Edna Adan: It’s Never Too Late To Say ‘Thank You’!

Edna Adan Ismail gives special thanks to all who have supported us throughout the year and especially on Mother’s Day.

Thank you for giving a Mother’s Day gift that flowers and cards cannot provide—life-altering experiences that empower women with education so that they can give the best health care possible to the many women and children in Somaliland.

“Heartfelt thanks to all who have given so generously to our hospital this year. Your support is helping to maintain and expand our work in Somaliland. Only through the training of midwives and other front-line health professionals can we make a real and lasting impact on the health and welfare of mothers and their families.”

Edna Adan University Hospital is busy as always: enrolling over 900 university students, completing post-basic midwifery training, and continuing with ongoing community midwifery training held at three cities across Somaliland: Hargeisa, Gabiley, and Berbera.

We have been able to do so much with your generous donations, and we will continue to do everything we can to help the women and children of Somaliland and the surrounding region.

Profile

Edna Adan Ismail is the director and founder of the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Hargeisa, Somalia, and a courageous activist and pioneer in the struggle to end female circumcision. Born in Hargeisa, Ismail was trained as a nurse in the United Kingdom and practiced as a midwife for many years.

From 1987 to 1991, she was the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Technical Officer for Mother and Child Health. Her main responsibilities centered on issues relating to harmful traditional practices which affect the health of women and children. Ismail was also the WHO representative in Djibouti between 1991 and 1997.

Additionally, Ismail has held many prestigious government posts, including foreign minister of the autonomous Somaliland region in northwest Somalia from 2003 until 2006. She is served as president of the Organization for Victims of Torture and president of Somaliland Family Health Association, as well as a member of the Presidential Commission on Higher Education in Somaliland. Ismail was formerly married to Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal, a prominent political leader who headed the government in British Somaliland prior to the union of Somaliland and Somalia, and later served as prime minister of Somalia (1967–1969).

After Somaliland separated from Somalia, Mohamed Ibrahim Egal returned to become president of Somaliland (1993–2002). Currently, Ismail runs the Edna Adan Ismail Maternity Hospital, whose mission is to improve the health of Somali citizens.