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USAID’s BHA supports WHO to continue the health emergency response to Somalia’s drought
Participants from the Federal Ministry of Health, USAID/BHA and WHO Somalia pose for a group photo after a review meeting of the USAID-funded project in Mogadishu. Photo credit: WHO/Fouzia Bhatti
18 December 2023, Mogadishu, Somalia – The WHO country office for Somalia, along with the Federal Ministry of Health, and the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), convened a meeting to review the progress achieved through a collaborative project for scaling up the health response to drought in Somalia.
This project is being implemented by the Ministry of Health with the technical support of WHO Somalia and is being funded by USAID’s BHA with a US$ 2 million contribution. The project is instrumental in strengthening 2 critical areas of drought response: national and subnational health cluster coordination, and community-based surveillance. The new collaboration between BHA and WHO demonstrates a global commitment to humanitarian relief.
Five consecutive failed rainy seasons in the Horn of Africa since 2022 have led to an unprecedented drought crisis. In Somalia, the drought has affected 8.7 million people, with over 1.9 million displaced and 6.7 million facing critical health needs. In May 2022, WHO declared the drought a Grade 3 public health emergency, indicating the highest level of concern. In February 2023, Somalia’s Federal Ministry of Health, WHO, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that the drought in Somalia may have caused 43,000 excess deaths in 2022. Shockingly, children aged under 5 years may account for half of these deaths.
Dr Ali Hadji Adan Abubakar, Minister of Health and Human Services said “We express our gratitude to WHO and USAID for their continued support to our fragile health system. This project will help build on the great strides made during the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen national and sub-national capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health crises.”
WHO Somalia is delivering a range of life-saving health and nutrition interventions in 28 Somali districts in response to the dire health needs arising from the drought. The activities target nearly 6 million people, including 2 million internally displaced people, and span the 5 strategic pillars of WHO’s Food Insecurity and Health Readiness and Response Strategic Framework: (1) coordination and collaboration; (2) surveillance and information; (3) outbreak prevention and response; (4) essential nutrition actions; and (5) essential health service actions.
BHA’s support comes at a critical time: more resources are urgently needed to bridge the resource gap for pillars 1 and 3 of the Framework and so continue the health emergency response. The project will help strengthen coordination, at the subnational level especially, through the recruitment and deployment of key roles at the state level. This will help decentralize the drought response, increase state-level capacity to manage crises and strengthen collaboration with other stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, Health Cluster partners, and other clusters such as the Food Security, Nutrition, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) clusters.
BHA will also support WHO to deploy community health workers to conduct risk communication for disease prevention, and disease surveillance and alerts, to contribute to early detection and response to epidemics in communities. Such efforts can contribute to reducing excess deaths.
Dr Ireneaus Sebit Sindani, WHO Representative a.i. in Somalia, stressed the importance of the collaboration: “This new partnership with USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance marks a significant stride in counteracting the devastating health impacts of Somalia’s protracted drought. WHO remains unwavering in its duty towards the people of Somalia and is working to strengthen coordination and disease surveillance. Our activities across the 5 strategic pillars of the Framework ensure a life-saving response in these critical times and conditions.
“The Somali drought crisis necessitates a unified, global response and we encourage other international entities, agencies, and governments to partake in similar efforts,” Dr Sindani added. “The gravity of this predicament sounds a call to action – to deliver aid to those most in need, and to strive towards a future where such extensive suffering is only a historical footnote.”
“USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance is honoured to partner with the World Health Organization to address some of the devastating health impacts from climate-related challenges in Somalia,” said Ms. Sheri-Nouane Duncan-Jones, USAID Somalia Mission Director.
“This new project with WHO is critical to USAID’s humanitarian response and will allow Somali government partners to manage, monitor, and treat disease outbreaks, especially in communities suffering from multiple and complex crises,” she added. “By focusing on community-based initiatives, this critical project will also build a more resilient health system, better prepared for future health emergencies.”
For more information, please contact:
Danielle Botti, Senior Development Outreach Communications Specialist, USAID Somalia
Email:
Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer, WHO Somalia
Email:
Saeed Ahmed, Reporting Officer/EXR
Email:
Related links
For more details about WHO Somalia’s drought response and results in 2022, you can view: Drought report 2022: managing an unprecedented health crisis.
WHO and KSrelief helps trains 28 health professionals on basic emergency care
Participants received hands-on training sessions during basic emergency care training in Hargeisa on 5–9 November 2023. Photo credit: WHO Somalia/S. Farah08 December 2023, Hargeisa, Somalia – Nearly half of the deaths and one-third of disabilities in fragile settings like Somalia are estimated to result from conditions that timely emergency care could prevent. To address this critical need, the WHO country office in Somalia with support from the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), has helped the Ministry of Health Development in Somaliland to train 28 health professionals on basic emergency care (BEC).
