Ayaan Hassan honored for transforming maternal healthcare in Somaliland, training midwives to reduce childbirth complications.
Ayaan Hassan, a Somali-Swedish midwife, has been awarded the 2025 Medical Mission’s Kindness Award for her groundbreaking maternal health work in Somaliland. Over the past eight years, she has trained midwives in Gabiley, equipping them with life-saving skills to combat maternal mortality in a region where medical resources are scarce.
Hassan, who specializes in midwifery and women’s health in Sweden, felt a duty to give back to her homeland. Every year, at her own expense, she returns to Somaliland to train healthcare workers, addressing childbirth emergencies such as postpartum hemorrhage and obstructed labor. Her efforts gained government support in 2017, ensuring security and accommodation for her mission.
Her work has left a lasting impact—midwives she trained now work in hospitals and teach at universities. Many credit Hassan’s training with saving lives, proving that her initiative is driving sustainable change in Somaliland’s maternal healthcare sector.
Hassan has pledged her $3,000 prize money toward supplying professional uniforms for Gabiley’s midwives, reinforcing her commitment to empowering local healthcare workers. She hopes her story will inspire other Somali professionals in the diaspora to contribute to their communities.
Läkarmissionen, the Swedish humanitarian organization behind the award, praised Hassan’s dedication, calling her a “remarkable individual” whose work has directly saved lives and strengthened Somaliland’s maternal healthcare system.
