To reinforce lifesaving nutrition services, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, is rolling out Somalia’s 2025 updated national guideline for the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema – also known as acute malnutrition. The revised guideline aligns with the latest global evidence and places prevention and early intervention at the centre of care.

More than 40 Somali health professionals from hospitals and stabilization centres across the country recently gathered for a two-week master training-of-trainers course, supported by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and WHO. The aim was to equip the national trainers with the knowledge and skills needed to cascade high-quality, standardized nutrition care to health workers nationwide.

“The main goal of this training is to build the capacity of frontline health workers and nutrition programme managers to effectively implement the 2025 Somali Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) guideline,” said Dr Aweis Olow Hassan, Nutrition Officer at WHO Somalia.

Unlike previous versions, the revised guideline goes beyond treatment alone. It emphasizes prevention, expands care for infants under 6 months who are at risk of poor growth and development, and includes guidance for their mothers and caregivers. It also introduces protocols for moderate wasting and a comprehensive chapter on nutrition in emergencies.

“This guideline reflects the realities health workers face every day,” Dr Aweis explained. “It helps them identify risks earlier and act before children become severely malnourished.”

For participants like Dr Maryan Musse, Health and Nutrition Project Coordinator at World Vision Somalia, the training addressed long-standing challenges encountered in the field.