Health workers celebrated on World Polio Day in Somalia
The country is set to launch round two of a polio campaign in the south and central regions
MOGADISHU, 24 October 2020 – On World Polio Day, today, Somalia is celebrating polio workers’ continued commitment to reach and immunize every child in the country to end all forms of polio, and the role they play in strengthening the health system and responding to health emergencies.
Since the inception of Somalia’s polio eradication programme in 1997, hundreds of polio health workers have worked to stop outbreaks of various types of poliovirus, while also extending their support to shield communities from cholera, measles and other diseases.
Polio teams have set up supply chains to deliver vaccines to every accessible corner of the country and to dispatch samples for testing to laboratories in a timely manner. They have also established sensitive and modernized surveillance systems that can raise alerts about diseases within communities, share real-time information with stakeholders and set up social mobilization networks to disseminate health messages in every district of the country. While establishing crucial systems for health delivery and strengthening links between communities and health service providers, the teams have set up strong foundations for public health services.
Since the start of the year, polio health teams have joined the fight against COVID-19 in Somalia, providing support in tracing, tracking and following up on suspected and confirmed cases. Although health workers were forced to pause regular health services to attend to the COVID-19 pandemic, in the last month, Somalia has taken bold steps to resume regular health activities by conducting immunization campaigns to stop the spread of a rare strain of poliovirus.
To end the ongoing outbreak of polio, which has already infected 23 children, the Federal Ministry of Health and Human Services (FMOH) of Somalia, World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) confirm that well-trained health teams will conduct the final round of a two-round house-to-house polio campaign in the central and south regions of the country from 25 to 28 October.
“The first round of this vaccination campaign demonstrated that Somali health workers can be counted on to deliver vital immunization services safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using masks, sanitizer, hand washing and physical distancing measures, vaccinators and teams of social mobilizers safely met with families, answered parents’ questions and vaccinated children. Round one was a great success, and we have high expectations for round two,” said HE Dr Fawziya Abikar Nur, Federal Minister of Health.
In line with this year’s theme for World Polio Day, 'A win against polio is a win for global health', Dr Mamunur Malik, WHO Representative in Somalia joined the Minister of Health in commending polio workers.
“Thanks to the strides we have made so far, we would like to believe we are in the final stretch in the polio eradication journey now”, said Dr Malik.
“Every one of us needs to be cautious though, as even with wild poliovirus no longer in Africa, other strains of poliovirus still threaten Somali children. If Somali caregivers join the fight and ensure their children receive polio vaccines every time they are offered, we will be able to kick polio out of Somalia. This will help us to build on the legacy we have built so far, and to stamp out other communicable diseases in the country,” he said.
Some of the main challenges Somalia faces include reaching vulnerable children who are difficult to access due to security and other logistical challenges, and assuring caregivers that polio vaccines are safe for newborns.
“Aiming to reach every single child and providing vaccines to the most vulnerable children is part of our long-standing, collective commitment to child survival in Somalia. We are committed to working with the government and partners to eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases, strengthen routine immunization, and build stronger primary health care systems, so that the country can offer all of its children a better chance to survive and thrive,” said Jesper Moller, UNICEF Somalia Representative a.i.
The upcoming campaign in numbers:
1.65 million children to be reached with oral polio vaccine
8951 vaccinators in urban and rural areas
1125 team supervisors and 364 monitors
3390 social mobilizers spreading information
66 trucks with speakers driving through communities to alert families
62 districts in the south and central regions of Somalia will be covered
All parents and caregivers are reminded to accept vaccines every time they are offered, to give children the best protection against polio.
For additional information, please contact
Fouzia Bhatti
WHO Somalia Communications Officer
Email:
Eva Hinds
UNICEF Somalia Communication Manager
Email:
Notes to editors
The strain of polio in circulation in Somalia is different from the wild poliovirus, recently declared eradicated from Africa, but it can also put communities where not enough children have been vaccinated at risk and leave children paralyzed for life.
There are multiple strains of polio, and there is a critical distinction between wild or naturally occurring poliovirus, which is today only found in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the strain circulating in Somalia today.
In late August 2020, the world celebrated a historic moment: the end of wild poliovirus in Africa. This achievement still stands. There is no wild poliovirus on the African continent. But other strains of polio remain a threat as long as there are communities with low immunity levels.
The only way to eradicate all strains of polio is to vaccinate all children everywhere against polio. In places where polio transmission has long been stopped and immunity levels are high, inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is used. In places at high risk of poliovirus circulation, and where immunity levels are not as high as they need to be, the best tool for the job is the oral polio vaccine (OPV), which is being used in this vaccination campaign.
