New IDS Evidence Review Draws on EQUAL Research from Somalia

A new evidence review published by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Supporting Frontline Workers Delivering Services in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings (Carter, Maliakal and Harvey, September 2026), synthesises evidence from six major research programmes on how health, education, and social protection workers can be better supported in fragile and conflict-affected settings across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

The review draws substantially on research generated through the EQUAL programme (2021–2026), which focuses on improving maternal and newborn health service provision in conflict-affected Eastern DRC, Northeast Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan. SORDI contributes as a research partner to EQUAL's Somalia research programme, alongside the International Rescue Committee (IRC), including research on the midwifery workforce and on maternal and newborn health.

Findings drawn from this Somalia-based research feature throughout the review, including evidence of underemployment among midwifery graduates, EQUAL's finding that community frontline support is more effective when systematised rather than delivered through fragmented projects, and research on the experiences of midwifery students and graduates in conflict-affected areas of Somalia and Nigeria.

The review's central conclusion is that resilient services depend on resilient frontline workforces, and that supporting these workers through fragility and conflict requires a systemic, long-term, and gender-transformative approach that goes beyond short-term incentives.

The full briefing is available from the Institute of Development Studies (DOI: 10.19088/IDS.2026.029).