16 December 2011
Somalia’s Ocean Stars and Heegan Football Club
kick off ‘Stamp out cholera!’ campaign in Mogadishu
Somali soccer
players kicked off today the ‘Stamp out cholera’
campaign. A friendly soccer match between the Somali
national team, also known as the Ocean stars, and
Heegan FC will take place this afternoon at the
University Football stadium.
The ‘Stamp out cholera!’
campaign aims at raising awareness on cholera and
acute watery diarrhea among the Somali population. “As
the Somali National soccer team, we are very honored to
support this campaign. Cholera is a killer disease but
can easily be prevented and save many lives,” says Ahmed
Abdalla Moallim, captain of the Ocean Stars (Somali
National team). “During our match, various cholera
prevention messages such as hand washing and water
chlorination will be announced to make sure that every
Somali citizen understands what cholera is and how it
can be prevented,” he added.
Press release
Campaign web site
27 September 2011
WHO opens much needed field hospital for emergency
medical care at the Somali-Ethiopian border
©WHO
27 September, 2011 ¦ Nairobi – A
new field hospital was installed last week in Dolow
Somalia, nearby the Ethiopian border to provide medical
aid to
thousands of Somali refugees fleeing towards the border
areas. The hospital will be operated and managed by WHO.
The world health body is providing medical professionals
to staff the facility as well as all the needed medical
supplies and equipment.
The main reason for setting up a field hospital is part
of WHO’s strategy to decentralize health care,
especially in an emergency setting. Many internally
displaced people are seeking health assistance and
therefore flee to bigger cities, including Mogadishu. In
order to stop some of the huge influx of IDPs to the
Somali capital, the newly installed field hospital will
treat patients mainly from the Gedo and Bakool regions.
However, also people from the Ethiopian and Kenyan
border areas might benefit from this newly established
hospital.
Note for the Media
Media coverage:
SABC Radio
18 August 2011
Waterborne diseases are lethal
threat to children in southern Somalia
Rapid response needed as number of cholera cases
increases
Nairobi, Kenya, 18 August 2011 -
With an increased number of confirmed cholera cases in
Mogadishu, and growing reports of acute watery diarrhoea
in Kismayo and other crowded urban centres, an urgent
multisectoral response to contain the spread of this
highly contagious disease is being mounted.
The combination of poor sanitation
conditions, a shortage of safe water, overcrowding and
high malnutrition rates creates the perfect combination
for infectious diseases, such as cholera and pneumonia,
to spread and increase the number of deaths. About 75%
of all cases of acute watery diarrhoea are children
under the age of five.
Press release
Weekly WHO Somalia bulletin
6 August 2011
Emergency vaccination campaign on the Somali Kenyan
border
WHO/Pieter Desloovere
The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in over 50
years; child malnutrition rates are already high and are
expected to rise. Malnourished children are more prone to
sicknesses and diseases, such as measles. To protect them
WHO conducted a campaign to vaccinate 215 000 children and
provide them with vitamin A supplements and deworming
tablets.
More
information
There is also a video clip on our Youtube channel
21 July 2011
The UN declares famine in Somalia
©Islamic Relief
The United Nations declared that famine exists in two
regions of southern Somalia: southern Bakool and Lower
Shabelle. Across the country, nearly half of the Somali
population – 3.7 million people – are now in crisis, of whom
an estimated 2.8 million people are in the south.
"The situation will worsen further in the coming months due
to poor harvests, malnutrition, unhygienic living conditions
and infectious disease outbreaks, such as measles, acute
watery diarrhoea and pneumonia," says Marthe Everard, WHO’s
Representative for Somalia. "In addition to buying food and
supplying safe drinking-water and shelter, we need more
resources to provide emergency health services to save the
lives of thousands of Somalis."
Lack of safe drinking-water and overcrowding in refugee
camps greatly increase the risk of acute watery diarrhoea
and cholera outbreaks, as communities are forced to live in
unhealthy living conditions and to use contaminated water
sources. Mass emergency vaccination campaigns are essential
to avoid major outbreaks of polio and measles, especially in
South and Central Somalia. Children under five are
particularly vulnerable.
Consecutive droughts have affected the country in the last
few years while the ongoing conflict has made it extremely
difficult for agencies to operate and access communities in
the south of the country.
Read Press release
English |
Somali
31 May 2011
Latest violence in Mogadishu causes high toll of wounded children
under the age of five
©SOYDA
The number of weapon-related casualties treated at the three main
hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia reached a new peak last week and the
World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about the escalation of
injuries in children younger than five. Data shows that the main causes
of death among children younger than five are burns, chest injuries and
internal hemorrhage caused by blast injury, shrapnel and bullets.
Therefore, special attention is required on how to treat those cases.
Of the 1590-reported weapon-related injuries in May alone, 735 cases or
46 per cent were children under the age of five, compared to only 3.5%
in
April.
Read Press release
Media coverage:
BBC,
VOA,
Reuters
20 March 2011
National Immunization Days keep Somalia polio-free
©WHO/Somalia
On the eve of celebrating four years without polio in Somalia, the
country kicks off National Immunization Days on Sunday 20 March, with a
focus on ensuring that no eligible child is left unvaccinated during the
three days of the campaign. During 2011, two rounds of polio
vaccinations are planned.
Read Press release
English
Somali
February 2011
Mental Health in Somalia A forgotten priority
The regular practice of chaining continues to compromise the dignity and human rights of people with mental disorders and hamper the quality of mental health services in Somalia. People suffering from mental disorders in Somalia continue to be stigmatized by their communities and are subjected to inhumane living conditions, lack basic needs including food, shelter and clothing and have their human rights withheld.
Conflict and civil unrest have adversely affected the mental heath of the Somali population. This is particularly the case in the worst- affected regions of central and southern Somalia with the prevalence of psychological trauma and stress generally reported to be most widespread.
WHO Somalia has produced a mental health situation analysis, to have a
better understanding of the mental health services within the country.
Note for the
Media
Listen to interview with WHO Somalia Representative (4 February- VOA)
Radio feature on
Mental Illness in Somalia (22 February- Deutsche Welle)
