Dr Uday Raj Naidu Canchi Bhoopal (pictured in the middle), a WHO subnational Health Cluster coordinator, joins the Health Cluster strategic advisory group in a humanitarian fund allocation review exercise for partners in Jubaland. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Somalia3 July 2024, Mogadishu, Somalia – Ms Fatima Abdirazak Ahmed joined WHO in Somalia at the beginning of 2024 as a subnational Health Cluster coordinator in Hirshabelle state. Having just finished a meeting with 15 Health Cluster partners, she heads to the office of Hirshabelle State Ministry of Health. Here, she will brief and discuss with the Director-General the ongoing efforts of the Health Cluster to reach vulnerable and underserved communities with health services during the measles and cholera outbreaks across the state. Health Cluster partners thus play a crucial role in the collection and reporting of disease surveillance data.

Dr Uday Raj Naidu Canchi Bhoopal is a subnational Health Cluster coordinator based in Kismayo, Jubaland. He leads regular Health Cluster meetings to coordinate partners’ actions on humanitarian response, from provision of supplies to service delivery, particularly for measles and cholera outbreak response. He also coordinates critical training for Health Cluster partners. Recently, he facilitated training for 12 health professionals, from various health facilities, on clinical management of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications, and cholera case management. The latter gave health workers the knowledge and practical skills to manage cholera cases appropriately and promote infection prevention and control in cholera treatment units in line with globally recognized practices and protocols.

Along with Fatima and Naidu, 5 more state-level Health Cluster coordinators are deployed across Somalia to ensure subnational coordination among partners and with state ministries of health. These subnational Health Cluster coordinators play a pivotal role in emergency response – for example, understanding demand and coordinating the provision of essential supplies – and in health system strengthening. For instance, they promote the use of the Somalia Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) as a harmonized standard for health service delivery and outbreak response efforts.

Importantly, the Health Cluster coordinators also work with the other clusters, including the Food Security, Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and Protection clusters. This coordination enables integrated responses to people in need of humanitarian assistance.

In Somalia, the Health Cluster comprises 81 partners: 28 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), 42 national NGOs, 4 United Nations agencies, 3 donors, 3 observers and a single national authority. It is co-led by WHO and Save the Children.

Initially, only the national-level Health Cluster Coordination structure was in place. WHO was able to recruit 7 subnational Health Cluster coordinators (4 international and 3 national staff) thanks to funding support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA). Having a well-functioning subnational Health Cluster structure supports operational coordination much closer to the affected population and better adapted to its specific needs, enabling true localization.

Since the subnational Health Cluster coordinators were deployed, the regular Health Cluster coordination meetings have fostered stronger coordination and collaboration among health actors. The impact of the new coordinators’ efforts was showcased at a recent meeting of the Somalia Health Partner Group (SHPG). At the meeting, Erna van Goor, National Health Cluster Coordinator, based in Mogadishu, presented to the donors and partners illustrative maps produced and monitored by the Health Cluster. These maps show the locations and functionality of health facilities and current availability of health services across the country. This presentation vividly demonstrated the complexities and triumphs of the work of the Health Cluster and its coordinators, which was highly valued by humanitarian and development actors for their essential role in preventing duplication of efforts, monitoring service availability and quality, and addressing the health needs of the most vulnerable populations. 

For more information, please contact 

Erna van Goor, National Health Cluster Coordinator, WHO Somalia
Email: هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.  

Madinur Saydahmat, Partnerships Officer, WHO Somalia
Email: هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, 30^th June 2024 – In a landmark step to accelerate progress towards ending polio in Somalia and accelerating immunization coverage, the Prime Minister of Somalia, His Excellency Hamza Abdi Barre, on 29^th June launched a national task force on immunization and polio and a child survival forum.

The Somalia Immunization and Polio Eradication Task Force (SIPE), which the Prime Minister himself will chair, will oversee polio eradication and immunization efforts across the country, mobilize financial to ensure that every child in Somalia is reached with lifesaving vaccines. The task force comprises key health officials at federal and state levels and international partners.

