Measles campaign targets 2.5 m children

A measles vaccination campaign targeting 2.5 million children in southern and central Somalia has started, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said.

"Data from routine measles vaccination for 2005 indicates that less than 25 percent of infants were vaccinated before their first birthday and that Somalia has registered very low coverage for all vaccine-preventable diseases since the collapse of the central government in 1991," said John Lebga, UNICEF Somalia project officer for health and nutrition.

Measles is one of the leading causes of childhood deaths in Somalia, where vaccination coverage is about 38 percent. The country has one of the highest infant and under-five mortality rates in the world, with 132 deaths per 1,000 live births and 225 per 1,000 respectively, a joint statement from the agencies said.

UNICEF and WHO will implement the campaign with the support of local and international NGOs and community-based organisations. The transitional government, along with local authorities, "will guarantee access and security during the campaign," the statement said.

The programme will cover nine regions in central/southern Somalia and be conducted in three phases. The first phase in March will target the drought-affected regions of Gedo, Lower and Middle Juba and Bay region. The second and third phases will cover the regions of Benadir (encompassing Mogadishu), Lower Shabelle, Hiran, Galgadud, parts of Mudug and Middle Shabelle.

The main objective of the initiative is "to enhance measles coverage throughout Somalia and to provide rapid protection to children in drought affected areas facing famine and malnutrition," the agencies said.

By the end of exercise in April 2006, about 90 percent of the children in the nine regions are expected to be vaccinated.