WHO, in collaboration with its partners and the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, has developed the BEC course for front-line health providers which enables them to manage acute, life-threatening conditions with limited resources. The BEC training on 5–9 November 2023 in Somaliland was attended by 6 doctors, 15 nurses, and 7 midwives from 7 regional health facilities – including 21 women from the Awdal and Gailey regions. The Deputy Minister of Somaliland’s Ministry of Health Development, Honourable Liban Gahnuug inaugurated the event by thanking the KSrelief and WHO for helping the ministry with such an important training. “This initiative will help provide hands-on training to health professionals and help them learn a systematic approach for the initial assessment and management of time-sensitive health conditions, where early intervention saves lives,” added the deputy minister.
The BEC course introduces a systematic approach to managing acute, potentially life-threatening conditions even before a diagnosis is known. It includes modules on airways, breathing, circulation, diaphragm, trauma, shock, burns, altered mental status, and extras (ABCDE assessment). The practical skills section covers the essential time-sensitive interventions for these key acute conditions.
“The course is designed for front-line physicians and nurses and focuses on life-saving interventions for acutely ill patients suffering trauma, difficulty in breathing, shock, and altered mental status,” explained the trainer, Mr Mohamud Salah. The course package includes a participant workbook and electronic slide decks for each module. The course is based on WHO guidance, including for the emergency triage assessment and treatment for children, and the integrated management of adult/adolescent illness.
“Specifically, the BEC-trained health workers are capacitated to minimize further harm to the patients, reduce pain, prevent potential complications, and save lives,” observed Dr. Mohamed Abdi Hergeye, Director-General of the Ministry of Health Development, while presiding over the concluding session of the training.
After completing the training sessions, one of the trainees, Dr Haniya Majur observed that: “Such a course is very relevant to a resource-constrained place like Somalia because today we have managed to learn that health emergencies happen every day, everywhere. They affect adults and children and include injuries and infections, heart attacks and strokes, and acute complications of pregnancy and of chronic disease. While specialized care may never be available at all times in all places, a systematic approach to emergency conditions can save lives.”
One of the nurse participants, Ms Sufiya Wasfi, who has been serving in the field for over 6 years, said: “This is the first time I have attended such a useful training. It has helped me to learn that emergency care providers must respond to undifferentiated patients – those with acute symptoms for which the cause may immediately not be known.”
The course is based on the WHO clinical recommendations set out in its “Integrated Management of Adult/adolescent illness district clinician manual”, “Pocketbook of hospital care for Children”, “Paediatric emergency triage assessment and Treatment” guidelines, and “Integrated Management of pregnancy and childbirth” paper.
For more information, please contact:
Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer
Email:
Saeed Ahmed, Reporting/EXR Officer
Email:
Note to editors:
For more details about WHO’s response across Somalia, see:
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241510219
1 Names of trainees have been changed for security reasons.
German humanitarian assistance helps to serve 7 million drought-affected people across Somalia
German funding has helped WHO Somalia support ministries of health to extend outreach sessions to more than 5 million people across 74 drought-affected areas in Somalia. Photo credit: WHO/I. Taxta4 December 2023, Mogadishu, Somalia – Over 7 million people in Somalia have gained access to improved health and nutrition services since November 2022, thanks to a collaborative effort between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of Germany.
The German funding has enabled WHO to support the federal and state ministries of health to reach 65–70% of people living in the country’s 74 drought-affected districts, through 281 health facilities. This support has also helped WHO Somalia to strengthen community- and facility-based disease surveillance systems by deploying 2195 vaccinators and community health workers (CHWs).
“From identification of suspected cases, contact tracing, laboratory confirmation and treatment of patients throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic to managing the unprecedented drought and resultant cholera and measles outbreaks in the country, this German-supported introduction of community-based surveillance by WHO Somalia has helped save thousands of lives,” said Dr Fahim, Director of Immunization at the Federal Ministry of Health.
“The network of CHWs not only helped report disease outbreaks and instigate investigations but also collected data, which helped senior managers at the Ministry of Health and WHO to develop disease patterns and, ultimately, plan the targeted and timely integrated health and nutrition response to ongoing health emergencies across the country,” Dr Fahim added.
Using the German humanitarian assistance, WHO has achieved the following:
2195 vaccinators and community health workers deployed: These dedicated individuals have played a crucial role in disease surveillance, data collection, and outbreak response.
5,858,804 cases of communicable and noncommunicable diseases treated: Through integrated outreach sessions, health workers have provided essential care to millions of people.
1,495,284 people vaccinated against cholera: This targeted campaign has helped to prevent the spread of this deadly disease.
2,931,733 children vaccinated against measles: Protecting children from this highly contagious virus is a vital part of ensuring their health and well-being.
85 tons of medical supplies distributed: This critical support has helped health facilities in drought-affected districts to provide essential care to patients in need. Some 101 pediatric nutrition kits provided to treat severe acute malnutrition.
99% of the 33,567 children aged under 5 years identified with severe acute malnutrition were cured.
Dr. Sindani Ireneaus Sebit, WHO Representative a.i. to Somalia expressed gratitude for the German support: "This timely assistance has helped avert a major health crisis and saved countless lives. We are grateful to the Government of Germany for its unwavering commitment to the people of Somalia."
