Somalia, the vaccination campaign against cholera is underway. while in Malawi the most serious epidemic in recent years is being fought

ROME – A house-to-house vaccination campaign is underway in Somalia’s provinces most affected by the drought: Daynile, Dharkenley, Hamar Jajab, Hodan, Khahda, Baidoa, Kismayo, Afgoye, Marka and Johar. More than a thousand teams made up of two vaccination doctors, one person who acts as a mediator and another who works as a data officer, have been created to make sure that all identified people receive at least one dose of vaccine.

Prevention. Mindful of the experience of 2012, when almost 260,000 people died due to an epidemic of measles and cholera, today Somalia, grappling with a very serious drought and the consequent problems of famine and water pollution, is playing in advance for prevent disease and deaths even in high-risk areas.

Cholera. It is an intestinal disease caused by bacteria that are transmitted through contaminated water and is particularly dangerous for malnourished children. Today in Somalia over six million people have to face the water emergency and struggle with poor sanitation conditions. Nearly two million children suffer from acute malnutrition and are therefore exposed to cholera. Official statistics from the Federal Ministry of Health and Human Services confirm that over fifteen thousand cases of cholera and eighty-eight deaths were recorded in the country during 2022, all concentrated in the districts affected by the drought. The death rate is 0.6 percent. The number of people infected and who died in 2022 doubled compared to the previous two years.

The vaccines. Cholera vaccines are free, easy to administer, and are lifesavers, especially for children. “Drought continues to pose a serious risk to the health and well-being of children in Somalia,” said Wafaa Saeed, Unicef ​​representative in the country. Most families struggle daily to access basic necessities such as water and sanitation. The Banadir region, one of those where the drought is doing the most damage, has been fighting cholera continuously since 2017.

Cholera in Malawi. Malawi is also facing the worst cholera epidemic in two decades, with nearly 30,000 reported cases and more than 900 deaths. The Malawi Red Cross, in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), is assisting over two million people on the ground. The first case of cholera in the country was recorded in February 2022, since then the disease has continued to spread putting ten million people at risk, half of whom are children.

Data in Malawi. According to statistics released by the Ministry of Health on 22 January 2023, the mortality rate in the country is currently 3.27 percent, a much higher figure than the tolerance threshold, below 1 percent, established by the Organization World Health.

The intervention of the Malawi Red Cross. The organization is already providing life-saving care and oral hydration therapies. Volunteers work to ensure water supplies are safe and sanitation facilities work. Malawi is also carrying out a door-to-door awareness campaign, like Somalia, to explain what precautions to take in order not to get sick, especially during the rainy season.