Edna Adan

Edna Adan Ismail is the director and founder of the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Hargeisa, Somaliland. A determined advocate for women's health and a vocal opponent of female genital mutilation (FGM), she has dedicated over 40 years to campaigning against the practice. Her extensive roles include president of the Organization for Victims of Torture and former foreign minister and First Lady of Somaliland.

Born in Hargeisa as the daughter of a prominent Somali medical doctor, Adan embarked on her educational journey at a newly opened girls' school in Somaliland at age 15. She became the first Somali girl to receive a scholarship to study in Britain, where she trained in nursing, midwifery, and hospital management over seven years. Upon returning to Somaliland, she made history as the first qualified nurse-midwife in the country and the first Somali woman to drive a car.

Her ambition to build a hospital began in the mid-1980s but was interrupted by the Somali Civil War, leading her to join the World Health Organization (WHO). There, she played a crucial role in advocating against harmful traditional practices and facilitating the training of midwives in the Eastern Mediterranean region. After serving as WHO’s representative in Djibouti until 1997, Adan returned to Somaliland, sold her possessions, and successfully established her hospital in 2002 despite significant challenges. The hospital, built on a former trash dump in Hargeisa, has notably achieved a mortality rate one quarter of the national average.

In addition to founding the Edna Adan Hospital, she established Edna Adan University in 2010, which offers courses in nursing, midwifery, medicine, and other health-related fields. Her contributions to medical education and public health are recognized globally. Adan has been honored with inclusion in the Medical Mission Hall of Fame at the University of Toledo and has received honorary degrees from Clark University in Massachusetts and Cardiff University School of Nursing in Wales.

Adan's efforts have been showcased in the PBS documentary "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide." She continues to influence through her public speaking, including her TEDx talk titled "If We Can Train Midwives in Somaliland, Everyone Can!" Her relentless work and advocacy have earned her numerous awards, including the officer rank of the French Legion d'honneur in 2012 and the Renfield Foundation Award for Global Women's Health by the University of Pennsylvania.