Speaking at the launch in Mogadishu, Prime Minister Barre reiterated his government’s commitment to stopping the transmission of polio by providing strong support and oversight of polio eradication and routine immunization interventions in Somalia.

“The establishment of the national task force on immunization and polio is a testament to my government’s commitment to this cause,” he acknowledged.” We commit to prevent the vaccine preventable diseases as a leading cause of child mortality and efforts to improve vaccination in Somali as priority for the Government”.

The task force signifies Somali’s commitment at a very high political level to stopping polio, which has been circulating in Somalia uninterrupted for seven years, and immunizing children against vaccine preventable diseases. South central Somalia is one of seven areas that have been identified by the Global Polio Eradication Programme as being ‘consequential geographies’ - they are prone to repeated polio outbreaks which are difficult to control because of overpopulation, fragile health systems, and conflict. The other areas are eastern Afghanistan; southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan; Tete province and its hinterland in northern Mozambique; eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; northern Yemen; and northern Nigeria. Outbreaks in these countries are potentially exported to other countries. 

During the Launch, The FMOH DG, Dr Guled Abdijalil, presented recent prevalence of polio cases and immunisation status in Somalia in which Since 2021, Somalia has confirmed 16 cases of polio, all in the central south region. An estimated 1.5 million children have never been vaccinated and the country is one of five in the world with an under-5 mortality rate greater than 100 deaths per 1,000 live births. Without intensified efforts, Somalia is unlikely to meet its 2030 SDG target of 25 deaths per 1,000 live births. 

The Prime Minister also launched the Child Survival Forum, which review current progress and devise strategies and an action plan to accelerate progress in reducing child mortality. 

“I am proud to say that the Government of Somalia, along with our partners, has taken several steps to address these challenges, including initiatives such as Damal Caafimaad and Better Lives to ensure universal health coverage for all,” said Health Minister Dr. Ali Hajji Aadam Abubakar. “I call upon all to support integrated service delivery, especially for children.” 

Speaking virtually, Dr Hanan Balkhy, Regional Director for WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region appreciated the commitment of the honourable Prime Minister and the Minister of Health in addressing the pressing health challenges facing children in Somalia. “This high-level forum will be instrumental in addressing the protection of more than 1.5 million ‘zero dose’ children who have never received a dose of life saving vaccines and help in bringing the longest-running outbreak of variant poliovirus to an end,” she said.

With 77,000 children dying every year before their fifth birthday, and Somalia in urgent need of accelerated progress to reduce these deaths, the government has stepped up the much-needed leadership. Later this year, Somalia will introduce the pneumococcal and rota vaccines to prevent deaths caused by pneumonia and diarrhoea, two of the leading causes of child mortality. At the global level, a resolution initiated by Somalia calling for accelerated action to end maternal and child mortality around the globe was adopted by the World Health Assembly during its meetings in May 2024, placing Somalia among countries leading from the front in tackling maternal and child mortality. 

“The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is grateful for Somalia’s leadership and strong commitment to their children,” said Andrew Stein, deputy director on the polio team at The Gates Foundation. “Through the government’s leadership, in partnership with nongovernmental organizations, work to stop polio and increase access to immunization is more robust than ever. I am confident that Somalia will prevent thousands of cases of polio, measles, pneumonia, and vaccine-preventable diseases.”   

At the heart of intensified efforts is immunization, which alone can prevent two-thirds of child deaths. Yet, current immunization services in Somalia fall short of the scale and consistency required to make a positive impact on mortality. A recent assessment of health facilities found that immunization services were available in only 56 per cent of public hospitals, 68 per cent of health centres, and 19 per cent of primary health care units. 

