Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding are crucial for the healthy growth and development of newborns. Credit: WHO/Somalia

Mogadishu 4 August 2023 – The Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) Somalia country office join the international community and partners in commemorating World Breastfeeding Week, which is held annually from 1 to 7 August to highlight the importance of breastfeeding for both mothers and children. 

This year's theme, "Let’s make breastfeeding and work, work," focuses on workplace barriers that prevent women from breastfeeding or cause them to stop breastfeeding earlier than recommended. The Federal Ministry of Health and WHO country office are urging all partners to work together to establish breastfeeding-friendly environments in all health care facilities and workplaces across the country to promote and enhance exclusive breastfeeding rates among Somali women. 

Somalia has some of the highest rates of neonatal and under-5 mortality in the world, with an under-5 mortality rate of 117 per 1000 live births. In addition, more than 1.8 million children under 5 are currently at risk of severe malnutrition and related health complications due to the ongoing drought crisis. Undernutrition is a global concern associated with 45% of all child deaths annually. If all children between 0 and 23 months are optimally breastfed, over 820 000 children's lives could be saved each year. 

To provide optimal infant protection, WHO and UNICEF recommend initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and continuing exclusively for 6 months. Breast milk contains essential antibodies and nutrients that promote healthy growth and development. In Somalia, only 60% of children are breastfed within the first hour of birth, and just 34% of infants under 6 months are exclusively breastfed. This can cause dietary deficiencies, which are prevalent among children of all age groups in Somalia. Such deficiencies can result in childhood illnesses like respiratory diseases, diarrhoea, wasting and stunting. Hence, it is crucial for children to have good nutritional status to support their growth and development. 

The Federal Ministry of Health, at both the federal and state levels, recognizes the significance of breastfeeding and has prioritized it in the national health sector strategic plans. "Breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits for both newborns and mothers. Therefore, it is important to create supportive environments that are conducive to breastfeeding at all levels of society,” said Farhan Mohamed, Head of the Nutrition Unit at the Federal Ministry of Health. “Breastfeeding also has the potential to reduce health costs and result in economic gains for families and the nation as a whole,” he added. 

To promote and improve breastfeeding practices, the WHO country office supports the Federal Ministry of Health in implementing the national nutrition strategy 2020-2025, with the primary goal of increasing the number of babies aged 0–6 months old who are exclusively breastfed to above 50% by 2025. Additionally, as part of drought response efforts, WHO provides vitamin A supplementation and/or micronutrient supplements to children under 5 and pregnant women. WHO also supports the Ministry in implementing the maternal, infant and young child nutrition plan and provides technical support and capacity-building for health care workers. 

This important work is made possible thanks to the generous funding from the Delegation of the European Union (EU), European Commission Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection (ECHO), and Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). WHO takes the technical lead in maternal, newborn and child health and Dr Al-Umra Umar noted, “By promoting breastfeeding, Somalia can strengthen its health care system, reduce health care associated expenses, and promote a productive and safer workplace and healthier workforce for the future.”

For additional information, please contact:

Kyle DeFreitas
External Relations Officer
هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

Fouzia Bano
Communications Officer
هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

Related links

WHO launches training to transform care of mothers and newborns in Somalia 

Somalia calls for help as 18 million Somali children under 5 experience acute malnutrition and health complications

Mogadishu, 28 July 2023: The Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) country office in Somalia join together in commemorating World Hepatitis Day to increase awareness and understanding of viral hepatitis.

This year, the hepatitis campaign will be under the slogan of “One Life, One Liver” emphasizing the link between viral hepatitis infection and liver inflammation. In the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, a regional slogan, “Hepatitis medicines are cheaper now. Treat to save lives”, is also being used to highlight efforts to accelerate the elimination of hepatitis by ensuring that testing and treatment are available to those who need it the most. Although the Federal Ministry of Health, together with WHO and other partners, has made progress in improving access to hepatitis testing and treatment, the road towards elimination is a long one.

Hepatitis, a viral infection that primarily affects the liver and can cause lasting damage and inflammation, is a global health concern that particularly affects low- and middle-income countries, including Somalia. Limited resources, insufficient health care infrastructure and low awareness all contribute to high transmission rates and limited access to testing and treatment.

Globally, viral hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) are responsible for 1.1 million deaths annually due to chronic liver disease and cancer, with almost 80% of cases going undiagnosed. Marginalized communities, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), are particularly vulnerable and tend to experience a greater disease burden.

In Somalia, limited data availability adds to the challenges of combating viral hepatitis. Most available data are from blood transfusion screenings, with recent data indicating a decline in seropositivity rates for HBV and HCV: HBV seroprevalence dropping from 4.6% in 2012 to 1.9% in 2021 and HCV from 0.42% to 0.09% during the same period. Despite this progress, 2.5 million people in Somalia are estimated to live with chronic HBV and HCV.

