Diphtheria Surge in Somalia Highlights Impact of Vaccine Shortages and Aid Cuts
In Somalia, the diphtheria crisis has intensified with over 1,600 cases and 87 deaths recorded this year. Vaccine shortages and cuts in U.S. aid have severely hampered response efforts. The outbreak underscores the challenges faced by the country's healthcare system, highlighting the impact of reduced foreign assistance and limited government funding.
Diphtheria cases in Somalia have surged dramatically, with health officials attributing this rise to a severe vaccine shortage and significant U.S. aid cuts. More than 1,600 cases and 87 deaths have been reported this year, compared to 838 cases in 2024, as outlined by Hussein Abdukar Muhidin, director of Somalia's National Institute of Health.
The disease, which primarily afflicts children, is preventable with vaccination, yet childhood immunization rates in Somalia remain suboptimal. The decline in U.S. foreign assistance, which was previously a crucial support for the country's health initiatives, has contributed to numerous clinic closures, affecting the availability of vaccines in remote areas, said Health Minister Ali Haji Adam.
Healthcare NGO Save the Children reports that clinic closures have led to a surge in various infectious diseases. Meanwhile, criticism mounts over Somalia's reduced health budget, while the government plans a vaccination campaign with details still forthcoming.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News