children

A woman checks on her malnourished child at Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh) MOGADISHU, Somalia — The sounds that echo through the wards of Banadir Hospital are heart-wrenching. Cries of children wracked with malnutrition resonate like a haunting melody of despair. Among them is 1-year-old Maka’il Mohamed, whose tiny body struggles for breath as doctors press against his frail chest in a desperate bid to sustain life. His father, Mohamed Ma’ow, arrived at…

Empowering the Future: Kids Tech Fest 2025 In a world rapidly transformed by technology, the role of parents and educators has never been more crucial. At the upcoming Kids Tech Fest 2025, we’re thrilled to offer dedicated sessions for parents and the broader educational community. Imagine a space where you can explore topics such as parenting in an AI-driven world, cyber safety, engaging learning resources, career guidance, and tailored IT curriculums for schools. How can we prepare our children to…

Heartbreaking Reality for Children in Somalia: A Call for Action Mogadishu (AX) – Imagine a world where your child’s survival hinges on access to basic nutrition. For at least 55,000 children in Somalia, this dire situation is poised to worsen by June. The ongoing cuts to international aid are forcing Save the Children to shutter more than a quarter of its health and nutrition facilities across the nation. As the largest non-governmental provider of health and nutrition services for children in Somalia, Save the…

One of Pope Francis's iconic popemobiles is undergoing a transformation into a mobile health clinic dedicated to serving children in Gaza. This initiative reflects one of his final wishes and has been reported by the Vatican's official media outlet. The vehicle, which was utilized by the late pontiff during his visit to the Holy Land in 2014, is now being equipped with essential diagnostic and emergency medical tools. This crucial step aims to assist young patients in the Palestinian enclave, where health services have…

Recent research has revealed a startling statistic: pedestrians and cyclists face a 44% higher risk of fatality when struck by an SUV or similarly sized vehicle compared to a traditional car. Alarmingly, this figure escalates to 82% for children, according to the analysis from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in collaboration with Imperial College London. This extensive study examined over 680,000 road collisions recorded over the past 35 years. By comparing injury severity among pedestrians and…

A New Dawn for Child Health in Somalia In a remarkable advancement for public health, Somalia has officially integrated two vital vaccines—pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) and rotavirus—into its national immunization program. This transition is a significant milestone aimed at curtailing child mortality rates attributed to pneumonia and diarrhea, two leading causes of death in the region. The timing of this monumental launch coincides with a nationwide measles catch-up campaign, targeting millions of…

Transforming Lives: The Gift of Hearing for Somali Children Mogadishu (AX) — In a truly heartwarming development, fifteen Somali children have been given the incredible gift of hearing for the very first time. This life-altering transformation resulted from advanced surgical procedures conducted in Nairobi, where state-of-the-art hearing devices were implanted, courtesy of funds from Saudi Arabia. This moment encapsulates more than just medical advancement; it symbolizes renewed hope and dignity for families who have long…

In a tragic incident early this morning, an Israeli airstrike has resulted in the death of ten members of the same family, including seven children, in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to reports from Gaza's civil defense agency. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for the agency, shared the devastating news, stating, "Ten individuals, among them seven children, were received at the hospital as martyrs following an Israeli airstrike that targeted the al-Farra family home in central Khan Younis," in an interview with…

Mogadishu (AX) — In the bustling streets of Somalia's capital, a significant initiative quietly unfolds, marked by the colorful presence of health workers armed with life-saving vials. With palpable determination, the Federal Ministry of Health and Human Services, bolstered by global allies like WHO, UNICEF, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, has embarked on a crucial four-day polio vaccination campaign. Their mission? To immunize 2.5 million children under the tender age of five against a persistent adversary:…

Baidoa (AX) — In a turn of events that can only be described as harrowing yet hopeful, the security forces in Somalia's South West State have succeeded in rescuing four children, much to the relief of their anguished families. These children—each tender and impressionable—found themselves in the clutches of the notorious Al-Shabaab, a scourge force bent on enlisting them into their militant ranks as child soldiers. Can one truly grasp the enormity of such a violation? Local authorities announced this heartening news on…