The National Hepatitis Programme Manager at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Aweiys Hersi Hashi, while acknowledging the critical support extended by the WHO country office in managing the disease burden of hepatitis in the country, including through blood transfusion screenings and integrating the HBV vaccine into childhood immunization schedules, says: “We are struggling to expand these services to every part of the country for which we will urge the partners to support WHO and the Ministry to expand the service to ensure the goals of universal health coverage in Somalia could be achieved.”

HIV treatment regimens also incorporate drugs effective against both HIV and hepatitis viruses, such as tenofovir and lamivudine, providing dual benefits for co-infected individuals. Dr Rogers Busulwa from the WHO country office emphasises that: “Collecting data is crucial for understanding the burden of viral hepatitis beyond blood donor populations. It is also critical to prioritize the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis. There is significant potential to leverage the efforts of the HIV programme to support these efforts.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO established seven public health laboratories equipped with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, which has been instrumental in increasing national diagnostic capacity. In addition to SARS-COV-2, these laboratories can detect various pathogens, including hepatitis viruses. The utilization of PCR technology holds great potential for timely diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis, preventing complications and the spread of the virus.

The Federal Ministry of Health and WHO country office, together with partners, are working to achieve the global goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030. To reach this goal, WHO supports the federal and state ministries of health in enhancing access to universal health coverage, including hepatitis testing, treatment and vaccines.

For additional information, please contact:

Kyle DeFreitas, External Relations Officer, هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer, هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

Note to Editors:

Please see the link below for additional information on WHO’s response across Somalia:

Commemorating Zero Discrimination Day: reducing stigma against HIV/AIDS

A child waits to receive vaccines during an integrated campaign, Mogadishu, 2022. Credit: WHO/Mukhtar Sudani/Ismail Taxte

18 July 2023 – On a March day in the village of Burhakaba, Somalia, two-year-old Turki Abdinor Osman’s family didn’t find it unusual when he developed a fever and started to vomit. But soon afterwards, the toddler developed weakness in his left leg – an indicator of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), the most common symptom of poliovirus infection. The family notified health workers in their village, who collected stool samples from the boy and, soon afterwards, confirmed the diagnosis: Turki had been infected by poliovirus. His family was stunned and struggled to reimagine their active toddler’s life with permanent paralysis.

This grim milestone has been faced by too many Somali families in an outbreak of circulating variant poliovirus that is now in its sixth year. A total of 31 children have been paralysed.

To ensure that no more families receive this kind of news about their children, tens of thousands of health workers, partners and policymakers are working with urgency to end the ongoing outbreak of variant poliovirus in Somalia.

Rollout of novel oral polio vaccine type 2

Following the global introduction of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) − which is genetically more stable than the both the trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) and monovalent oral polio vaccine (mOPV2) – two years ago, with guidance from WHO and UNICEF, the Federal Government of Somalia completed the verification process for use of nOPV2 under the Emergency Use Listing.

On 27 May 2023, nOPV2 was used to vaccinate around 2.5m children under age five in parts of southern and central areas of Somalia as the second round of a subnational polio campaign. The first round of this campaign was conducted using tOPV in February 2023. On 22 June, over 740 000 under-fives were vaccinated in Somaliland.

WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region deployed nOPV2 to supplement other polio vaccines to protect children, particularly those living in areas with low immunization coverage, from all forms of polio. So far, seven of 11 high priority countries in the Region –Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Somalia − have been verified to be ready for nOPV2 use in response to an outbreak of variant poliovirus type 2. Somalia is the Region’s third country to use nOPV2, following Egypt (2020) and Djibouti (2021).

Second phase of the Somalia Emergency Action Plan launched

The rollout of nOPV2 is one of several tactics Somalia is using to bring an end to the ongoing polio outbreak. In March 2022, the Federal Ministry of Health and partners developed and signed off the first phase of the Somalia Emergency Action Plan (SEAP). This strategic plan rolled out six rounds of campaigns, including an integrated one delivering both polio and measles vaccinations, to leverage resources and the opportunity to reach out to children.

Following an extensive review, a second phase of the SEAP that was launched a year later in Mogadishu built on health teams’ and partners’ momentum to end polio in Somalia. This phase incorporates valuable lessons learned from the initial phase. It zeroes in on enhancing the quality of polio immunization, intensifying poliovirus surveillance, focusing on mobile and vulnerable populations and strengthening partner coordination. The plan includes two nationwide immunization campaigns and three subnational rounds of in southern and central areas of Somalia. An additional set of five short interval additional dose (SIAD) vaccination opportunities will boost the immunity of children aged under 10 in newly accessible areas.

