Somalia reports 50+ deaths, 1,000+ children infected in recent diphtheria outbreak

Thursday, December 11, 2025

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has launched an emergency diphtheria vaccination drive in the Banadir region as an expanding outbreak kills at least 50 people in recent weeks and infects more than 1,000 children, officials said.

The five-day campaign begins Monday, Dec. 15, and will deploy teams to neighborhoods, health centers and schools in Mogadishu and surrounding districts. The ministry urged parents to ensure children are vaccinated, calling diphtheria “a deadly disease that poses a great threat to children.”

“In response to this serious situation, the Ministry of Health has, after much effort, been able to launch a vaccination campaign to control this dangerous disease,” the ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

Children ages 5 to 15 are the most affected as transmission continues across multiple regions, the ministry said. Officials warned the current wave is a continuation of the 2023 diphtheria outbreak, with uninterrupted spread reported in most districts through 2024 and 2025.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious respiratory disease that can cause severe throat swelling, breathing difficulty and heart complications. It is preventable with vaccination, but gaps in routine immunization have left large numbers of children at risk.

By the numbers (Jan. 1–Nov. 30, 2025):

• 3,267 suspected cases reported nationwide
• 136 deaths (case fatality rate 4%)
• 1,281 children under 5 (39% of all cases)
• 1,639 female cases (50%)
• 71% with no vaccination history
• 17 rt-PCR confirmed cases
• 22 community deaths reported

Health authorities said the new Banadir push is aimed at interrupting transmission ahead of year’s end while mobilizing communities with low vaccination coverage, particularly in displacement camps. The ministry said teams will prioritize high-risk neighborhoods and school-age children, alongside catch-up doses for under-5s who missed routine immunizations.

Regional snapshot, weeks 1–48, 2025:

• Banadir: 1,361 cases and 73 deaths (5.3% CFR). Most cases reported among displaced communities in Daynile, Yaqshid and Karan districts.
• Puntland State: 1,191 cases and 40 deaths (3.3% CFR). Galkayo (569 cases, 11 deaths) and Garowe (357 cases, 10 deaths) are the most affected districts.
• Galmudug: 280 cases and 8 deaths (3% CFR), with concentrations in Galkayo, Guriel and Hobyo.
• Southwest State: 322 cases and 4 deaths (1% CFR). The outbreak began in 2025, peaked at 20 weekly cases in April and has eased in recent weeks; most cases reported from Burhakaba and Baidoa IDP sites.

The ministry’s data underscore how low vaccination coverage is driving risk: more than two-thirds of reported cases had no prior immunization. Public health workers say crowded displacement settlements, limited access to primary health services and population movement between districts are fueling spread.

While the immediate focus is Banadir, officials said additional vaccination rounds are being prepared in other hot-spot regions as supplies and logistics allow. The ministry also encouraged families to seek care early for children with fever, sore throat or difficulty breathing and to report suspected cases to nearby health facilities for rapid response.

As the outbreak enters its third calendar year, health authorities are balancing surge vaccination with efforts to restore routine immunization disrupted by conflict, drought and displacement. The ministry appealed for continued support from partners to expand vaccine access, strengthen surveillance and ensure adequate supplies of antitoxin and antibiotics for severe cases.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.