MOGADISHU – Somalia’s Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development has intensified efforts to bolster planning, monitoring, and evaluation practices in the health sector through a coordination meeting held in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health and Human Services to advance data and evidence usage in shaping national health policies and programs.

According to a statement from the Ministry, the meeting forms part of ongoing government initiatives to enhance coordination among national health institutions and improve data collection and analysis mechanisms to support better health outcomes and more sustainable service delivery.

Discussions centered on implementing the National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy and the National Evaluation Framework, while exploring ways to strengthen planning, performance monitoring, and assessment processes for health programs to ensure more effective utilization of reliable information in policymaking and decision-making.

The meeting was chaired by Mahmud Said Noor, Acting Director General of the Ministry and Director of the Monitoring and Evaluation Department. Participants included Dr. Said Hirsi, Technical Advisor on Health Affairs at the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abdijalil Abdullahi Ali, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Health, along with several government officials and technical specialists.

Participants stressed the importance of cultivating a culture of evidence-based decision-making, noting that reliable data and scientific evidence are crucial for enhancing healthcare services, improving national program effectiveness, and ensuring public institutions are better prepared to respond to community needs.

The meeting reflects Somalia’s broader commitment to establishing a more robust institutional framework for planning, monitoring, and evaluation, driven by the understanding that informed decisions are fundamental to improving public services and achieving sustainable human development. It also coincides with the country’s ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening essential services and ensuring they reach communities more efficiently, equitably, and impactfully.