The recent creation of national and state-level polio coordination cells, led by national and state authorities, is also bringing together Somalia’s stakeholders’ strengths to reach every last child with polio vaccines.

Reaching previously unreached children

A health worker visits a camp for internally displaced families to vaccinate children, Mogadishu, 2022. Credite: WHO/Mukhtar Sudani/Ismail Taxte

Over the years, one of the consistent challenges health workers have faced in Somalia is to reach the unreached children with the life-saving polio vaccine against the backdrop of social and political instability, that has resulted in many areas being unreachable. However, recent security efforts and ongoing negotiations have resulted in better access to communities that were previously out of reach.

As a result, the number of inaccessible children has been reduced by over 80%, from 560 000 in 2019 to 89 000 by mid-2023.

Combined, all these efforts aim to vaccinate children like Turki, who have their entire lives ahead of them, to protect them from polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

19 June 2023 – Since 2015, every year the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is commemorated on 19 June. The date chosen marks the adoption of the 2008 Security Council resolution condemning sexual violence as a “tactic of war and an impediment to peacebuilding.” Each year, the United Nations and other partners seek to raise awareness of conflict-related sexual violence and the need to end it, to honour the victims and survivors around the world, and to recognize those who have dedicated their lives to its prevention and elimination.

Somalia has long experienced conflict and instability, worsened by climatic shocks, including droughts, floods and cyclones. As a result, the UNOCHA estimates that 3.8 million Somalis have been displaced within the country, 80% of whom are women and children. Many live in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs).

In 2021, the United Nations reported an alarming increase in conflict-related sexual violence in Somalia. This included the use of sexual violence and forced marriage by non-state actors, as well as attacks attributed to government forces and clan militia. Alongside sexual violence as a weapon of war, drought, displacement and instability exacerbate existing inequalities and vulnerabilities and undermine protection mechanisms, heightening risks of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The same conflict, instability and disasters that have caused people to flee their homes also disrupt health and psychosocial support services, which are essential for survivors of SGBV.

WHO Somalia country office works with partners, including the Health Cluster and federal and state ministries of health, to strengthen the health sector’s capacity to prevent and respond to SGBV, particularly in emergencies. This includes supporting the integration of SGBV prevention and response within health programmes, improving case management and referral services for survivors, as well as promoting coordination between partners and providing information and training on preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. WHO as the cluster lead agency is supporting the Health Cluster in Somalia to establish a funding scheme and mentorship programme for the integration of SGBV response activities within health outreach. Throughout 2021, on-the-job capacity development for  implementing health and SGBV projects was provided culminating in a now annual workshop where partners meet to share experiences and get opportunities for peer-to-peer support. Overall, over 2100 women and girls have been reached by Health Cluster partners since 2021, with SGBV services, including services for the clinical management of rape.

Further, the Health Cluster worked closely with the gender-based violence area of responsibility to identify supply gaps between Health Cluster partners, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in the supply chain, leading to a shortage of post-exposure prophylaxis kits (a crucial component of post-rape care to prevent the survivor from contracting HIV) within the country. WHO, working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), was crucial in re-establishing supply lines to Health Cluster partners and reducing disruption to services.

Currently, WHO and UNFPA are working together to maintain a cohort of certified clinical management of rape trainers. Cohort members receive regular refresher training and provide training to health care workers across Somalia. During a technical mission from WHO’s Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean gender-based violence specialist, conducted in June 2023, the Ministry of Health, UNFPA and WHO undertook a joint mission to Banadir and Madina Hospitals to assess clinical management of rape services. Here, the partners identified areas of health system strengthening to address gender-based violence, including sustainable capacity development and improving health system response like expanding laboratory diagnostic capacities to aid in treatment and care of survivors. The team also met with the Federal Ministry of Health, cluster partners, a donor, and UN agencies working on SGBV. Partners agreed to strengthen coordination, standardize service training content and activate the clinical management of rape technical working group.

“Every woman, man and child everywhere has the right to live free from sexual and gender-based violence,” said WHO Representative to Somalia Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik. “For too long, Somalis, particularly the most vulnerable women and girls, have faced a heightened risk of sexual violence due to conflict and instability. We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish so far with dedicated partners including UNFPA, the Ministry of Health and the Health Cluster – expanding access to services for the clinical management of rape and strengthening referral systems through the integration of SGBV services into routine health care. WHO is committed to ensuring that not only can survivors of sexual violence access the care and support they need, but that this scourge that undermines the human rights of the most vulnerable can be eliminated altogether.”

Although prevalent, SGBV is preventable, even in conflict-situations, and the health sector has a crucial role to play. As well as ensuring that services are available and accessible to survivors of SGBV, WHO will continue to work with the Federal and State governments in Somalia, including the Ministries of Health, Women and Youth, as well as other partners, to reduce the prevalence of SGBV across Somalia.