The Global Leaders Network (GLN) for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health (WCAH) proudly welcomes Somalia, under the leadership of H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as its newest member. Somalia’s decision to join the GLN marks a pivotal moment in the country’s health and development journey, signalling strong political will and commitment to advancing the health and rights of women, children, and adolescents across Africa and the Global South.

Somalia’s inclusion comes as global efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for maternal and child health continue to fall short. In 2023, approximately 260,000 women died from largely preventable pregnancy and childbirth-related causes, 92% of them in low- and lower-middle-income countries. That same year, under-five deaths reached 4.8 million, including 2.3 million newborns, while stillbirths remained close to 1.9 million. With climate change, prolonged conflict, and shrinking global health funding intensifying the crisis, decades of progress are at risk of being lost.