23 October, 2012, Nairobi – A WHO mission took place yesterday in Kismayo to assist the thousands of Somalis in 
The current operating theatre of Kismayo General Hospital need in this newly accessible area. The world health body installed an operating theatre and provided an initial 800 kg of medical supplies and equipment to Kismayo General Hospital.
The port city is an important financial hub, and had been the last major stronghold of the insurgents until September 2012. Over the past few years, Kismayo General Hospital was not fully functional due to lack of essential medical equipment and skilled health staff. Basic means have been provided to make the hospital once more the major referral hospital for the Jubba regions, providing maternal health services and major surgery operations.
During the mission, access was negotiated with the local authorities to start as soon as possible mass vaccination campaigns. Children in the area have not been vaccinated for the past three years, putting the whole country and the border area with Kenya at risk of vaccine-preventable disease, including polio and measles.
WHO plans to further support the Kismayo General Hospital by scaling up the skills of health staff as well as sending an additional one tonne of medical supplies and equipment.
