Individual and community-level determinants of neonatal mortality in Somalia: a multilevel analysis of the 2018–2019 demographic and health survey

Neonatal mortality in Somalia is alarmingly high and inequitably distributed, driven by a combination of biological risks, healthcare access failures, and regional disparities. Interventions must prioritize increasing access to and utilization of health facilities for childbirth, strengthening family planning services to promote healthy birth spacing, and enhancing specialized care for high-risk newborns, particularly in regions identified with the highest mortality burden. These targeted strategies are essential to reduce preventable newborn deaths in Somalia.