The School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University is honoured to welcome internationally renowned humanitarian, midwife, educator, and advocate Dr. Edna Adan Ismail, a woman whose extraordinary life’s work has transformed the landscape of healthcare in Somaliland and inspired practitioners around the world.

Best known as the founder of the Edna Adan University Hospital, as well as the Edna Adan University. Dr. Edna 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 vital health professionals who are shaping the future of care in the region.

As a visiting Honorary Lecturer of Cardiff University, Dr. Edna 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. Edna 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. Edna was awarded the prestigious Templeton Prize in 2023—an honour previously held by only one other iconic woman: Mother Teresa.

With her remarkable story captured in her memoir A Woman of Firsts, Dr. Edna stands as an extraordinary exemplar of Global-Civic, resilience, and visionary leadership. Her message is one that has inspired many: that through courage, compassion, and perseverance, one person can change the future of healthcare.

Please be aware that sensitive topics, including FGM, may be discussed.