Somalia | Priority areas | Neglected tropical diseases

Somalia

WHO in Somalia

Neglected tropical diseases

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Protecting everyone from preventable tropical diseases

Our mission is to reduce human suffering and death through the prevention, control, elimination and eradication of neglected tropical diseases using evidence-informed interventions.

Who we are

The Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) programme of the World Health Organization (WHO) country office is committed to managing and reducing the burden of NTDs. We work with our partners and health authorities to end the most common NTDs in the country.

NTDs are a consequence and cause of poverty as they thrive where access to clean water, sanitation and health care is limited. These diseases cause immeasurable suffering, and prevent adults from being able to work and children from being able to go to school.

NTDs are strongly linked to universal health coverage (Target 3.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals). Providing access to health services and essential medicines for NTDs is an indicator of the overall success of universal health coverage, the key principle of which is that no one should be left behind.

What we do

We work with federal and state health authorities and partners to prevent and control NTDs primarily through the following actions:

Identify the NTD burden

We map the prevalence and assess the burden of NTDs across the country.

Increase access to NTD care

We work to extend treatment and care of NTDs to all Somalis who need it.

Conduct mass drug administration campaigns

We help carry out mass drug administration campaigns to treat and prevent schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases among high-risk groups.

Build capacity

Through training, we develop the capacity of health workers for case management, surveillance, morbidity management and disability prevention for all NTDs as needed.

Raise community awareness

We work to raise community awareness of NTDs and promote social mobilization to support prevention, control and elimination of these diseases.

Our impact

Working with the Somali Ministry of Health and partners

  • In 2018, 2.5 million Somalis received chemotherapy to prevent and treat schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis
  • Nearly 100% of school-aged children who required chemotherapy to prevent and treat schistosomiasis received it in 2018
  • In 2018, 61% of school- aged children who required it received chemotherapy for prevention and treatment of soil-transmitted helminthiasis
  • National coverage of treatment of soil-transmitted helminthiasis increased from 48.9% in 2017 to 61% in 2018
  • National coverage of treatment for schistosomiasis increased from 51% in 2017 to 100% in 2018

What we have achieved

  • Supported the establishment of an programme at the Federal Ministry of Health in 2015.
  • Mapped NTDs in 17 out of 18 regions.
  • Conducted active case detection for leprosy in the most affected regions and in internally displaced people since 2016.
  • Implemented mass drug administration campaigns for school-aged children and adults for schistosomiasis and soil transmitted helminths since 2017.
  • Supported the establishment of three new treatment centres for visceral leismaniasis – now there are 9 centres, one in each region of the country.

What is next

The WHO country office will intensify its efforts to eliminate and control of NTDs through the following activities:

  • Support the health authorities to conduct mass drug administration campaigns with increased national coverage for (i) schistosomiasis, including more than 75% of treatment coverage for school-aged children, to eliminate the disease as a public health problem by 2025 and (ii) soil-transmitted helminthiasis, including deworming coverage for at least 75% of eligible school-aged children by 2021 and preschool children by 2026.
  • Facilitate scale-up efforts to achieve zero grade 2 disabilities (visible deformities) in newly-detected cases of leprosy by 2021 and to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem by 2025.
  • Support capacity-building of health workers on case management, morbidity management and disability prevention with a meaningful engagement of female health workers.
  • Support enhanced detection, reporting and treatment of visceral leishmaniasis to achieve 90% of the estimated incident cases and zero deaths by 2021.