16 February 2025, Mogadishu, Somalia – Today Somalia launched a 4-day nationwide polio vaccination campaign targeting 2.5 million children under the age of 5 in the consequential states, Juballand, Hirshabelle, Southwest, Galmudug and Banadir Regional Administration in Somalia. Led by the Federal Ministry of Health and Human Services, with...

Somali mothers travel long distances to protect their children from outbreaks 6 February 2025 – Mothers play a critical role in keeping their children safe from diseases outbreaks, especially when it comes to vaccine-preventable diseases. In Somalia, where life can be tough, mothers have always worked hard to protect their families. This is even more...

2 February 2025 – At 65, Ahmed Moalim Hirsi reflects on a lifetime of service dedicated to improving the health of people in Somalia. After 26 years as a polio eradicator with WHO Somalia, Ahmed retired in 2024, after a career characterized by resilience, dedication and impact. Ahmed’s journey with WHO began in April 1998 in Bosaso, a city on...

26 January 2025 – At the heart of Al-Adalada camp, west of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, 49-year-old Hawa Sharif Ali has found a vital lifeline for her family’s medical needs. She, like the thousands of other internally displaced people (IDPs) living in the camp, depends on the health services available at the Sinkadheer health centre in the...

About 40% of the deaths were of young children. 22 January 2025, Mogadishu, Somalia – A study released today by the Somali Federal Ministry of Health, UNICEF and WHO estimates that 71 100 people may have died between January 2022 and June 2024 because of the drought that ravaged large parts of Somalia in 2022. About 40% of these deaths were...

4 November 2024, Mogadishu, Somalia – Since the early 1990s, Somalia has suffered multiple outbreaks of cholera which, due to poor sanitary conditions, have affected a majority of the population living in internally displaced camps. The latest outbreak occurred early in 2024 in the capital Mogadishu, with the districts of Dayniile, Dharkaynley, Wadajir,...

27 October, Mogadishu, Somalia – In Mogadishu, one of the few cities in the world where the threat of polio persists, Hani Jilaow Mohamed, a dedicated polio vaccinator, has been working on the front lines of public health since 2005. Hani’s blend of skill and courage has made her a pivotal figure in the ongoing fight against the disease. The...

24 October 2024, Somalia – This World Polio Day, the Government of Somalia, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) join in reaffirming their commitment to safeguard every child against polio. Since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, the incidence of polio has...

Polio champion Maryan Jama Du’ale retires after 2.5 decades Maryam Jama Du’ale at her retirement farewell ceremony hosted by WHO Somalia in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Somalia31 July 2024 – In April 1998, certified nurse and public health officer Maryan Jama Du’ale was invited to a workshop to get familiar with a new initiative: the...

Somalia has made great progress in rolling out COVID-19 vaccination and these efforts will be sustained as part of the Big Catch-up, a global WHO initiative to boost access to immunization. Photo credit: WHO/I. Taxta15 July 2024 – Since COVID-19 was first detected in Somalia in March 2020, the country has made remarkable progress in limiting its...