1 July 2024, Mogadishu, Somalia – In a landmark step to accelerate progress towards accelerating immunization coverage and ending polio in Somalia, the Prime Minister of Somalia, His Excellency Mr Hamza Abdi Barre, launched a national task force on immunization and polio and a related forum on 29 June 2024.
The Somalia Immunization and Polio Eradication Task Force (SIPE), which the Prime Minister himself will chair, will oversee and coordinate polio eradication and immunization efforts across the country. It will mobilize financial and technical resources and ensure that every child in Somalia is reached with life-saving vaccines. SIPE 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 stop the transmission of polio by providing strong support and oversight of polio eradication and routine immunization activities 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 said. “We commit to mobilize support for the implementation of the Somalia Emergency Action Plan, including working closely with the Federal Member States of Somalia and neighbouring countries to stop cross-border transmission.”
SIPE signifies Somalia’s commitment at a very high political level to stop polio – which has been circulating uninterrupted in the country for 7 years – and immunize children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
South-central Somalia is one of 7 areas identified by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative as consequential geographies. Such areas are prone to repeated polio outbreaks, which are hard to control because of overpopulation, fragile health systems and conflict. The other 6 areas are eastern Afghanistan; southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan; Tete province and its hinterland in northern Mozambique; eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; northern Yemen; and northern Nigeria. Outbreaks in these areas may be exported to other countries.
Since 2021, Somalia has confirmed 16 cases of polio, all in the south-central region. An estimated 1.5 million children have never been vaccinated and Somalia is one of 5 countries globally with an under-five mortality rate greater than 100 deaths per 1000 live births. Without intensified efforts, Somalia is unlikely to meet its 2030 Sustainable Development Goal target of no more than 25 deaths per 1000 live births.
The Prime Minister also launched the Child Survival Forum, which will review progress and devise strategies and an action plan to further reduce 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 Minister of Health Dr Ali Hajji Aadam Abubakar. “I call upon all to support integrated service delivery, especially for children.”
“Immunization is a cornerstone of our public health strategy and has proven to be one of the most effective ways to protect our children from preventable diseases,” said Dr Abdirashid Mohamed Nur Jiley , Special Envoy of the President of Somalia on Health and Nutrition. “We have numerous challenges in Somalia but our commitment to immunization remains strong. Let us continue with renewed determination, knowing our efforts will yield a legacy for generations to come.”
Speaking virtually, Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, appreciated the honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Health’s commitment to address 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 in Somalia 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 in 2024, Somalia will introduce the pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines to prevent deaths caused by pneumonia and diarrhoea, both 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 at the Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly. This places Somalia among countries leading the way in tackling maternal and child mortality.
“The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is grateful for Somalia’s leadership and strong commitment to their children,” said Mr Andrew Stein, Deputy Director, Polio, Bill & Melinda 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 are available in only 56% of public hospitals, 68% of health centres and 19% 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 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Somalia Mr 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.
Notes to editors
Download media content on the launch of the task force and forum.
For more information, contact:
Mohamed Osman, Head of Communication and Public Engagement, Federal Ministry of Health
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Victor Chinyama, Chief of Communication, UNICEF Somalia
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Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer, WHO Somalia
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