(14-08-23) MOGADISHU — A five-day cholera vaccination drive has been initiated in the Mandela triangle, covering five districts of Jubaland State bordering Kenya and Ethiopia on Sunday, with the aim of vaccinating 590,803 people. Launched on 12 August, the campaign seeks to combat 11,704 suspected cholera cases and 30 deaths reported in Somalia’s drought-affected areas.
The 788 vaccination teams, each comprising two vaccinators, a data clerk and a cold chain attendant, will conduct a house-to-house campaign, supported by WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance. Around 54% of cholera cases are children under five, with 52% of them being girls.
The region has been targeted due to ongoing drought and poor access to safe water, exacerbated by conflicts and large-scale population displacement. Jubaland State’s Minister of Health, H.E. Ismail Ahmed Garas, expressed hope that the campaign would halt cholera transmission and save lives.
Emphasising the urgent need for action, WHO’s Representative to Somalia, Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik, stated, “Cholera and measles can spiral out of hand in no time; therefore, we just cannot wait.”
Since 2017, Somalia has suffered uninterrupted cholera outbreaks, and vaccination serves as a supplementary control measure. Over 1.4 million people in 15 drought-affected districts have already received a single-dose cholera vaccine since January 2023.