“The country’s fragile health system and the continued impact of climatic shocks continue to test the resolve and resilience of health partners and populations alike. The cost of our inaction will mean that children, women and other vulnerable people will pay with their lives while we hopelessly, helplessly witness the tragedy unfold,” added Dr Sindani. “As we have seen during our collective emergency response operations for COVID-19, early action and the delivery of high quality and evidence-based interventions can protect health and well-being, even if the health system is fragile.”
Background
Decades of conflict, frequent epidemics of cholera and measles, widespread poverty, and recurrent climatic shocks, including the ongoing drought emergency, continue to weaken Somalia’s health systems. The acute malnutrition burden in Somalia is expected to reach about 1.5 million children in 2024, including 331 000 children likely to suffer severe acute malnutrition.
Increased incidences of waterborne diseases, especially cholera and acute diarrhoea, are seen among drought-affected populations. The country is experiencing multiple disease outbreaks, including measles, cholera and dengue fever, and heavy seasonal rains made worse by El Niño, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality.
From January to November 2023, 16 036 cholera cases, including 43 deaths, were reported. While the epidemiological trends have been stabilizing, about 400–600 cholera cases on average continue to be reported each week. This situation is expected to worsen due to floods and other impacts of El Niño.
For more information, please contact:
Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer, WHO Somalia
Email:
Saeed Ahmed, Reporting Officer, WHO Somalia
Email:
Related links
Cholera cases on the rise in Somalia amid rising displacement of people
From desperation to triumph: saving the lives of children with severely acute malnutrition in fragile settings
WHO Somalia with the support of UN-CERF is providing hope and life-saving treatment to malnourished children by sustaining stabilization centres across Somalia. Photo credit: WHO Somalia/I.Taxta15 November 2023, Mogadishu, Somalia – Malnutrition affects communities far and wide, weaving its way through many lives, often with devastating results. The problem is painfully evident in Somalia, a nation grappling with recurrent droughts, conflicts, and disease outbreaks, primarily in its southern regions. These emergencies have worsened malnutrition, which was already at dire levels, leading to an alarming rise in disease, death, disability, and prolonged suffering, especially among children under five years of age.
Meet Maryama1, a mother of 9 children, whose life took a devastating turn when she lost her livestock to the relentless drought. She was left to feed for her family alone, without support from her extended family. Like many others, she was unable to find enough food for her family and would often make all of them sleep hungry. Maryama’s story took a pivotal turn on 4 July 2023, when she walked into a WHO-supported Mother and Child Hospital in Heliwa district to seek help for her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Amina.
At the hospital’s stabilization centre – a ward supported with essential lifesaving medical supplies by WHO with the support from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to treat children suffering with severe acute malnutrition with medical complications – the paediatric doctors, nurses and nutritionists promptly assessed Amina’s health and nutritional status. Amina was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition, compounded by a range of medical complications. Due to her frail frame, lack of appetite and skin lesions, doctors recommended immediate hospitalization of Amina.
As Maryama had to remain with her daughter, she initially hesitated to accept it, given her role as the family’s sole breadwinner. It was only after the counselling from the highly skilled nutrition staff and doctors who gently guided Maryama toward making the decision to admit her child for life-saving treatment.
Life-saving treatment and care
Amina received essential medications as well as therapeutic milk to stabilize and rebuild her tissues. Slowly but surely, Amina’s conditions improved. Within two weeks of her admission and continued medical treatment, she started feeding without the aid of a tube, hence she was put on a ready-to-use therapeutic food to treat her malnutrition.
Expressing gratitude Maryama said: “I thank from the depth of my heart the doctors, nurses and the staff in this hospital as well as to the WHO and the donors who made this health facility functional, because without this, I would have certainly lost my daughter. Along with the treatment of my daughter, we have been provided with 3 meals a day, food packages, a warm blanket and cleaning supplies.”
“This remarkable transformation in Amina’s health and well-being was made possible thanks to support and funding provided by the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The CERF assistance enables the Mother and Child Hospital to provide life-saving treatment and care to children like Amina, ensuring they have access to medical support and a chance at a better future,” said Dr Mahmud, the medical officer at the hospital. Adding he said that this hospital, thanks to the support from WHO and donors, has resumed functioning and providing life-saving services to not only locals but to the displaced people from nearby villages and districts.”
A Nurse, while treating other patients at this stabilization centre informed that “When Amina arrived at the hospital, her weight was shockingly low – far below the healthy range for a child of her age. With consistent medical care and daily nutritious feedings, Amina was discharged from the stabilization centre and transferred to an outpatient therapeutic programme at the same hospital.”
In the weeks that followed, Amina continued her journey towards full recovery as Maryama continued to bring her to the hospital for continued medical treatment. Such was the impact of Amina’s recovery that her neighbours gave her a new name, Xabaal Diid—meaning triumph over illness.
In a world often overshadowed by adversity, stories like Amina and Maryama’s remind us that hope, resilience and support can lead to brighter tomorrows. Thanks to the generosity of CERF and other donors, countless lives are being transformed and the cycle of malnutrition is being broken, one child at a time.
For additional information, please contact:
Fouzia Bano, Communications Officer,
Saeed Ahmed, Reporting Officer,
Related links
1 For security reasons names of the drought-survivors and medical officers have been changed in this story
