Jigjiga, Somali Regional State – In the city of Jigjiga, the integrated measles vaccination campaign has been officially launched. This initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the DDS Health Bureau and the organizations WHO and UNICEF.
The primary goal of this campaign is to safeguard the lives of more than 140,000 children under the age of five.
The campaign, which aims to prevent diseases caused by drought that affect children, will be conducted in 16 districts selected from 7 regions within the DDS. All of these districts are among the areas most severely affected by drought.
Health officials from the Regional Health Bureau have emphasized that this program is designed to save the lives of many children living in the drought-affected districts.
“The objective is to reach children under the age of five, whose numbers exceed 141,000. The vaccination program was initiated due to the ongoing drought in these districts, as children’s immune systems tend to weaken during such periods, making them highly vulnerable to contracting this disease.” Said Deputy Minister of the Health Bureau Mahmoud Mohamed Abdi
Health officials have stated that this health campaign is expected to be completed within five days. The primary anticipated outcome is the prevention of diseases that could have claimed the lives of many young children.
