Children Bearing the Brunt
Health workers and aid groups report a fast-growing diphtheria outbreak in Somalia, with children representing over 97% of cases. The illness, which spreads easily and can be deadly, is preventable with vaccines, but low immunisation coverage remains a serious challenge.
Hospitals Struggling With Numbers
Dr Abdulrazaq Yusuf Ahmed, director of Demartino hospital in Mogadishu, said the increase has been dramatic. “Last year we treated 49 cases, but in just four months of 2025 we’ve seen 497,” he explained. Fatalities also jumped from 13 to 42 during the same period.
Official Figures Highlight Urgency
The health ministry has recorded 1,616 infections and 87 deaths this year. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that poor vaccination uptake, hesitancy, and worsening living conditions are driving the outbreak, particularly in central Somalia.
Supplies Falling Short
According to MSF coordinator Frida Athanassiadis, many facilities lack the capacity to handle the surge. The group’s limited stock of antitoxin has already run out, with the health ministry and World Health Organization now allocating scarce supplies where most needed.
Other Diseases on the Rise
Save the Children reported that between April and July, cases of measles, cholera, diphtheria, whooping cough and severe respiratory infections more than doubled from 22,600 to 46,000. Around 60% of these were children under five. The NGO linked the surge to aid cuts reducing vaccination and treatment services.
Communities Express Concern
Residents in Mogadishu say the outbreak is hitting families hard. “Many children nearby are ill, some in hospital,” said resident Abdiwahid Ali. Grocer Anab Hassan added: “A friend lost her five-year-old daughter to diphtheria, and others say their children are sick too.”
