Plenary speaker Edna Adan Ismail is regarded as one of Africa’s most influential women. In her lengthy career, the beloved nurse-midwife and activist has made lasting contributions in health, peace building, and foreign affairs, all with an exceptional focus on advancing the well-being of women and children. 

From her time as a trainee nurse and midwife in London in the 1950s to becoming Somalia’s First Lady, and now running the pioneering Edna Adan University Hospital, Ismail has never ceased to be a tireless campaigner and champion of women's rights and health. Born in Hargeisa in British Somaliland Protectorate, she trained as a nurse/midwife in London and returned home in 1961. In 1963, she married Mohamed Ibrahim Egal, who had been president of an independent Somaliland, and in 1967, became First Lady when her husband became Prime Minister of Somalia.

In October 1969, the civilian government was overthrown by a military coup. Even so, Ismail persevered with her work and in 1976, became the first woman director in the Somali Ministry of Health. In 1986, as Somalia descended into civil war, she re-joined WHO as Regional Nursing/Midwifery Advisor. She served as a technical officer for reproductive health from 1987-91 and then became a WHO representative in the Republic of Djibouti from 1991-97.

As the first person to publicly speak out against female genital mutilation (FGM) in a region where the practice remains widespread, Ismail has been a fearless and tireless campaigner for more than 40 years, leading the campaign in the Horn of Africa and internationally, and training legions of midwives to follow in her footsteps.

Faced with a health care system that had been demolished by Somolia’s long civil war, Ismail founded the not-for-profit Edna Adan University Hospital in 1997. Established as a maternity teaching hospital with a goal of training 1,000 midwives, it has grown into a major referral institution for obstetrical, surgical, medical, and pediatric cases from a wide geographical area in the Horn of Africa. With the opening of the Edna Adan University in 2010, the level of training has risen, and the programs have greatly multiplied. Today, more than 1,500 students (70% women) are enrolled in courses in nursing, midwifery, medicine, pharmacology, laboratory technology, anesthesia, dental technology, and public health.

In parallel to the founding of the hospital, Ismail embarked upon a career in politics in 2002. She served as Minister of Social Affairs and Family Welfare in Somaliland and as a stellar Foreign Minister from 2003-06. She became a much-loved figure, and as the only female minister in the government at the time, she used her position to raise the concerns and amplify the voice of women.

Her story was included in the PBS documentary Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide in 2012. In 2019, Harper Collins published Ismail’s memoirs, A Woman of Firsts, a bestseller which has been translated into several languages.

Among her numerous awards, Ismail received the French Légion d'honneur in 2011 and Djibouti made her Commandeur Dans l'Ordre National in 1997. She was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians in the UK, as well as from Cardiff and London South Bank universities. In Africa, she was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal from Pretoria University for her work on human rights. She has been awarded multiple honorary degrees and was inducted into the Medical Mission Hall of Fame. She was awarded the prestigious Templeton Prize in 2023 and in 2025, received the Gusi Peace Prize.