This polio campaign is supported by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), an organization dedicated to the eradication of polio. Launched in 1988, the GPEI is spearheaded by national governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF, and supported by key partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
Urgent need to scale up mental health services in Somalia
MOGADISHU, 11 October 2020- On World Mental Health Day this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) in Somalia urged policy-makers, international and national agencies, and other civil society groups to scale up mental health services in Somalia. This request comes at a time when Somalis are faced with the consequences of the triple threat of COVID-19, flooding and desert locusts, in addition to other regular health and socioeconomic challenges.
According to estimates, one in every three Somalis is affected by a challenge related to their mental health. Unfortunately, however, there are only a few health facilities offering mental health services—for a country of 15 million, there are only 3 psychiatrists and 25 trained nurses dealing with mental health.
“Only when communities have access to good health in a holistic manner, physically and emotionally, can we have a peaceful, progressive and productive society,” said Dr Mamunur Malik, WHO Representative for Somalia. “We all need to join hands to ensure every Somali has access to mental health services, particularly psychosocial support at primary health care level.”
Dr Malik emphasized the inevitable health, economic and social costs that come with dismissing mental health problems. He explained that the burden of coping with diseases such as COVID-19 would only exacerbate the situation and result in more Somalis having to deal with unaddressed anxiety, stress and fear.
Since the first World Mental Health Day, launched 30 years ago, significant efforts have been made around the world to encourage people to talk openly about mental health conditions. In Somalia, there is a need to stop the stigma and discrimination against people suffering from mental health challenges. There is also a need to put an end to violence, and abuses orchestrated against those who are facing mental health problems.
The global theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day is ‘Move for Mental Health: let’s invest.’ In Somalia, in efforts to highlight the importance of ensuring mental health services are accessible by all, and to ensure that this becomes the norm for future generations, the country is commemorating the day with the theme ‘Investing in mental health is investing in Somalia’s future.’
The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Mr Adam Abdelmoula, released a recorded video message on World Mental Health Day, which is being broadcast across the WHO Somalia country office’s social media channels. In his message, he called for increasing development assistance from all humanitarian and development partners of Somalia to improve mental health services.
As mental health is fundamental to good health and the well-being of the population, WHO is urging all its partners and donors, including all UN agencies, to urgently scale up their support for mental health in the country and to break the cycle of neglect, lack of awareness, stigma and discrimination, which are often the drivers of poor mental health in any country.
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For additional information, kindly contact:
Ms Fouzia Bano
WHO Somalia Communications Officer
Email:
EU and WHO deliver emergency life-saving supplies to flood-affected areas in Somalia
Mogadishu, 23 September 2020 – As part of continuous efforts to provide life-saving supplies to the most vulnerable Somalis, at the request of WHO, the European Union (EU) delegation to Somalia commissioned 2 special flights on 17 and 21 September to airlift emergency medical kits and supplies to Hirshabelle State. These supplies will be used to treat populations affected by flash floods in the state.
As soon as the Ministry of Health in Hirshabelle State noted an increase in the numbers of people contracting waterborne diseases, they alerted WHO to offer urgent support. The emergency supplies are being dispatched to the hardest-hit families, living around riverine areas in Balad, Beletweyne, Jalalaqsi, Jowhar and Mahaday.
“This is the fourth time this year that the EU delegation has shown immense and timely support to Somalia. Thanks to the swift action taken by them, and with guidance from the Ministry of Health in Hirshabelle, we have been able to support some of the worst-hit families,” said Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Representative for Somalia. “We still have a long way to go to help prepare communities for disasters like this. Floods are recurrent along the Shabelle River, communities living in affected areas are at risk of being infected by waterborne diseases, like diarrhoea, and vector-borne diseases, in addition to COVID-19, which spreads easily where people live in confined areas.”
Both EU flights commissioned in the last week carried 7.2 tonnes and 29 cubic metres of emergency supplies from Mogadishu to Jowhar. The supplies include 51 Interagency Emergency Health (IEH) kits, each providing essential health care in emergency settings for up to 10 000 people over a 3-month period; 104 trauma kits allowing for 10 400 surgical interventions, to serve 5200 patients; 446 cholera kits capable of serving 44 600 patients, 32 surgical kits, each serving 100 patients; sample collection kits; tubes for sample collection and dengue testing kits; surgical instruments and one cholera treatment centre tent of 20 beds. Over 563 000 persons will benefit from these life-saving emergency medical supplies, which will stop further spread of waterborne diseases among communities living along the Shabelle River.
"Already vulnerable families in Beletweyne, Jalalaqsi, Jowhar, Mahaday and other communities along the Shabelle River are facing life and death situations as a result of flash floods, in addition to the challenges caused by COVID-19," the EU Ambassador to Somalia Nicolas Berlanga said. "The latest EU-commissioned flights are further evidence of the European Union’s commitment to the people of Somalia and our belief that we are more effective when we join hands with other organizations such as WHO Somalia. Our cooperation has and will continue to save lives."
