Somalia Battles Rising Diphtheria Cases Amid Vaccine Shortages and Aid Cuts

Somalia is facing a sharp surge in diphtheria cases as vaccine shortages and international aid cuts strain the country’s fragile health system. Health officials report more than 1,600 cases and 87 deaths so far this year, almost double the figures recorded in all of 2024.

Diphtheria, a bacterial infection that causes fever, swollen glands, and dangerous breathing difficulties, is preventable through vaccination. Yet in Somalia, where ongoing conflict and poverty already leave millions vulnerable, hundreds of thousands of children remain unprotected.

For families displaced by fighting, the consequences have been devastating. Health Minister Ali Haji Adam acknowledged that Somalia has struggled to secure vaccines amid a global shortage. But he added that cuts to U.S. humanitarian assistance have worsened the crisis by limiting distribution. Until this year, the United States was Somalia’s largest donor, funding vaccination drives and mobile health clinics that reached remote villages. Overall U.S. commitments to Somalia dropped to $149 million this fiscal year, down from $765 million the year before.

“The U.S. aid cut terribly affected the health funds it used to provide to Somalia,” Adam said. “Many health centres closed. Mobile vaccination teams that took vaccines to remote areas lost funding and now do not work.”

Washington insists it remains a major donor. “The United States continues to provide lifesaving foreign assistance in Somalia,” a State Department spokesperson said, urging other countries to increase support. But aid groups warn that the retreat of Western donors has left dangerous gaps. Save the Children reported that hundreds of clinic closures this year have contributed to a doubling of diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, cholera, and severe respiratory infections since mid-April.

Somalia’s own government has also come under scrutiny. Amnesty International noted that the health budget dropped from 8.5% of overall spending in 2023 to just 4.8% in 2024. Critics argue that the state’s reliance on external donors leaves it unprepared to respond to outbreaks.

Officials say a nationwide vaccination drive is planned, but no timeline has been given. Meanwhile, families like Ali’s wait anxiously in overcrowded hospitals as the disease spreads.

The crisis underscores the vulnerability of Somalia’s health system, where preventable diseases remain a deadly threat. Without sustained international support and stronger national investment, health workers warn that more children will die from illnesses that the world has long known how to stop.

Source: Reuters