A Doctor in a Clinic Vaccinates a Child In Somalia Africa - stock photo

A mother sits with her son as he is vacinnated by a doctor in Bosasso, Somalia. Control of vaccine-preventable diseases remains a huge challenge in Somalia, due to the low routine immunization coverage and the continued inability to reach almost 600 000 under-five children with supplementary immunization activities. Since 2014 there has been a massive vaccine campaign conducted by the health authorities, with the support of UNICEF, WHO and partners, with funding from the Common Humanitarian Fund, the Measles/Rubella Initiative (MRI), and the multi-donor multi-partner Joint Health and Nutrition Programme involving a newly introduced five-in-one vaccine. This protects against several potentially fatal childhood disease, including diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza type B, the bacteria that can cause meningitis and pneumonia. Vitamin A supplementation, deworming tablets and oral rehydration solutions (ORS) were also provided in the CHD package. In addition, women of childbearing age received tetanus toxoid vaccination to protect the newborns against tetanus.