Note to editors
This joint operation remains part of the bilateral coordination mechanism established between WHO Somalia and the Delegation of the EU to Somalia, which aims to strengthen operational response activities, including for COVID-19. On 3 May, EU flights also airlifted critical medical equipment and supplies from Mogadishu to Kismayo to support Jubaland State to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. Following this intervention, on 20 and 21 May, the EU airlifted life-saving medicine and other emergency hospital supplies to Jowhar, Kismayo and Baidoa ‒ areas which were also affected recently by floods caused by heavy rains. Two other flights were organized on 11–12 June to airlift life-saving medicine and other emergency hospital supplies to Beletweyne, as well as medical and laboratory supplies to Hargeisa and Garowe. In addition, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) has provided US $1.8 million to WHO’s COVID-19 preparedness and response operations in Somalia. WHO and the EU delegation to Somalia will continue to collaborate in the future, in efforts to reach the most vulnerable populations.
Related links
WHO and EU unite to fight COVID-19 in Somalia
EU and WHO unite to deliver critical life-saving supplies to flood-affected areas in Somalia
European Union and WHO Somalia deliver more emergency hospital supplies
For further information:
Mr Kyle DeFreitas
External Relations & Resource Mobilization Officer
WHO Somalia
Mob: +254-782-501-324
Email:
Ms. Fouzia Bano
Communications Officer
WHO Somalia
Mob: +252 619 235880
Email:
Mr Vicente Sellés
Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Somalia
Email:
WHO, UNICEF urge caregivers in south and central parts of Somalia to vaccinate children against polio, while observing health and safety measures for COVID-19
Mogadishu, 21 September 2020— The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are urging parents and caregivers in south and central parts of Somalia to ensure all children aged under five are vaccinated against polio during a special house-to-house immunization campaign, which began yesterday and runs until 23 September. Both agencies are advising health workers and caregivers to observe health and safety measures against COVID-19 during the four-day campaign.
This advice comes in the wake of efforts to curb the spread of the ongoing polio outbreak in the south and central parts of Somalia. The strain of polio that is in circulation is different from the wild poliovirus, recently declared as eradicated from Africa, but it can also put communities where not enough children have been vaccinated at risk and leave children paralyzed for life. The outbreak has paralyzed 19 children since late 2017.
“The only way to stop such outbreaks from vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio, is to vaccinate every child every time immunization services are offered, either through routine programmes or through such mass campaigns. We all have a moral responsibility to reach and boost the immunity of every last child in Somalia. Owing to access, security and health-seeking behaviour, we are missing a large number of children every year, who are not receiving these life-saving vaccines,” said Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Representative for Somalia.
During the ongoing campaign, 6266 vaccinators in urban areas and 2685 vaccinators in rural areas will be going from door to door to vaccinate 1.65 million children aged under five with oral polio vaccine. In efforts to reach every child possible, an additional 1125 team supervisors will be visiting households in targeted areas. 3390 community mobilizers, sensitizing target communities, will play a key role in helping families to understand, trust and accept vaccines.
“It is critical that all routine immunizations continue, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Werner Schultink, UNICEF Representative for Somalia. “These vaccination drives will help prevent further outbreaks and will protect children from deadly diseases so they can survive and thrive.”
Before the campaign, polio health workers were trained and supplied with personal protective equipment, including face masks, soap and hand sanitizer, to keep them and communities safe from COVID-19.
This campaign is the first step in a two-part effort to raise immunity levels among Somali children. Somalia’s Government, WHO and UNICEF will conduct the second part of the campaign in October to continue to strengthen the immunity of Somali children. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to accept the vaccine when it is offered to give their children life-long protection against polio.
For additional information, please contact
Fouzia Bano
WHO Somalia Communications Officer
Email:
+252 619 235880
Eva Hinds
UNICEF Somalia Communication Manager
Email:
Tel: +252 613 642635
Notes to editors
There are multiple strains of polio, and there is a critical distinction between wild or naturally occurring poliovirus, which is today only found in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the strain circulating in Somalia today.
In late August 2020, the world celebrated a historic moment: the end of wild poliovirus in Africa. This achievement still stands. There is no wild poliovirus on the African continent. But other strains of polio remain a threat as long as there are communities with low immunity levels.
The only way to eradicate all strains of polio is to vaccinate all children everywhere against polio. In places where polio transmission has long been stopped and immunity levels are high, inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is used. In places at high risk of poliovirus circulation, and where immunity levels are not as high as they need to be, the best tool for the job is the oral polio vaccine (OPV), which is being used in this vaccination campaign.
This polio campaign is supported by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), an organization dedicated to the eradication of polio. Launched in 1988, the GPEI is spearheaded by national governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF, and supported by key partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.
