Baidoa (KAAB TV) – The South West State Ministry of Health has officially launched a groundbreaking Digital Health Partnership Program designed to strengthen healthcare delivery and extend affordable, high-quality medical services to vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities across the state.
The initiative marks Somalia’s first-ever state-level digital health collaboration and brings together ThinkMD, a leading global provider of digital clinical assessment and decision support technology, and Cleanport Ventures, a strategic advisory firm specializing in public health innovation and implementation.
The partnership aims to revolutionize how healthcare is managed, delivered, and monitored in South West State.
By leveraging digital tools and data-driven insights, the program seeks to enhance the skills of frontline health workers, improve disease diagnosis accuracy, streamline health data collection, and strengthen patient care coordination — particularly in rural and underserved areas where access to medical professionals remains limited.
Cleanport Ventures will lead the implementation process, providing training, oversight, and continuous monitoring to ensure effective deployment.
ThinkMD will customize its digital health platform to align with Somalia’s healthcare standards, languages, and national data systems.
The South West State Ministry of Health will provide strategic leadership, coordination, and integration of the program with state and national health priorities.
At the heart of the program is ThinkMD’s Clinical Decision Support (CDS) tool, a digital system that “thinks like a doctor.” The tool enables nurses, midwives, and community health workers to assess, diagnose, and manage patient cases based on World Health Organization (WHO)-aligned clinical protocols.
It supports evidence-based decision-making, ensuring consistency and quality in healthcare delivery — even in the absence of a physician.
“This is not just a technology project — it’s a major leap forward in how healthcare is managed and supported in South West State,” said Anthony Woodland, Chief Operations Officer at Cleanport Ventures.
“Together with ThinkMD and the Ministry of Health, we are laying the foundation for a connected, modern, intelligent, and equitable healthcare system that empowers communities and strengthens public health resilience.”
A senior official from the South West State Ministry of Health emphasized the government’s commitment to innovation and workforce development:
“This partnership reflects our determination to harness digital innovation to improve service delivery, build the capacity of our frontline health workers, and ensure that every citizen — regardless of location — has access to quality healthcare.”
The first phase of the Digital Health Partnership Program focuses on:
Comprehensive training for healthcare workers to effectively use the CDS tool and associated data systems.
Establishment of a centralized digital platform for secure, standardized, and accessible health information.
Development of systems that enable timely monitoring of health indicators, disease outbreaks, and service utilization across both public and select private healthcare facilities.
The initiative is expected to generate valuable health insights, support data-driven policy decisions, and contribute to Somalia’s broader digital health transformation agenda.
ThinkMD is a global digital health company that develops clinical intelligence platforms to enable any healthcare provider, anywhere in the world, to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care.
Cleanport Ventures is a strategic advisory and implementation firm focused on accelerating digital transformation in public health systems across emerging markets.