Children Hit Hardest
Authorities and aid organizations have raised the alarm over a fast-growing diphtheria outbreak in Somalia, with almost all cases involving children. The highly contagious bacterial illness, preventable through vaccination, is spreading due to persistent gaps in immunisation and poor living conditions.
Hospitals Overwhelmed
Dr Abdulrazaq Yusuf Ahmed of Demartino Hospital in Mogadishu reported a surge in patients. “We treated 49 cases in 2024, but in the first four months of 2025 alone, we’ve already seen 497,” he said. Fatalities have climbed from 13 to 42, highlighting the seriousness of the outbreak.
Rising National Numbers
The Somali health ministry has documented 1,616 infections and 87 deaths so far this year. MSF’s medical coordinator in Somalia, Frida Athanassiadis, explained that children under 15 account for nearly all cases, with low vaccination rates, reluctance to immunise, and poor living conditions fueling the spread.
Limited Medical Supplies
Many clinics are struggling to handle the growing number of patients, Athanassiadis said. MSF’s initial emergency stock of diphtheria antitoxin has run out, and the remaining supplies are being allocated by the health ministry and World Health Organization according to urgency.
Other Preventable Illnesses Increasing
Save the Children reported a sharp rise in vaccine-preventable diseases between April and July, including measles, cholera, whooping cough, diphtheria, and severe respiratory infections, doubling from roughly 22,600 to over 46,000 cases. Children under five accounted for 60% of the infections. The organization attributed the surge to recent cuts in aid, which have weakened routine vaccinations and catch-up campaigns.
Communities Express Concern
Mogadishu residents are seeing the impact firsthand. Abdiwahid Ali said, “Many children in my area are sick, and some have had to go to hospital.” Grocer Anab Hassan added, “A friend lost her five-year-old daughter to diphtheria, and we hear about children falling ill every day.”
