Mogadishu, 21 September 2020— The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are urging parents and caregivers in south and central parts of Somalia to ensure all children aged under five are vaccinated against polio during a special house-to-house immunization campaign, which began yesterday and runs until 23 September. Both agencies are advising health workers and caregivers to observe health and safety measures against COVID-19 during the four-day campaign.

This advice comes in the wake of efforts to curb the spread of the ongoing polio outbreak in the south and central parts of Somalia. The strain of polio that is in circulation is different from the wild poliovirus, recently declared as eradicated from Africa, but it can also put communities where not enough children have been vaccinated at risk and leave children paralyzed for life. The outbreak has paralyzed 19 children since late 2017.

“The only way to stop such outbreaks from vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio, is to vaccinate every child every time immunization services are offered, either through routine programmes or through such mass campaigns. We all have a moral responsibility to reach and boost the immunity of every last child in Somalia. Owing to access, security and health-seeking behaviour, we are missing a large number of children every year, who are not receiving these life-saving vaccines,” said Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Representative for Somalia.

During the ongoing campaign, 6266 vaccinators in urban areas and 2685 vaccinators in rural areas will be going from door to door to vaccinate 1.65 million children aged under five with oral polio vaccine. In efforts to reach every child possible, an additional 1125 team supervisors will be visiting households in targeted areas. 3390 community mobilizers, sensitizing target communities, will play a key role in helping families to understand, trust and accept vaccines.

“It is critical that all routine immunizations continue, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Werner Schultink, UNICEF Representative for Somalia. “These vaccination drives will help prevent further outbreaks and will protect children from deadly diseases so they can survive and thrive.”

Before the campaign, polio health workers were trained and supplied with personal protective equipment, including face masks, soap and hand sanitizer, to keep them and communities safe from COVID-19.

This campaign is the first step in a two-part effort to raise immunity levels among Somali children. Somalia’s Government, WHO and UNICEF will conduct the second part of the campaign in October to continue to strengthen the immunity of Somali children. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to accept the vaccine when it is offered to give their children life-long protection against polio.

For additional information, please contact

Fouzia Bano
WHO Somalia Communications Officer
Email: هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته. ;
+252 619 235880

Eva Hinds
UNICEF Somalia Communication Manager
Email: هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته. ;
Tel: +252 613 642635

Notes to editors

There are multiple strains of polio, and there is a critical distinction between wild or naturally occurring poliovirus, which is today only found in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the strain circulating in Somalia today.

In late August 2020, the world celebrated a historic moment: the end of wild poliovirus in Africa. This achievement still stands. There is no wild poliovirus on the African continent. But other strains of polio remain a threat as long as there are communities with low immunity levels.

The only way to eradicate all strains of polio is to vaccinate all children everywhere against polio. In places where polio transmission has long been stopped and immunity levels are high, inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is used. In places at high risk of poliovirus circulation, and where immunity levels are not as high as they need to be, the best tool for the job is the oral polio vaccine (OPV), which is being used in this vaccination campaign.

This polio campaign is supported by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), an organization dedicated to the eradication of polio. Launched in 1988, the GPEI is spearheaded by national governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF, and supported by key partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.

16 September 2020 – Somalia is no stranger to emergencies. For decades, Somalis have passed down to younger generations their rich, vibrant culture, along with mechanisms to cope with all kinds of challenges they have faced over the years. Their resilience and Somalia’s health system have been tested yet again in the last 6 months ─ this time with the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.    

Even before 16 March 2020, when H.E. Fauziya Abikar Nur, the Federal Government’s Minister of Health, announced the first case of COVID-19 in the country, the United Nations agencies spearheaded by World Health Organization (WHO) provided substantial and timely support to the Federal Government of Somalia and its other Member States. This support allowed the country to prepare for what lay ahead. In February, public health measures for disease prevention, detection and response were significantly enhanced across the country. By early April, with support from WHO and other partners, the Ministry of Health had strengthened the capacity of 3 designated laboratories for COVID-19 testing. Since then, over 18 000 COVID-19 samples have been tested in these laboratories. WHO worked hand in hand with other United Nations agencies in the country, such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other national and international partners to improve preparedness, readiness and response to mitigate the early impact of COVID-19 outbreak.  

Swift response to the outbreak

WHO and its partners deployed 44 well-trained rapid response teams in March, now almost doubled to 73, to detect cases and to trace their contacts early on in the outbreak. More than 3300 frontline health workers have visited over 1.5 million households in the last 6 months, reaching approximately 6 million people, in 49 districts across the country. They played a critical role in reducing transmission and slowing the trajectory of the epidemic. 

Dr Naima Abdullahi, WHO Public Health Emergency Officer for Banadir, is one of the lucky Somalis who gets to serve her country while fulfilling her dream. 

