USAID and Mercy Corps have granted a new Land Cruiser Ambulance to the Somaliland Ministry of Health, to be used to support the Mother and Child Health Referral System in the Erigavo Regional Hospital.  With limited healthcare, Somali mothers and children are among those most at risk of death in the world and many mothers and children die because they cannot reach the hospital for medical attention quickly enough.  Pregnant women lack access to health facilities and skilled care. The ambulance will enable vulnerable pregnant women to reach the health care they need for a safe delivery.  In partnership with the Somaliland Ministry of Health, USAID is helping to improve support to mother and child healthcare by educating mothers; training nurses, traditional birth attendants and community health workers; and by strengthening regional health networks and rehabilitating health clinics. So far, 49 communities in Somaliland have better access to primary education, water and sanitation and health as a result of USAID’s support. These efforts also alleviate some of the hardship Somalis face in the eastern regions of Somaliland that have been exacerbated by the drought.