“For Somalia to attain progress, immunization services need to be provided more widely and consistently in as many health facilities as possible,” said acting UNICEF Representative Charles Lolika. “We believe that with Somalia's resilience and determination, supported by partners and strategies and guidelines to enhance maternal and child health, rapid progress is possible.” 

The challenges facing Somalia are well documented. Decades of conflict have complicated service delivery, and climate-induced shocks such as droughts and floods have displaced millions of people who now live in overcrowded areas with limited access to services. The country’s health system remains fragile, with inadequate human resources and a limited network of cold chain facilities for delivery of vaccines especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas. 

Notes to editors

Download media content here.

For additional information, please contact:

1. Mohamed Osman, Head of Communication and Public Engagement, Federal Ministry of Health, ( هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته. ).
2. Victor Chinyama, Chief of Communication, UNICEF Somalia, هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته. .
3. Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer, WHO Somalia, هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

WHO Representative to Somalia Dr Reinhilde Van de Weerdt (left) met with H.E. Mr OKANIWA Ken, Ambassador of Japan to Somalia, to express appreciation for Japan’s support. Photo credit: WHO Somalia/M. Saydahmat12 June 2024, Mogadishu, Somalia – A critical project led by the WHO Country Office in Somalia aims to reach nearly 900 000 people with life-saving interventions over the course of 2024. The project targeting people in Somalia who are still living with the impacts of extreme climate events is supported by the Government of Japan with a generous grant of over US$ 700 000. 

This new project follows the completion of an earlier project that benefited over 3 million people affected by drought and floods in Somalia with integrated health and nutrition services. This latest funding, allocated under the Japanese Supplementary Budget, thus represents continued support to Somalia from the Government of Japan. 

The project is titled “Ensuring Access to Essential and Emergency Health Care for Drought (and Flood) -affected Communities Living in Hard-to-reach Areas in Somalia” and spans the entirety of 2024. It targets 15 flood- and drought-affected districts across the country. Working with the Ministry of Health and Human Services, WHO aims to mitigate the health impacts of recurrent climate shocks, food insecurity and disease outbreaks, especially cholera, while strengthening health system resilience. 

“Japan’s continuous contribution will enable WHO to enhance our ongoing activities in responding to recurring and escalated cholera outbreaks in Somalia, particularly in areas affected by extreme weather events,” said Dr Reinhilde Van de Weerdt, WHO Representative to Somalia. “We are grateful for Japan’s longstanding support of our efforts to save lives and improve health outcomes in Somalia and the Greater Horn of Africa region, focusing on emergencies from COVID-19 to the drought and floods.” 

Somalia has an ongoing cholera outbreak, which has been made worse since the floods of December 2023, which destroyed sanitation facilities and caused further displacements. Cholera spreads easily amid the poor sanitary conditions and limited access to basic health care. The outbreak is mainly concentrated in the Hirshabelle, Puntland, and South West states. Since January 2024, the country has reported over 9914 cases. Forecasts predict that the outbreak will continue due to anticipated heavy Gu rains expected until the end of June 2024, potentially leading to flash floods. 

“The Government of Japan recognizes the urgent need to address the health challenges exacerbated by extreme weather events in Somalia,” said His Excellency Mr OKANIWA Ken, Ambassador of Japan to Somalia. “We are pleased to continue our partnership with Somalia. Through this project, we aim to support WHO’s efforts in delivering vital health care services, aiming to save lives and enhance resilience against the impacts of droughts and floods.” 

Thanks to Japan’s funding, WHO will be able to improve access to essential health services through community-based interventions in underserved communities across 15 districts. These services will target 866 860 beneficiaries out of the almost 3.2 million people in need in those districts. The effort will focus on providing health and nutrition services, including immunization, for sick children and pregnant and lactating women. 

The project will also strengthen referral linkages between communities and health facilities to improve quality, access and coverage of critical care. This includes in-patient treatment at stabilization centres for children with severe acute malnutrition with medical complications. 

