Cardiff University welcomes renowned global health leader and Honorary Lecturer Dr Edna Adan Ismail

Cardiff University’s School of Healthcare Sciences was honoured to welcome Dr Edna Adan Ismail - midwife, educator, humanitarian, and globally recognised health leader - on Friday 13 February.

As an Honorary Lecturer in the School, Dr Ismail supports teaching and student engagement by sharing her extensive expertise in maternal health, public health leadership, and culturally informed care. Her visit gave students an opportunity to learn directly from one of the world’s most influential voices in women’s health.

During her visit to Cardiff, Dr Ismail shared insights from her extraordinary career, including the founding of the Edna Adan University Hospital and University in Somaliland, institutions that have helped rebuild health services, train thousands of professionals, and transform maternal and child health in a region recovering from conflict.

The event, organised by Diana De, Interim Director of International and Global Civic at the School, attracted over 80 registrations and was open to students, staff, and the public. Attendees described the talk as inspiring, humbling, and incredibly informative, praising Dr Ismail’s compassion, leadership, and remarkable impact on healthcare. Many students said they left feeling motivated - some even more determined to pursue careers in midwifery and nursing - and grateful for the chance to learn about Somaliland and the importance of culturally informed care.

Diana De said: “We are very grateful to Dr Ismail for sharing her extraordinary insight and experience. Events like this are a reminder of why Global‑Civic and diverse voices are so important. They help us connect with communities, broaden our understanding, enrich learning, and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.”

Best known as the founder of the Edna Adan University Hospital and the Edna Adan University, Dr Ismail has built one of East Africa’s most respected referral and teaching hospitals - an institution that now trains midwives, nurses, anaesthesia technicians, medical students, and other essential health professionals who are shaping the future of care in the region.

Dr Ismail brings firsthand insight into one of the world’s most challenging public health environments. When Somaliland withdrew from its administrative union with Somalia in 1991, the nation had only 18 nurses and midwives and 13 doctors to serve a population of four million and a country as big as England and Wales combined. Rising from the devastation of civil war, she returned home determined to rebuild. On a barren former rubbish site, armed only with conviction and the proceeds of selling her own possessions, she laid the foundations of a hospital that would become a beacon of hope. From training the first cohort of 42 nurses to now educating over 4000 healthcare professionals, her work has dramatically reduced maternal and infant mortality in a region once facing some of Africa’s worst outcomes.

Dr Ismail is also one of the world’s most powerful voices against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a practice she both experienced and witnessed the devastating consequences of throughout her career. Her relentless advocacy helped prompt Somaliland to issue a national religious edict (fatwa) against FGM, sparking essential conversations and empowering future generations to challenge this harmful tradition.

Her leadership continues to inspire healthcare professionals globally to champion women’s rights, dignity, and compassionate care. In recognition of her lifelong dedication to healing, education, and public service, Dr Ismail was awarded the prestigious Templeton Prize in 2023—an honour previously held by only one other iconic woman: Mother Teresa.