{"id":16604,"date":"2025-04-23T23:09:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T23:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/?p=16604"},"modified":"2025-05-03T08:29:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T08:29:16","slug":"somalia-launches-two-lifesaving-vaccines-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/2025\/04\/23\/somalia-launches-two-lifesaving-vaccines-for-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Somalia launches 2 lifesaving vaccines for children"},"content":{"rendered":"

MOGADISHU — <\/strong>The Federal Republic of Somalia has officially introduced two life-saving vaccines into its national immunization programme – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and rotavirus vaccine – aimed at preventing pneumonia and diarrhea in children. The introduction follows the launch of the Somali Immunization and Polio Eradication Task force (SIPE) led by the PM Hamza Abdi Barre and Child Survival Forum in 2024.<\/p>\n

The country has simultaneously launched a nationwide measles catch-up campaign to combat one of the leading killers of children in the country.<\/p>\n

This integrated effort marks a major milestone in the country\u2019s journey to reduce the prevalence of three of the most dangerous causes of disease and death in Somali children – measles, pneumonia, and rotavirus-related diarrhea.<\/p>\n

The Somali Ministry of Health is leading this effort with support from its partners in the immunization programme. It comes at a critical time as Somalia grapples with persistent measles outbreaks and deaths caused by pneumonia and rotavirus-related diarrhea. Together, measles, pneumonia, and diarrhea account for an estimated 43 per cent of annual child deaths in the country.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the Somali government, through the Prime Minister as chair of the Somali immunization and polio eradication taskforce and child survival forum, made a commitment to introduce pneumococcal conjugate vaccine into the country\u2019s routine immunization programme.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe introduction of these two vaccines and the launch of the measles catch-up campaign marks a significant step in our national effort to reduce child deaths and build a healthier future for Somalia\u2019s next generation,\u201d said Dr. Ali Haji Adam, Federal Minister of Health of Somalia. \u201cOur government is committed to investing in the health of our children and strengthening our immunization services in partnership with global and regional health partners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pneumococcal infections can cause serious conditions such as pneumonia, meningitis, and septicemia. Similarly, rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrhea and dehydration, contributing significantly to malnutrition and mortality in children. Countries that have introduced the PCV into their routine immunization programme have reported marked declines in hospitalizations and deaths among children.<\/p>\n

This milestone is made possible through Gavi\u2019s revised support framework for fragile, emergency-affected and displaced populations, which offers flexible and targeted assistance to countries like Somalia whose immunization systems are weakened by recurring crises.<\/p>\n

Commenting on this development, Patience Musanhu, Senior Country Manager for Somalia at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance said, \u201cWe commend the Federal Ministry of Health, frontline health and community workers, and other stakeholders involved for the commitment to introduce these two critical vaccines amid multiple competing priorities. Given the burden of these diseases in Somalia, this is an investment well worth making \u2013 one that will save lives and have a transformative impact on health and development, families, communities, and the health system. Gavi remains committed to working with the government and partners to support the vision of a healthier, more prosperous future for Somalia.\u201d<\/p>\n

The measles catch-up campaign is designed to rapidly close immunity gaps among children who have missed routine vaccinations due to insecurity, displacement, or service disruptions. The campaign aims to reach millions of children across the country, protecting them from one of the most contagious and deadly vaccine-preventable diseases.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is more than just a vaccine launch \u2013 it is a promise to Somalia\u2019s children that their lives matter, their health matters,\u201d said\u00a0<\/strong>Dr. Kamil Mohamed Ali, WHO Representative.\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cFor years, we have witnessed too many young lives lost to diseases we now have the power to prevent. With these new vaccines and the measles catch-up campaign, we are turning the tide and reaffirming our commitment to equity, access, and a healthier future for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe introduction of these two vaccines is a big win for children in Somalia,\u201d said UNICEF Representative Wafaa Saeed. \u201cBy this action alone, and with the measles campaign, we will be preventing nearly half of the deaths occurring every year among young children in Somalia, and sparing families the grief and sorrow of losing their loved ones. These children will be given an opportunity to grow up, realize their dreams, and contribute to their nation\u2019s progress.\u201d<\/p>\n

This integrated launch reflects the strong collaboration between the Somali government and its health partners in expanding equitable access to essential health services. Together, they are working to protect every child in Somalia from preventable diseases and lay the foundation for a more resilient and healthier future.<\/p>\n

Source: HOL\u00a0 \u00a0 Origin:<\/span> view original<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MOGADISHU — The Federal Republic of Somalia has officially introduced two life-saving vaccines into its national immunization programme – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and rotavirus vaccine – aimed at preventing pneumonia and diarrhea in children. The introduction follows the launch of the Somali Immunization and Polio Eradication Task force (SIPE) led by the PM Hamza …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16605,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-health-cluster","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16604"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16604\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16616,"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16604\/revisions\/16616"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sooha.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}