A scathing new report by human rights organization Amnesty International has shed light on the alarming state of Somalia's health sector, highlighting a troubling increase in child and maternal mortality rates, as well as widespread issues with inadequately equipped government health centres, low vaccination coverage, and the prevalence of waterborne diseases.
"It is certain that Somalia is facing security and governance challenges. But the military expenditure which is currently 24% of the budget, should not prevent Somalia from aligning its health policy with its needs and appropriate budget allocation," the report states."This will enable the country to comply with its constitutional and international obligations to guarantee accessible, affordable, and quality health care to its people.
The rights group has also urged the government to allocate at least 15% of the national budget to the health sector, in line with the Abuja Declaration, a commitment made by African Union member states to increase health spending. "The military expenditure which is currently 24% of the budget, should not prevent Somalia from aligning its health policy with its needs and appropriate budget allocation," the report stressed.