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. 

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For additional information, please contact:

1. Mohamed Osman, Head of Communication and Public Engagement, Federal Ministry of Health, ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).
2. Victor Chinyama, Chief of Communication, UNICEF Somalia, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
3. Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer, WHO Somalia, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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
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Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer, WHO Somalia

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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.

Mrs Abdia Adan and her son Mohamed at Garasbaley Health Centre, Kahda district, during his final follow-up appointment to check on his condition. Photo credit: Action Against Hunger/Ahmed Issack11 June 2024, Mogadishu, Somalia – Abdia Adan returns to Garasbaley Health Centre, in the heart of Kahda district, Banadir Region, for her 8-month-old son’s final follow-up at the facility. This visit proves different from her previous encounters as young Mohamed Hussein is now healthier. Abdia visited the health centre with Mohamed in November 2023 when he had a fever and was vomiting. His condition has significantly improved since the doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and malnutrition, thanks to Abdia’s love and the attentive quality medical care received at the facility.

Living in the Sodonka camp in Kahda, a district in Mogadishu inhabited mainly by people affected by Somalia’s prolonged drought crisis of 2022–2023, Abdia’s family has faced numerous challenges. Her husband’s meagre earnings as a teacher are barely enough to sustain their family of 7. There are more than one million people sharing the fate of being displaced from their areas of origin into internally displaced camps in Mogadishu due to conflict, drought and floods. The living conditions in the camps are harsh, and limited access to basic services, such as water, sanitation, food and health services, increases the risks of disease outbreaks and malnutrition.

To address the critical issue of disease outbreaks, severe acute malnutrition and improve access to health and nutrition services, the WHO in Somalia initiated an emergency response, working with Action Against Hunger, an international NGO, and as well as the Juba Foundation, a local partner in Lower Shabelle Region. The joint venture was made possible thanks to generous and timely support provided by the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

The emergency response was successfully implemented. Disease surveillance teams, community health workers, and health centres played crucial roles in delivering life-saving health and nutrition interventions. Working together enabled WHO and Action Against Hunger to avoid service duplication and smooth referral between community and facility-based care. More vulnerable people were reached in the targeted districts through complementary interventions, leverage of resources and knowledge sharing.

Garasbaley Health Centre, where Abdia had brought her ailing son, is one of the facilities that was supported by the project. Over her 4 years of living in the camp, Abdia knew the community health workers serving her neighborhood and had seen them refer sick children to nearby facilities like Garasbaley Health Centre, giving hope to families.

Young Mohamed is now better following treatment for fever and vomiting made possible by CERF-funded primary health care in Kahda, implemented jointly by WHO and Action Against Hunger. Photo credit: Action Against Hunger/Ahmed IssackThe project supported dedicated disease surveillance teams and community health workers and improved the availability of services at Garasbaley Health Centre, as well as other facilities. As a result, young Mohamed received the necessary medical attention and care, including amoxicillin, paracetamol, vitamin A, and ready-to-use therapeutic food, leading to his improved health and well-being.

The project’s impact extended beyond Abdia’s family and reached almost 15,000 people affected by drought in the Banadir, Bay and Lower Shabelle regions, with the provision of essential health and nutrition services in health facilities, such as outpatient consultations, safe delivery services, vaccination, antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC), nutrition support, as well as mental health and psychosocial support.

The story of Mohamed and his family shows the importance of collaborative efforts among partners, community engagement, and access to quality health care and nutrition services in crisis-affected regions. It highlights the positive outcomes that can be achieved when organizations like WHO and Action Against Hunger work in partnership with local communities and stakeholders to address the urgent needs of vulnerable populations.

For more information, please contact: 

Madinur Saydahmat, Partnerships Officer,
WHO Somalia
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Ahmed Issack Hussein, Communication and Advocacy Coordinator, Action Against Hunger
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