ReliefWeb

Four cases of wild poliovirus (polio) were confirmed in Somalia in May. These are the first cases reported in Somalia since 2007, when the country was declared polio free. Millions of children across Somalia are now at risk of contracting the disease especially in areas of South Central where polio vaccinations have not been carried out in the last three years.

The disease has also been reported in neighbouring countries of Kenya and Ethiopia due to population movements. An outbreak response campaign, led by the government, WHO and UNICEF was conducted in May, reaching over 450,000 children in Banadir and Afgoye. A nationwide polio campaign supported by WHO and UNICEF is scheduled to be launched on 17 June, targeting over 3 million children under the age of five years. Similar campaigns are also being planned in Kenya and Ethiopia