Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, recently engaged in a discussion with Somalia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Ali Hajiadam Abubakar, focusing on Somalia’s dedication to delivering immunization services in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected regions. Dr. Nishtar expressed gratitude for Somalia’s strong partnership with GAVI and commended the nation’s efforts to enhance immunization coverage amidst complex humanitarian and security challenges.
Somalia has demonstrated significant commitment to improving child health through various initiatives. In June 2024, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre launched the Somalia Immunization and Polio Eradication Task Force (SIPE), chaired by himself, to oversee polio eradication and immunization efforts nationwide. This task force aims to mobilize resources to ensure every Somali child receives life-saving vaccines. Additionally, the Child Survival Forum was established to devise strategies for reducing child mortality.
Despite these efforts, Somalia faces ongoing challenges, including a seven-year variant poliovirus outbreak that has paralyzed 38 children. In April 2024, Dr. Hajiadam presented the Somalia Emergency Action Plan (SEAP) 3, focusing on high-quality polio vaccination campaigns and improved surveillance, particularly targeting high-risk populations in inaccessible areas.
Furthermore, during World Immunization Week in April 2024, the Federal Ministry of Health, alongside WHO and UNICEF, called for accelerated immunization efforts. With an estimated 1.5 million “zero-dose” children who have never received vaccines, the introduction of new vaccines like the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine and Rotavirus vaccine later that year aimed to combat pneumonia and diarrhea, leading causes of child mortality in Somalia.
These collaborative efforts between Somalia’s health authorities and international partners like GAVI are crucial to overcoming the challenges posed by conflict and humanitarian crises, ensuring that vulnerable populations receive essential immunization services.