With Japan’s support, WHO will also assist the Ministry of Health and Human Services in strengthening prevention, early detection and prompt response to disease outbreaks, including cholera, at the district level. 

For more information, contact:

Madinur Saydahmat, Partnerships Officer, WHO Somalia
Email: هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer, WHO Somalia

Email: هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

WHO and Ministry of Health personnel check for IDSR priority conditions during a joint support supervision visit to a health centre in Beledweyne district, Hirshabelle state, Somalia. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Somalia11 June 2024, Somalia – Amid the complex humanitarian emergency that is ongoing in Somalia, the population is highly vulnerable to disease outbreaks. In such a situation, early detection of disease outbreaks is crucial for an appropriate public health response and interventions.

Somalia has been successfully strengthening its multi-disease surveillance system by implementing the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system. These efforts have been made in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and the WHO Country Office in Somalia.

IDSR improves the efficiency and effectiveness of health information systems. IDSR data are hosted on DHIS2, the open-source software platform used nationally to collate district health information. Health workers use this platform to record, in one place, real-time information on health events and analyse data for early detection and prompt response to disease outbreaks.

IDSR system implementation

“IDSR has enabled the Ministry of Health and Human Services to stay ahead of the public health events and safeguard the health of our communities by detecting outbreaks early,” said Dr Sahro Isse Mohamed, Head of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Unit, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Federal Government of Somalia.

WHO Somalia supported the development of a 3-year, multiphase operational plan. This includes technical guidelines for IDSR implementation, standard operating procedures, and training material tailored to the surveillance needs of health workers.

As of January 2024, the country has been implementing the second phase of the plan, which aims to:

improve the quality of data that health workers report to the IDSR system

link surveillance data with laboratory information

strengthen the capacity for data use at the subnational level

monitor and evaluate the implementation of the IDSR system through supportive supervision

monitor indicators

conduct review meetings with all stakeholders.

A WHO team member and Jubaland public health laboratory technicians discuss how to increase the testing capacity of IDSR priority conditions in Kismayo district, Jubaland state, Somalia. Photo credit: WHO/ WHO Somalia

Phase one was completed in 2023, with health workers from 371 out of 620 (59.8%) health facilities trained, surpassing the target coverage for the training. State-, regional- and district-level managers also took part in the training.  

Thanks to these training efforts, by the end of 2023, these health facilities had submitted reports on 42 priority conditions. From epidemiological week 3 to week 13 of 2024, this number increased to 409. Of the health facilites that have received the training, 80% have been regularly submitting surveillance data.

The IDSR system has been instrumental in detecting cholera, diphtheria and pertussis alerts in Somalia since April 2023. Also, the capacity of health workers at different administrative levels has been enhanced to develop weekly epidemiological bulletins with analysis and trends of various conditions reported by health facilities. The weekly bulletins are shared with a wide range of stakeholders for decision-making and resource coordination and to the health workers as a form of feedback.

Transforming plans into actions

Planning for IDSR began in 2020, when Somalia made a strategic decision to implement such a system. In 2021, the country established a functioning IDSR system for the first time. In 2022, guidelines and training materials were developed to build health workers’ capacities to successfully use and implement the IDSR system. All these efforts have contributed to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with disease outbreaks.

The final phase of the operational plan will complete in 2024. The IDSR system will then provide a holistic approach to public surveillance of priority diseases and conditions, as well as address response needs.

Somalia has also initiated steps to implement event-based surveillance, especially at the community level, to complement the IDSR system. The country is also strengthening its public health laboratory capacity to ensure that priority diseases reported through the IDSR system are diagnosed in good time.

Rapid response teams will be trained to respond to emergencies within the community. There are also plans to establish surveillance and response systems for antimicrobial resistance, and maternal and perinatal deaths.

WHO is committed to support Somalia as it continues to develop and refine its IDSR system. This support is vital for strengthening Somalia’s surveillance system to improve the country’s preparedness and response plan to disease outbreaks.