“Since COVID-19 was confirmed in Somalia, I have been working in an isolation centre, at De Martino Hospital,” says Dr Naima. “My work includes providing support to Federal Ministry of Health teams to conduct COVID-19 tests, trace contacts, build capacity and manage cases. I also support with interpersonal communication, collecting data and conducting community awareness activities.”

Since I was a child, it was my dream to work for the United Nations, because my mother worked as a nurse at that time. Every time I saw her help children and women in our village, I used to tell her that I wanted to be like her,” adds Dr Naima.

Raising awareness to save lives  

In efforts to increase awareness around COVID-19, in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF and other partners, the Somali Federal Government rolled out a public health campaign to raise awareness about COVID-19 in communities across the country. Key messages were shared using radio, billboards, face-to-face training and social media channels. Innovative ideas, including using chatbots, in Somali, on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, helped to spread awareness on self-care among online audiences.

To analyse epidemiological information on the COVID-19 outbreak in Somalia, the Federal Ministry of Health and WHO have been collecting information on COVID-19 prevalence across Somalia and publishing it in the form of a weekly situation report. They have also been updating an online dashboard on a daily basis.   

Lauding the frontline health workers

Health workers across the country have worked tirelessly to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and provide support to infected people. Despite over 250 health care workers being infected by COVID-19, their commitment, dedication, and tireless efforts in saving lives and reducing transmission in the last 6 months have earned recognition from all.  

“The effort that Somali health workers have made to contain the pandemic and help those affected by the virus has literally saved lives. This heroic work is a testament to their commitment and dedication, often under extremely challenging conditions,” said the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan.

“They achieved these life-saving outcomes despite a very fragile and weakened health system in Somalia – the result of 3 decades of conflict, protracted crisis and repeated humanitarian emergencies. The results show their fortitude, as well as the importance of the Somali authorities and national and international partners working together,” he added.

Teaming up to rebuild a robust health system 

Close collaboration among United Nations agencies, and with health authorities, has helped mount a strong response to the outbreak. Despite the nationwide lockdown and suspension of commercial flights, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), World Food Programme (WFP) and WHO partnered to collect, transport and ship COVID-19 samples from remote and inaccessible parts of the country and hand over these samples to the designated testing laboratories.

Within the first 6 months of the outbreak, WFP transported 3279 samples collected from remote and inaccessible areas, shipped over 10 000 sample collection kits and 17 790 items of personal protective equipment throughout the country in support of the Federal Government.

Additionally, IOM, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO supported 18 isolation centres across Somalia, providing them with ventilators, oxygen concentrators, intensive care unit beds and other equipment required for optimizing patient care. Over the last 6 months, over 560 patients received treatment and care in these isolation centres.

“We are all in this fight together. This unprecedented event required an unprecedented response. COVID-19 has affected all humanity and its impact on vulnerable countries like Somalia will be felt long after the outbreak ends. Acting as “One UN”, we responded in a timely, integrated and coordinated manner. The UN team in Somalia will continue to support the Government in protecting the most vulnerable Somalis and helping the health system recover from this crisis,” said Mr Adam Abdelmoula, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, and UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO continued to support the Federal Government to scale up essential health services in order to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on health gains. The successful organization and completion of mass immunization campaigns against measles and polio in Banadir region targeting over 400 000 children under 5 years of age was a striking example of how United Nations agencies are supporting the Government to ensure that health gains are not reversed.

The outbreak is not over

“Even though we have seen a drop in the number of cases and deaths recently, the outbreak is far from over. We applaud the dedicated Somali health workers who continue to stand tall in the face of mounting challenges to save lives from COVID-19 and other diseases. I would like to remind everyone that no one is safe until everyone is safe. I urge Somali communities to do their part responsibly and sensibly and exercise caution to avoid getting infected by COVID-19. To our donor community, I extend our sincere gratitude for the support provided. We will continue to work together with our partners to strengthen the country’s public health system within the goal of achieving universal health coverage and building back better,” said Dr Mamunur Malik, WHO Somalia Representative.

The challenge for Somalia now is to continue to keep health workers like Dr Naima and communities across the country safe from COVID-19, monitor the transmission risk and prevent further spikes while maintaining routine and other emergency healthcare services for everyone, everywhere.  

Related links

Somalia COVID-19 dashboard

COVID-19 information notes

COVID-19 monthly infographics

Press releases

30 August 2020 – For 3 days during a blazing Mogadishu summer, across 17 of Banadir’s districts, around 2500 women and 790 men pulled on their masks and sat cautiously at a safe distance from each other to undergo refresher training. They were preparing for no ordinary feat – conducting a health campaign that will see them offering around 400 000 children aged under 5 measles and polio vaccines, and vitamin A and deworming tablets at fixed and outreach sites, all amid a COVID-19 pandemic.

