Meet Ayan Abdulahi: doula and birth support educator working with East African immigrants and refugees
April Public Health Spotlight
As we honor Black Maternal Health Week, this month’s Public Health Spotlight is Ayan Abdulahi (she/her), founder and executive director of Ayan Maternity Heathcare Support. A passionate advocate for and practitioner of maternal health services for East African immigrants and refugees, Abdulahi graduated as a nurse midwife from Shifa College of Medicine at Hargeisa in the Republic of Somaliland. She has subsequently worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN refugee agency in Jijiga, Ethiopia, on projects dedicated to the prevention of female genital mutilation (FGM), and for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Belgium as an HIV/AIDS and TB educator. In all of her work, Abdulahi is committed to supporting women with disabilities, who have had traumatic experiences, and who have experienced domestic violence. Read on to learn more about her phenomenal work and commitment to community health.
What got you interested in public health?
I saw firsthand how East African families lacked birth support and education. Northeast King County particularly needed more free-of-charge doula and education services for refugees, immigrants, and low-income families. So, I decided to act and founded Ayan Maternity Health Care Support. The mission of our organization is that we are dedicated to providing culturally relevant perinatal support services and professional development opportunities to ensure healthy pregnancies. We serve low-income families, immigrants, and refugees in King County, offering a range of services including birth and postpartum doula services, lactation support, childbirth learning, early parenting support, and both mom and dad workshops.
Can you tell me about your work?
We provide a safe space for pregnant people both before and after birth to find support and community. We also provide education on pregnancy complications and prevention on a wide range of topics, including eclampsia, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, postpartum depression, urinary tract infections, and sexually transmitted infections.
What’s one accomplishment you’re particularly proud of?
In March 2023, Ayan Maternity Health Care Support received a Birth Equity Project grant from the Washington State Department of Health. This funding is helping us expand perinatal support and professional development opportunities to East African immigrants and refugees in King County.
Please complete this sentence:
Healthy communities have maternity support services free of charge.
What’s one piece of advice you have for someone wanting to pursue a life in public health?
Don’t feel discouraged when you don’t see expected results with your intervention because any amount of progress, even if it seems small, makes a great impact in the community you are helping.
What’s your favorite place in Washington state?
One of my favorite places in Washington state is the Chihuly Glass Garden. I love gardening and walking through gardens and this place is a beautiful place to see the mixture of glass art and flowers.
