The WHO-USAID project will improve COVID-19 vaccination rates across Somalia25 August 2022, Mogadishu – The World Health Organization (WHO) country office for Somalia and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have launched a new project which aims to fill current needs to prevent community spread of COVID-19 across Somalia. The project will address existing gaps in coordination, surveillance, vaccination and the operational response to COVID-19 and help the country’s health system recover from the pandemic towards a more inclusive and equitable system.
As of 24 August 2022, Somalia had 27 137 laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 1351 related deaths. The country’s disease surveillance system remains fragmented and weak. Currently, only 62% of health facilities in Somalia are reporting through the early warning and alert and response network. The country was able to vaccinate only 15% of its population against COVID-19 fully, leaving a large number of high-risk populations unvaccinated. Somalia’s fragile health system has been struggling to sustain the progress made in containing and mitigating the transmission of COVID-19 among vulnerable populations, especially among around 47% of people who live in hard-to-reach areas, where disease reporting is weak and incomplete. This results in underreporting and the actual magnitude and size of the COVID-19 epidemic in the country may not represent the true burden of the disease.
Health care workers visit households to share messages on how to prevent COVID-19 and manage cases“With the guiding principle that no one is safe until everyone is safe, in collaboration with USAID and the Somali Government, WHO will ramp up measures to contain and suppress the spread of COVID-19. This would prevent resurgence of the virus. It would also minimize adverse effects of the pandemic on other life-saving essential health services, such as routine immunization for children, which has already slid back substantively in the last 2 years. USAID’s continued commitment and partnership will support Somalis to access the most basic, essential health services that they need, while preparing Somalia for current and future health emergencies,” said Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Representative to Somalia.
“The United States, WHO, and Somalia’s federal and state governments are collaborating on this lifesaving intervention. Our effort aligns with our commitment to the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 8 August, the United States, through coordinated efforts with Gavi and recipient countries, has delivered 588 million vaccine doses to 115 countries, including 43 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Those numbers increase each month. This project will improve the response of Somalia’s health care system to the pandemic and other pressing health crises. It will also increase vaccination rates,” said Larry André, U.S. Ambassador to Somalia.
The project will support the sharing of COVID-19 data among partners, which will guide decision-makingThe COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Somalia currently stands at 15%. Unless this low vaccination coverage rate is scaled up, it may result in successive waves of the epidemic, and a high probability of deaths among vulnerable and at-risk populations. This is particularly as the country has porous, largely unmonitored borders with neighbouring countries where COVID-19 is still in circulation, and mass displacement due to the ongoing drought.
By way of this project, WHO will work to limit communities’ exposure to COVID-19 and reduce mortality and morbidity among vulnerable populations. This will be accomplished by supporting the federal government and federal members states of Somalia to: 1) strengthen intersectoral and intergovernmental planning and coordination for sustained emergency operational response; 2) maintain active surveillance for early case detection, laboratory-confirmation and contact tracing; and 3) improve information and data sharing, including innovation and research. An effective and robust response to COVID-19 outbreaks will be crucial to save lives, reduce the disease burden, and protect the health of the general population.
For additional information, please contact:
Eloi Yao
Senior Development Outreach and Communications Specialist
USAID Somalia
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Keisha Herbert
Deputy Program Office Director
USAID Somalia
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Kyle DeFreitas
External Relations Officer
WHO Somalia
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Fouzia Bano
Communications Officer
WHO Somalia
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