Somalia announced on Sunday that it is making significant strides towards reaching the global target of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) by 2030. Despite facing challenges such as climatic shocks, insecurity, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s national TB program has achieved an impressive 87 percent treatment success rate, with a 14 percent decrease in TB incidence and a growth in TB treatment centers from seven to 109 over the past twenty years.
Mohamed Jafar, the national TB program manager at the Ministry of Health and Human Services, emphasized the need for continued support to maintain the progress made. He highlighted the importance of investments in molecular testing machines and outreach activities, which are crucial for detecting TB cases. Jafar made these remarks in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, to commemorate World TB Day on March 24.
The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) Somalia, marked World Tuberculosis Day 2024 with a renewed commitment to end the TB epidemic. The theme for the occasion, “Yes! We can end TB!,” aims to inspire hope and drive high-level leadership, increased investments, prompt adoption of new WHO recommendations and innovations, and collaborative efforts across sectors to combat TB.
WHO identified TB as a significant public health concern in Somalia. Despite the country’s fragility, Somalia has made substantial progress in its TB program since its reestablishment in 1995 following the civil war. The incidence of TB in the nation decreased to 246 cases per 100,000 population in 2023 from 286 cases per 100,000 population in 2010, indicating a 14 percent reduction over fourteen years.
Sindani Ireneaus Sebit, WHO’s focal person for Somalia’s TB program, stated that the UN health agency continues to offer crucial technical support to the Ministry of Health and plays a critical role in TB drug management to ensure the availability of TB medications to patients without any risk of shortages.
WHO reported a significant growth in the number of TB treatment centers in Somalia, reaching 109 centers in 2023 from just seven centers in 1995. The organization also noted a gradual increase in TB cases enrolled in treatment, rising to 18,604 cases per year in 2023 from 10,469 cases per year in 2010. In total, the program enrolled 211,554 TB cases for treatment, saving 184,052 lives by 2023, with an average treatment success rate of 87 percent.
WHO helped establish Somalia’s first treatment center for drug-resistant TB in 2013 and has since expanded to eleven such centers covering the entire country. Since 2015, a total of 2,021 drug-resistant TB cases have been enrolled for treatment, with 1,456 cases successfully treated, resulting in an average treatment success rate of 72 percent.
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