces fragmented systems with a single national reference, allowing government and humanitarian partners to align on resource allocation and strategic planning.
• Facilitates the identification of underserved areas, helping address service gaps more effectively.
• Provides a common basis for coordination among various stakeholders, including government bodies, international partners, and development agencies.

Data Quality and Coordination

• Enhances data interoperability between different health information systems by using standardized facility identifiers.
• Assists health authorities in making evidence-based decisions regarding infrastructure development and health worker deployment.
• Supports universal health coverage efforts by mapping service availability to identify where populations face barriers to care.

Strengthening Immunization and Polio Eradication

• Provides critical geographic data to optimize microplanning for vaccination campaigns.
• Improves the coordination of routine and supplementary immunization activities, particularly for reaching children in hard-to-reach or conflict-affected communities.
• Enables better mapping of mobile services and deployment of vaccination teams.

Sustaining the Resource

• The system's value depends on continuous updates to reflect facility changes, such as openings, closures, or shifts in service capacity.
• The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the WHO, remains committed to maintaining the registry as a living national resource.