Even though the trainees have years of experience in planning and conducting immunization campaigns, some are a little anxious about how Somali families will react to them trying to offer health services during an ongoing pandemic of a highly contagious disease. Throughout the campaign, which started on 30 August and will run until 1 September, health workers will observe comprehensive COVID-19 infection prevention measures, such as regular handwashing and wearing face masks, to keep families safe. In addition, health workers will share information with families on how to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

“I hope that caregivers and parents see that our teams have all been trained and retrained to consider the health safety measures of families above all,” says Mohamed Shire, Polio Eradication Officer for the central region of Somalia. “While ensuring families’ and our own safety, we will conduct our duties to protect every Somali child from diseases.”

Vaccinating children against 2 diseases or more at one time is a common practice across much of the world. Health workers understand that parents have a lot to deal with, and that vaccination often gets pushed aside by work, household tasks and childcare. The inclusion of other health interventions in polio campaigns, such as measles vaccine, vitamin A tablets or deworming pills, is a safe and easy way to help parents give their children the best possible protection against childhood diseases. 

Impact of COVID-19 on routine immunization coverage of life-saving vaccines

Across the globe, while the highly transmissible disease and community spread seems to be continuing, the COVID-19 virus has also taken a swing at both the delivery of health services, and health-seeking behaviour. In Somalia, health facilities have recorded a drop in caregivers’ visits to have their children immunized since March this year, when the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Mogadishu. When comparing overall vaccination coverage for the first half of last year with the same period this year, health facilities noted that pentavalent 1 coverage dropped by 11%, pentavalent 3 coverage reduced by 7% and measles 1 coverage dropped by 3%.

The pandemic also meant health workers ‘paused’ other regular, planned activities, such as the integrated polio-measles campaign, as they worked to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and provide much needed treatment for infected people.

Dr Asma Ali, acting Head of WHO’s Polio Programme in Somalia, is relieved to be resuming health activities in Somalia again.

“This campaign in Banadir was supposed to take place in November last year, following a similar intervention in the rest of the country, but was postponed to 2020 due to some technical delays. Unfortunately, COVID-19 came about and took over. Thankfully, we now have a chance to continue to boost the immunity of so many young children again,” Dr Asma explained.

A hub for Somalis and a hotspot for the spread of diseases

Since the start of the year, 744 children in Banadir have reportedly been infected with measles, which accounts for around half the total number of cases in the country. This highly contagious infectious disease can cause a fever and rash among other symptoms in unvaccinated children.

Home to the largest number of displaced people in Somalia, and a hub for Somalis travelling internationally, Banadir also confirmed cases of 3 children with a rare strain of poliovirus that can be found in pockets of children with low immunity.

Two forms of polioviruses, in circulation in Somalia since the end of 2017, have caused paralysis in 19 children so far across the country.

Protecting children from preventable diseases

Dr Mamunur Malik, WHO Somalia Representative, emphasized to Somali communities that every adult has a responsibility to help Somali children lead healthy lives.

“I would like to encourage parents, caregivers and all adults in Banadir and surrounding areas to make the most of this opportunity and visit vaccination sites to ensure every child under 5 is vaccinated against polio and measles, and that every child receives additional supplements to keep them healthy. As caregivers we all have an obligation to ensure our children lead healthy and productive lives,” said Dr Malik.

“As the COVID-19 response continues, it is critical that immunization drives are sustained at the same time,” added Penelope Campbell, Chief of Health, UNICEF Somalia. “Measles and polio are vaccine-preventable diseases and through this campaign, we can stop the further spread of these outbreaks and save the lives of countless children.”

More than 1200 teams with skilled personnel will be offering vaccinations against measles and polio, and supplements to children at fixed sites in Banadir during the 3-day campaign. In addition, social mobilizers from target communities will be spreading messages on the benefits of vaccination and supplements.

The successful completion of the current mass immunization campaign against measles and polio in the midst of an ongoing pandemic in Somalia will not only protect an estimated 400 000 Somali children against vaccine-preventable diseases, the campaign will also focus on the importance of resuming essential health care services, like  routine immunization activities in fragile settings using standard health safety measures. The campaign will also give a signal to all health partners that despite challenges of maintaining physical distancing, with the use of masks and other measures in health facilities and vaccination sites, it is practically possible to organize such mass campaigns and other routine health services through effective planning, coordination and implementation of appropriate risk mitigation measures addressed at individual and population levels.

Note to editors

The integrated measles and polio campaign in Banadir is being conducted by Somali health authorities, with technical support from WHO, UNICEF and other Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners, and national and international partners, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.